Metal Hammer Staff Top Ten: Vocalists

terrybezer / Blog / 23/01/2009 19:06pm

In homage to Classic Rock’s search to find the rock world’s favourite vocalist, the Metal Hammer team have picked their top ten vocalists! Check it out in here.


Alexander Milas (Editor):

Ronnie James Dio
Glenn Hughes
Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford
Robert Plant
Chris Cornell
Phil Anselmo
David Coverdale
King Diamond
Geoff Tate

Vanessa Hards (Production Editor):

Ronnie James Dio
Skin
Burton C Bell
Bruce Dickinson
Meat Loaf
Chris Cornell
David Coverdale
Dave Grohl
Pete Steele
Till Lindemann

James Gill (Editor At Large):

Ronnie James Dio
Dallas Green
Jonny Craig
Ville Valo
Jeff Buckley
Matt Bellamy
Howard Jones
David Coverdale
Sammy Hagar
David Lee Roth

Jonathan Selzer (Reviews and Subterranea Editor):

Diamanda Galas
David Eugene Edwards
Ronnie James Dio
Robert Plant
Polly Harvey
Michael Gira
Jarboe
Ihsahn
Steve Von Till
Jaz Coleman

James Isaacs (Art Editor):

Robert Plant
John Garcia
Chris Robinson
Ronnie James Dio
Chris Cornell
Freddie Mercury
Maynard James Keenan
Mike Patton
Jim Morrison
Ronnie Van Zant

Terry Bezer (Web Editor):

Maynard James Keenan
Morrissey
Trent Reznor
Bon Scott
Chris Robinson
Phil Anselmo
Glenn Danzig
Fiona Apple
Daryl Palumbo
Mike Patton

49 Comments


Maynard James Keenan
Trent Reznor
Brian Molko
Rob Flynn
Joe Duplantier
James Hetfield
Layne Staley
Till Linderman
Max Cavalera
Rob Halford

daz hetfield

bruce dickinson
axl rose
sebastian bach
james hetfield
rob halford
robert plant
matt heafy
ronnie james dio
ozzy
chris robertson

Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
Lemmy
errrr….and….LEMMY!

Bon Scott
Plant
Axl
Phil Anselmo
Steven Tyler
OZZY
Bruce Dickenson
Joel O’Keefe
Phil Lynott

Bruce Dickinson
Mike Patton
Diamanda Galas
Jarboe
Corey Tailor
Serj Tankian
Howard Jones
Rob Halford
Trent Reznor
Robert Palnt

interesting.

but
where is W.AXL ROSE????

Frank Beans
Kris Dobo

King Diamond
Michael Kiske
Bruce Duckinson
Rob Halford
Hansi Kursch
Kai Hansen
Geoff Tate
Dio
Freddy Mercury
Michael Stipe

I can’t believe no one included Layne Stayley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

King Diamond
Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford
Ronnie James Dio
Chuck Schuldiner
Robert Plant
Geoff Tate
Abbath
Steve Souza
Chuck Billy

Bruce Dickinson
Hansi Kursch
Matt Barlow
Sharon den Adel
Mikael Akerfeldt
Damnagoras
Simone Simons
Till Linderman
Christopher Bowes
Tobias Sammett

Eddie L.

Hey….where’s John Bush on that list? C’mon people!

Eddie L.

Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford
Freddie Mercury
John Bush
Ronnie James Dio
Robert Plant
Dave Meniketti
Bon Scott
David Lee Roth
Jon Oliva
Geoff Tate

Eddie L.

oops….I forgot Chris Cornell and,,,of course,Angry Anderson….AND…Udo Dirkschneider…AND Marc Solace.

TinHead

Mikael Akerfeldt
Max Cavalera
Phil Anselmo
Axl Rose
Zack de la Rocha
Randy Blythe
Burton C Bell
Neil Fallon
Corey Taylor
Bruce Dickinson

dani filth
corey taylor
trent reznor
phil anselmo
max cavalera
kurt cobain
axl rose
ville valo
chris cornell
alex varkatzas

ADAM TURNER

BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON BRUCE DICKINSON

.James Hetfield
.Phil Anselmo
.Axl Rose
.Bruce Dickinson
.Howard Jones
.Kyo
.Chester Bennington
.Spencer Chamberlain
.Dallas Green
.Dave Mustaine

Kieron Harlow

Dax Riggs
Layne Staley
Phil Anselmo
Bruce Dickinson
Ozzy Osbourne
Eddie Vedder
James Hetfield
Ian Gillan
Maynard James Keenan
Ben Falgoust

Phil Anselmo
Zakk Wylde
Ozzy
Randy Blythe
Tom Araya
Johan Hegg
Patrick Lachman
Ronnie James Dio
Chad Gray
Howard Jones

In No Particular Order

Bruce Dickinson
Howard Jones
Randy Blythe
Dio
Hetfield
Matt Heafy (ascendancy album only)
Phil anselmo
Rob Halford
Till Lindeman
angela gossow (cant beleive no one mentioned her)

Robert Plant
Eric Adams
Layne Staley
Phil Anselmo
Ronnie James Dio
Jello Biafra
Hansi Kürsch
Messiah Marcolin
Ihsahn
Biff Byford

Hetfield, Ozzy and Cobain are overrated.

Young Lovecraft

Maynard James Keenan
Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Ihsahn
Dio
Diamanda Galas
Robert Plant
Layne Staley
Rozz Williams
Mike Patton (when he sings, not gkhjhkjkjh)
David Eugene Edwards

Agree with you there, the last 3 are overated as GREAT singers, but the point is they can sing to a listenable extent (:

Tom Hunt

Phil Anselmo
Bruce Dickinson
Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth
Howard Jones
Randy Blythe
Dio
Chuck Billy
Dave Mustaine
Corey Taylor
Mike Patton

one singer for an entire type of music ,impossible!!!
lemmy is the sound of motorhead,! blackmore was the sound of purple !, kieth moons drumming set the who apart from others ,
but a stand alone voice is more difficult , to sing good hard rock u need to be powerfull ,aggressive, hopefully melodic and able to reach those high notes! for me it has be
“the man , the man here in his hand the man on the silver monuntain”
RONNIE JAMES DIO
has all the albilty ,greatly talent and unmistakable from the start!

metalhead448

Dani Filth
Corey Taylor
Matt Heafy
Ozzy Osbourne
Howard Jones
Rob Flynn
Kurt Cobain
Deron Miller
Johnny Cash
Matt Cole

paul london

ronnie james dio
bruce dickinson
robert plant
Mike Patton
Freddy Mercury
ozzy
rob halford
Phil anselmo
corey taylor
Skin
jeff buckley
johny cash
ray gillian (badlands)

DAN CAVALRY 414

I think you will find Neil Fallon from CLUTCH is the worlds greatist front man you fucks.

dilusion2000

Burton C Bell
Phil Anselmo
Robb Flynn
Grady Anenall
Jens Kidman
Johan Hegg
Max Cavalera
Devin Townsend
Maynard James Keenan
Bo Summer

mariano

AKERFELDT AKERFELDT AKERFELDT
AKERFELDT AKERFELDT
AKERFELDTTTTTT

You’re all wankers!! Not one person has mentioned John Tardy (Obituary) or Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost).

Mikael Akerfeldt

Lemmy
Rob Halford
Bruce Dickinson
Dio
Dani Filth
Ozzy Osbourne
Dave Mustaine
Bill Byford
Chuck Billy
Angela Gossow

……. and ville valo and perhaps marilyn manson( huh)

Marty Walker

Where is Saxon is these lists. I won’t point out any of the lesser known bands but Dam there’s no Saon on any of these lists. Certainly Biff Byford has one of the most powerful and awesome metal voice. Unique.

I just can’t believe it.

Marty Walker

Biff Byford
Danny Joe Brown- Molly Hatchet
Halford
Paul Rodgers
Geoff Tate

james hetfield
phil anselmo
rob flynn
chad grey
jonathan davis
corey taylor
maynard james keenan
tom araya
max cavalera
and …jason newsted!!!!!!!!

(in no particular order)
tim ripper owen
andi deris
michael kiske
rob halford
bruce dickinson
ralf scheepers
vortex
ronnie james dio
sebastian bach
hansi kursch

if you can make a better list, youre god hahaha

matt tuck
matt heafy
rob flynn
angela gossow
corey taylor
tom araya
phil anselmo
alexi laiho
bruce dickinson
randy blythe

Roy Khan (Kamelot)
Maynard James Keenan
Bruce Dickinson
Bjorn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork)
Corey Taylor
Mikael Akerfeldt
Christian Alvestam (ex Scar Symmetry)
Tarja Turunen
Russell Allen (Symphony X)
Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation)

Chris Cornell
Geoff Tate
Michael Kiske
Jorn Lande
Bruce Dickenson
Dio
Layne Staley
Maynard James Keenan
Robert Plant
David Coverdale

Metalhead4life

1.bruce dickinson
2.hmm…bruce dickinson
3.uh dunno….the air raid siren i guess(bruce dickinson)
4.BRUCE DICKINSON
5.bruce dickinson….duh?

-Stargazer-

1) Ronnie James Dio – no contest here. The range, versatility (just listen to Rainbow Eyes, Catch the Rainbow, Dont Talk to Strangers and Computer God and youll know what I mean), nuances, theyre all there. Heavy Metal vocal god and a definition of what a heavy metal/hard rock singer should sound like.
2) Phil Lynott – not a gr8 range, but a badass voice and lots of nuances. Also capable in heavy vocal delivery with rough edge or lighter ballads.
3) Bruce Dickinson – Good voice inside a gr8 range.

Other honorable mentions: Rob Halford, Rick Medlocke, Ian Gillan (fits in only some exact songs, listen him to sing Heaven & Hell or Neon Knights by Black Sabbath, horrible), Jorn Lande, Lemmy, Robert Plant, Kevin DuBrow, Tony Martin, Glenn Hughes David Coverdale. World is full of talented vocalists

-Stargazer-

Oh, I forgot Marco Hietala from Tarot, his totally there!

Wild Bill

nobody fuck with this issue
phil anselmo above’em all
phil phil phil phil phil phil phil phil
anselmo

Maverick

there are great singers out there, but ome on?
Overall:
Bruce Dickinson has it all….God-like voice, powerful live performance (sometimes better than the studio version) and awesone stage presence…’nuff said!

Just me.

Ronnie James Dio
Ozzy
James Hetfield
Layne Staley
Corey Taylor
Bruce Dickinson
Sharon Den Adel
Axl Rose
Sebastian Bach

and the talented, ever-beautiful,

Miss CRISTINA SCABBIA!!!!

Tripod the Orangutan

In no particular order:

Bruce Dickinson
Thom Yorke
Randy Blythe
Corey Taylor
Kurt Cobain
Zack de la Rocha
Amy Lee
Angela Glossow
Tom Waits
Roger Waters

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