So much to complain about on this list that I will try not to bother beyond how egregious it is to skip Sarah fucking Vaughan. Focusing instead on positives: Legit gleeful that Sandy Denny was included.
Full list below. I always find the RS website a nightmare for stuff like this. 200. Rosalía 199. Glenn Danzig 198. Billie Eilish 197. Burna Boy 196. Paul Westerberg 195. Poly Styrene 194. Kelly Clarkson 193. Brandy 192. Anohni 191. Jung Kook 190. Frank Ocean 189. Joan Baez 188. Fela Kuti 187. Bonnie Raitt 186. Ofra Haza 185. Alicia Keys 184. Karen O 183. Solomon Burke 182. Jazmine Sullivan 181. Bob Seger 180. SZA 179. Martha Wash 178. Tabu Ley Rochereau 177. Patty Loveless 176. Iggy Pop 175. Lana Del Rey 174. Buddy Holly 173. Marianne Faithfull 172. Juan Gabriel 171. Odetta 170. Chris Stapleton 169. Sylvester 168. Debbie Harry 167. Marc Anthony 166. Morrissey 165. Ronnie James Dio 164. Sandy Denny 163. Bobby “Blue” Bland 162. Françoise Hardy 161. Brenda Lee 160. Mercedes Sosa 159. Mississippi John Hurt 158. Carrie Underwood 157. Robert Smith 156. George Strait 155. Corin Tucker 154. Dion 153. Mahlathini 152. Michael Stipe 151. Martha Reeves 150. Bryan Ferry 149. Wanda Jackson 148. Levon Helm 147. Barbra Streisand 146. Ruth Brown 145. PJ Harvey 144. Darlene Love 143. Luciano 142. Russell Thompkins Jr. 141. Christina Aguilera 140. Bono 139. Rocío Dúrcal 138. Merle Haggard 137. El DeBarge 136. Lauryn Hill 135. IU 134. Axl Rose 133. Neil Young 132. Loretta Lynn 131. Jeff Buckley 130. Courtney Love 129. Rob Halford 128. Florence Welch 127. Tammy Wynette 126. Donny Hathaway 125. Joe Strummer 124. Robert Johnson 123. Karen Carpenter 122. Donna Summer 121. Jackie Wilson 120. Charlie Rich 119. Barrington Levy 118. John Fogerty 117. Patti Smith 116. Chet Baker 115. Erykah Badu 114. Chrissie Hynde 113. La India 112. Ozzy Osbourne 111. Fiona Apple 110. The Weeknd 109. Roger Daltrey 108. Caetano Veloso 107. Lou Reed 106. Bill Withers 105. Eddie Vedder 104. Aaron Neville 103. Leonard Cohen 102. Taylor Swift 101. Gladys Knight 100. Elton John 99. Clyde McPhatter 98. Bob Marley 97. Usher 96. Chuck Berry 95. Vicente Fernández 94. Toots Hibbert 93. Stevie Nicks 92. Anita Baker 91. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 90. Gal Costa 89. Selena 88. Jimmie Rodgers 87. Diana Ross 86. Michael Jackson 85. Johnny Cash 84. Lata Mangeshkar 83. Amy Winehouse 82. Steve Perry 81. João Gilberto 80. Chris Cornell 79. Emmylou Harris 78. Janis Joplin 77. Bruce Springsteen 76. Wilson Pickett 75. D’Angelo 74. Patti LaBelle 73. Héctor Lavoe 72. Muddy Waters 71. Roy Orbison 70. Ronnie Spector 69. Youssou N’Dour 68. Rihanna 67. Dennis Brown 66. David Ruffin 65. Minnie Riperton 64. Björk 63. Robert Plant 62. George Michael 61. Umm Kulthum 60. Kate Bush 59. Howlin’ Wolf 58. Lady Gaga 57. Brian Wilson 56. Barry White 55. Tina Turner 54. Willie Nelson 53. Miriam Makeba 52. Mick Jagger 51. Sade 50. Joni Mitchell 49. Rod Stewart 48. Toni Braxton 47. Linda Ronstadt 46. Mavis Staples 45. Ella Fitzgerald 44. James Brown 43. Ariana Grande 42. Teddy Pendergrass 41. Etta James 40. Aaliyah 39. Louis Armstrong 38. Curtis Mayfield 37. Van Morrison 36. Kurt Cobain 35. Dusty Springfield 34. Thom Yorke 33. Bessie Smith 32. David Bowie 31. Luther Vandross 30. Hank Williams 29. Chaka Khan 28. Mahalia Jackson 27. Dolly Parton 26. Paul McCartney 25. Mary J. Blige 24. George Jones 23. Smokey Robinson 22. Adele 21. Nina Simone 20. Marvin Gaye 19. Frank Sinatra 18. Celia Cruz 17. Elvis Presley 16. Prince 15. Bob Dylan 14. Freddie Mercury 13. Patsy Cline 12. John Lennon 11. Little Richard 10. Al Green 9. Otis Redding 8. Beyoncé 7. Stevie Wonder 6. Ray Charles 5. Mariah Carey 4. Billie Holiday 3. Sam Cooke 2. Whitney Houston 1. Aretha Franklin
Seriously give me Celine over almost every other female on this list, find me one on here even close to her range Stevie Nicks and Lady Gaga lol, surely this list is a joke
You think people would learn that these lists are fueled by their anger, including myself don't worry Whitney and Mariah in the top 5 is correct at least
Lots of singers whose vocals aren’t exactly the reason people like their music in the first place. Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Taylor Swift, Van Morrison, Lady Gaga, Lou Reed, Lana Del Rey, Michael Stipe, Paul Westerberg…
90% of these people cannot do Total Eclipse of the Heart or My Heart Will Go On yet Bonnie and Celine are benched. I'm throwing hands at Rolling Stone
From the intro blurb; 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.
Only quoting you because you posted the blurb, none of this is directed at you. I read it before I read the list and it made it even more baffling to me. Taylor Swift is objectively not a better singer than Kelly Clarkson. It almost seems like they were really going for best performer which would still make the list wild but some of it would be a bit more understandable
I even call bullshit on this logic, though. Like, if that's the criteria they're using, someone like Tom Petty should absolutely be on this list. Not a classically "great voice," but so distinct and so full of attitude and feeling.
Anyway, Jeff Buckley all the way back at 131 is the most egregious part of this list for me. A guy with legitimate operatic vocal control, range, and ability outranked by 100+ lesser singers.