Lead singers, they’re their own breed.—Michael Anthony, Former Bassist Van Halen
The difference between a rock band basking in prominence or toiling in obscurity comes down to who is out front. Having the right lead singer will bring fame and fortune, the wrong one will hold a band back. With that in mind, who are the best lead singers to ever front a band?
A Crow’s View answers that question. Below is a top five list of the best lead singers of all time. The criteria used to determine who is on the list is pretty straightforward:
- Lead singers in bands that share their name aren’t considered—example John Bon Jovi/Tom Petty
- A singer from a “super group” isn’t eligible—example Damn Yankees/The Highwaymen
- Artists who eclipsed their former band’s success aren’t included—example Ozzy Osbourne
- A lead singer must have been with a band for at least five years.
5—Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
Kurt Cobain brought a much needed breath of fresh air to an industry saturated with “hair bands” and “glam rockers.” His dark edgy style was far different than the typical rock bands that dominated the airwaves. His success popularized grunge rock and smashed the dominance of the ’80s bands. Cobain put Seattle’s robust music scene on the map.
His breakout moment came when Nirvana released its 1991 album Nevermind. Cobain’s success paved the way for other Seattle based bands to hit the big time. Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam owe him a debt of gratitude. Without Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, they may have never found an audience outside of the Northwest.
Cobain’s influence is still felt more than a quarter century after his death. The alternative rock genre is in the mainstream and his music is still relevant today.
4—David Lee Roth of Van Halen
David Lee Roth was the quintessential front man in his heyday. Every man wanted to be him, and every woman wanted to be with him. Roth exuded confidence on and off stage. His larger-than-life personality, athletic frame, and Hollywood good looks were tailor made for a rock band. Add his carefree sprit and adventurous nature to the equation, and you had the ultimate lead singer.
What made Roth so special was his ability to make music fun—more so than any other vocalist. Roth’s influence is clearly seen in Van Halen’s early oeuvre, when the band focused their music on girls, booze and good times. His departure from Van Halen in 1985 left a noticeable void. Later iterations of Van Halen lost that fun affable quality Roth brought.
David Lee Roth’s style has been emulated, but not quite perfected by later artists. There really isn’t anyone quite like “Diamond Dave.”
3—Bon Scott & Brian Johnson of AC/DC
The third spot is a draw, and an unusual one at that, because both men were members of the same band.
It is hard to imagine AC/DC’s without Bon Scott or Brian Johnson, although neither man was the original lead singer. That distinction belongs to Dave Evans whom Scott replaced in 1974. That change led to something special. “Bon [Scott] was the real deal,” stated then manager Michael Browning in his memoir, Dog Eat Dog. Browning continued, “They were never going to go as far as they went with Dave out front.”
With Scott at the helm, AC/DC quickly rose to international stardom. Scott’s stage presence, swagger and humor played no small roll in the band’s success. In 1979 the album Highway To Hell was released. That album and AC/DC became a worldwide phenomenon.
Then tragedy struck. Bon Scott unexpectedly died in February the following year in East Dulwich, London. His passing threw the band’s future into turmoil. Members of AC/DC decided not to break up the band. Instead, they took a risk and sought a replacement for Scott.
An impeccable choice was needed or AC/DC would flounder. A lesser man would flop at replacing Bon Scott or fail miserably fitting in with the band. Fortunately the band picked Brian Johnson. He was a perfect fit for the band and seamlessly filled the void left by Scott.
Choosing Johnson proved to be incredibly wise. Although his voice and style is different than Scott’s, he had the right chemistry and was able to keep AC/DC on top. In fact, Johnson’s success has arguably surpassed the Scott era.
The bottom line is both men shaped AC/DC and are responsible for the band’s success. By sheer force of personality Bon Scott launched the fledgeling band to the top, and Brian Johnson kept them there. Each man is responsible for making AC/DC what it became. One of the most consistent and resilient bands of all time.
2—Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones & Steven Tyler of Aerosmith
The second spot is another tie. This time it is two lead singers who have similar traits. The comparison between Jagger and Tyler is interesting.
Mick Jagger is British; he was born in the early 1940s and became successful in the ’60s. He uses a variation of his full birth name, Micheal Philip Jagger, professionally. He has fathered eight children.
Conversely, Steven Tyler is an American. He was born Steven Victor Tallarico in the late 1940s; his success came in the ’70s. Unlike Jagger—Tyler isn’t Steven’s true family name, and he only has four children.
Their similarities are just as interesting as their differences. Jagger and Tyler have been with the same band for decades. Both men have a love-hate relationship with their lead guitarist (Keith Richards and Joe Perry, respectively), and they are known for having a wide range of beautiful paramours.
What makes these two men so influential is their longevity. Jagger and Tyler are both in their 70s and still going strong. They have left an imprint on the music industry that stretches for generations. There isn’t an artist in the industry who probably hasn’t borrowed, lifted, or stole a move from these two icons. It is safe to say that Jagger and Tyler have secured a place among the most influential lead singers to ever hold a microphone.
1—Jim Morrison of The Door
The number one spot belongs to Jim Morrison. When The Door’s burst onto the scene in 1967, Morrison quickly became the focus. His surly attitude and free-spirited lifestyle quickly made him a fan favorite and catapulted The Doors to the top of the charts.
Morrison was quick to take up the rock star mantle. He had it all, good looks and a great voice. The young singer had a certain mystic that fed into the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s. His scandalous behavior and public disputes with law enforcement only cemented his rock star image. An image he wasn’t able to escape.
Morrison is a tragic figure in Rock & Roll Lore. He viewed himself as a poet and writer. His music was a means to further those ambitions. Sadly that didn’t happen. Like many of his contemporaries, his success triggered a downward spiral into drugs and alcohol that eventually consumed him.
On July 3, 1971 Jim Morrison died at age 27. Like all things Morrison, there is controversy about his death. Some conspiracies suggest he is still alive and running a horse sanctuary in Oregon, while others say his death was staged to hide that he actually died at a night club. Either way no one can dispute the effect Morrison had on the music industry. From his leather paints to his iconic “young lion” photos, Jim Morrison set the standard. He is the prototypical rock star who created the paradigm for lead singers.
Please comment below with any of your thoughts or suggestions about this top five list. You can also read some other Rock & Roll related blog posts by clicking the links below.
A Crow's View 