The greatest singers of all time

I stumbled upon one of those top 100 lists today. This one had been published in Rolling Stone magazine and was a list of the top 100 pop and rock singers of all time. It irritated me. I was pretty sure that this particular publication would be way too cool for school to include the girls from ABBA on the list, but to omit Kate Bush? Please!

Of course all the cool dudes were there. Morrissey appears to have a range of no more than a major sixth, but he was there. And both John Lennon and Paul McCartney were included despite them being, in my controversial opinion, brilliant song writers but not really very good vocalists. Annie Lennox and Karen Carpenter scraped in in the mid 90s. The top ten was almost exclusively RnB and Motown - and very male-heavy, despite Aretha Franklin winning, possibly justifiably, although I would have personally chosen Nina Simone or Dusty. But no Kate Bush? Mary J Blige was there for heaven's sake, and she's vocally damaged up the wazoo. And who the heck are Darleen Love and Merle Haggard?

Have a read of the list yourself and see if you agree...

Here's my personal top ten

1. Nina Simone

2. Kate Bush

3. Frida/ Agnetha (take your pick)

4. Freddie Mercury

5. Justin Heywood (Moody Blues)

6. Tori Amos

7. Dusty Springfield

8. Whitney Houston

9. Cleo Laine

10. Karen Carpenter

(My list seems very women-heavy, but I only really listen to female vocalists.) 

What would your top ten be?

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231