Two down, three more to go including this post.  So, what makes someone a favorite singer?  I’m sure there are qualities that you have for your own favorites but for me, mine are fairly simple-  I like singers that have a certain grit and character to their vocal tone.  I also like singers that tend to push the envelope and can cover slower, atmospheric pieces to something a little more aggressive.  I’m more of a blues based guy but I also appreciate singers that can convey emotion in ways that makes a song great, whether they are rock, metal, soul, R&B, folk, country, etc.

15.  Ann Wilson

Heart’s Ann Wilson is a strong, powerful singer that can sing rings around many guys.  Wilson made her mark on early Heart albums in the 70s and continued strong into the 80s MTV era.  My favorite is certainly the 70s as it was more rock oriented but there were certainly softer elements too, plus the band wrote most of their material.  Once the 80s hit the song doctors got on board to sweeten the songs and the image was definitely the focus, but Ann’s voice remained at the forefront and the band sold a ton of records.  You want a spine tingling performance?  Go to YouTube and search for “Kennedy Center Honors Heart Led Zeppelin” and watch Ann Wilson sing “Stairway To Heaven”.  Absolutely mesmerizing.

Choice cuts:  “Barracuda”, “Crazy On You”, “Dog & Butterfly”, any Led Zep cover they do!

14.  Jay Buchanan

Another relatively new singer in comparison to others on this list, Jay Buchanan and Rival Sons are bringing classic rock back to the forefront.  Buchanan is a dynamic performer and pushes the envelope vocally, screaming like Robert Plant or Steve Marriott at one moment, getting soulful like Paul Rodgers the next, and morphing into Jeff Buckley and an otherwordly soft falsetto.  I saw Rival Sons live a couple of years ago and was absolutely floored by the band, especially how Buchanan knows how to push, pull, and lay back at just the right times to make the performance even more exciting.  This guy should be a star.

Choice cuts:  “Pressure And Time”, “Jordan”, “Memphis Sun”, “Until The Sun Comes Up”

13.  Russell Allen

Generally I’m not a huge power metal guy, but Russell Allen pulls off the “hero vocal” like no other.  His work with Symphony X and his “Atomic Soul” solo album shows the range this guy has-  one minute sounding like Steve Walsh from Kansas, next minute Lou Gramm of Foreigner, then the next minute Ronnie James Dio.  His Adrenalin Mob work is sometimes a little too growly “tough guy” (as is some of the recent Symhony X) but Allen has the powerful pipes to pull it off convincingly.  That said, he’s got a great dramatic softer range too that works extremely well with Symphony X and other side projects like the Allen\Lande CDs.  New Symphony X album coming soon!

Choice cuts:  “Communion And The Oracle”, “Sea of Lies”, “The Odyssey”, “The Serpent’s Kiss”

12.  James Brown

The Hardest Working Man In Show Business…  The Godfather Of Soul…  Soul Brother No. 1…  if you’ve not heard much JB other than “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, do yourself a favor and pick up a greatest hits CD or go all out and get the “Star Time” box set.  Talk about a vocalist pushing the element-  one minute crooning a love song and the next minute dropping the funk and “hittin’ it on the one”, James Brown could do it all.  The screams, grunts, squeals, and “brother rapp” was just the icing on top of the singing cake.  Maybe not technically a great singer but he’s got a lot in that vocal bag of tricks to sell the performance.  James follows no band, you follow James-  hit me!

Choice cuts:  “Cold Sweat”, “Sex Machine”, “Please Please Please”, “I Got The Feelin'”

11.  Elvis Presley

What can you say about Elvis that hasn’t already been said?  The King of rock and roll covered a lot of ground from gospel, rockabilly, blues, country, and was a huge influence on many vocalists (some of which will show up later in this list).  Sure, Elvis didn’t write any of his material but his interpretation of the songs brought to him proved what a great talent he was regardless of the genre.  My favorite material is definitely the early hits but there are classics well into the 70s up until his untimely death.  No, he’s not working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but as Mojo Nixon sung, “Elvis Is Everywhere”.  And that’s true, whether it be his music on the radio or his likeness on TV or in commercials or the many Elvis impersonators worldwide.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that 🙂

Choice cuts:  “Heartbreak Hotel”, “That’s All Right Mama”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Burning Love”