Favorite Vocalists Of All Time?

[Retrology]

Straightfoward. Rappers may/may not be included depending on how you view vocalists as. NOTE: DOES NOT INCLUDE FAVORITE LYRICISTS.

Mike Patton: Unreal vocalist. Has so many vocal techniques/tones/ranges that upon first listen you'd have no idea he was the sole vocalist for most of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk, etc. Perhaps my favorite vocalist, and maybe the greatest (or one of) in modern music?

Dave Gahan: Gahan's dramatic baritone voice is Depeche Mode's real MVP. Even though the lyrics are (almost entirely) Martin Gore's, Gahan's incredible singing makes it sound like his own. Some favorites include Happiest Girl, Clean, Little 15, Black Celebration, and Walking in My Shoes

Maynard James Keenan: Puts so much heart into his vocals it's crazy. Whether you like Tool (or A Perfect Circle or Puscifer) or not, MJK's dramatic held out screams, depth, and mystical lyrics provide the spark for a fantastic band.

Michael Stipe: I've always loved the REM singer's voice, something about his lyrics and voice just hit me (Nightswimming for example).

Thom Yorke: Able to sing and use his voice as an instrument at the same time. Favorite Radiohead vocal performance is Bullet Proof. Very haunting.

Jeff Buckley: Gone before his time, Buckley provided the voice of an angel and made one of the greatest debuts of all time in Grace. Some really good posthumous stuff too.

Chino Moreno: Amazing ghostly tenor vocals serve as almost a contradiction to some heavy (but full of atmosphere) Deftones music.

Layne Staley: Haunting, tragic, full of depth, Staley's voice is among the most underrated, and along with Cantrell, redefined vocal harmonies in rock music. Great voice, and I highly recommend picking up Alice In Chains' Jar of Flies to get a full taste of how haunting AIC could be.

Robin Pecknold: Like Staley, provides hauntingly beautiful vocals and harmonies for Fleet Foxes. Shame that they're on hiatus, as their music is excellent.

Ed Droste: Beautiful tenor voice for Grizzly Bear (see Ready Able on David Letterman for an amazing example).

[velcrozombie]

I like most of the people you mentioned, although I'm not familiar with the last two. I'd add the following:

Chris Cornell - The first singer that I thought of as a "rock God"; pretty much the version of Robert Plant I'd make if I had some sort of Virtual Vocalist software, but he's equally great with moody, quiet moments as he is with the over-the-top stuff. Not as good as he once was due to a vocal-cord injury in 1995, though.

Freddie Mercury - No explanation needed.

Tom Waits - Maybe not what you would call a conventionally good voice, but a voice with tons of soul and grit.

Lemmy - His voice sounded like whiskey, cigarettes and 10,000 nights in a dive bar - and it was perfect for his music.

P.J. Harvey - She's amazing at swinging between tough and vulnerable, and she's not afraid to sound "bad" if it fits the song.

Peter Steele - Just a creepy, fun, unique voice. Like Lurch fronting a metal band.

Bjork - Extraordinary range and power, and she constantly pushes herself into new styles.

Roy Orbison - Like rubbing silk on your eardrums.

Glenn Danzig - WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA! YYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I was going to keep on going, but that's probably a good place to stop.

[Ozzybear]

Dio, King Diamond , ripper Owens , rob halford, Bruce Dickinson, Michael kiske,... Some of my favs