The 18 Greatest Rock Frontmen of All Time

By YPB TeamSep 16

Eighteen singers who had to hold a stadium with a microphone and not much else — from Freddie Mercury's Live Aid set to Robert Plant, Janis Joplin and Debbie Harry.

1
Iggy Pop
The Stooges' singer, who invented the stage dive and most of punk's body language.
1000pts
2
Steven Tyler
Aerosmith's singer, scarves on the mic stand and a voice that outlasted the band's own crises.
999pts
3
Robert Plant
Led Zeppelin's singer, who turned blues phrasing into a wail nobody has convincingly copied.
881pts
4
Freddie Mercury
Queen's singer, whose four-octave range and Live Aid set became the benchmark for holding a stadium.
809pts
5
Kurt Cobain
Nirvana's singer, who fronted arenas while visibly refusing to enjoy it.
713pts
6
Mick Jagger
The Rolling Stones' singer, still covering miles of stage into his eighties.
713pts
7
Jim Morrison
The Doors' singer, whose confrontations with audiences were half the performance.
629pts
8
Jimi Hendrix
Fronted his own trio while playing the guitar parts that made the band famous.
629pts
9
Axl Rose
Guns N' Roses' singer, a screech and a stage presence that made the late 1980s dangerous again.
629pts
10
Janis Joplin
A blues singer in a rock band, and the loudest argument that frontman is not a gendered job.
629pts
11
Chris Cornell
Soundgarden's singer, the widest range grunge produced and a rare clean four octaves.
532pts
12
Eddie Vedder
Pearl Jam's singer, a baritone and a climbing habit that defined 1990s live rock.
532pts
13
Roger Daltrey
The Who's singer, the microphone lasso, and the voice that had to carry Townshend's rock operas.
420pts
14
Debbie Harry
Blondie's singer, who moved rock's frontline toward new wave and pop without leaving the club.
420pts
15
Bruce Springsteen
Three-hour sets, a band he introduces by name, and a catalogue about work.
420pts
16
Bono
U2's singer, who built a show around scale and speeches and made both work.
420pts
17
David Bowie
A frontman who changed character between albums and made the costume part of the music.
286pts
18
Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath's first voice, and the frontman who defined metal's stage persona.
0pts

#music834 #rock209 #singers2 #classic rock2 #live music1

Comments

Robert Plant opened an American tour this month with a folk band, playing almost none of his old one. Eighteen frontmen, inside twelve angles on Led Zeppelin: https://youpick.best/articles/led-zeppelin-ranked-many-ways

ypb-team·16h ago·