See, Ian Gillan didn’t do that: he could scream like no-one else in the business, but his screams were always pitch perfect, and he had an uncanny ear. With a lesser singer - hello, Robert Plant - yeah, that style did degenerate into the cliched howling “Oooh baby baby” 70’s rock vocal.
I’m also nominating David Bowie for Sound And Vision, especially the opening bars: that deep, purring “Don’t you wonder sometimes” topped by the urgent, higher pitched “'bout sound and vision?”. I think Bowie as a vocalist tends to be underappreciated.
How about Curt Cobain singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit”? The vocal performance is the perfect expression of the attitude the song is trying to get across.
Actually, I think I might nominate several of his performances. “Lithium”, for example.
I always disliked Plant’s wailing, but I DO like a band Led Zepp inspired and its singer: Ann Wilson of Heart in “Crazy on You.” She hits notes higher than any man can, but she’s not apparently straining her voice to do so. I always thought her singing was underrated.
#2 - I know it’s a cliche, but c’mon, Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody” sings romantically, operatically, emotionally, and with full-bore rock star bombast. The range of styles and notes he sings in that one song is incredible.
#3 - For sheer listening pleasure, nothing works better for me than Roger Daltrey on “Baba O’Riley.” I don’t need to fight/ to prove I’m right/ I don’t need to be forgiven … powerful lyrics, powerfully delivered.
Daltrey’s great on “Behind Blue Eyes”, too: unlike many singers he actually enunciates his consonants, which gives it this precise, deliberate menace - the song sounds like a closed fist. Actually, you could pretty much nominate the whole of Who’s Next: the way he shifts his delivery from song to song, from tough to tender to defiant to introspective - he really inhabits each song.
Lennon - as mentioned
Gabriel too.
Neither technically brilliant but got the ball across the line. For me at least.
So did J Fogerty on ‘Fortunate Son’.
MiM
Clair Torre’s orgasmic expressions at the end of Great gig in the sky on Dark Side of the Moon was the first thought that came into my head when I read the thread title.
Ironically, one of my biggest complaints about The Who is that it seems like they’ve got a different lead singer on every song. With most bands, when I hear an unfamiliar song, I can usually identify the band by the singer. Not so with The Who!
Anyway, my vote goes to Manowar vocalist Eric Adams. After a three-hour concert screaming out songs like Hail and Kill, he wrapped up a show in Milan, Italy by performing Nessun Dorma.
I don’t have any particular songs in mind but a couple of singers are favorites of mine. I don’t know these guys rank as technical vocalists but I dig their sound.
Freddie Mercury. Great range.
Rob Halford of Judas Priest. The man must have had vocal cords made of steel in his prime.
James Brown - I love stuff like “I Feel Good” but he could also sing very sweetly, his recording of “Mona Lisa” is really good.
A couple of others who just sound like pure rock & roll to me:
Bon Scott of AC/DC. He wasn’t a great singer but he had the right sound and attitude.
Billy Idol. Especially on some of his bluesier songs like “Endless Sleep” or “Romeo’s Waiting” he has this great, deep seductive sound. I wish I could sing like that.
I’m not interested so much in the singers, but the performances. You can get a great performance out of a bad singer - Louie, Louie, for example. No one would identify Janice Joplin as a technically great singer, and some of her performances were train wrecks. But she had the ability to step it up a notch when it really counted, and put down three or four absolutely great vocal performances.