Queen's Freddie Mercury voted The Greatest Rock Singer of All Time
There were just 255 votes between the top two
Last updated 28th May 2024
Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been voted The Greatest Rock Singer of All Time by listeners of our sister station Planet Rock.
Following similar polls in recent years including The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time and The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, over the past month Planet Rock listeners have been voting for their favourite rock vocalists.
A total of 8,627 votes were cast, and it was an open poll meaning that any rock singer in the history of music was eligible for inclusion.
Who is the Greatest Rock Singer of All Time?
Testament to his enduring legacy and popularity, Queen's Freddie Mercury took the crown as The Greatest Rock Singer of All Time with an impressive 13.4% of the total vote.
Narrowly missing out on the Number 1 spot, and just 255 votes behind Freddie Mercury, was late-great heavy metal titan Ronnie James Dio who picked up 10.5% of all listener votes.
Other big names inside the Top 10 include Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Alter Bridge and Slash vocalist Myles Kennedy, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Soundgarden and Audioslave legend Chris Cornell, and Whitesnake’s David Coverdale.
Heart’s Ann Wilson was the highest placing female vocalist at Number 8, with eminent artists including Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale also making the Top 50.
Iconic singers that picked up votes but failed to dent the Top 50 include Van Halen’s David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, KISS’ Paul Stanley, Alex Harvey, Within Temptation's Sharon den Adel, Jim Morrison and John Fogerty.
The 50 Greatest Rock Singers of All Time:
50) Beth Hart
49) Sebastian Bach
Bands a member of: Skid Row, Madam X, Damnocracy, solo artist
48) Elvis Presley
47) Mike Patton
Bands a member of: Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Dead Cross, Peeping Tom, Lovage, Kaada/Patton, Hemophiliac, Nevermen
46) Layne Staley
Bands a member of: Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Class of '99
45) Sammy Hagar
Bands a member of: Van Halen, Montrose, Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas, Chickenfoot, Sammy Hagar and the Circle, Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve, Planet Us.
44) Chester Bennington
Bands a member of: Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, Grey Daze, Kings of Chaos, Stone Temple Pilots
43) Jon Anderson
Bands a member of: Yes, The Warriors, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, ,Jon and Vangelis, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
42) Bruce Springsteen
41) David Draiman
Bands a member of: Disturbed
40) James Hetfield
Bands a member of: Metallica
39) Dave Grohl
Bands a member of: Foo Fighters (vocals, guitar); Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Scream, Mondo Generator (drummer and backing vocals); Sound City Players, (vocals, guitar and drums); Probot (lead guitar, drums, bass)
38) Geddy Lee
Bands a member of: Rush, The Big Dirty Band (bass only).
37) Steve Marriott
Bands a member of: Small Faces, Humble Pie, solo artist
36) David Bowie
35) Shane Greenhall
Bands a member of: Those Damn Crows
34) Danny Vaughn
Bands a member of: Tyketto, Waysted, Vaughn, Snake Oil & Harmony, solo
33) Mick Jagger
Bands a member of: The Rolling Stones, From the Inside, The Illegal Eagles, Burning Kingdom
32) Lemmy
Bands a member of: Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Rockin' Vickers, Opal Butterfly, The Damned, The Head Cat, Sam Gopal
31) Jay Buchanan
Bands a member of: Rival Sons
30) Geoff Tate
Bands a member of: Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime, Sweet Oblivion, solo artist
29) Eddie Vedder
Bands a member of: Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Hovercraft, Bad Radio
28) Janis Joplin
Bands a member of: A solo artist who also performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company
27) Phil Lynott
Bands a member of: Thin Lizzy, Grand Slam, The Greedies, Skid Row
26) Stevie Nicks
Bands a member of: Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham Nicks and an esteemed solo artist
25) Brian Johnson
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Geordie
24) Glenn Hughes
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, The Dead Daisies, Finders Keepers, Hughes/Thrall, Phenomena, Hughes Turner Project, Michael Men Project, Kings of Chaos, California Breed, solo artist.
23) Brent Smith
Bands a member of: Shinedown, Smith & Myers
22) Roger Daltrey
Bands a member of: The Who
21) Floor Jansen
Bands a member of: Nightwish, Northward
20) Meat Loaf
19) Axl Rose
Bands a member of: Guns N' Roses, Hollywood Rose, L.A. Guns
18) Steven Tyler
Bands a member of: Aerosmith, Chain Reaction
17) Noddy Holder
Bands a member of: Slade
16) Steve Perry
Bands a member of: Journey, solo artist
15) Rob Halford
Bands a member of: Judas Priest, Halford, Fight, 2wo
14) Ozzy Osbourne
Bands a member of: Black Sabbath, solo artist
13) Danny Bowes
Bands a member of: Thunder, Terraplane, Nuthin' Fancy, Bowes & Morley
12) Lzzy Hale
Bands a member of: Halestorm, Skid Row (temporary singer)
11) Bon Scott
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Fraternity, The Valentines, The Spektors
10) Chris Cornell
Bands a member of: Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo artist
9) Ian Gillan
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Gillan, Black Sabbath, The Javelins, Episode Six, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan & Glover, WhoCares
8) Ann Wilson
Bands a member of: Heart, solo artist
7) David Coverdale
Bands a member of: Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Coverdale-Page
6) Bruce Dickinson
Bands a member of: Iron Maiden, Samson, solo artist
5) Myles Kennedy
Bands a member of: Alter Bridge, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Kings of Chaos, solo artist
4) Paul Rodgers
Bands a member of: Free, Bad Company, The Firm, The Law, Queen + Paul Rodgers, solo artist
3) Robert Plant
Bands a member of: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Band of Joy, The Honeydrippers, various solo bands
2) Ronnie James Dio
Bands a member of: Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Rainbow, Elf, Ronnie & The Red Caps, Ronnie Dio & The Prophets, The Electric Elves, The Elves
1) Freddie Mercury
Bands a member of: Queen, Ibex Sour, Milk Sea