The greatest Frontmen in Rock history

Every band has a face, a voice and persona, and the band member who embodies all of these is usually the front man. The first unique identifier of any band is their front man, that’s if the band actually has a front man and isn’t solely focused on making instrumental music. But let’s not get carried away with this, the front man isn’t always the most important band member, though ideally a band needs to have a good front man. Great front men aren’t always the best vocalists, but having good vocals is a big plus when it comes to creating the band’s sound. For a front man to be considered great they must also be articulate, charismatic, spontaneous, provocative, mysterious, daring, and being a little wild wouldn’t hurt either.  Some great front men are easy on the eyes, others, not so much, but let that not deter us from appreciating their contribution to the genre, because lord knows how many singers and vocalists past and present have been influenced by these great men of rock. 

 

My greatest front men in rock history are:

10. Jim Morrison, The doors

 A Rebel and probably the most rebellious man in rock history, with the number of provocative things he said and did; he was no stranger to the inside of a jail cell. There are rumors of him flashing his penis at fans which of course got him arrested. And of course some people say he was an overrated attention seeker, but Jim Morrison was a great singer and performer, he could sing it soft and slow, but also knew when to turn on the style like a real showman. Jim was a great front man but the sad part is that he died too young.

Check out his vocals on these The doors songs

·         Light my fire

·         Break on through to the other side

·         Riders of the storm

·         Love her madly

9. Roger Daltrey, The who

 .When it comes to hard rocking vocals, this guy is your man, he can sing, scream, and even incorporate the some stuttering where need be, when you read the lyrics of most of the songs by” The who,” you will instantly realize that there is a big difference between just reading them and listening to Roger Daltrey sing them. Yes, he may not have written a lot of the band’s lyrics, but his vocal interpretation of Pete Townsend’s lyrics and the way he articulates the words is what make him a unique specimen. Take for example how he sings the song “my generation,” where he puts a little stutter in the words to make them unique and catchy, he literally turned the song into something anthemic and let’s not forget his vocal delivery on “Baba O’riley.” it’s like his voice captured the struggles of being a teenager back in the day, it’s just captivating. And then there's the thing with his outrageous attire and microphone swinging antics  

Check out his vocals on these The who songs

·         Won’t get fooled again

·         Baba O’riley

·         Behind blue eyes

·         Going mobile

8. David Lee Roth, Van Halen

No 80’s hard rock fan doesn’t know “Diamond Dave,” his musical footprint is littered all over the late 70’s and early 80’s with the band “Van Halen.” Diamond Dave had the voice, the stunts and dance moves to go. Dave’s swagger and style complimented his lyrics, he was a real entertainer. If you don’t believe me, just checkout his legendary live performances with van Halen, you will be astonished at how great he is.

 Check out his vocals on these Van Halen songs

·         Jump

·         Ain’t talking bout love

·         Hot for teacher

·         Panama

 

7. Bono, U2

Talk about captivating voices, listening to Bono sometimes puts me in a trance, I feel like I’m in a place of infinite bliss, i guess it's what the Irish called finding my pot of gold, or so i think. I sort of feel like I’m everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It may not really make sense, but his singing can suck you into the song to the point of feeling like you are one with the lyrics. It’s incredible just like the man himself. Putting his singing qualities aside, Bono knows how to really get the crowd going, he effortlessly gets the fans to participate and singing along to the lyrics, it’s just magical. 

Check out his vocals on these U2 songs

·         Sunday Bloody Sunday

·         Pride (In the name of love)

·         With or without you

·         Where the streets have no name

6.  David Bowie

Forget  lady gaga, Madonna and others, David Bowie was the first and original fame Monster, his visage, character, dressing and ego were ahead of his time and lets not forget, the man can sing, he can really really sing. The level of controversy around him and his career is unlike anything this world has ever seen. I mean from the fact that he created an alter ego called “Ziggy stardust,” went on to make an Album titled 

“ Ziggy stardust and the spiders from Mars,” played guitar on tracks and performing live as Ziggy stardust wearing the most audacious costumes. He literally invented Glam Rock. Now lets not forget  the rumor that he had a gay fling with rolling stones front man Mick Jagger. There’s so much mystery around the name David Bowie but lets leave that for another time. All that aside he turned down being Knighted by Her Royal Highness the Queen of England in act of rebellion, I mean, which is so rockstar-ish because he has a hit song called “rebel rebel,” 

Check out his vocals on these songs

·         changes

·         Space Oddity

·         Rebel Rebel

·         Suffragette City

5. Axl Rose, Guns N Roses

 Fronting a band once termed as the most dangerous band on earth is no easy feat, but if you’re Axl Rose, then yeah it’s a piece of cake. He may have a lot of haters now, probably one of the most hated rock stars in rock history, but Axl had charisma and incredible on stage presence. Axl lived life in the fast lane, like most rock stars, he was no stranger Drugs, alcohol and controversy, from showing up late for gigs, racist lyrics, to inciting violence from fans. I personally think he was more dangerous than Sid Vicious, only that he didn’t kill anyone.  His talent is unquestioned; he has talent by the boat loads. Axl has what is considered the highest vocal range in rock music. Let’s not forget his signature move, “the snake dance.” No one will ever forget how awesome his singing and performances were. 

 Check out his vocals on these Guns n Roses songs

·         Paradise city

·         Sweet child O mine

·         Welcome to the jungle

·         Night train

 4. Steven Tyler, Aerosmith

Not the easiest on the eyes, but he is a great front man. His screaming earned him the name “The Demon of screaming,” his vocals make you want to test out your own scream, though I wouldn’t advise trying to emulate his scream. Steven Tyler’s Stage presence is so immense that his energy is projected onto the audience; his stunts always leave you wanting more and more. Watching him perform live is a thing of rock n roll beauty. Let’s also not forget his flashy attire and wildly colored clothing. 

Check out his vocals on these Aerosmith songs

·         Dream on

·         Sweet emotion

·         You seem crying

·         Don’t wanna miss a thing

3. Freddie Mercury, Queen

He may have died too soon, but Freddie left a legacy unlike any other, a body of work so inspirational that traces of his work still echo in the works of musicians today, he really was rock n roll royalty. Putting all the sentiments aside, Freddie was a fine vocalist with a voice to die for, and if it was only about being able to sing, then yes Freddie would be the greatest front man of all time. Freddie had vocals that could send you to heaven and back. And not to mention he was quite the entertainer. His live performances are still revered to this day.

Check out his vocals on these Queen songs

·         Bohemian rhapsody

·         Love of my life

·         Crazy little thing called love

·         We are champions

2. Mick Jagger, The rolling stones

It’s hard to even come up with words to describe Mick Jagger, he has great vocals, stage presence, energy and aggression, plus he has “The moves like Jagger.” He is above 70 years now but performs with the energy of a teenager, I mean the world is researching alternative energy sources and that stuff, why don’t they just ask Mick Jagger where he gets his energy, I’m sure that energy source could last us a lifetime. Sir Mick Jagger is an honorary knight of England. Yes, knighted by the Queen for his musical achievements and no he didn’t turn it down, he accepted the honor. His singing style maybe unconventional but it’s effective. In short, his performances are nothing short of electric. 

Check out his singing on these rolling stones songs

·         (i can't get no)Satisfaction

·         Wild horses

·         Heart breaker (doo doo doo)

·         You can’t always get what you want

1. Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

Rock music’s ultimate front man, is a man referred to as a rock god. He sings, whispers, wails and mourns his way into your heart. If at all there was a handbook on how to become the greatest front man ever, I’m sure it would have to be written by Robert plant. His singing and stage presence oozes sex and charisma. I don't want to get carried away here, but then again, this is Robert plant, a man who could probably sing his way into the heart of a deaf person. He can sing the blues, he can sing soft and he can sing heavy. His voice doesn’t just get your attention; it intends to grip onto your soul, not for ever, but at least until the end of the song.  And oh did I mention that Robert Plant was also Knighted, yes he is called Sir Robert Plant.

Some front men have singing talent, some nice dance moves, others acrobatic stunts, but then there’s Robert plant. He just had “it.”

Checkout his singing on these Led zeppelin Songs

·         Immigrant song

·         Stairway to heaven

·         Ramble on

·         Over the hills and far away