# The greatest rock and roll singer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183 "2012-06-24T21:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/21 "2012-06-25T01:35:46Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > So far, not interesting - just someone setting their own rules about what is “rock” and expecting others to blindly accept them. Have fun. Actually, about what is R & R. But as I said I am willing to listen to arguments for other definitions. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/22 "2012-06-25T01:49:12Z")
I am inclined to count both Paul Rodgers and Robert Plant as R & R. Hey I am not making any great distinctions here. The question I asked is about the greatest R & R singer you have ever seen. Realizing this distinction might be hard to make in a lot of cases I gave everyone plenty of room. I gave a cutoff date of 1970 unless the work done after that is clearly derivative of those performers who preceded that date. I realize all of the Chess performers such as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf etc. are strictly speaking blues based, but I would include them and any of their followers. I would include the Stray Cats and other derivatives of Rockabilly, or derivatives of Swamp Rock or DooWop or whatever. Too broad? Too narrow? Too uninteresting? Let it die. I was just curious who might have seen whom and who they thought was average, good, great or transcendent. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/23 "2012-06-25T01:57:25Z")
> [@LVBoPeep](#): > > That was exactly what I came up with. I love Queen but it’s no where near my favorite band but there’s no question in my mind that Freddie Mercury was THE rock god. Count me in for Freddy. The motherf-ing range and power are unmatched. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/24 "2012-06-25T01:57:28Z")
Van Morrison tops my list too, but here’s some more that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live not mentioned yet: Jerry Lee Lewis Peter Wolf Southside Johnny Ray Davies Chrissie Hynde Gregg Allman ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/25 "2012-06-25T02:02:42Z")
Grace Slick. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/26 "2012-06-25T02:44:54Z")
I’m kinda partial to Ray Davies (The Kinks) and Eric Burdon (The Animals). [Ray](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVXmMMSo47s). [Eric](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwAw9ThDQmk). ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/27 "2012-06-25T02:52:03Z")
That I saw live. Hm. Three chords, two fingers, one asshole. Ladies and gentlemen, Joey Ramone was that asshole. Now, you may quibble, as he played punk, but the punk he played was rock and roll. ---
**Author:** ![SprungFromCages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SprungFromCages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SprungFromCages)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/28 "2012-06-25T03:09:31Z")
I’m going with Bruce Springsteen. Best live show in R&R history, and still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/29 "2012-06-25T12:03:32Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Never saw in person, but the answer is Freddie Mercury. Everyone else is competing for the #2 spot. Did see in person, and agree wholeheartedly. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/30 "2012-06-25T13:12:30Z")
The best rock and roll singer I ever saw live? Roy Orbison, at the Austin Aqua Festival, a few months before he died. He looked ridiculous, but hit EVERY high note, and sounded absolutely magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/31 "2012-06-25T13:39:28Z")
Another vote for Freddie Mercury. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/32 "2012-06-25T14:08:24Z")
Stevie Winwood ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/33 "2012-06-25T15:21:29Z")
Robin Zander of Cheap Trick has always been my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/34 "2012-06-25T15:46:04Z")
There used to be a time when I would join this thread with great enthusiasm. … Now I’m reading it and thinking “there’s a difference between ‘rock’ and ‘rock and roll’?” My answer: **Bono**. Because he doesn’t fit anything that the OP wants. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/35 "2012-06-25T17:40:18Z")
I should have known “the greatest” wouldn’t be restricted to one choice. The other two “the greatest rock and roll singer” I saw and heard in person: John Lennon (with The Beatles, August 1965) Linda Ronstadt (Stone Poneys, 1967) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/36 "2012-06-25T17:44:42Z")
Yeah, Linda Ronstadt is up there. I guess I prefer female voices. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/37 "2012-06-25T20:35:55Z")
[Bob](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j7fRJyP7Y8) [Dylan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgqGUBP3Cx0&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TLjqiV_tlABxg). ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/38 "2012-06-25T22:44:51Z")
> [@denquixote](#): > > I, apparently am the only person who distinguishes among Rock, Classic Rock and Rock & Roll. However I am more than willing to concede that Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Mick Jagger et al are Rock & Roll singers. Freddy Mercury and Ian Gillian are (IMHO) not. Wow it’s refreshing as hell (even shocking) to bump into someone else who gets that “rock” and “rock n roll” are not interchangeable terms. That said, Van Morrison rock n roll? I think not. And and pretty poor singer overall, actually. That said, I like a lot of his stuff. Elvis is your winner, closely followed by McCartney, with Bob Seger a respectable third, tied with Rondstadt (who easily wins for female singer). Really focusing on just “rock n roll singers” narrows it down a lot. Frankly many mentioned don’t qualify. > [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > He didn’t ask for “rock” singers. He asked for Rock & Roll. The difference is as large as between grunge and britpop or dixieland and bop. As I’ve said in previous posts, the dividing line falls somewhere around 1966. ? Rock n roll is a subset of the broader “rock,” which also includes hard rock/metal, soft rock, southern rock, etc etc. Rock n roll didn’t “end” in the 60s. Seger in fact is a great example of that. > [@denquixote](#): > > I am inclined to count both Paul Rodgers and Robert Plant as R & R. I can’t imagine why. Neither were. Also both quite overrated singers IMO. Rodgers can’t improvise or carry a note to save his life and Robert “I sing like I took way too much speed” Plant…puh-leez. Fingernails on a chalkboard. At least nobody said Neil Young :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/39 "2012-06-25T22:54:39Z")
Roy Orbison is probably the most gifted but Freddy Mercury had so much… I can’t [del] easily [/del] put it into words. Billy Squier has the same qualities as Mercury and reminds me of him in way’s I again can’t put into words. That would be one hell of a concert. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183/40 "2012-06-25T23:14:11Z")
Maybe [Neil](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMvjfBdeiKw) [Young](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU5xTHN7VnI) can top Dylan, now that I think of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-rock-and-roll-singer/626183.md?page=3)