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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Layne stanley @ 27 ? wtf want to try again cock knocker?
And no phil anselmo? idiots.
I could understand Jonathan Davis being on the “list” because he is pretty damn good at what he does. An Maynard James Keenan is pretty good too. I don’t understand Fred Durstor Mike Shinoda. and Amy Lee above Cristina Scabbia? Come On!!!! But how did Rod Stewart get on the “list”? WTF? I also agree that Layne Staley should be higher on the list and Howard Jones should be ON the list.
Where is Mike Patton?
Aaron Lewis ===> 14 !!
Mike Shinoda?..here!?…I mean,I like Mike Shinoda,but isn’t he a rapper or something?
..and Jimi Hendrix is followed by Ville Valo?:|…
okay,this list REALLY sucks.
well i hate to say this but i am EXTREMELY disapointed.
half of those guys aren’t even CLOSE to “metal” or even “hard rock”
sorry, but jimi hendrix was NOT METAL ( he was a great singer though)
sorry again but Maynard and Draiman should be way up there! Along with Johnathen Davis and Dio.
I rest my case.
Where the fuck is Corey Talor!!!
i think this list aint bad but 20. 1 rob halford is not better than bruce dickinson, dickinson should be number 1, no 2. i lyk korn but how come jonathan davis is so high he has a wierd voice, also i think SlipKnoT’s corey taylor should be much higher the list is greatest METAL vocallists not twatty singers, coreys scream, singing ans shouting are all metal! oh yeah and i don’t think that led zepplin r metal they r more classic rock! THEY ARE CLOSER TO FOLK THAN METAL!
This list is bullshit….you have RAPPERS in here and Curt Nobrain but you leave out Michael Sweet of Stryper???? put the religion stuff aside and NO ONE except maybe Geoff Tate can put this guy to shame! this is a voter chosen popularity contest bullshit list….I’m googling a different list…
this list is shit
ERIC ADAMS is not in the list what kind of joke is this.ERIC ADAMS should be first in my opinion(obviously).and you must have mentioned Freddie Mercury as well you asshole.
FUCK OFF this list sucks!!!!
You guys all suck!!!Bon Jovi should be much higher because he’s a great voice and diamond-albums(Keep the faith,Slippery when wet,New Jersey,etc.).Also Sammy Hagar has much better voice than David Lee Roth,I agree here…Cobain,Fred Durst,Shinoda and Manson suck!They shouldn’t be here and be replaced by Deris and Kiske from Helloween,and Robin McAuley from MSG…
Wow, who’s the fucking dumbass who said Korn is better than Tool? For one, you absolute idiot, Tool is one of the most meaningful bands (lyrically) EVER. I can’t believe you think Korns whiny 13 – year old bullshit can be compared to Tool. I’m all for opinions and stuff, but seriously, Korns lyrics suck. Badly. Also, Corey Taylor is a terrible singer. Stop begging for shit nu-metal singers to be put on like fucking Chester Bennington. That guy is an emo piece of shit. This list is laughable.
how was this list put together? album sales? total album sales? total concert turn outs? greatest concert turnouts?? i would rly liek to kno
if anyone knows how this list was put together plz email me’
benkingofdragons@hotmail.com
How the FUCKING FUCK is Miljenko Matijevic Not numero uno on this list… anyone who doubts me listen to She’s Gone by Steelheart… he kicks pretty much every vocalists ass
what!!! this list is not right!!
james hetfield should be in the top 10!!
and so should gene simmons!
This list is bullshit and based more on popularity or an attempt to appeal to young readers than anything
else. I don’t understand how shitty VIlle Valo can be higher
than Dave Mustaine. Kurt Cobain may have been a good
songwriter, but his vocal skills did NOT merit a #20. I also find it
ridiculous that Alice Cooper and Jon Bon Jovi are under Trent Reznor and Serj Tankian.
everyone has forgotten about the best hard rock/metal singer ever AARON LEWIS. theres no fucking way he should be #49. he deserves to be at least in the top 10, AT LEAST!! fred durst is a bitch, that shouldnt be on there at all. and all these gayass country/mellow rock type shit singers could go fuck off.
AARON LEWIS 100%.—#1.
Hard rock and Metal:
I prefer my list:
1. Dio
2. Bon Scott
3. Ian Gillan
4. Bruce Dickinson
5. James Alan Hetfield
kurt cobain was a fantastic musician but heavy metal??
40% of these artists have nothing to do with metal, and the ones that do are at the bottom
wat d fuck s this list?
stupidest list ever been made is this……
Dani Filth is the best no number 95, Dani must is beetwen the top ten
Most of these singers are not really metal. Seriously David Bowie? I’m not criticizing him or anything – he’s a good singer but he should never be on a metal list. Kurt Cobain as well – same can be said. Most nu-metal singers also shouldn’t count. However my major criticism is that neither David DeFeis nor Matt Barlow is on there.
How about this list?
1. David Defeis (Virgin Steele)
2. Matt Barlow (Iced Earth)
3. Bruce Dickinson
4. Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian)
5. Rob Halford
Fred Durst? I’m serious here – He reminds me of 50 Cent. The people who need to decide on these lists are the metal fans.
Are you serious???Top Vocalists?Sorry but if this was really about the voice Corey Taylor should be in top 10!!!And Mike Shinoda?He´s a rapper NOT a singer!!!This list sucks…
why James Labrie, Khann of Kamelot is not on the list they are also good and James Hetfield placed on no.24..i’m not totally agree also Fred Durst
is so away he should placed on no.20 and up for me i’m not agree to this lists of best vocalist!
Thus us a terrible list… WHERE is Tarja Turunen, Tony Kakko, Jarkko Ahola, Marco Hietala, Yama B, John Cavaliere…
oh and jorn lande…
No mike Patton?
And as much as I love NIN, the only time Trent could pass for metal was the Broken EP.
where on earth is Myles Kennedy on the list, he is an incredible singer
C’mon at least there are a few good names in there, for the guy who disagrees with Ozzy Osbourne being on this list.. Black Sabbath was God of heavy metal bands.. who do u want to be included? Justin Timberlake?? fuck!
1. chris cornell- (a large chunk of soundgarden CAN pass as metal)
2. bruce dickinson (awesome METAL singer)
3. bon scott (yet again, another awe-inspiring METAL singer)
4. maynard james keenan (Fucking badass singer, best lyricist that ever lived in addition to his BEAST set of voice-pipes)
5. serj tankian(this guy is a BEAST melodic metal singer)
that’s that
How the fuck did Bon Jovi make it over Corey Taylor?!?!
Brian Johnson should be higher than 39th
he is an amazing vocalists
Like so many others have already said, this list is an insult to metal and metal fans! Good to see two of my favs though…James Hetfield & Jonathan Davis.
My guess is the person(s) who compiled the list does not listen to enough metal, perhaps only the pop/top 40 stuff.
Call me a puss but where the hell is Mark Slaughter?? The man could go 5-6 octaves and he’s not even mentioned…………….
this is to that “jazz” person
korn and slipknot are both good bands so shut the fuck up and respect other people music instead of your shit, and how is chester emo, for fucks sake fall out boy are emo, not linkin park, and also why are you saying whos the dumbass, it says in the title who made the list.
wow this list sucks, alot are not even close to metal. perfect example.
david bowie…not metal
dani filth, ozzy, rob zombie…metal
what the fuck,
this list is an abomination,
this is more a compilation of famous and obscure vocalists from every genre of music,
bands like queen, acdc. zeppelin are rock,
slipknot and system of a down are not music let alone metal,
its pathetic to see 1 dimensional vocalists like serj ahead of steve perry and probably the greatest vocalist of metal ian gillan,
im counting that as he sand in sabbath,
this list is an abomination and seems like it was made by 10 year olds who have yet to understand the concept of metal or a good vocalist,
may i ask where the fuck is blaze bayley and paul d’ianno?
to take the job of being maidens vocalist you have to have extreme vocal talent,
he has a range of 3 octaves and probably the biggest lung capacity of any vocalist i know,
I think..after readin most of d comments dat….this Shitlist 4got to mention dat metal meant any subgenre of it…ie a genre wid metal as its suffix.But even then this theory cant bail it out of its crappiness. Elvis???!!?? Rod Stewart??Shinoda probably did nu metal but is a friggin rapper.Amy Lee may have ventured from her Gothic rock to a miniscule part of metal.
They obviously missed puttin the singers in the correct categories. Figure a rock magazine would know their shit a little better. Didn’t take in voice quality as seen by this shitlist. Steve Perry, Slaughter, Cornell serious pipes. Ranked this low or not even on the list……..Hit Parader should ashamed of themselves. See ya over on the Metal Edge site.
This list did a good job of ecompassing new and old. People are going to be biased either way based on their age. Personally, I think Aaron Lewis, Maynard James Keenan, Vedder and Cornell should all be higher. Not sure why Ronnie James Dio, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Dee Snider are on the list. Really nothing special about their vocal abilities or lyrics for that matter. Its seems like more of a popularity list rather than talent. The inclusion of Josey Scott and Dave Williams was quite humerous. Also, as much as I dislike his music and think he is a douche, Sabastian Bach should be higher because the guy can wail.
Corey Taylor should be top
Followed by Chris Cornell, James Hetfield and Wayne Static
These List are all total BULLSHIT!
What the hell is Mike Shinoda or Fred Durst doing here they might be good singers but NOT METAL!, Topic was Heavy Metal Singers, like Bruce Dickinson, Dee Snider, Ronnie Dio, Ozzy Osborne, Corey Taylor,… Besides Most Heavy Metal Bands have good singers….
Based on vocal range and power, these are the best vocalists (in no particular order)
Axl Rose
Jon Bon Jovi
Steven Tyler
Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Amy Lee
It’s amazing how everyone keeps dissing these people, when in fact they are the best vocalists on this goddamn list. Most of you people hate these vocalists based on the sound of their voice (Axl) or the band that they are from (Jon Bon Jovi) or feel that they are just overrated (Robert Plant). Trust me, these vocalists are GOOD. A good vocalist can’t be judged on the sound of his/her voice, because everyones voice is different. It should be based on their vocal range, emotion, and enthusiasm.
Another thing I can’t help but notice is that ALL metalheads are completely retarded when it comes to vocals. Corpsegrinder? Tom Araya? Seriously? They all SUCK. There’s no such thing as “metal vocals” or “rock vocals” or “country vocals”. It’s just vocals. A metal vocalist should be judged exactly the same way as a rock vocalist. Here are some examples of BAD vocals:
screaming
growling
rapping
shouting
squealing (I’m talking about YOU, Jonas Brothers)
yelling
basic talking
So yeah, I’ve just eliminated your precious George Fisher, Tom Araya, Chuck Schuldiner, and all those pathetic excuses for vocalists.
Basically, the name of this list would confuse readers. It should be called “Vocalists Who Were Part of a Metal Band”, rather than “Metal Vocalists.” Because in reality, there’s only one way to be a vocalist: sing.
So please, stop dissing on guys like Axl Rose, Robert Plant, Jon Bon Jovi, Freddie Mercury. They are true vocalists. The only one of them that was in a metal band was Robert Plant. The others are Rock, which I still believe is the greatest genre of all time. But I didn’t come here to rant. Here’s my list of the best vocalists who were part of a metal band (again, in no particular order):
Robert Plant
Ronnie James Dio
Rob Halford
Corey Taylor (he’s not really good, but he’s one of the best metal’s got)
David Draiman (I HATE this guy, but he’s also one of the better vocalists in the metal world)
Matt Saunders/M. Shadows (I have infinite respect for this guy. He burst a neck artery onstage, got his vocal chords rearranged completely, and still manages to sing. Can you do that? Oh wait. You’d be dead)
James Hetfield (this guy actually sucks, but also one of the best metal has)
Ozzy Osbourne
I think that’s about it. Trust me, I do know what the hell I’m talking about. If anyone disagrees, well…I’m pretty sure you’re a typical metalhead who knows nothing about vocals.
P.S. I don’t hate metal. I love ’70s metal, along with Metallica. But I hate metalheads (the fans, not the band members). They’re gay.
I’m not only disappointed in metalheads’ knowledge of vocals, but society in general. I’m not sexist or anything, but sometimes I just wish teenage girls would judge a singer based on their vocals rather than their goddamn looks…*cough* Jonas Brothers.
Oh, and as a vocal enthusiast, I do watch American Idol. I have to admit this is the bullshittiest season ever. That Kris Allen loser should’ve gone home a long time ago, damn it.
Oh and Honorable Mention to:
Matthew Tuck (from Bullet for My Valentine)
I know there’s some debate whether this band is metal or not. But hey, if the metalhead community decides this band isn’t metal…well, you’re missing out on a great vocalist.
If the metalhead community decides that this band IS in fact, metal, then congratulations. Matthew Tuck is your all-time greatest vocalist in metal history.
who the HELL could EVER call Rod FUCKING Stewart a metal singer??? This way outta order too.
Layne Staley should be much higher. Listen to Facelift and Dirt, POWERFUL!!!
Where is Randy Blythe?!?!? And how about Howard Jones? That’s real metal…Shinoda doesn’t even do the singing in LP, it’s Chester. And Jonathan Davis? C’mon…
gavin rossdale is metal?
and fred durst doesnt kno how to sing
chris cornell is hard rock and mike shinoda raps he doesnt sing
btw not all of them sings metal
john davis is a god
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