Rock n Roll's best Frontman/lady.

We're taliking lead singers here. From the cheesy to the legendary.
Steve Tyler was good back when Aerosmith was younger and on drugs. He's a total sellout now IMHO. Robert Plant was great, but one dimesional. Jim Morrison was outrageous and coarse but gave the crowd what they wanted to see.
Michael Stipe of REM is a good one too.
Who's your favorite holding the mike?

You can probably tell what age group I'm in by my choices.

And evidently he's still with the band. I hated it when Roger Coverdale took over.
http://www.deeppurple.com.au/

I don't think even Jagger can hold an audience in his hand the way Freddie could.

He may have been the best of all time.

Hell replace Robert Plant - his only vote was from me and I would gladly give up Plant in order to pay tribute to the greatest, most charmatic front man ever!!

of all time. It was a story in Rolling Stone a few years back, but he has the respect of people like Tyler and Plant.

I've attended enough concerts in my life and it's that lead singer that has to bring the rest of crowd into the concert. Paul Rodger's voice may be awesome but when was the last time someone got excited about seeing Bad Company or Free in concert? Or started a thread about all the Paul Rodger bands that they've seen in their lifetime. Vocally he's great but he doesn't have the draw that Freddie Mercury, the ultimate frontman, had.

Example: About 5 years ago I saw Steely Dan in concert. I've always liked their musics and a friend had an extra ticket so I figured "Why Not". The concert was great. Everyone was relaxed, sat back and enjoyed the music. As much as I enjoyed the concert though I probably wouldn't really go see them again. I'm a woman of limited means and concerts are quite the expensive endeavor these days.

Just this past year I saw Green Day in concert for the first time. Ten years ago when they came out I figured they were just some punkass fluke band that (as I told a co-worker) would be future fodder for the K-mart CD Bargain Bin. But back in August a friend was interested in going so I figured why not. I had seen their Live8 performance (which really was the first time I had ever seen them perform in a concert anywhere) and figured they were anti-war/anti-Bush so might as well support the cause. We were able to get tickets down at the Merriweather in Maryland and the show was absolutely amazing.

If it wasn't for Hurricane Katrina, I was thisclose to plopping down $200 to go see them again at the sold out show in Philadelphia (Reason I didn't was it really was after Katrina and ended up donating the money to the Red Cross). The performance mainly put on by Billie Joe Armstrong was just outstanding to watch. That guy stood up there and sold the entire concert. Vocally he's ok, his guitar playing is abysmal at best but charismatically the guy knows how to reach out to the entire audience. I swear if Freddie Mercury and Charlie Chaplin had a love child it would probably be Armstrong.

So when you say "Best Frontman/Woman" my consideration is what lead singer puts such heart into the show that I'm clamoring to go see the concert again and rave about it to my friends and here on DU. Paul Rodgers never really had that charisma that could create excitement about a show like Freddie Mercury which is why I do not consider Rodgers as a candidate for best "Frontman/Woman"

A band's frontman/woman isn't always the lead vocalist. I'm thinking Ronnie Montrose with Gamma. Maybe the most overlooked rock guitarist in history — and he plays a lot more than just rock.

i 4th it.

He's trying to sing lead for Queen and it's just sad. It sounds like Bad Company doing Queen cover :cry:

Lou Reed?

Jack White?

Perry Farrel?

Recycled Velvet Underground songs but that album rocks.
Its a shame that Lou turned into a born again fundie type. Drugs do terrible things to ones brain.

You're kidding, right? I can't imagine Lou Reed, of all people, becoming a fundie! :wow:

That usually doesn't bode well with the Rapture Ready Crowd...

And Lou turned out to be preachy,angry and overly sensitive.

I mean, I myself can be preachy, angry, and overly sensitive, about anything, including atheism. :7

Drugs fucked him up so much that he found another crutch to lean on. A friend of mine does PR work for bands in NY, and she told me the same. He found Jesus and now preaches to all the sinners he comes across.

but not of being an asshole about it. :(

Gotta be bad.

Wow never heard that - when did this happen?

Rock N Roll Animal was amazing because of his backup band. Simply the best session musicians around.

The trees hated him.

Just cause . I want to be hit by bricks today :hide:

I'm going to anally point out that the OP question was about "Frontman/lady," and that denotes to me, anyway, an entirely different dimension beyond mere vocal stylings.

I agree with Rabrrrrrr in that Ian Gillan probably had the best heavy-metal pipes of all time (and Deep Purple were probably the best live metal band). But when you're talking front men/women you've got to consider the Mesmerizing Factor, and nobody comes close to Freddie and Jagger in their abilities to hold an audience's attention. I give Freddie the edge because he could do it with so many different types of songs, as Queen were so multi-faceted.

All IMO, of course.



Edit: Not enough 'r's in "Rabrrrrrr." :blush:

I think Jagger is well over-rated - he's not bad by any stretch, but certainly overhyped IMO.

Freddie Mercury, though - I think I'd be willing to trade my Ian Gillan for Freddie, but it's close, since Gillan also has an amazing, and very versatile voice, and could probably do Queen pretty well (though not as well as Freddie, natch) if he put his mind to it.

And Peter Gabriel is also up there with the greatest frontmen back when he was with Genesis. mazing stuff.


Prince? David Bowie? Both excellent voices and musicians, but neither are frontmen, people. Try to read the OPs, please.

:evilgrin:

He's the standard by which all others are measured. Although I think a good case could be made for Elvis.

Especially in the 50s.

But nobody ever matched him, live.

From the list above, I'd probably go for Freddie Mercury and Jim Morrison -- Jimbo was brilliant, but he was also totally self-defeating as a live performer, at times (like, much of 1969-70), and could be downright awful.

to put her on the list :P

Best male R&R vocalist. Have not cared much for his more recent work but he was the stuff.

The band is named Hootie and the Blowfish, but Darius Rucker is not actually supposed to be thought of a Hootie. Oh, and he's a Democrat.

(edited to add muchbetter picture)

Tikki

David Byrne. Michael Hutchence (sp?)--the dead INXS guy.

Class and suave ages much better than dancing like a chicken. :evilgrin:

And this comes from someone that can't freaking stand Nirvana (I did at first, but then got overwhelmed by their popularity).

A great frontman.

Freddie Mercury of Queen
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

No one had more charisma and front a band better than the late, great Freddie Mercury. Just watch his performance from Live Aid 1985 in front of about 100,000 people and he owned every single of of those people with that performance. As much as I absolutely adore Robert Plant, without a doubt Freddie just did it better. In fact I find it insultive that you would put Paul Rodgers on there who is trying to fill in as the front man for Queen and failing miserable. I respect that Taylor and May wanted to continue on with Queen (Bassist John Deacon retired) but hell, May & Taylor sang a slew of Queen songs and they could have easily fronted the band themselves!

As for Armstrong, there isn't a better front man, again with the same charisma to capture an entire audience than Billie Joe of Green Day. I mean, if the guy disappeared tomorrow, Green Day would cease to exist - he really is that entire band.

If you have ever seen them live you know what I mean. She kicks ass!

for 20 years. She's got serious pipes and she's freakin' gorgeous. :loveya:

But she's no Freddie.

:D

....from the '80s Brit-pop group ABC! :bounce:

I used the dual verbs because I'm not sure if he's still doing it.

Bruce Dickenson
Ronnie James Dio
Rob Halford
David Lee Roth

NO one gives a shit about him anymore....:cry:

I'd go with P.G. for pre-1976 Genesis.



David Bowie would be right up there too.

david

Great voice and stage presence.

The original and the best.

I love that album but for the life of me I cant make out a word he sings on that one!

But then I have a gift for that sort of thing. I can make out death metal lyrics with no problem so the Stones are easy.

Nobody moves and works a crowd like Mick.

David Lee Roth is a terrible singer but a great frontman.
Ronnie James Dio is a great singer but not a great frontman.

...but I have seen on tape how effective he is at working the crowd.

His voice just rubs me the wrong way.

I agree with you on Dio as well. Great metal voice, lots of power and depth, and a surprising range. But he's an ugly little troll (Elf?) and no fun to watch.

Diamond Dave was fun in his heyday...up till about 1983.

By that time Vince Neil took over as the top frontman who couldn't sing.

Bette Midler.

No question.

Best I've ever seen.....

He was pretty rough!