# Top 200 Male Vocalists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010 "2012-01-19T14:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/21 "2012-01-19T20:54:17Z")
Well, it’s a good list to argue about. There are [sub]200[/sub]C[sub]2[/sub] = 19,900 separate arguments we could have of the form “I can’t believe \_\_\_\_\_ is ranked higher than \_\_\_\_\_!” before we even get into all the people who aren’t listed but should be. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/22 "2012-01-19T21:11:29Z")
Some observations (all IMO): [ul] [li]I love Lou Reed, but he belongs nowhere near this list.[/li][li]I can agree with Freddie Mercury at #1.[/li][li]Rob Halford belongs above Bruce Dickinson, for sure.[/li][li]No way in hay-ell Dennis DeYoung is better than (to pick a name at random) Eddie Vedder. [/li][li]And speaking of which, I call BS on Eddie Vedder at 89. He deserves to be in the top 50 at least.[/li][li]Otis Redding at 65 is some bullsh-t as well.[/li][li]The Boss doesn’t even crack the top 100?[/li][li]While I’m more of a McCartney fan than a Lennon fan, John had the better voice.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/23 "2012-01-19T21:17:42Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > Axl Rose better than Phillip Bailey? Seriously? IF Axl lives to be 60, and IF he had contonued to make music during that time, and IF he can sing BETTER than he does now, he still wouldn’t be above Phillip Bailey. Axl better than _any_ major soul singer from the 60s-70s (with the exception of Barry White) is pretty much boneheaded. > [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > [li]Otis Redding at 65 is some bullsh-t as well.[/li] Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/24 "2012-01-19T21:28:00Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Axl better than _any_ major soul singer from the 60s-70s (with the exception of Barry White) is pretty much boneheaded. Wait, holdonaminute here. I just noticed that Axl is at 55, and James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, the godfather of soul, is at 56. That explains a lot - the author was obviously dropped on the head as a small child, and his special ed tutor listened exclusively to hard rock radio. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/25 "2012-01-19T21:31:00Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > Some observations (all IMO): > > [ul] > [li]I love Lou Reed, but he belongs nowhere near this list.[/li][li]I can agree with Freddie Mercury at #1.[/li][li]Rob Halford belongs above Bruce Dickinson, for sure.[/li][li]No way in hay-ell Dennis DeYoung is better than (to pick a name at random) Eddie Vedder. [/li][li]And speaking of which, I call BS on Eddie Vedder at 89. He deserves to be in the top 50 at least.[/li][li]Otis Redding at 65 is some bullsh-t as well.[/li][li]The Boss doesn’t even crack the top 100?[/li][li]While I’m more of a McCartney fan than a Lennon fan, John had the better voice.[/li][/ul] I think Eddie might lose a few points on the “Articulation” criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/26 "2012-01-19T21:45:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think Eddie might lose a few points on the “Articulation” criteria. Did you miss Joe Cocker at 41? Not exactly synonymous with vocal articulation. 😃 And to be fair, on Pearl Jam’s later albums, Eddie lost a lot of the “mumbliness” that he had on their early hits. ---
**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:** [January 19, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/27 "2012-01-19T21:48:09Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > However at least no Bob Dylan. Fools. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/28 "2012-01-19T22:09:38Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > I love Neil Young, but what’s he doing on this list? Ditto Lou Reed. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/29 "2012-01-19T22:22:00Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > Did you miss Joe Cocker at 41? Not exactly synonymous with vocal articulation. 😃 I did. To be honest I didn’t really study all 200 people on the list all that carefully. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/30 "2012-01-20T13:34:48Z")
Just from superficially skimming, I’d say that this list is totally useless. Beside all the other glaring examples of WTF already posted, here are mine: Axl Rose on #55, a better singer than Brian Wilson and Otis Redding? Klaus Meine (!) on #95, better than John Lennon, Gregg Allman, and Aaron Neville? I mean, really? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/31 "2012-01-20T14:22:55Z")
I think we can just write this off as “Look, I made a list of 200 male singers!” ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/32 "2012-01-20T14:27:59Z")
As someone astutely pointed out in a similar thread a year or so ago, any list like this that doesn’t include Harry Nilsson is worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/33 "2012-01-20T14:30:41Z")
Morrissey and Thom Yorke are in the bottom quartile? Sorry, not buying it! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/34 "2012-01-20T14:47:49Z")
If this list doesn’t suit your tastes, and if you want to help build a list for an SDMB poll, check out [Top Male Vocalists – Pre-Poll follow-up](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=639157) and help get together a list that at least you could endorse. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/35 "2012-01-20T18:01:50Z")
That fact that Tony Harnell isn’t on the list gives it zero credibility. At best. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/36 "2012-01-20T18:18:51Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > and I am a bit surprised at the person at Number one. I guessed it would be Freddie. Powerful as Hell and terrific range. https://www.youtube.com/embed/zvWpBM8ovME?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/37 "2012-01-20T18:19:50Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > Wait, holdonaminute here. I just noticed that Axl is at 55, and James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, the godfather of soul, is at 56. > > That explains a lot - the author was obviously dropped on the head as a small child, and his special ed tutor listened exclusively to hard rock radio. While I disagree with a LOT of this list, it’s ROCK vocalist, which is why I have no problem with AXL being ahead of James Brown (Godfather of SOUL) and Phillip Bailey. They were not ROCKERS! ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010/38 "2012-01-20T18:22:22Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > While I disagree with a LOT of this list, it’s ROCK vocalist, which is why I have no problem with AXL being ahead of James Brown (Godfather of SOUL) and Phillip Bailey. They were not ROCKERS! Then why even include them? If you’re going to have soul singers on the list at all, it’s stupid to pretend they don’t fit the criteria. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-male-vocalists/610010.md?page=1)