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POLL: Your Top Three All-time Best/Most Iconic Rock Lead Singer/Frontmen?

Best All Time Rock Lead Singer/Frontman!

  • Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

    Votes: 80 40.2%

  • Freddy Mercury, Queen

    Votes: 72 36.2%

  • Bono, U2

    Votes: 30 15.1%

  • Axl Rose, Guns N Roses

    Votes: 11 5.5%

  • Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Jim Morrison, The Doors

    Votes: 35 17.6%

  • Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones

    Votes: 91 45.7%

  • Roger Daltrey, The Who

    Votes: 49 24.6%

  • Kurt Cobain, Nirvana

    Votes: 9 4.5%
  • Total voters
    199
I think the value of a "front man" has been diminished in recent years. For example, the grunge movement in the early 90's (recent, in rock history terms) de-emphasized showmanship and looks, in favor of music.

I also just noticed David Bowie wasn't been mentioned in this discussion, although he didn't front a band, as per the OP's criteria. Great performer, though. And Iggy Pop was electric and just freakin' nuts.
 
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LionFan87b said:
I think the value of a "front man" has been diminished in recent years. For example, the grunge movement in the early 90's (recent, in rock history terms) de-emphasized showmanship and looks, in favor of music.

I also just noticed David Bowie wasn't been mentioned in this discussion, although he didn't front a band, as per the OP's criteria. Great performer, though. And Iggy Pop was electric and just freakin' nuts.
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Unless you count his work as frontman for Tin Machine ( which was awesome) Davie Bowie = artist/solo.... Technically NOT a frontman imho
 
Can't take this seriously without bananarama, Joan jet, heart, Pat benatar & The bangles are left out.
 
What a complete rag Rolling Stone magazine is. Their list of 100 greatest artists is criminal. It looks like a rap love fest. Not one progressive band is mentioned. No surprise the clown in charge has a huge influence on the Rock and Rock HoF.
 
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How could you guys completely leave out Terry Kath of Chicago? Perhaps his early death caused this oversight. Great lead singer and great guitarist. When Jimi Hendrix heard Kath play for the first time he remarked, " damn, he's better than me" ! Terry Kath was the driving force behind what I think is the greatest group/band of all time....Chicago .
 
1- Lennon......most powerful rock voice ever for me with the best catalogue to boot!
2- jagger
3a-Daltrey
3b-Plant
 
Obliviax said:
Can't take this seriously without bananarama, Joan jet, heart, Pat benatar & The bangles are left out.
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You're confusing this with a Who's The Hottest? Poll (spoiler alert, it's Susanna Hoffs). Seriously though, Joan Jett is the closest but I don't think she'd come close to even Dave Grohl.
 
wex18 said:
I voted for Daltry. Where's Chrissie Hynde?
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Who do you take off for her? And I love The Pretenders, but outside of Brass In My Pocket (1980) and I'll Stand By You (1996) does anyone know any of their other songs?
 
LionFan87b said:
She probably doesn't fit the OP's original criteria because her band isn't famous enough, but Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has as great a stage presence of any rock singer I've ever seen.
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Love Karen O.
 
Rod Stewart as lead singer for The Faces should be in the mix somewhere.
 
Relayer said:
I voted for Robert Plant, he's my second favorite. Jon Anderson would be my first (what a surprise).
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No arguement from me with Jon. I thought Ian Anderson was a great front man as well.

tumblr_n0hxlkWCS61qzdza2o1_1280.jpg
 
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NITTANYJGK said:
How could you guys completely leave out Terry Kath of Chicago? Perhaps his early death caused this oversight. Great lead singer and great guitarist. When Jimi Hendrix heard Kath play for the first time he remarked, " damn, he's better than me" ! Terry Kath was the driving force behind what I think is the greatest group/band of all time....Chicago .
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The white Ray Charles.
 
Plant, Jagger, Daltrey got my vote. After Mercury and Morrison, the rest of my top ten were missing: Steve Marriott, Paul Rodgers, Ian Anderson, Phil Lynott, and Steve Winwood.
 
Bowie was in a band called Spiders from Mars how soon we forget this things.

I have a million missing names. If I listed them all we be here a week.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a
 
Dave, I had the pleasure of meeting Ian Anderson back stage at the Spectrum in the late 80's. Great guy! I also think Greg Lake was a hell of a singer in his prime, and obviously the front man for some band called ELP.

 
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I mentioned Jon earlier in the thread. He's obviously my first choice. This here is quite possibly the best live version of a Yes song I've ever witnessed. Don't know who this Todmobile is from Iceland, but this rendition of Awaken blows me away. Jon still nails it at age 69 (will be 71 in Oct).

 
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Relayer said:
I mentioned Jon earlier in the thread. He's obviously my first choice. This here is quite possibly the best live version of a Yes song I've ever witnessed. Don't know who this Todmobile is from Iceland, but this rendition of Awaken blows me away. Jon still nails it at age 69 (will be 71 in Oct).

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ack I missed that earlier post. all the prog guys were great, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins deserve a mention too
 
Relayer said:
I mentioned Jon earlier in the thread. He's obviously my first choice. This here is quite possibly the best live version of a Yes song I've ever witnessed. Don't know who this Todmobile is from Iceland, but this rendition of Awaken blows me away. Jon still nails it at age 69 (will be 71 in Oct).

View embedded media
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WOW!! That was incredible. And to think Joan Jett is in and YES is not blows my mind even further. Would have loved to meet Ian backstage Relayer. Must have been pretty cool. And ELP is right up on my list as well.
 
PSUSignore said:
Maybe I'm biased because I have lots of friends that are huge Foo Fighters fans but I disagree. In fact, I think during the Nirvana days Grohl was anything but the biggest rock celeb in the world, Cobain got most of the attention. Today, there aren't a lot of hugely successful rock bands with staying power. Grohl is certainly among the most visible rock stars of the current generation. His recent broken leg performances made huge stories on social media including top stories on Reddit, one of the largest websites in the world. Grohl is absolutely a superstar. I'm not arguing he's more or less talented than others on this list, but he is a bonafide rock star in an era that doesn't have many to choose from.

I tried to think of some other rock bands and singers that have been around a while that are still relevant in the "modern" era: Green Day, Muse, Metallica (maybe not so modern anymore), Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Tool, Jack White and Radiohead are a few that come to mind. I don't think I'd put any of their frontmen against your list, but I just mention them to point out some of the competition Grohl is up against, and I think he surpasses them all in terms of celebrity rock star status of the last 15-20 years.
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I'm not sure what you're talking about, but Grohl doesn't and never has achieved the fame of most of the others. Sure among fans on Reddit he's huge but the Foo Fighters aren't mainstream nor are they huge.

In your "recent" list you forgot Coldplay who is infinitely bigger than the Foo Fighters. Again, Grohl compared with Chris Martin... not close. And Chris Martin I don't put in the same category as those above.
 
NittanyAmerica said:
Bowie was in a band called Spiders from Mars how soon we forget this things.

I have a million missing names. If I listed them all we be here a week.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a
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Pretty sure Ziggy Stardust fronted that band, not Bowie.... :cool:.
 
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