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Best rock singers (all time)
A ranking of both studio and live rock music singers.
Person:
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Age:
1
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. In 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Roth is best known as the original (1974–1...
10
10
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
2
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant...
9.5
9.5
as live singer
from 16 votes
Discuss [multi]
3
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer songwriter, and poet best remembered as the lead singer of The Doors.
9.5
9.5
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
4
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, and photographer.
9.4
9.4
as live singer
from 7 votes
Discuss [multi]
5
John Lennon
John Ono Lennon, born John Winston Lennon; (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980), was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock band the Beatles, the most commercially succe...
9
9
as studio singer
from 4 votes
Discuss [multi]
6
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer, songwriter and actor, best known as lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones.
9
9
as studio singer
from 3 votes
Discuss [multi]
7
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward "Thom" Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician best known as the singer and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Radiohead. As a multi-instrumentalist, Yorke mainly plays guitar and piano, but...
9
9
as live singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
7
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a South African-born American singer-songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. Matthews was born in...
9
9
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
7
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Dire Straits, wh...
9
9
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
10
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer and musician. Cocker's cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" reached number one in the UK in 1968. He performed the song live at...
9
9
as live singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
10
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He has worked as a composer for movies and musicals and has acted in supporting roles in films, including Paradise Alley and Br...
9
9
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
10
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He has had a successful solo career spanning over 40 years...
9
9
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
10
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose, Jr. ; raised as William Bruce Bailey February 6, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' R...
9
9
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
14
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, one of the...
8.8
8.8
as live singer
from 4 votes
Discuss [multi]
15
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who was best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberd...
8.5
8.5
as studio singer
from 4 votes
Discuss [multi]
16
Sting
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (born 2 October 1951), known professionally by his stage name Sting, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist, actor, and philanthropist. He was the principal songwrit...
8.5
8.5
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
17
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer who is best known as the former drummer for the grunge band Nirvana and the founder and frontman of the rock band Foo Fig...
8
8
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
17
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American musician, actor and singer-songwriter. Simon's fame, influence, and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel...
8
8
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
19
Ben Harper
Ben Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
8
8
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
19
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop (born James Newell Osterberg, Jr.; April 21, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is the vocalist of influential proto-punk band The Stooges, who reunited in 2003, and has been known for his outr...
8
8
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
19
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), better known by his stage name Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He began his career as part of London's pub rock scene in the early 1970s...
8
8
as live singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
19
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and humanitarian. He is best known for his work with his E Street Band. He is nicknamed "The Boss".
8
8
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
19
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. He is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King".
8
8
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
19
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, 25 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967; they have collaborated o...
8
8
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
25
David Bowie
David Bowie (born David Robert Jones, 8 January 1947) was an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter, and actor.
7.7
7.7
as studio singer
from 3 votes
Discuss [multi]
26
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey (November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, producer and actor, best known as a founding member of rock band the Eagles. During the 1970s, Frey played guitar with the band, as well as...
7.5
7.5
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
26
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter who first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic/acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later a...
7.5
7.5
as studio singer
from 2 votes
Discuss [multi]
28
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty (born October 20, 1950) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but is also known as a...
7.3
7.3
as live singer
from 3 votes
Discuss [multi]
29
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best recognized as the frontman of the Dublin-based rock band...
7
7
as studio singer
from 3 votes
Discuss [multi]
30
Jared Leto
Jared Leto (born December 26, 1971) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director.
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth-best-selling recording artist and the thir...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 30 March 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the...
7
7
as live singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Pink
Alecia Beth "Pink" Moore (born September 8, 1979) (stylized as P!nk) is an American singer and songwriter. Originally a member of the girl group Choice, Pink rose to fame as an R&B artist with her debut solo album, Can't Take Me H...
7
7
as live singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and occasional actor whose career spans five decades.
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. He began performing in a group covering Shadows instrumentals in Canada in 1960, before moving to California in 1966, where he co-founded t...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground, and his solo career spanned several de...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Prince
Prince Roger Nelson (born June 7, 1958), known by his mononym Prince, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor.
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour (born 6 March 1946) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he is best known for his work as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the progre...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Syd Barrett
Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English musician, composer, singer, songwriter, and painter. Best known as a founder member of the band Pink Floyd, Barrett was the lead singer, guitarist and princip...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd with drummer Nick Mason, keyboardist Richard Wright and...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
30
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter and music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Although...
7
7
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
42
Gary Cherone
Gary Francis Caine Cherone (born July 26, 1961) is an American rock singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as the lead vocalist of the Boston rock group Extreme, as well as his short stint as the lead vocalist for Va...
6
6
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
42
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter.
6
6
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
44
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles. He occasionally sang lead vocals, usually for...
5
5
as studio singer
from 1 vote
Discuss [multi]
Info: The persons listed below are officially not in the ranking; they're candidates that don't have the minimum number of votes (1) to officially be in yet. They're listed by the number of votes, not by the rating. Click any item to cast your vote.
candidate
Danny Chan Kwok-kwan
Danny Chan Kwok-kwan (born 1 August 1975) is a Hong Kong actor, dance choreographer, and lead singer of the rock band Poet. He is known for resembling Bruce Lee in appearance, and has portrayed Lee in the 2008 television series Th...
0
0
as studio singer
from 0 votes
Discuss [multi]
Items 1-45 of 45
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Singer(adult contemporary music singer, alternative metal singer, alternative rock singer, art pop singer, art rock singer, baroque pop singer, blues rock singer, blues singer, Britpop singer, Celtic music singer, country pop singer, country rock singer, country singer, disco singer, dream pop singer, electronic music singer, electropop singer, experimental singer, folk singer, funk singer, glam rock singer, gospel singer, grunge singer, hard rock singer, heartland rock singer, heavy metal singer, indie pop singer, indie rock singer, industrial metal singer, industrial rock singer, jazz singer, metal singer, new wave singer, new-age singer, nu metal singer, pop punk singer, pop rock singer, pop singer, post-grunge singer, post-punk revival singer, post-punk singer, progressive metal singer, progressive rock singer, proto-punk singer, psychedelic rock singer, punk rock singer, R&B singer, rap rock singer, reggae singer, rock and roll singer, rock singer, rockabilly singer, roots rock singer, ska-punk singer, soft rock singer, soul singer, speed metal singer, swing singer, synthpop singer, thrash metal singer, traditional pop singer, trip hop singer, world music singer)
Minimum number of votes to be in this ranking is currently 1. Items in: 45
Candidates list: 1.
Candidates list: 1.
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