New Year is always a time for lists.

Robert Plant is top seed in rock n' roll poll while Mick Jagger just scrapes the top ten

By Caroline Graham
Last updated at 12:44 AM on 02nd January 2009

He's one of our most beloved rock stars famous for his huge mouth, snake hips and distinctive vocal style.

But Mick Jagger has come only ninth in a poll of the greatest voices in rock.

It was the high-pitched rough-edged wail of Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant that won the title after he came first in a vote organised by digital radio station Planet Rock.


Led ahead: Zeppelin's Robert Plant, left, beat the Stones' Mick Jagger, right
But despite the surprise placing for Jagger, the top ten names in the 40-strong list, unveiled on air yesterday, featured several other British rock heavyweights.

Freddie Mercury came second, Paul Rodgers of Free came next while Who frontman Roger Daltrey came fifth.


Brit rock: Roger Daltrey, left, came fifth, while Freddie Mercury was second
The only female voice on the list was that of Janis Joplin.

The Greatest Voice in Rock Top 40 was compiled by the station's DJs, presenters and listeners, plus musicians, rock critics and experts such Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music, Ian Anderson from Yes and Led Zeppelin biographer Mick Wall.


Legends: David Bowie, left, came eleventh after Axl Rose, right, who was seventh
Planet Rock Programming Director Trevor White said: ‘It’s great to see Britain has produced the top three greatest rock vocalists of all time.'

But despite Plant's enduring popularity with fans and his peers, he refuses to go back on tour with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham for a Zeppelin re-union.


The Top 40 Greatest Voices in Rock


1. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
2. Freddie Mercury (Queen)
3. Paul Rodgers (Free/ Bad Company)
4. Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
5. Roger Daltrey (The Who)
6. David Coverdale (Whitesnake)
7. Axl Rose (Guns ‘N’ Roses)
8. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
9. Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)
10. Bon Scott (AC/DC)
11. David Bowie
12. Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi)
13. Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
14. Jon Anderson (Yes)
15. Bruce Springsteen
16. Joe Cocker
17. Ozzy Osbourne
18. Bono (U2)
19. Peter Gabriel
20. James Hetfield (Metallica)
21. Janis Joplin
22. Chris Cornell (Audioslave / Soundgarden)
23. Roger Chapman (Family)
24. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
25. Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple)
26. Steve Perry (Journey)
27. Jim Morrison (The Doors)
28. Alex Harvey (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band)
29. Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
30. Ronnie James Dio (Dio)
31. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
32. Meat Loaf
33. Alice Cooper
34. Geddy Lee (Rush)
35. Brian Johnson (AC/DC)
36. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
37. Fish (Marillion)
38. Dave Lee Roth (Van Halen)
39. Biff Byford (Saxon)
40. Neil Young

[www.dailymail.co.uk]#

Whereas in Rolling Stone greatest 100 singers of all time, he's 16th. No. 1 is Aretha.

[www.rollingstone.com]

Comments by Lenny Kravitz from the article:


Born: July 26th, 1943
Key Tracks: "Gimme Shelter," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Satisfaction"
Influenced: Jack White, Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop

I sometimes talk to people who sing perfectly in a technical sense who don't understand Mick Jagger. But what he does is so complex: His sense of pitch and melody is really sophisticated. His vocals are stunning, flawless in their own kind of perfection. There are certain songs where he just becomes a different person. Take "Angie": I've never heard that tone from him since, and it wasn't there before. And I love when he sings falsetto, like on "Emotional Rescue" or "Fool to Cry."

I like him best when he's singing super-raw. When I co-produced "God Gave Me Everything" [for Goddess in the Doorway], he did what he thought would be a scratch vocal. He barely knew the lyric — he was reading off a piece of paper. There were no stops, just one take. Bam! It ended up being the vocal we used on the record.

Mick is a disciplined artist, completely dedicated to his craft. His voice has changed somewhat and has a different texture, but it's stronger now. One time the Stones were on tour, and during a two-week break Mick and I went on vacation in the Bahamas. We'd hang out during the day, go to the beach, shop at the market, cook dinner, drink wine. In the evening he would go to the bottom floor of the place where we were staying and put on a Rolling Stones soundcheck tape — just the band playing songs without him singing. He would stay down there, dancing and singing to keep himself in shape. Your voice is like a muscle. If you're on the road and you stop for two weeks and then go back to do a show, you're going to get hoarse. So he was down there every night practicing. As a result, at 65 years of age, he's stronger than ever.

The beauty of that experience was sitting in a living room hearing "Brown Sugar" and "Satisfaction" live through the floor. That was my entertainment every night. It was very surreal.

Where is Kravitz on the list, btw?

Ridiculouos.
This is a list of male, white, postmodern, English-speakers native-wise singers.
Where are the Jamaicans? Danes? Swedes? Hungarians?
Where is Peter Thorup?
7. Axl Rose / 24. Phil Lynott
6. David Coverdale 30. Dio
..After a while I did spot Janis there.

Where is Björk??
Only quality I see with this is that finally Paul Rodgers is appreciated.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-01-02 10:47 by Baboon Bro.

I'm actually quite suprised he is that high.The Stones don't seem to be overloved by 'classic rock'fans and Mick is often seen as more of a showman than singer(very wrongly in my opinion).

9th seems a respectable showing to me

Elvis Presley? Jim Morrison? Eric Burdon? Tom Jones?

Quote
Baboon Bro
Elvis Presley? Jim Morrison? Eric Burdon? Tom Jones?

Well,Bro,Jim Morrison ranks at a prominent 27th place.
But I think Edith Grove put this list out already here...

Quote
shortfatfanny
But I think Edith Grove put this list out already here...

[www.iorr.org]

whoops - sorry, EG. missed that one. getting lax in my old age

It's just another of them lists. Nothing to get upset about. There can never be a list that everyone can fully appreciate unless we make up our personal ones.
Simple as that. Btw, I like the fact that Axl Rose is 7th, he belongs up there imo.

THIS LISTS SUCKS

Sorry, but these lists are ridiculous and pointless! Does anybody believe that Paul Rodgers and Ian Gillan belong to the "greatest vocalists of all time"?

Yes, Windmelody, I do.
But thats not the crucial weakness with this list

A list of top singers without Elvis is simply incomplete!He should be No.1!Paul Rodgers and Bruce Dickinson higher rated than Jagger??Some dumb jerks put on a list...

Can't take this seriously with people like Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Byford, Fish, Geddy Lee, Sammy Hagar, Rob Halford, Ossie Osborne, Jon Anderson and Fish on the list.

They left off Stevie Marriott and Stevie Winwood - two of the best soulful singers of all time. Where's McCartney and Lennon? Where's David Crosby, Arthur Lee, Grace Slick, to name but a handful?

Whats wrong with Dio?

Just don't dig his singing. Sorry.

... Otis Redding?? Johnny Cash?? Frank Sinatra??
Even as 'just another' list, it really is an awful one.

Quote
Silver Dagger
Can't take this seriously with people like Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Byford, Fish, Geddy Lee, Sammy Hagar, Rob Halford, Ossie Osborne, Jon Anderson and Fish on the list.

They left off Stevie Marriott and Stevie Winwood - two of the best soulful singers of all time. Where's McCartney and Lennon? Where's David Crosby, Arthur Lee, Grace Slick, to name but a handful?

Its a poll on a hard rock radio station site. Why do people get all indignant and surprised about it?

Quote
Gazza

Quote
Silver Dagger
Can't take this seriously with people like Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Byford, Fish, Geddy Lee, Sammy Hagar, Rob Halford, Ossie Osborne, Jon Anderson and Fish on the list.

They left off Stevie Marriott and Stevie Winwood - two of the best soulful singers of all time. Where's McCartney and Lennon? Where's David Crosby, Arthur Lee, Grace Slick, to name but a handful?

Its a poll on a hard rock radio station site. Why do people get all indignant and surprised about it?

Well, I'm at work so I'm pissed off, number one. And number 2, it's good to let off some steam. Happy New Year.

LOL

Good enough excuse for me!

Quote
Silver Dagger
Just don't dig his singing. Sorry.

Well I dont dig Plant's singin'etiher but I realize he belongs up there.
For certain not as no 1 thou.

I also dig yer excuses. Same here. Plus some more good reasons.

This list is a joke - We have no members of the Fab four and Axl Rose seventh???Please!!!

The poll is for best voices right? That doesn't equate to the best frontman. The two are totally different imo. I think Plant does have a better voice than Jagger but when you add other frontman qualities like songwriting, showmanship, singing style Jagger is better.

Axl Rose should top the list of the most irritating voices. Sounds like he sings out of his farthole.