have attempted to pick a group of singers worthy of the distinction "Greatest of All Time." This is, of course, with a few restrictions. I am looking simply at the rock era (sorry Frank Sinatra) and for the sake of the rock singers involved, I have decided not to look at Soul/R&B singers, because if I did, Lionel Ritchie would kick some ass. While I tried to be fair and include many different styles, the list does reflect my tastes. Some artists were disqualified due to extenuating circumstances. While one could argue that Robert Plant is the greatest singer in rock, he is also, without question, the biggest buttmunch in rock, and therefore he does not make the list. In no particular order, here they are:
Chris Cornell- For a long time his singing was mostly high pitched screeching, but begining with Badmotorfinger and attaining perfection with Superunknown he toned himself down and started singing more melodically with a nice baritone. Now when he screeches, it actually has power, since it's not just an overused trick, and he uses it only to help out the song. His greatest work can be found on Superunknown's "Fell On Black Days," where he sounds somewhat like Paul Rodgers (see Paul Rodgers) and "Fresh Tendrils." "Fresh Tendrils" is truly an amazing song that shows off his full range and he also does interesting things with the melody that stand out and surprise you and sound much better than what an average singer would do. On Down on the Upside he keeps up the good work.
Brad Delp- Brad Delp was the singer for Boston. He sings their songs beautifully and effortlessly. If you're questioning his inclusion on this list, listen to "More than a Feeling," when he sings "I closed my eyes and she slipped away..." It sounds so easy for him that for a second I think I can do it too. I sing along, but my voice can't go anywhere near that high. When you hear it, you'll want to sing along too. My old guitar teacher plays in a Beatle cover band with him when he's not touring with Boston, and says he is a very nice guy. I've seen him performing with this band, and he sings all the Beatle songs amazingly well, too.
Mark Lannegan- Why Mark Lannegan? Well first we must ask, why not Jim Morrison? Jim Morrison's vocals sometimes had a very cool quality to them, but as a singer, especially in concert, he often sounded bad. Maybe it's just because he drank too much. I needed someone who represents that style of singing, while actually being a good singer. My solution, Mark Lannegan. Mark Lannegan (of the Screaming Trees, and the upcoming Mad Season album) sounds a lot like Jim Morrison, but he does it a lot better. Even when he was an alchoholic, he sang better than early Jim Morrison. The music of the Screaming Trees, of course, isn't as good, but hopefully the album with Mad Season will get him the recognition he deserves.
Eddie Vedder- Not much left to be said about him. On the new album he experiments with other styles in songs such as "Lukin'" where he sounds like a dog barking (I mean that in a good way).
Phil Anselmo- Some would say that Phil Anselmo always sounds like a dog barking. This is not quite true. While his usual vocal style is more like harsh, 
rhythmic screaming he does it much better than anyone else in his genre. It actually does take talent to do what he does. While mostly known for his work as lead singer of Pantera, his best singing is on the album he did with his side project, Down. His harsh strong voice takes on a more bluesy quality and sings some very powerful melodies. On songs such as Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" he proves himself quite capable of conventional singing as well.
Morissey- By far the best British singer to emerge from the eighties. Less annoyingly self indulgent than the Cure's Robert Smith, he gives his mopey, self reflective lyrics some irony and he has a sense of humor about himself, something all his contemporaries lacked. While every now and then when I listen to him I feel like smacking him around, what British singer doesn't provoke that response? If I now started giving Liam Gallagher the beatdown he deserves, I wouldn't be done for twenty years.
Paul Rodgers- This man has done more for beer commercials than any advertising executive ever could. His first successful band was Free. They recorded the classic "All Right Now." After Free broke up, he formed Bad Company, who produced such greats as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" and "Feel Like Making Love." He sings with a nice restrained delivery in a smooth deep voice, but when he needs to let loose, he can, as he does on the chorus of "Feel Like Making Love." Some rock critics have called him the best white singer of the blues, and I'd agree. He doesn't embarass himself by trying to sound black (like Eric Clapton can), yet he doesn't sound too white. While the name might not be familiar to many people, at least one of his many hit songs is played on classic rock radio every hour, ensuring that his music is known to all.
