Issue #1066

Heather takes the Rolling Stone magazine so we read it all the time. Never before has an article left Nate and I so irate as their choice of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.  We couldn't believe who they chose to be in the top 10, let alone the order they were placed in and which artists were chosen as best, never mind those that weren't even included in the top 100.  

 

I guess you have to take into consideration how they picked the top 100 singers, so I'll give the details of how they got the end result (which I got from the article). 

I counted a total of 169 voters, which included rock and pop artists like Rod Stewart, Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Chris Robinson (Black Crowes),  Nancy Wilson (Heart), but there were country western artists like Loretta Lynn, as well as Ysuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and Billy Joel, along with Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) and Maynard James Keenan (Tool) to name a few. 

Some of the other voters were journalists, editors, producers, chairman and CEO's of music companies as well as filmmaker-writers like Cameron Crowe and Executive VP's like Rick Krim from VH1 .  How they came to be included in the vote was not reported in the article.

Each voter was asked to list his or her 20 favorite vocalists from the rock era in order of their importance (although some of the top 100 were country artists like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams).  Then the ballots were recorded and weighted according to a methodology developed by an accounting firm Ernst and Young and they tabulated the results for the Magazine. (I'd like to see just how this was done).

We couldn't believe Bob Dylan came within the top 10, he was voted 7th!!  Remember this was the top 100 "Greatest Singers of All Time".   We didn't question Dylan's talent in writing, but I buy his music when it's performed by another artist!  His singing SUCKS!  There is no way I would put him in the category of top 100 "singers"! 

Bjork was voted 60th, above James Taylor (74th), Art Garfunkel (86th), Don Henley (87th), Annie Lennox (93rd-------CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT), Karen Carpenter (94th- What an insult to a voice smooth as butter and sweet as rain), Stevie Nicks (98th) and insult upon insult Steven Tyler (99th)!  

Who the hell listens to Bjork? Bob Dylan is 7th, Steven Tyler 99th?  We are talking how one sounds.............. as in.........can they hold a tune.........COME ON!  Karen Carpenter under Bjork?

How come no one voted for Sting?  He isn't even  in the top 100 AT ALL! 

Billy Joel was a voter and HE isn't even in the top 100 best vocalists!

Where is Julie Andrews? Andy Williams? Can't say they didn't get voted for because they aren't "Rock", neither is Bonnie Raitt (50th), or Patsy Cline (46th).   Joni Mitchell (42nd) and Elton John (38th) came in under Bruce Springsteen (36th) and Howlin' Wolf (31st) and Nina Simone(29th)! 

Who are Howlin' Wolf and Nina Simone? Joe Cocker (97th) can't sing at all.  He sounds like someone's squeezing his balls too hard, and he came in before Steven Tyler (I am and always will be a tried and true Aerosmith fan!  Seen 'em, love 'em..... would be tempted to do naughty things with the lead singer even though I'd get lost in his gynormous mouth, I love his scream!) 

I've listened to music for a long time (47 years tomorrow) I'm not a musician or CEO of a music company, but............................... 

WHAT THE HELL! 

Who do you think Bette Midler or Yoko Ono voted for?

What about B.B. King and Carole King?  Who did they cast their votes for?

I'm not prejudiced, my boyfriend in 3rd grade was black.  But 7 of the top 10 winners were black artists.  This magazine came out November 27th............. how long after O'bama was put in? (And I am for O'bama!)  Look down lower on the article and see the list. Would you put some of those artists in the top ten? Yeah, they may be good but in the 10 best singers? Me either! 

I can't believe how much it bothers me that this article "BOTHERS ME"!  I walked around in a huff all day because some joe-blow voted for Elvis Presley and not Sting!  Elvis was a "Rock Star", his voice wasn't that great!  Sting plays multiple instruments, writes his own music and has a phenomenal voice!  He's a major talent.  Someone voted for Bjork, and not Sting?  This is madness!  

Billy Joel......NOT VOTED FOR!

Elton John.....under James Brown?

Here is the line-up for the top 50! (B=black)

1- Arethea Franklin (B)

2- Ray Charles (B)

3- Elvis Presley (copied B)

4- Sam Cooke (B)

5- John Lennon

6- Marvin Gaye (B)

7- Bob Dylan

8- Otis Redding (B)

9- Stevie Wonder (B)

10- James Brown (B)

11- Paul McCartney

12- Little Richard (B)

13- Roy Orbison

14- Al Green (B)

15- Robert Plant (hey hey baby say the way you move..gonna make u sweat, gonna make you              groove)

16- Mick Jagger

17- Tina Turner (B)

18- Freddie Mercury (Waaaaaaaaaaaay better than Elvis... tear drop....miss him....miss Queen!)

19- Bob Marley (B) (Makes me smile...makes me happy.....phenomenal person)

20- Smokey Robinson (B)

21- Johnny Cash

22- Etta James (B)

23- David Bowie 

24- Van Morrison

25- Michael Jackson (B) (He should have been way above Little Richard)

26- Jackie Wilson (B)

27- Hank Williams

28- Janis Joplin

29- Nina Simone (B) (looked her up on You Tube.......not impressed)

30- Prince (B) (He should have been waaaay before Dylan, Marvin and Elvis)

31- Howlin' Wolf (B)

32- Bono

33- Steve Winward

34- Whitney Houston (B)

35- Dusty Springfield

36- Bruce Springsteen (puke, barf, choke, gag)

37- Neil Young 

38- Elton John (I've lost total faith in the voters now)

39- Jeff Buckley (showing my ignorance.......who is he?)

40- Curtis Mayfield (B) (same as above)

41- Chuck Berry (B) (reminds me of Back to the Future)

42- Joni Mitchell (love her...love her...love her)

43- George Jones

44- Bobby "Blue" Bland (B) (again, showing my ignorance....)

45- Kurt Cobain (love Nirvana.....but top voice? Above Karen......again.....lost me for good)

46- Patsy Cline (miss you mom)

47- Jim Morrison

48- Buddy Holly

49- Donny Hathaway (B)

50- Bonnie Raitt (love her).

Now I realize I am letting my opinion go all out here.  I love music... of all kinds.  I absolutely love Stevie Wonder, own his music.  I love Marvin Gaye's voice and I dig Otis.  Many of the top ten artists, I don't doubt, were influences to many of the artists who voted.  But this was to see who were the top 100 "Singers", not top 100 "influences".  The votes are totally off line for best voice.  

Patsy Cline makes me think of my mother who, before she had her throat surgery, sounded very much like her.  I adore Patsy and agree she is one of the top 100 best singers.  I agree Aretha is one of the top 100 too, I'm not so sure I agree she's #1.  I mean, how long can we go on about R-E-S-P-E-C-T!  Have you seen Kelly Clarkson's version of this tune?  She nails it. Go to you tube and see for yourself! Compare Kelly and Aretha, you'll see what I mean.

I wouldn't put Elvis in the top 10 best singers even though he was popular.  Yes he made a ton of music, influenced people right and left and boat loads of people loved him.   Marilyn Monroe was popular too and all the men loved her (many still do), but that doesn't put her the category of one of the all time best actresses!  Christina Aguilera's voice cuts like a knife and she was 58th (gasp)!!.   She should have been in the top 25 in my opinion, above Brian Wilson, above Luther Vandross, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY above Kurt Cobain and Nina Simone.

Where's Linda Ronstadt?  Ann Wilson (Heart) probably had her hopes up that someone would see her as the phenomenal voice that she is.......since her sister was a voter. But NO! Can you keep up with the notes she hits on Barracuda or Crazy On YOU?  NO!  Me either, but I try! Damn I try!

Well, there you have it. I've come out and spread my opinion all over the place. 

I must say, I feel better now.

Go to the magazine if you want all the top 100!  You'll probably be as surprised and possibly as pissed as we were!