just like, uh, rolling stone

[danasgoodstuff]

RS has published another one of their lists, this time it's the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. The only thing more predictable than it's sucking big time is that most of the complainers have worse taste. By the way, Aretha is #1, guess they didn't ask Clem...

[Alexander]

Eh. It's an okay list. There's the usual Boomer Bias, but that's hardly new. I will say that most (not all) of the choices are, indeed, great vocalists. However, I will also say that compliling a list of the 100 greatest vocalists and including jazz musicians (Nina Simone, for one) and NOT including Billie Holiday (not to mention Sarah, Ella, etc.) is absurd.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Alexander

[RDK]

I think the only thing more predictable than Rolling Stone (or ____ ) publishing a list of the Top 100 (or Top ___ ) is someone not agreeing with it and complaining about it.

[Rooster_Ties]

Given the rock bias of the list (a given, to be sure), I actually thought the list was halfway decent.

A few nice inclusions I especially liked to have seen listed...

39 | Jeff Buckley

40 | Curtis Mayfield

55 | Paul Rodgers

60 | Björk

71 | Toots Hibbert

92 | Morrissey

And one that's:

62 | Lou Reed

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Can someone post a link, please? Or isn't it on line?

I hope Caruso is in there.

And Janet Baker.

And Inez Andrews.

And LaShun Pace.

And Brother Joe May.

And Kylo Turner.

And Keith Barber.

And Rev James Moore.

And R H Harris.

And Wilmer "Little Axe" Broadnax.

And Koko Taylor.

And Bobby Bland.

And Percy Mayfield.

And Charles Brown.

And Kouyate Sory Kandia.

And And Tata Bembo Kouyate.

And Ami Koita.

And Thione Seck.

And Kine Lam.

And, of course, Concha Buika.

MG

[Niko]

one by one you find them here

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972

and just the list, hope i am allowed to post it, the one that really bugs me is on 32

100 Mary J. Blige

99 Steven Tyler

98 Stevie Nicks

97 Joe Cocker

96 B.B. King

95 Patti LaBelle

94 Karen Carpenter

93 Annie Lennox

92 Morrissey

91 Levon Helm

90 The Everly Brothers

89 Solomon Burke

88 Willie Nelson

87 Don Henley

86 Art Garfunkel

85 Sam Moore

84 Darlene Love

83 Patti Smith

82 Tom Waits

81 John Lee Hooker

80 Frankie Valli

79 Mariah Carey

78 Sly Stone

77 Merle Haggard

76 Steve Perry

75 Iggy Pop

74 James Taylor

73 Dolly Parton

72 John Fogerty

71 Toots Hibbert

70 Gregg Allman

69 Ronnie Spector

68 Wilson Pickett

67 Jerry Lee Lewis

66 Thom Yorke

65 David Ruffin

64 Axl Rose

63 Dion

62 Lou Reed

61 Roger Daltrey

60 Björk

59 Rod Stewart

58 Christina Aguilera

57 Eric Bourdon

56 Mavis Staples

55 Paul Rodgers

54 Luther Vandross

53 Muddy Waters

52 Brian Wilson

51 Gladys Knight

50 Bonnie Raitt

49 Donny Hathaway

48 Buddy Holly

47 Jim Morrison

46 Patsy Cline

45 Kurt Cobain

44 Bobby "Blue" Bland

43 George Jones

42 Joni Mitchell

41 Chuck Berry

40 Curtis Mayfield

39 Jeff Buckley

38 Elton John

37 Neil Young

36 Bruce Springsteen

35 Dusty Sprinfield

34 Whitney Houston

33 Steve Winwood

32 Bono

31 Howlin' Wolf

30 Prince

29 Nina Simone

28 Janis Joplin

27 Hank Williams

26 Jackie Wilson

25 Michael Jackson

24 Van Morrison

23 David Bowie

22 Etta James

21 Johnny Cash

20 Smokey Robinson

19 Bob Marley

18 Freddie Mercury

17 Tina Turner

16 Mick Jagger

15 Robert Plant

14 Al Green

13 Roy Orbison

12 Little Richard

11 Paul McCartney

10 James Brown

09 Stevie Wonder

08 Otis Redding

07 Bob Dylan

06 Marvin Gaye

05 John Lennon

04 Sam Cooke

03 Elvis Presley

02 Ray Charles

01 Aretha Franklin

[John L]

Not a bad list at all, in my view, and way above par for Rolling Stone.

It should be noted that that the list pertains explicitly to the 60s and 70s (and evidently a nod to the 80s as well). So that explains the absence of Billie Holiday et al, as well as more recent singers.

Edited November 18, 2008 by John L

[Joe G]

Chuck Berry? I wouldn't even put him in the top 100 guitarists!

[Tom Storer]

Mmm. Freddie Mercury before Van Morrison? Robert Plant before Johnny Cash? Bono before Joni Mitchell? Bono before anybody? Kurt Cobain before Toots Hibbert? Rod Stewart at all? Hard to take seriously.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I just got this issue as a free promo sub (does anybody really still subscribe to this rag thinking it's gunna be revelatory? - it does help with the morning constitutional tho) and liked the premise of the list in that the first ten profiles are written by musicians (ie: Booker T on Sam Cooke) and the rest feature anecdotal quotes rather than some critics hashing up the bios. Whaddaya want for nuthin.

[Soulstation1]

Big Al voted for Axel Rose 1000 times

Rock On

[7/4]

one by one you find them here

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972

and just the list, hope i am allowed to post it, the one that really bugs me is on 32

32 Bono

He was singing?

I thought that...wait...never mind. Really? He was singing?

[paul secor]

Not a bad list at all, in my view, and way above par for Rolling Stone.

It should be noted that that the list pertains explicitly to the 60s and 70s (and evidently a nod to the 80s as well). So that explains the absence of Billie Holiday et al, as well as more recent singers.

So how did Hank Williams make the cut?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Not a bad list at all, in my view, and way above par for Rolling Stone.

It should be noted that that the list pertains explicitly to the 60s and 70s (and evidently a nod to the 80s as well). So that explains the absence of Billie Holiday et al, as well as more recent singers.

How come the greatest singers OF ALL TIME pertains explicitly to the sixties and seventies?

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Can someone post a link, please? Or isn't it on line?

I hope Caruso is in there.

And Janet Baker.

And Inez Andrews.

And LaShun Pace.

And Brother Joe May.

And Kylo Turner.

And Keith Barber.

And Rev James Moore.

And R H Harris.

And Wilmer "Little Axe" Broadnax.

And Koko Taylor.

And Bobby Bland.

And Percy Mayfield.

And Charles Brown.

And Kouyate Sory Kandia.

And And Tata Bembo Kouyate.

And Ami Koita.

And Thione Seck.

And Kine Lam.

And, of course, Concha Buika.

MG

Well, I see thay managed to get Bobby Bland in. Congratulations.

MG

[Hot Ptah]

Hey, Rolling Stone is a rock rag, owned by a guy with boomer musical tastes. It is not, and has never been, a comprehensive, credible music magazine. Why does anyone expect that the list would include great jazz and opera singers? It's a surprise to me that any vocalists who were not on a bazillion selling album from the mid-1970s made the list at all.

[RDK]

Hey, Rolling Stone is a rock rag, owned by a guy with boomer musical tastes. It is not, and has never been, a comprehensive, credible music magazine. Why does anyone expect that the list would include great jazz and opera singers? It's a surprise to me that any vocalists who were not on a bazillion selling album from the mid-1970s made the list at all.

Exactly. I'm not sure what people are expecting. RS is, primarily, a rock & roll magazine.

[JohnJ]

Given the rock bias of the list (a given, to be sure), I actually thought the list was halfway decent.

A few nice inclusions I especially liked to have seen listed...

39 | Jeff Buckley

40 | Curtis Mayfield

55 | Paul Rodgers

60 | Björk

71 | Toots Hibbert

92 | Morrissey

And one that's:

62 | Lou Reed

I agree. Lou should be much higher on the list!