Billboard wanted to honor those front-of-stage greats: The rock and roll singers who elevated their bands to stratospheric heights, and inspired entire generations of vocalists to follow in the paths they blazed. These are the most legendary avatars from rock’s seven-decade history, the folks who — with their singing, with their songwriting, with their ineffable live charisma and particularly with their undefinable, all-encompassing presence — have done the greatest job of spreading the music’s gospel to all corners of the world, serving as mouthpieces for their bands and spokespeople for the genre.
Billboard opted to disqualify lead singers whose most famous bands are named after them such as Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Joan Jett.
HERE are the picks for the 50 greatest lead singers in rock history.
Top 10
1. Mick Jagger
2. Stevie Nicks
3. Freddie Mercury
4. Robert Plant
5. Kurt Cobain
6. David Byrne
7. Debbie Harry
8. George Clinton
9. Bono
10. Axl Rose