Today I want to write down my personal list of top front men. What am I using to qualify? I am looking at good voices for their music, not great singers necessarily, but voices that fit the music. I am also looking for how they lead the crowd and the band both onstage and off. One other thing... They have to front a band, no solo artists allowed. So here it goes....
10. Eddie Vedder-Pearl Jam
He has a good voice for that style of music and though most think he mumbles if you take the time to listen he sounds good and is usually saying a lot. He is also a great presence on stage when you see him live, he always has the crowd in the palm of his hand and the band only goes as far as he does.
9. Paul Stanley-Kiss
He has a very good voice and some of the best stage presence I have ever seen. His interactions with the crowd really gets them going and his voice is 10 times better live then in the studio. No Paul Stanley.. No Kiss (Sorry Gene, LOL)
8. Johnny Rotten-Sex Pistols
There has never been a better punk singer, he can sing and talk about riling up a crowd! The man helped started a revolution that started in the 70s and peaked with the grunge movement. He also sang about issues that at the time were not discussed in entertainment and he did it with tons of attitude. Most talk of Sid Vicious but Johny Rotten is what made what was truly memerable.
7. Bruce Springsteen-The E Street Band
I almost didn't add Bruce considering most people forget the band, which is how good he is.... He put out several solo records but when he is front of the E streeters he turns into the preacher of rock n roll! His voice is strong but different and few have better stage presence. A must see live
6. Steven Tyler-Aerosmith
He has a good though not great voice, but he sings with style a style that when you leave an Aerosmith show he is what you talk about, which is pretty amazing when you have a solid band behind you. A great frontman who loves to talk to the audience and used to love his band (LOL) he always seems to put 110% into his shows
5. W. Axl Rose-Guns N' Roses
He can hit most any note (when he doesn't kill his voice over doing it, that is) and what a show! He combines a rock star with a punk star attitude. The unstableness of his shows is what makes them intriguing. Do I agree with the late starts, riots and other crazy things that follow him... No, but it does make for a good story. Bottom line though: He can sing great and when he is on that stage he commands your attention
4. David Lee Roth-Van Halen
The prototypical 80s front man.... Every band from 1980-1991 was trying to be Dave in one way or another. Great stage presence, when Dave is onstage you knew their was a party breaking out everywhere. Not the greatest singer but maybe one of the greatest showman ever
3. Robert Plant-Led Zeppelin
Plant is the front man that every other front man tried to be, including Roth. Plant can sing like few others, had a phenomenal stage presence and became a legend. He is also one of the few who is still out there stretching his instrument with new styles of music and singing
2. Mick Jagger-The Rolling Stones
He was the first true front man, a guy who could stand in front of 100,000 fans and seem bigger then them all. His voice fits the Stones style, but Mick onstage is where he shines. He is one of those people who makes me wonder where live music would be without him, check out 70s era live Stones to see him at his best. And he is still pulling it off in his late 60s, his voice is still strong and he still seems way bigger then life
1. Freddie Mercury-Queen
The best voice to front a rock band ever in my opinion, operatic, dramatic, fun, and such range. And his command of the stage whether standing in the middle of the crowd or sitting behind a piano would have everyone in a crowd dancing, singing and staring in amazement. He still had that great voice even as he was dying.
So there you have it... My top ten, I'm sure I missed some of your faves, but if I thought they were that good I would have remembered them better (LOL). I would love to hear some of everyone's faves, anyone I forgot?
-G
Great list Greg! Make it hard to argue with it! Glad to see Springsteen on the list, and you couldn't be more true. I saw Peal Jam in 1993 before Eddie Vedder became that front man.
ReplyDeleteRoger Daltrey, and Ian Anderson are a couple of mine.
-Mike
I like the Who a ton, but Daltry always seemed like a puppet to me, doing what Townshend wants which is why I think his solo career has been a big nothing
ReplyDeleteI will cover Guitarists, Drummers, Bass players and other side men eventually
Good list. I need to get around to doing this myself.
ReplyDeleteAxl makes my Top 5 easily, but I pretty much agree with the rest. I believe I'd kick Plant down to round out the Top 5, put Axl in his spot and move Dave up 1.
-R
Roth loses points with me on his voice and he does steal some from Plant. Axl would have been higher if he was more fan friendly
ReplyDeleteGood list. I don't know that I would put Mick so high, only because his vocal range is more limited than others, but his stage presence is definitely a big advantage.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I find with Axl, is his vocal range isn't always that obvious. I've heard people say he's just screaming, but whenever I see someone try to replicate the start of Welcome to the Jungle, they fail miserably. Also, I heard (on the radio) Myles Kennedy playing live with Slash. Myles cut most of the notes flat, making it obvious that he could not hit the same notes.
The negative about Axl though, is I won't see them live anymore, because of his antics. When he had that pissy fit, when we saw them with Metallica and Faith No More, I was done with him live. That was the second time we saw them, and the second time he turned into a whiny bitch on stage.
Mentioning Faith No More reminded me of Mike Patton. I'm not sure that he's good enough to make a top 10 list, but I think he's a great front man.
David Lee Roth steals from Robert Plant??? You show me ONE picture of Robert Plant in assless chaps or doing a jump kick! You cannot do it sir! Lol.
ReplyDelete-R
Lol, for purely show, I think DLR is one of the best front men... Too bad he had such an ego
ReplyDeleteAs far as Mick, he was the first so he gets points for that
ReplyDeleteAs far as Dave... Did you see the last Plant tour? LOL... Kidding
Dave took some of Plant and added his ADHD and created something else with it