Rolling Stone's 200 GOAT *singers* - uh, but not their *voices* - uh...

[UTUSN]

DISCLAIMER (and supplication) : This is merely *my* subjective take, posted on an internet venue, and in DU Lounge - as frivolous and arbitrary as anybody else's including Rolling Stone, so I call on anybody feeling MAGNETIZED to disagree, disapprove, judge, unleash untold flaming, withering contempt, self-impressed superiority, patronizing instruction, condescension, and any other form of internet radiation on me - just *don't*. Tia.

As with all the categories of awards shows and much else, my opinions are shallow, uninformed, and unknowing of the content of most of the contenders (seldom see all the movies despite having a favorite). What got me to this topic was Whoopi, heard from a distance in the background, railing something about Judy GARLAND's having (thirteen?) studio albums and a great child named Liza. By the time I got to the t.v., it was about her (and Liza) not making the cut for RS's GOAT singers.

In the list, as usual for me, a very large percentage of the "winners" I have no clue about, not even their names. I see a Mouseketeer here or there, but RS says there's no room for Judy (or Liza). Or Bette or Cher. RS says "voice" doesn't matter but picks the undeniable Roy ORBISON on the basis of his "overwhelming" voice. And RS seems to have pulled a muscle to include some Hispanics, with the criterion seeming to be millions in sales as opposed to RS connaissance.

I've heard a few bars of *one* song by Adele ("Hello" - apparently some story-driven item), but that's enough for *her* making RS's list, so much for the "breadth of the musical legacy".

So the Judy strikes out at another award (Grace KELLY, really?). Hey, she could drop probably most of the "winners" under the table in drugs and kicked the bucket at a young 47 - both big qualifiers for most anybody else. Plus, of all the winners of awards, whenever a newcomer is being touted for a potential Star's being born, Judy is the nearly-only name that is almost always brought up for elevating comparison ("legacy"? ).

******QUOTE********

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-singers-all-time-1234642307/rosalia-4-1234642320/

VOICES OF THE AGES
The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
From Sinatra to SZA, from R&B to salsa to alt-rock

.... When Rolling Stone first published its list of the 100 Greatest Singers in 2008, we used an elaborate voting process that included input from well-known musicians. The results skewed toward classic rock and singers from the Sixties and Seventies. This new list was compiled our staff and key contributors, and it encompasses 100 years of pop music as an ongoing global conversation, where iconic Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar lands between Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash, and salsa queen Celia Cruz is up there in the rankings with Prince and Marvin Gaye. You might notice that, say, there isn’t any opera on our list — that’s because our purview is pop music writ large, meaning that almost all the artists on this list had significant careers as crossover stars making popular music for the masses.

Before you start scrolling (and commenting), keep in mind that this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent. Sure, many of the people here were born with massive pipes, perfect pitch, and boundless range. Others have rougher, stranger, or more delicate instruments. As our write-up for the man who ended up at Number 112 notes, “Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t have what most people would call a good voice, but boy does he have a great one.” That could apply to more than a few people here.

In all cases, what mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy. A voice can be gorgeous like Mariah Carey’s, rugged like Toots Hibbert’s, understated like Willie Nelson’s, slippery and sumptuous like D’Angelo’s, or bracing like Bob Dylan’s. But in the end, the singers behind it are here for one reason: They can remake the world just by opening their mouths. ....

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[Elessar Zappa]

1. Yeah, it's so subjective.

What pleases one person may grate on another person’s ears. I agreed with some of the list but didn’t agree with it all. I wouldn’t have put Mariah Carey in the top ten for instance. I’d also have put Cash higher. I think he has a very interesting voice. Good post.

[UTUSN]

2. A very pleasant you're welcome.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. I've started the list and I have to say ...

While I was happy about some of my faves like Robert Smith, Paul Westerberg, Dio, and Corin Tucker making the list at all ... Michael Stipe only at 152 is a friggin travesty.

And I'm not there yet ... but Paul McCartney should probably be #1.

I'll add more thoughts later I'm sure

Edit 1: Okay, Bono is way too low.

Edit 2: Daltrey, Vedder and Elton are also way too low. I'm now expecting to see, like, Robert Plant at #90, Van Morrison at #85, and McCartney at #75.

Edit 3: Okay, I can live with the top 10, but it's interesting to note that every one of them is black aside from Mariah Carey. I was starting to wonder if Billie even made the list ... glad to see her where she ended up.

I'd have reversed Lennon and McCartney (not that I don't love both of them equally). Esp. given that these rankings proclaim John Lennon as the greatest white singer of all time.

To me, the biggest slights are Steven Tyler, Geddy Lee and Peter Gabriel.

[blm]

4. Where is the list? The link only shows the last 40.

[UTUSN]

5. At the bottom of a page, there's a red box button that should be labeled "Next" but is blank.

[blm]

6. No Bobby Hatfield? That's some bullshit.