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
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It takes me away a train full of bitches!!!
ERIC ADAMS?
KAI HANSEN?
TOBIAS SAMMET?
A LOTS MORE????
WTF ARE THEY????????????????
Not so metal but good voices…
Mitjenko Matijevic, Tom Kiefer!!!
My list is:
Plant
Daltrey
Halford
Adams
Dickinson
Hetfield
Dio
Bach
Scott (AC/DC Obviously, fuck off Stapp)
Hansen
This list’s a shit!!!!!!!
And where the f#$k is:
1. Michael Kiske
2. Michael Luppi
3. Joey Belladonna
4. Andre Matos
5. Tobias Sammet
6. Henrik Brockmann
7. John West
8. D. C. Cooper
and alot more…
Bullsh1t list if i might say…
yeah seriously, where are Eric Adams, Michael Kiske, Sebastian Bach etc? this list is retarded
ps. other bands play, MANOWAR KILL
How can you guys put steven tyler on #3 that is so gay why would you do that to such an awesome man and singer but axl needs to be 2nd on the list.Cause steven tyler and axl are awesome.
Mike Patton would easily make it to TOP 10.
No Mike Patton = BS list.
Rod Stewart????
At least Bowie and Mercury could sing(but should not be on this list)
The ACTUAL top 10 metal are:
Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
Glenn Hughes (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple)
Tarja Turunen (Nightwish)
Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio)
James Hetfield (Metallica)
Bruce Dickenson (Iron Maiden)
Robert Plant (Led Zepplin)
Marco Hietala (Tarot, Nightwish)
Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (Hawkwind, Motorhead)
I have’nt heard much of Sebastian Bach, Klaus Meine or Johnathan Davies(never heard of him, actualy), so I couldn’t includ them.
Like it or not, Nu Metal is a type of metal.
Also, those who keep bitching about Fred Durst should find the Limp Bizkit Songs “Boiler”, “Stalemate” and “Re-arranged”.
LB guitarist Wes Borland is one of the best rythem guitarests ever (right behind Izzy Stradlin’)
what the hell is axl doing outside the top 5????!!
Where is Chino Moreno (Deftones) ???
My Top 10 metal or hard rock singer :
1 James Hetfield
2 Chris Cornell
3 Axl Rose
4 Chester Bennington
5 Chino Moreno
6 Serj Tankian
7 Mike Patton
8 Myles Kennedy
9 David Lee Roth
10 Ozzy Osbourne
Where is m. Shadows? He’s a really good singer and also mitch lucker of suicide silence is the best deathcore singer ever and Mike Hranica of the devil wears prada is awesome too and there way too many non-metal singers on this list.Jonathan davis david draiman corey taylor and sunny sandoval should all be higher and also Alex Varkatzas of atreyu should be on here somewhere
1.Rob Halford
2.Geoff Tate
3.Hansi Kursch
4.Chris Cornell
5.Ronnie James Dio
6.Maynard James Keenan
7.King Diamond
8.David Draiman
9.Ozzy Osbourne
10.James Hetfield
My list.
This list is an epic failure!
If this was a list of the top 100 dick suckers they would have NOT included:
1. Faggy Mecury
2. Rod Stewart
3. Jon Bon Jovi
just say no to drugs.
Halford, Tate, King Diamond… these guys have 4 or 5 octave voices…if you dont have at least a 3 octave, you shouldnt be on the list as a “best” singer of all time.
No disrespect to Hetfield, Osbourne, and the likes of Kilmiester especially, cause they are some of my favs, but these three guys dont have 3 octaves between them…
What about David Byron and Mike Patton?
Are you deaf?
I don’t think Corey Taylor deserve to be in this list, he’s not singing, he’s screaming like a retard…
I think that Freddie Merceury & Bruce Dickinson should be at a higher place, they are great musicians!
My faves in the list are: Bruce & Freddie, James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine (apparently…), Ozzy, Rob Halford, Lemmy, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler and I believe i missed a few….
“FuckinZep” (657), Axl Rose is doing crappy techno music. If it answers your question.
“Michael” (656), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Jonathan Davies (Korn)…
BTW I disagree with Jonathan place’s in the list, he shouldn’t be at the list at all…
How does david Lee roth beat james hetfield?????????
WTF!!!
where is TILL LINDEMANN OF RAMMSTEIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!
this is a joke!!!!
LOOOOOOOOL!!!!!
this is the bigest shit of the…university?
hahahhahahahaa
sorry…i wanna to write…universe…not university….
sorry…i’m not english
I’m a big music fan and a big rock n’ roll/ metal fan and consider myself well educated in the proverbial school of rock. I have got to say this is a f****n great list. It’s always destined for controversy taking any artistic medium such as music or film etc. and creating a ‘ranking’ system as if it were a sport. Leave hit parader alone, they’ve created a great and in my opinion unbiased list of metal singers and don’t seem to have left anyone important out. If you’re gonna criticize anyone about making lists, criticize those brainless twats over at ‘Rolling Stone’. They ranked Eddie Van Halen at #70 in their list of 100 best guitarists of all time. My guess is EVH banged the wife of one of those rolling stone editors somewhere along the line (LOL) and consequently was put way down the list out of spite. I mean how else can you explain him being put at 70 when he should have been ranked either 1 or 2? And by the way kids, the term ‘Heavy Metal’ implies mainstream, ballsy rock n’ roll, so all you prog rock computer nerds can stop going ‘Waah, waah… wheres darky whatshisface from raiders of the xyz’ or whatever the hell prog rockers name their bands these days. Heavy Metal is testosterone, hot women, hard rockin and booze, none of that slit your wrist and put makeup on bolllocks that you get from the likes of slipknot, Tool etc. Im gonna stop ranting now. My only complaint would be that Vince Neil should have been a bit farther up the list.
Peace Out
Mike Shinoda? Kurt Cobain? Well glad to see Trent Reznor was on the list. But i don’t think Manson should have made it with that shit he calls music now days. Early Manson was great though.
why is Kurt Cobain number 20 h should be nubmber 101
I don’t see how Mike Shinoda exists on this list, nor Amy Lee…I mean Alissa White-Gluz of The Agonist is waay better, and Pete Loeffler is not here but Scott Stapp is? Lies.
freddie mercury? jimi hendrix? roger daltrey? robert plant? DAVID BOWIE? NONE OF THESE GUYS ARE METAL. Robert Plant maybe, but david bowie? i love the guy but he is not metal at all. he’s space rock. freddie mercury is hard rock, jimi hendrix is psychedelic/ acid rock, and roger daltrey is barely hard rock. these guys are some of my favorite singers ever, but theyre nowhere near metal.
Hey….
People, please stop comparing, this really destroys the love for music and makes us all Music-Critics!!!
We want to cheer music, what’s the need to compare, this makes us all angry, nothing else!
SO, LET’S ENJOY METAL, AND LEAVE THIS TENSION TO SO CALLED “MUSIC-CRITICS”!
Keep worshiping your bands and stuff!
LOVE FOR METAL, ALWAYS!
AND PEACE!
I can’t believe Devin Townsend is not on this list. It is supposed to be a metal list, yes? DT is not only one of the very best metal (vocal dextarity, range etc) singers ever but one of the most prolific. Listen to Alien and you can’t disagree.
Wow this list is fucked up in so many ways Sully should be farther up and wtf really we put Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Joe Elliot and Rod Stewart on the list??? Jonathan Davis’ location is good in my opinion the boy can sing get over it, makes gibberish and nursery rymes sound good. Corey Taylor yeah i agree even though i like him in Stone Sour and Slipknot, Mustaine should be in the twenties or thirties, and Hetfields location is good as well as Osbournes, and I’m glad they put Dave Williams on the list he deserves to be on it, but take that faggot Fred Durst off the fucking list, he doesnt deserve to even be mentioned but move Hendrix into the twenties. Axl Rose isnt that more Hardrock i think it is, and u forgot a number of talented vocalists like M. Shadows, Alex V. of Atreyu, Tuck of Bullet get over it he can sing, and in my personal opinion Ivan Ghost Moody of Five Finger, dont bash my opinion please and Draiman last but not least is in a good place. You guys fucked this list up Good Job only you dumbasses could manage that.
Where is Glenn Danzig? The Evil-Elvis, The Elvis Presley of Metal should be included.
ya chester bennington is where he should be if not higher hes a fantastic singer. i stumbled upon him and now i love his voice
Hansi Kürsch, definitely #1. And no one can argue otherwise.
wheres m monroe???????
wtf??? Jonathan Davis is on top 20? the bastard should be in #100.
fuck this shit
is 1nr.1 best or 100 ?
nr.1 *
I might be the #10292843 person to say this since this was published, but any metal list that doesn’t have MIKE PATTON between the top 3 metal vocalist of all time is pure BULLSHIT. The guy has the most amazing voice EVER, and he has even improved it over the last years. You try to put Fred Durst with an italian orchestra and cover 60′s songs and tell me how it goes. Then download Mondo Cane and compare them: you can’t be THAT DEAF to not realize that the only dude around able to do that kind of thing is Mike Patton.
And hey, I’m a huuuuge Pearl Jam fan and I love them to death, but even Eddie would laugh to find himself in a metal voices list. Classic voice, of course, but never metal!
What a load of crap this is.
robert plant’s best performances: (which contributes to why he’s #1)
-dazed and confused (studio version)
-communication breakdown (shows his high range)
-immigrant song
-stairway to heaven (ending is epic)
-Achilles last stand (live version from 79, he sounds like dio)
Where the FUCK is Mike Patton?
Alright. We get it. There were great vocalists twenty or thirty or years ago. How about a list of the most TALENTED and good MODERN vocalists. Let’s totally eliminate the obvious inclusions that are seen on every list (Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, Dio.) and put modern bands from the 90′s until now. Seriously it’s getting annoying seeing the same obvious people and none of the overlooked singers of today. Here’s one for you.. IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER BECAUSE MUSIC AND ART ARE NOT COMPETITION. This is just a list of people that bring something mentionable to the table…through vocals, songwriting, or their impact on metal and music. Yes there are going to be “rappers” on here, because they are Vocalists and they are talented. There’s also screamers and singers and everything above and beyond and in between. There’s no death or black metal or goregrind and grindcore vocalists in here. Don’t argue with this list and don’t start anything because you don’t agree. Everybody on this list has brought something positive to metal and believe it or not, IS TALENTED in some way. Do some research. Anyway…
Chad Gray-Mudvayne, HELLYEAH
Corey Taylor- Slipknot, Stone Sour
Lynn Strait- Snot
Layne Staley- Alice in Chains
Howard Jones- Killswitch Engage
Phil Labonte- All that Remains
William DuVall- Alice in Chains (The New Guy.)
Chester Bennington- Linkin Park
Mike Shinoda- Linkin Park, Fort Minor
Rob Zombie-White Zombie, Rob Zombie
Phil Anselmo- Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Down
David Draiman- Disturbed
Dave Williams- Drowning Pool (Original.)
Cliff Rigano- Dry Kill Logic
Otep Shamaya- OTEP
Bryan Scott- The Union Underground
Sully Enra- Godsmack
Kid Rock- Come on.
Mark Hunter- Chimaira
Tim Lambesis- As I Lay Dying
Brian Fair- Shadows Fall
Spider One- Powerman 5000
Randy Blythe- Lamb of God
James Rietz- Crossbreed
M. Shadows- Avenged Sevenfold
Matt Tuck- Bullet for My Valentine
Zach de la Roca- Rage Against the Machine
Tim McIIrath- Rise Against (Some of their stuff is metal.)
Why the hell am I doing this?
Just enjoy the music everybody who cares about a fucking list. There is no “best” singer and there never will be because art isn’t a competition. And by the way everyone saying that Mike Shinoda and J Davis don’t belong because they don’t “sing”, they do. And this list isn’t a list of singers or screamers or rappers. It’s a list for vocalists. Which includes all of those types of artists.
I take back Kid Rock. Forgot it wasnt a rock list. And there are talented bands and artists out there in the underground and heavier darker genres I just dont know them but this is me mentioning them since no one else will.
You fuck heads that just like Death Metal should SHUT THE FUCK UP. Death Metal singers are the worst pieces of trash to take the stage.
ha
I don’t like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden very much, but it is obvious that he is one of the greatest rock vocalist. If it were not for him, top 10 would make the list with great old 70s or 80s guys.
What the hell ? Hetfield must be No 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Worlds best Metal Vocalist is Bo Sommer of Illdisposed! He’s not even on the list. Is this a joke?
WTF??!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MICHAEL KISKE IS THE BEST METAL VOICE ON EARTH
WHAT THE FUCK IS FRED DURST DOING ON THIS LIST!!!!
THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!1
(btw, Corey Taylor from Slipknot should at least be in the top 10)
dude don’t you see it Phil Anselmo is on the list. ..
my question too is.. Where the hell is ERIC ADAMS of Manowar?
if he’s not no.1 or no.2 maybe i’m sure he should be top ten. ..
Matt Barlow not on the list and below Kurt Kobain. Just another popularity contest like 9 out of 10 ”Best of” Polls.
A complete joke.
But just because you don’t like doesn’t mean it’s bullshit. I don’t agree completely with any of you or this list, but what they think or what you think isn’t wrong… just different
Where the fuck is Charles Barnes? and George Fisher?
No Matt Barlow and Axl Rose at 11th place? Bullshit.
I’m rather surprised that nobody has mentioned Warrel Dane from Nevermore/Sanctuary, he’s been around for over the past twenty years making excellent music (check out “Dreaming Neon Black” by Nevermore, best concept album this side of “Operation Mindcrime” 1 and 2), and both bands have been referred to as a heavier Queensryche over the years- with vocals very fitting of that distinction, as Dane is often compared to Geoff Tate in terms of range and versatility. I don’t necessarily think he should’ve been number 1, but he definitely belongs on this list. Neither band has ever been a household name, but both have developed cult followings and Dane is very well-respected by his peers in the metal scene. I’ll hold my tongue on the rest of the list, as this post would never end, but I wouldn’t feel right without mentioning a very talented, albeit overlooked, vocalist that is more than deserving of a spot on here.
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