Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time

by oz on December 4, 2006



I’m not much of a metal guy these days, but I dabbled in high school. I heard about this list on the radio this morning and had to look it up. It’s bound for controversy. Freddy Mercury at #6? Scott Stapp and Fred Durst made the list but Billy Corgan didn’t? ROD STEWART AGAIN!!! This guy is haunting me lately.

I’ll further assume that punk bands are not included, since Joey Ramone didn’t make the cut.

Some of my personal favorites (other than Corgan) that are not on the list:

Pepper Keenan, Corrosion of Conformity

Phil Anselmo, Pantera

Keith Caputo, Life of Agony


Here’s the full list from Hit Parader.

01. Robert Plant
02. Rob Halford
03. Steven Tyler
04. Chris Cornell
05. Bon Scott
06. Freddie Mercury
07. Bruce Dickinson
08. Ozzy Osbourne
09. Paul Rodgers
10. Ronnie James Dio
11. Axl Rose
12. Sammy Hagar
13. Geddy Lee
14. Geoff Tate
15. Mick Jagger
16. Jonathan Davis
17. Roger Daltrey
18. Paul Stanley
19. David Lee Roth
20. Kurt Cobain
21. Maynard James Keenan
22. Klaus Meine
23. Eddie Vedder
24. James Hetfield
25. Trent Reznor
26. Serj Tankian
27. Layne Staley
28. Steve Perry
29. Gene Simmons
30. Joe Elliott
31. Jon Bon Jovi
32. Alice Cooper
33. Vince Neil
34. Steve Marriott
35. Lajon Witherspoon
36. Sebastian Bach
37. Philip Anselmo
38. Zack De La Rocha
39. Brian Johnson
40. Bret Michaels
41. Udo Dirkschneider
42. David Draiman
43. Ian Gillian
44. Marilyn Manson
45. Jeff Keith
46. Chester Bennington
47. Sully Erna
48. Lemmy Kilmister
49. Aaron Lewis
50. Brett Scallions
51. Chino Moreno
52. Rob Zombie
53. Anthony Kiedis
54. David Coverdale
55. Gary Cherone
56. Andrew Wood
57. Scott Weiland
58. Tom Araya
59. Phil Lynnot
60. Rod Stewart
61. Scooter Ward
62. Ray Davies
63. Sonny Sandoval
64. David Bowie
65. Joan Jett
66. Josey Scott
67. Perry Farrell
68. Scott Stapp
69. Amy Lee
70. Don Dokken
71. Fred Durst
72. Mike Shinoda
73. Pepper Keenan
74. Dez Fafara
75. Gavin Rossdale
76. Blackie Lawless
77. Dave Wyndorf
78. Ann Wilson
79. Jimi Hendrix
80. Ville Valo
81. Peter Steele
82. Dave Williams
83. Dee Snider
84. Joe Lynn Turner
85. King Diamond
86. Corey Taylor
87. Jamey Jasta
88. Justin Hawkins
89. Dave Mustaine
90. Ian Astbury
91. Stephen Pearcy
92. Phil Mogg
93. Biff Byford
94. Cristina Scabbia
95. Dani Filth
96. Wes Scantlin
97. Tim “Ripper” Owens
98. Joshua Todd
99. Kevin Dubrow
100. Ray Gillen

 

{ 1428 comments… read them below or add one }

John Z January 4, 2012 at 12:04 am

James Hetfield and Phil Anselmo deserve spots on this list

maniac January 4, 2012 at 2:37 pm

Do you even understand what metal is ?????

leo hill January 8, 2012 at 4:46 am

THIS IS THE MOST INACCURATE LIST OF ALL TIME? 89% of this list isnt even metal!! not even classic metal!! i love nirvana but its GRUNGE! thus needs to be changed!!! FRED FUCKING DURST???? you might as well pit britney spears on this list!!! i can make a better list IN MY SLEEP!!! this is an insult to everyone who likes/makes or ecen heard if metal! fucking jesus!!! dani filth AS 95???? he can utilize all his vocal chords simultaneously sing in TWO DIFFERENT VOICES AT THE SAME TIME!!! dez fafara has the most brutal scream ever!! chris cornel should be in thr top five!! listen to i am the highway and then black rain!!! ville VALLO???? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING????? HIM????????????????? thats so far from metal!! EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT

Alan January 8, 2012 at 7:23 am

So out of all the vocalists out there…they choose Robert Plant. Wow, this list is completely null and void. How pathetic. Get better eardrums you morons.

lackofcomprehension January 8, 2012 at 9:36 pm

Are you blind? Phil anselmo’s number 37 smh

lackofcomprehension January 8, 2012 at 9:40 pm

Btw garrett nobody here needs to open their horizons. This list is METAL vocalists not rock and roll

lackofcomprehension January 8, 2012 at 9:41 pm

And pepper keenan is 73

asia January 9, 2012 at 3:44 am

Maynard James Keenan is much better than Rob Halford. Where is MIKE PATTON??????????????

Anmol Bara January 10, 2012 at 11:46 am

Chester Bennington!! You gotta be Fucking Kidding!!
This is Bullshit!

meff January 11, 2012 at 2:05 am

What the F***! this list sucks, Fred Durst? he cant sing what about Maynard from Tool? Phil Anselmo? Mike Patton?

TheLord January 11, 2012 at 2:56 pm

you guys this list SUCKS the rapper of Linkin Park Mike Shinoda is in the 72 place thats the most stupid thing I’ve ever seen DANI FILTH WHICH IS A TRUE METAL VOICE AND THE MOST UNIQE VOICE ON EARTH IS THE 95 this list does have other mistakes too which most of the vocalist are not metal singers

deth666 January 15, 2012 at 2:25 am

clearly hit parader doesn’t know the difference between metal and other genres of music

Brian's January 15, 2012 at 7:44 am

They didn’t even included Myles Kennedy on the list! What a shame!

1449320 January 17, 2012 at 4:21 am

somehow i missed that this was a hit parader list. i should have known it would blow. i have so many issues with this…its probably not worth my time to name them individually. suffice it to say, this list is in the top five of my list of the most bullshitty ridiculous mainstream and sales driven statistic based confused and over reaching something for everyone utterly pointless and not to mention incorrectly titled lists of all time.

MOST of these are not metal vocalists.
A ton of them are simply horrible.

whoever made this crap should be ashamed of themselves. would it have been that hard to let someone who actually likes metal do it?

fuck, I’LL do it. i need about 30 min. and a formal apology from hit parader and the writer directly responsible.

I Love lists. and this is no list. This is a seemingly random ordering of what appears to be people that have at one time vocalized in a band that…uses a guitar?

And even if this IS the list, robert plant?? i love LZ, but come on.
a couple top 5-10 contenders off the top of my head would be – freddy mercury, mike patton, maynard keenan, phil anselmo, chris cornell. shit even max cavalera and henry rollins. i would also involve greg puciatto from the dillinger escape plan, whoevers laying down the bulk of mastodon’s vocals nowadays, fucking Ian MacKaye….so many better choices for this list AND the list it should have been. shame, hit parader. shame.

ROCKNEVERDIE January 18, 2012 at 1:08 am

Ian Gillan #43??????? you’re fall asleep…..

anon January 18, 2012 at 7:12 am

Stop crying you fuckin pussies just because you’re gay crush isn’t on the list or is rated too low. This was an opinionated article so obviously it’s not going to be an accurate representation of your thoughts on the matter. Go blow it out your asses.

Mark C. January 21, 2012 at 6:49 pm

This list would be better discribed as Hard Rock and Paul Rodgers is hands down the best. Really no contest.

Ronnie B January 22, 2012 at 7:45 am

#43… You spelled Ian Gillan wrong. There is only one I in GILLAN. It’s not GILLIAN. Gillian is a girl’s first name.

Daniel January 23, 2012 at 6:38 am

Half of these aren’t even close to Metal. And any vocalist list that doesn’t have LAYNE STALEY in the top 3/4 is a complete fail to begin with.

Mike January 23, 2012 at 5:30 pm

This list is messed up. We’re talking metal, not rock. That being said, Bruce Dickinson should’ve been number one, not 7. Hetfield, Tankian, and Amy Lee should be higher also.

Mike January 23, 2012 at 5:32 pm

M.Shadows from A7x isn’t on here? Wow…

skym January 23, 2012 at 5:32 pm

hetfield at 24 and mustaine at 89 please go fuck you self

acdc January 26, 2012 at 12:08 pm

Axl Rose – 11 / Coverdale – 54
Dio – 10/ Ozzy – 08

WTF

fuck January 27, 2012 at 3:40 pm

Wow. Guys… really… what you smoked? I want this same shit you were smoking. Rod Stewart, Axl Rose, Robert Plant? Nice, so B.B. King is heavy metal too, right? And those Beethoven compositions are, in the matter of fact, heavy metal solos? Ok, nice. Really good job. Next time when you will be doing such a list don’t mention the title of it. Really because it’s only a title, and you will do whatever you want, because you are great and smart. Happy Apocalypse in 2012.

Vitor January 30, 2012 at 11:00 pm

Wtf…

Rob Halford – 2° / Tim “Ripper” Owens – 97°

He replace Rob Halford!
……………………………
David Coverdale 54° ?!?!!!

Jim5 January 31, 2012 at 4:30 am

Where is Dave Brockie? Rod Stewart is on this list but Brockie isn’t? Messed up!!

Bluewolf January 31, 2012 at 6:53 am

everyone is free to have his/her liking, but…
have you forgotten Michael Kiske? O.o
and if Ozzy Osbourne is in this chart i want Quorthon too!! XD

Slayer February 1, 2012 at 6:22 am

WTF? Bon Jovi is in the list but no Phil Anselmo, Max Cavalera etc. And how can Tom Araya and Serj be in the 50′s ranked lower than Bon Jovi and Kurt Cobain? I mean really.. their music was not even classified as Metal to start of with. So many others.. but one other Rod F*cking steward gets to be in the list? WTF..?

Leave a Comment

{ 7 trackbacks }

Previous post:

Next post: