The Best Classic Rock Singers Of All Time Ranked

Classic-rock radio programmers largely play “tried and proven” hit songs from the past based on their “high listener recognition and identification”, says media academic Roy Shuker, who also identifies white male rock acts from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper-era through the end of the 1970s as the focus of their playlists. As Catherine Strong observes, classic rock songs are generally performed by white male acts from either the United States or the United Kingdom, “have a four-four time, very rarely exceed the time limit of four minutes, were composed by the musicians themselves, are sung in English, played by a ‘classical’ rock formation (drums, bass, guitar, keyboard instruments) and were released on a major label after 1964.” Classic rock has also been associated with the album era (1960s–2000s), by writers Bob Lefsetz and Matthew Restall, who says the term is a relabeling of the “virtuoso pop/rock” from the era’s early decades. Here are all of the best Classic Rock Singers of all time ranked.

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20. Gene Clark

“Gene Clark is best known for his short stint with The Byrds in 1965 as a singer/primary songwriter. Although his partners, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, were both ranked above him, he was the band’s songwriter. He wrote and sang some of the band’s best songs including “Feel A Whole Lot Better”, “Eight Miles High”, and “She Don’t Care About Time”. After leaving The Byrds because of a fear of flying, his career garnered little commercial but great critical success.”

19. Jimi Hendrix

“A litany of records, books and videos have convincingly argued that Jimi Hendrix was the visionary guitar genius of all time. However, the late icon rarely attracts plaudits as a vocalist, and it’s well-documented that he harboured reserves of self-doubt in relation to his singing ability. Nonetheless, Hendrix had a rich, smoky baritone which really came into his own when he tackled ballads, blues or his more soul-inflected material, and it’s still a much under-valued part of his DNA.”

18. Bret Michaels

“Bret Michael Sychak, professionally known as Bret Michaels, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and reality television personality.”

10. Janis Joplin

“Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was an American singer who rose to fame as the main singer of acid band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She was known for her eccentric hippie style and psychedelic rock music.”

16. Roger Daltrey

“Roger Daltrey’s pugnacious R&B growl was ideal for The Who’s early mod-inclined output, but as the iconic London band developed, so did their frontman. Pete Townshend once told Rolling Stone that his colleague had come on in leaps and bounds circa 1969’s legendary Tommy (“Roger then realised that he had a full range of sensibilities that he could tap into as a singer”), and from there on, masterful albums such as Who’s Next, Quadrophenia and The Who By Numbers demonstrated that Daltrey had grown into a powerhouse frontman who helped define what swaggering rock gods looked and sounded like.”

15. Stevie Nicks

“Stephanie Lynn “Stevie” Nicks is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums.”

14. Robert Plant

“Arguably the most revered hard rock vocalist of them all, Robert Plant is an absolute titan of his genre. Famous for his stamina, his belting style and mind-boggling vocal gymnastics, his estimable body of work with Led Zeppelin found him excelling across everything from volcanic rockers (“Immigrant Song,” “Black Dog,” “Whole Lotta Love”) to imperious blues (“Since I’ve Been Loving You,” “You Shook Me”) and tender balladry (“Thank You”).”

13. Eric Clapton

“Guitar god Eric Clapton only turned to singing out of necessity when pressured to perform lead vocals on Blind Faith’s lone album in 1969. Despite his initial reluctance, however, he soon found he had a distinguished voice, and he can still put his inimitable stamp on everything from gritty rockers to sultry blues and tender ballads.”

12. Paul McCartney

“Broadly, Paul McCartney tends to be remembered for the gentler, more nostalgic songs he wrote, both for The Beatles and as a solo artist. And, yes, melodic treats such as “Yesterday”, “Blackbird”, “She’s Leaving Home,” “Penny Lane,” and “Let It Be” are littered here, there and everywhere in his canon. However, McCartney was also the primary architect of hard-rocking tunes of the caliber of “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Get Back,” and “Back In The USSR”, while his legendary “White Album” screamer, “Helter Skelter”, is often cited with inventing the heavy metal genre.”

11. John Mellencamp

“John J. Mellencamp, previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation”

10. Mick Jagger

“One of rock’s greatest ever frontmen, Mick Jagger is in a class of his own. As a rock singer, he’s also constantly proved his worth when his band have branched out from their trademark sound into genres such as gospel (“Shine A Light”), country (“Far Away Eyes,” the estimable “Wild Horses”), psychedelia (“She’s A Rainbow”), courtly balladry (“Angie,” “Lady Jane”) and even elegant, string-kissed beauties such as Sticky Fingers’ majestic “Moonlight Mile.””

9. Steve Miller

“Rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter Steve Miller initially immersed himself in Chicago’s legendary blues scene, where he jammed with greats like Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. His amiable yet commanding vocal delivery came into its own during the early 70s, when his band struck on an irresistibly smooth and melodic blues-rock sound that eventually led to their Greatest Hits 1974-78 anthology going 13-times platinum ahead of their 2016 induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”

8. John Lennon

“Like his former bandmate, John Lennon was similarly chameleonic as a singer. Rebellious and iconoclastic, he’s often painted as The Beatles’ outspoken cynic, the guy whose angst and bitters provided the antidote to Paul McCartney’s fluffier love songs. Yet again, however, that’s only half the story. While his unmistakeable baritone could dispense the unbridled angst of “Cold Turkey,” “Mother,” or “Yer Blues”, it was just as adept at wrapping itself around the wistfulness of “In My Life,” the glorious melancholy of “Strawberry Fields Forever” or the timeless beauty of “Imagine.””

7. Jim Morrison

“Often praised for his poetic lyrics and sensual stage presence, Jim Morrison’s vocal prowess is often overlooked. Early demos reveal him as nervous and inexperienced, but he quickly grew in confidence through regular gigging, and by the time The Doors recorded their seminal, self-titled debut album late in 1966, he’d pretty much nailed his signature croon. As any number of biographies have revealed, Morrison had a penchant for personal excess – which started to take its toll on his voice – but his rich, distinctive baritone nonetheless held up well throughout The Doors’ six-year career.”

6. Klaus Meine

“Klaus Meine is a German vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the hard rock band Scorpions. He and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpions album.”

5. Bon Scott

“A Scottish-born expat with a voice sounding like it had been liberally soaked in whiskey, AC/DC’s Bon Scott established himself as one of rock’s truly great frontman long before his premature death, aged 33, in February 1980. Joining AC/DC after a spell fronting Aussie prog-rock outfit Fraternity, Scott’s roguish charisma and belting vocal delivery was one of the wow factors of the band’s seminal run of albums during the late 70s, the last of which – 1979’s Mutt Lange-produced Highway To Hell – elevated them to rock’s big league.”

4. Kelly Hansen

“Kelly Hansen is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Foreigner since 2005. Hansen started his career as an independent studio singer. He later met guitarist Robert Sarzo and bassist Tony Cavazo, with whom he formed the hard-rock band Hurricane in 1984.”

3. Tommy Shaw

“Blessed with a memorable hard rock voice, Tommy Shaw is one of several highly capable singers in Styx, though many would argue that he’s the most proficient and versatile of the group’s vocalists, able to handle hard-driving uptempo numbers, slow ballads, and pretty much anything in between. He’s made telling contributions to Styx’s catalogue, with “Renegade” or the timeless “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” worthy of inclusion in any list of the best male rock singers.”

2. Bob Seger

“Like his heartland rock rival Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger wrote impassioned, blue-collar anthems with an across-the-board appeal which he delivered with a raspy voice and a gutsy urgency. With help from evergreen classics such as “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” “Night Moves,” and “Turn The Page,” the Detroit-born rock singer-songwriter has moved over 75 million records.”

1. Freddie Mercury

“The box office-busting success of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic brought Queen back into the limelight in 2018, and then they ended the year with the news that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was officially the most streamed song from the 20th Century. Perhaps more than anything, however, all the retrospective activity reminded us exactly why the flamboyant Freddie Mercury and his fearless, four-octave vocal range still rocks us like no other rock singer before or since – and why he’ll likely remain the champion of best male rock singers for many years to come.”