Top 20 vocalists...

[Imagikafan]

That damn Hit Parader farce got me thinking...

Freddie Mercury
Ann Wilson
Ronnie James Dio
Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford
Urban Breed
Steve Perry
Pat Benatar
Klaus Meine
Steve Walsh
David Coverdale
Ray Gillen
Tony Martin
King Diamond
Blackie Lawless
Geoff Tate
David Byron
Carl Albert
Brad Delp
Ian Gillan
Roy Khan
Russell Allen

Ok...22.

 

[Braxil]

Andre Matos
Jorn Lande
Hansi Kursch
Roy Khan
Tobias Sammet
Michael Kiske
Matt Barlow
Bruce Dickinson
Freddy Mercury
Geoff Tate
David Coverdale
Rob Halford
Marco Hietala
Russell Allen
Jon Oliva

...just 15, in no particular order.

 

[manowarfan1]

Eric Adams - the end of the discussion lol (well, the younger version of eric before he started getting into the more grunty/growly stuff was possibly as good a metal voice as you could get - the first few albums are classic).

Rhett Forrester - Southern Fried Whiskey Soaked Metal - Hail Rhett, RIP!!!

Freddie Mercury - Theatricalus Major - but kickass on so many songs (Sail Away Sweet Sister, Play The Game, Killer Queen, Spread Your Wings etc)

Bruce Dickinson - Air Raid

Ronnie James Dio- Leather Lunged? Bad ass.

Early Ozzy - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - are you kidding me? Awesome.

Paul Rodgers - not metal - but smooooooth, the man Rawks.

Rober Plant -

I also like some that a lot of people don't Dave DeFeis (Virgin Steele) - when he doesnt go into the upper stratosphere/only dogs can hear me now and Biff Byford (Saxon).

Jon Olive/Zak Stevens
and though not metal in any way - I will admit a love for the vocals of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love and Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays, this woman has possibly the most angelic voice, very calming).

let the sarcastic retorts begin,

jeff

 

[#1draftpick]

Each vocalist has their own strengths I think...my picks are in no real order (besides the top 2...Ronny James rules on high):
#1 Ronny James DIO
#2 Rob Halford
Bruce Dickenson
John West
Michele Luppi
Fabio Lione
Sebastian Bach
Tony Kakko
Tobias Sammet
David Coverdale
Jorn Lande
Bjorn "Speed" Strid
Hansi Kursch
Mikkel Sandager
Glenn Danzig (in his prime)
Layne Staley
Roy Khan
Chuck Billy
Russell Allen
Lance King

 

[Burnout]

In no particular order:

Mariusz Duda (Riverside)
Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land)
Warrel Dane (Nevermore)
Heri Joensen (Týr)
Jari Mäenpää (Wintersun, Ex-Ensiferum)
John K. (Biomechanical)
Mikkel Sandager (Mercenary)
Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian)
Lars F. Larsen (Manticora)
Matt Barlow (Ex-Iced Earth)
Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Tom Englund (Evergrey)
Oddleif Stensland (Communic, Ex-Scariot)
Andy Schmidt (Disillusion)
Jens Carlsson (Persuader, Savage Circus, Dark Empire)

 

[Kenneth R.]

these lists rock, but they're all missing Daniel Gildenlöw.

 

[Curufin]

these lists rock, but they're all missing Daniel Gildenlöw.

This is the top 20.

 

[AngraRULES]

This is the top 20.

LMAO I love Gildenlow, but your response was awesome Drew...

 

[Kenneth R.]

priceless

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Dammit! Drew beat me to it...

J-Dubya

 

[No-Mercy]

well these are my favorites. no order...cept first 2,

1. Bruce Dickinson
2. Hansi Kursch
3. Ronnie James Dio
4. Rob Halford
5. Freddy Mercury
6. Matt Barlow
7. Sebastion Bach
8. Khan
9. Simone Simons
10. Tarja Tarunen
11. Russel Allen
12. Urban Breed
13. Andy Frank
14. Michele Luppi
15. Tony Moore
16. Edu Falaschi
17. Niklas Isfeldt
18. Jonas Heidgert
19. Tony Kakko
20. Pekka Kokko

 

[nightwish58]

I hope i just missed it, but if i didn't, there is something seriously wrong with these lists. Has anyone heard of Michael Kiske?

 

[Braxil]

I hope i just missed it, but if i didn't, there is something seriously wrong with these lists. Has anyone heard of Michael Kiske?

Reinspect my list, and therein you will find the greatest vocalist of all time.

 

[DT Jesus]

01 Zak Stevens
02 Andre Matos
03 DC Cooper
04 Keith Sudana
05 Mike Baker
06 Daniel Gildenlow
07 Ray Alder
08 Ted Leonard
09 Kate Bush
10 James LaBrie
11 Gary Hughes
12 Michael Kiske
13 Sebastian Bach
14 Steve Perry
15 Geoff Tate
16 Fish
17 Doug Pinnick
18 Andi Deris
19 Mike Tramp
20 Steve Hogarth

 

[GreggSuspyre]

Wow...I've always loved making top five lists, but this top 20 seems like fun. I don't even know if I can do it. I'll try to include a specific piece of work in which the singer was involved to support my claims. In no particular order...

Russell Allen (Symphony X, etc)
James LaBrie (Dream Theater - Awake)
Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side to present)
Chris Salinas (Zero Hour - Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond)
Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation)
Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Clay Barton (Suspyre...hey, I had to say it!)

That's all I can get off the top of my head. I guess there aren't enough singers that really interest me anymore.

 

[edgeofthorns]

1. Ray Gillen
2. David Coverdale
3. Ronnie James Dio
4. Sebastian Bach
5. Jeff Scott Soto
6. Jorn Lande
7. Russell Allen
8. Ray Alder
9. Lance King
10. Michelle Luppi
11. Tarja Turunen
12. Sharon Del Adel
13. Ann Wilson
14. Eric Clayton
15. Oliver Hartman
16. Chris Cornell
17. Steve Perry
18. Zak Stevens
19. Bruce Dickinson
20. Rob Halford
21. Geoff Tate (he fell out of the top 20 for me, because of the crap he's put out within recent years....it's junk!)

These people are in no particular order, but these are my favorites. Well....my man Ray Gillen will always get first mention in any vocal list I make, so he's in the proper place!

 

[Old Norse]

1. Ronnie James Dio
2. Bruce Dickenson

1000. Ozzy Osbourne

 

[thisisjuicyman]

Maynard James Keenan
Hansi Kursch
Matt Barlow
Mikael akerfeltd
Timo Koltipelto
Tony Kakko
Andy B. Frank
Fabio Lione
Eduardo Falaschi
Warrel Dane
Vintersorg
James Labrie
Tom Englund
Stu Block
Roy Kahn
Daniel Heiman
Jorn Lande

 

[DMin42]

Top vocalists? Or top METAL vocalists.......2 very different lists.

in absolutely no real order....

James Labrie
Elton John
Kurt Cobain
Matt Barlowe
Liv Kristine Espenæs
Floor Jansen
James Hetfield
Geoff Tate
Sebastian Bach
Charlotte Church
Ray Alder
Josh Groban
Warrel Dane
Micheal Tangermann
Burton C. Bell
Geddy Lee
Buddy Lackey (aka Devon Graves)
Dee Snider
Whitney Houston
Tom Englund
Daniel Gildenlow

I know there's some very good singers not on my list.....but I tried to vary the styles of music at least a little bit, rather than go with all metal.

 

[Burnout]

I hope i just missed it, but if i didn't, there is something seriously wrong with these lists. Has anyone heard of Michael Kiske?

I feel very indifferent about Kiske in general. Pain of Salvation and Daniel Gildenlow have never appealed to me to any notable extent either.