rank your top 10 lead singers of all time

[Synthaholic]

If it’s singers:

Frank Sinatra
Gino Vannelli
k.d lang
Janet Seigel (Manhattan Transfer)
Judy Garland
Tony Bennett
Paul McCartney
Anita Baker
Ella Fitzgerald
Whitney Houston

NOTE: great singer is not equivalent to great voice, and vice versa. You could say Celine Dion has a great voice, but she’s a shitty singer. Stevie Wonder is a great singer but doesn’t have a great voice.

If it’s band lead singers:

Steve Walsh is #1 (Kansas) - great voice, great singer
Freddie Mercury - great voice, great singer
Sammy Hagar (only with Montrose) - great singer
Paul McCartney - great voice, great singer
Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) - great singer
Roger Daltry - great singer
Chrissie Hynde - great singer
John Fogarty - great voice
Steve Winwood - great voice
Ronnie James Dio - great voice

Honorable mention: Chris Cornell, Rod Stewart, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

Nice lists. btw Rob Halford's still touring with with Priest this year and 2020.
This is him in 2018 at age 66.

New album kicks ass.

I told this nugget here in 2014:

Also forgot Judas Priest, around 1983, in Little Rock, IIRC. My band's road manager used to be their road manager, and he got us all free tix, although he was the only one who got a backstage pass.
​

Favorite concerts

I’m not a headbanger but it was a great show. Massive stage setup.

 

[the other mike]

I’m not a headbanger but it was a great show. Massive stage setup.

When I saw the first night of Led Zeppelin's 2-night gig in Richfield, Ohio, I had a backstage pass being a parking attendant at the (old) Coliseum, but I was off that night.....so a girl at school that day sold me her ticket for $20 ( this was 1977)...her girlfriend's mom wouldn't let her go on a school night. One of life's 'forever' moments in time you never forget-- 16 years old on a date with a hot 17 year old girl doing mescaline and 16th row for Led Zeppelin.

Anyway we got to meet some roadies and check out everything - awesome stage set-up-- never got to meet them, but had a brush with Rush there once.

 

[Synthaholic]

I’m not a headbanger but it was a great show. Massive stage setup.

When I saw the first night of Led Zeppelin's 2-night gig in Richfield, Ohio, I had a backstage pass being a parking attendant at the (old) Coliseum, but I was off that night.....so a girl at school that day sold me her ticket for $20 ( this was 1977)...her girlfriend's mom wouldn't let her go on a school night. One of life's 'forever' moments in time you never forget-- 16 years old on a date with a hot 17 year old girl doing mescaline and 16th row for Led Zeppelin.

Anyway we got to meet some roadies and check out everything - awesome stage set-up-- never got to meet them, but had a brush with Rush there once.

I just noticed that you’re in Arkansas. I used to play there, infrequently. My main memories are the giant Maybeline factory along the interstate and one of the clubs I played. The Checkmate? I think that was the name. And a great Japanese steak house. I think it was called Shogun.

Edit: this was all in Little Rock.

Ha! I found it on google maps. The view from I-40:

 

[the other mike]

I’m not a headbanger but it was a great show. Massive stage setup.

When I saw the first night of Led Zeppelin's 2-night gig in Richfield, Ohio, I had a backstage pass being a parking attendant at the (old) Coliseum, but I was off that night.....so a girl at school that day sold me her ticket for $20 ( this was 1977)...her girlfriend's mom wouldn't let her go on a school night. One of life's 'forever' moments in time you never forget-- 16 years old on a date with a hot 17 year old girl doing mescaline and 16th row for Led Zeppelin.

Anyway we got to meet some roadies and check out everything - awesome stage set-up-- never got to meet them, but had a brush with Rush there once.

I just noticed that you’re in Arkansas. I used to play there, infrequently. My main memories are the giant Maybeline factory along the interstate and one of the clubs I played. The Checkmate? I think that was the name. And a great Japanese steak house. I think it was called Shogun.

My wife who's from here might know those. I'm more familiar with Atlanta Georgia clubs ( Danny's, Charley MacGruder's...)and a few Cleveland / Akron Ohio ones.

 

[Slade3200]

My list is based on outstanding frontmen, not strictly vocal ability.

AXL
Steven Tyler
Sebastian Bach
Freddy Mercury
Bowie
Prince
Michael Starr
David Grohl
Jack Black
Billy Corgan
Pink
Heart
Elton

 

[Synthaholic]

I’m not a headbanger but it was a great show. Massive stage setup.

When I saw the first night of Led Zeppelin's 2-night gig in Richfield, Ohio, I had a backstage pass being a parking attendant at the (old) Coliseum, but I was off that night.....so a girl at school that day sold me her ticket for $20 ( this was 1977)...her girlfriend's mom wouldn't let her go on a school night. One of life's 'forever' moments in time you never forget-- 16 years old on a date with a hot 17 year old girl doing mescaline and 16th row for Led Zeppelin.

Anyway we got to meet some roadies and check out everything - awesome stage set-up-- never got to meet them, but had a brush with Rush there once.

I just noticed that you’re in Arkansas. I used to play there, infrequently. My main memories are the giant Maybeline factory along the interstate and one of the clubs I played. The Checkmate? I think that was the name. And a great Japanese steak house. I think it was called Shogun.

My wife who's from here might know those. I'm more familiar with Atlanta Georgia clubs ( Danny's, Charley MacGruder's...)and a few Cleveland / Akron Ohio ones.

Holy shit. The owner, Butch, and head bartender, Robby, from Charley MacGruder’s were my roommates! It was Butch’s house in Marietta, near The Big Chicken, on Allgood Road. Robby was one of my best friends. My band played there whenever we came home from the road. I went to the big reunion about 5 years ago, at Center Stage.

We also played at Great Buckhead Saloon a lot. Mother’s Finest were friends, and would sit in with us/we with them.

 

[Synthaholic]

Bought the shirt!

Damn. It was 9 years ago.

 

[P F Tinmore]

My favorite contemporary singer.

 

[Synthaholic]

If it’s singers:

Frank Sinatra
Gino Vannelli
k.d lang
Janet Seigel (Manhattan Transfer)
Judy Garland
Tony Bennett
Paul McCartney
Anita Baker
Ella Fitzgerald
Whitney Houston

NOTE: great singer is not equivalent to great voice, and vice versa. You could say Celine Dion has a great voice, but she’s a shitty singer. Stevie Wonder is a great singer but doesn’t have a great voice.

If it’s band lead singers:

Steve Walsh is #1 (Kansas) - great voice, great singer
Freddie Mercury - great voice, great singer
Sammy Hagar (only with Montrose) - great singer
Paul McCartney - great voice, great singer
Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) - great singer
Roger Daltry - great singer
Chrissie Hynde - great singer
John Fogarty - great voice
Steve Winwood - great voice
Ronnie James Dio - great voice

Honorable mention: Chris Cornell, Rod Stewart, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

Crap. How did I forget Tom Jones? Top 5 voice, top 5 singer.

 

[the other mike]

Holy shit. The owner, Butch, and head bartender, Robby, from Charley MacGruder’s were my roommates! It was Butch’s house in Marietta, near The Big Chicken, on Allgood Road. Robby was one of my best friends. My band played there whenever we came home from the road. I went to the big reunion about 5 years ago, at Center Stage.

We also played at Great Buckhead Saloon a lot. Mother’s Finest were friends, and would sit in with us/we with them.

Cool. My wife and I met in Atlanta at a dance club on Peachtree called R n R-- the crazy part is she's from Arkansas, I'm from Ohio and neither one of us had ever been to that club before - on a Friday night ( actually Valentine's Day was Sat - at midnight).. Talk about fate right ? I got her number and called her that Sunday & 32 years and 2 boys later here we are.(1987)

 

[the other mike]

Crap. How did I forget Tom Jones? Top 5 voice, top 5 singer.

Don't forget Andy Williams and Engelbert Humperdink.

 

[the other mike]

Ian Anderson gets my vote for most entertaining lead singer.
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned MJ or Prince so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=