or Winch’s Listening Corner #6
Greetings loyal readers and it’s good to see you back here on my amazing blog. The last post seemed to have garnered the most attention out of every entry I’ve written, and since I enjoyed the format of it so much, I figured I should write another list. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a pretty avid musician as well as a music fan. I’ve played both guitar and bass in a band, and if there’s one thing I don’t pride myself in, it’s my voice. But the singer makes the band, as the saying goes it doesn’t matter how good the guitar player is, because all the girls will be looking at the singer. So without any further interruption, I present to you my top 10 frontmen of all time.
Oh, before I start don’t get mad that I didn’t put in McCartney/Lennon, the two of them are co-frontmen of the greatest band of all time. To qualify you need to be the sole frontman of the band. The criteria is simple, which person has the best voice, stage presence, and musical ability.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Maynard James Keenan- While I’m not a huge Tool fan, my first concert was A Perfect Circle and Maynard certainly is an incredible performer. Keenan’s voice is original and intricate. I apologize if I offend anyone by not putting him on the list, but I’m not in the niche that all the Maynard lovers are in.
Roger Daltry- Obviously he had the balls. The Who kicked some serious ass back in the day, not that they don’t anymore, but when they smashed their equipment at the end of every show, that was a thing of legend. Daltry has a phenomenal voice and if this list went up to 15 he’d be on it.
Jack Black- Humor aside, Jack Black would make one helluva metal singer if he hadn’t opted to be an actor. While The D is a joke band, there is no denying Black’s vocal chops.
Frank Zappa- Educate yourselves on Zappa, it’s worth every second.
Now…the list begins.
10. Billy Corgan
You know him from: The Smashing Pupkins, Zwan , solo
I think the 90’s was the best decade for music, and Billy Corgan is one of the reasons why. The Smashing Pumpkins were a band that experimented with rock music, adding textures no one had thought of before them, and Corgan was undoubtedly the captain of that ship. He was and still is meticulous, demanding perfect takes from his band members, which some say led to the demise of the original Pumpkins lineup. While Zwan kind of bridged the gap between old Pumpkins and the new incarnation, it did allow Corgan to make some upbeat poppy tracks which added even more credibility to his reputation. While some people don’t like his voice, I find it to be top perfect for the music he constructs.
9. Chris Cornell
You know him from: Soundgarden, Audioslave, solo (“You Know My Name” from Casino Royale)
Where do you start when you want to compliment Chris Cornell? The man’s voice was a staple of the 90’s (did I mention it was my favorite decade). Soundgarden saw the emergence of Cornell’s low swooning voice that could build into screams that maintained all the power of rock while avoiding that ugly 90’s metal scream. While I am ashamed to say that I listen to more Audioslave than Soundgarden, the diversity of Cornell’s voice is very present in the Audioslave recordings as well. That raspy yell in “Cochise” which is capped off with that like 25 second straight scream contrasts so well to his swoon of “Like a Stone” and “Be Yourself.” He’s just an awesome singer and there’s really no legitimate reason to dislike him.
8. Scott Weiland
You know him from: Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, solo
Probably best known for his actions away from the microphone, Scott Weiland is yet another staple of 90’s alternative rock. Stone Temple Pilots showed off his vocal diversity from his lower-baritone-swoon to his poppy voice. Velvet Revolver added some bluesy-rock background for him to ‘slither’ all over, and if no one has ever seen a live performance by him in person or via video, the watch is necessary. He wriggles around the stage and oftentimes ends up without a shirt, leaving his twig like limbs flailing around in the air. He commands respect through his physical presence, regardless of how awkward it is, and sustains it by the range of his vocals.
7. Serj Tankian
You know him from: System of a Down, solo
The 00’s really gave System of a Down the chance to shine with their hit album Toxicity, and Tankian is undoubtedly the man listen to when this album is on. His voice bridges genres, giving System an audience broader than many other metal bands. He has a cooning singing voice that layers itself perfectly with the intricate guitar of Daron Malakian, and like a switch he can go from that coon to angry, thrashing screams with ease. The diversity of tracks from System, as well as his solo debut Elect The Dead give Tankian a perfect place to show off his talents. On some tracks it sounds almost like a new take on rapping, where Tankian talks in one pitch over the noodling of the other band members.
6. Zack de la Rocha
You know him from: Rage Against the Machine
Now many of the aforementioned singers have had one thing in common, vocal diversity. Zack de la Rocha however, has little to no diversity, he has two modes-rapping and screaming. But the thing about Zack that sets him aside from counterparts in his genre is that the sheer grit in his voice is incredible. Whether or not you are a fan of Rage, you can’t help but deny the fact that when the man has a microphone he is what you are listening to. His stage presence, with or without his trademark dreadlocks, is phenomenal, as he seemingly can’t stand still. His lyrics are powerful, and although there are a handful of Rage songs that repeat lines, (“Killing in the Name” especially) this repetition only adds momentum to de la Rocha, because once that chorus hits, he’s back in gear. While his rap career didn’t blossom, it is good to see Rage popping up every now and again for shows.
5. David Lee Roth
You know him from: Van Halen, solo
Where do you start when you talk about Diamond Dave? The man is a lunatic. Very rarely do I say something is badass when it’s wearing spandex, but Roth made it awesome. However, like de la Rocha, Roth doesn’t have too many musical modes. He can either sing or transform into a bird, because once he hits that loud screech there’s no turning back, and most of the time he’s yelling simple words like “Oh” and “Yeah” but Dave is another guy that you forgive his diversity because of his incredible over the top persona and stage presence. Although I don’t particularly like the way he and Van Halen do business, always kicking people out and letting them back in, I can’t help but forgive him when I see those old VH videos.
4. Damon Albarn
You know him from: Gorillaz, Blur, The Good The Bad and The Queen
Most people only knew Blur from “Song 2” and that was all they knew of Damon Albarn until Gorillaz burst onto the scene and Albarn’s simple vocal melody of “I’ve got sunshine in a bag” took the world by storm. But little do the masses know how influential Albarn is, fronting Blur through it’s epic career, and taking it to places that turned other members off, and after Blur’s demise focusing full force on Gorillaz. Both groups had two different Damon’s, Blur had the alternative frontman while Gorillaz had 2-D, the mastermind behind the beats and many of the songs vocals. Most people aren’t aware of The Good The Bad and The Queen, Albarn’s most recent work, which places him in the position of bandleader once again, this time his voice swooning over softer instruments. While many of the other men on this list are known to jump off anything they can, Albarn commands respect merely by standing still behind a piano, or even behind a curtain having a cartoon projected in front of him.
3. Robert Plant
You know him from: Led (fucking) Zeppelin, solo, most recently with Allison Krauss
Robert Plant is the voice of the 70’s. Everything about Zeppelin is top notch, and Robert Plant’s vocals are no different. He was one of the first frontmen who wasn’t afraid to really rock out and he’s gone down in the books as one of (many consider him to be the) best. And he was one of the first singers to really take advantage of his position as the front of the band, and his voice just completely changed the way that frontmen from that point onward performed. I feel like I don’t need to write anything about Robert Plant because you all know he’s the shit so I’ll stop.
2. Brandon Boyd
You know him from: Incubus
The women love him, and I gotta agree with them-in a completely heterosexual fashion. Boyd is one of those rockstars that you wish stayed young, but you appreciate the growth. Incubus started out as crazy funk thrashers with The Fungus Amongus and S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and Boyd was the leader of their pack, he would bounce all over the stage and scream and dance and every little thing they did was precise. And as Incubus aged (and as record labels pushed them) their sound became more tame, more emotional, and less screamy. But unlike so many bands that get castrated by record execs (Hoobastank for example) Boyd and Incubus kept their credibility and his voice brought them massive success. What I love about Boyd, is that as he grows his voice seems to go with him, while his lyrics and singing style get more and more mature you can still feel those hints of the early records popping out, I just wish he’d let them see the light of day.
1. Mike Patton
You know him from: Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, Tomahawk, Fantomas and I’m sure there are more.
If you know me this should not shock you. While many of these other guys may be diverse singers, with a few different modes, Mike Patton can sing anything and everything with precision and skill. Faith No More is alternative rock, Mr. Bungle is experimental, Peeping Tom is poppy, his work with the X-Ecutioners is hip-hop, and he has an album of classic Italian songs coming out. Honestly there is no way for this guy to mess up. And not only is he extremely talented when he sings, but his stage presence is unmatched. He’s done some ridiculous things on stage, once with Faith No More he ate garbage! There is no frontman who can compare to Mike Patton, many come close, but none can touch his level.
