Ronnie James Dio ranked 165th in Rolling Stone's greatest singers countdown
Freddie Mercury is behind John Lennon
Rolling Stone magazine has marked the New Year by publishing a new countdown of The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Rather than going to a public vote, the highly eclectic Top 200 list was decided by the US publication’s staff and contributors with soul legend Aretha Franklin ranking at Number 1.
The Top 5 is completed by Whitney Houston (2), Sam Cooke (3), Billie Holiday (4) and Mariah Carey (5).
Alongside the abundance of pop, jazz, soul, r&b and country stars, singers from the rock, blues and metal worlds also feature throughout the countdown.
However, as always with these lists, there are some highly contentious placings. Arguably the greatest metal vocalist ever, Ronnie James Dio, is at a lowly 165 – 53 places behind his Black Sabbath predecessor Ozzy Osbourne at 112.
Freddie Mercury is ranked in 14th place two spots behind John Lennon, Robert Plant is at a surprisingly low 63rd spot, and Mick Jagger just misses out on the Top 50 at 52.
Defending their countdown, Rolling Stone wrote: ‘Keep in mind that this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent.’
They add: ‘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.”’
You can see Rolling Stones full list right here, and check out some of the placings for rock and metal stars below:
11 – Little Richard
12 – John Lennon
14 – Freddie Mercury
15 – Bob Dylan
16 – Prince
17 – Elvis Presley
26 – Paul McCartney
32 – David Bowie
34 – Thom Yorke
36 – Kurt Cobain
49 – Rod Stewart
52 – Mick Jagger
57 – Brian Wilson
59 – Howlin’ Wolf
63 – Robert Plant
72 – Muddy Waters
77 – Bruce Springsteen
78 – Janis Joplin
80 – Chris Cornell
82 – Steve Perry
85 – Johnny Cash
93 – Stevie Nicks
96 – Chuck Berry
105 – Eddie Vedder
109 – Roger Daltrey
112 – Ozzy Osbourne
118 – John Fogerty
125 – Joe Strummer
129 – Rob Halford
130 – Courtney Love
133 – Neil Young
134 – Axl Rose
140 – Bono
150 – Bryan Ferry
165 – Ronnie James Dio
174 – Buddy Holly
176 – Iggy Pop
181 – Bob Seger
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time:
75) Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
74) Iron Maiden – ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (1982)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
73) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’ (1987)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
72) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Estranged’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
71) Bon Jovi – ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ (1986)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
70) Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
69) UFO – ‘Lights Out’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
68) Neil Young – ‘Like a Hurricane’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
67) Judas Priest – ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
66) Free – ‘All Right Now’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
65) Extreme – ‘Play With Me’(1989)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
64) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1981)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
63) UFO – ‘Love To Love’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
62) Led Zeppelin – ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (1969)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
61) Eric Johnson – ‘Cliffs of Dover’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
60) Stevie Ray Vaughn – ‘Little Wing’ (1984, released posthumously in 1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
59) Pearl Jam – ‘Alive’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
58) Metallica – ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
57) Fleetwood Mac – ‘The Chain’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
56) Dragonforce – ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ (2005)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
55) Thin Lizzy – ‘Emerald’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
54) Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’ (1985)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
53) Steve Vai – ‘For the Love of God’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
52) Deep Purple – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming’ (1996)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
51) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
50) Rainbow – ‘Gates of Babylon’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
49) Metallica – ‘The Unforgiven’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
48) Rush – ‘La Villa Strangiato’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
47) Pantera – ‘Cemetery Gates’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
46) Pink Floyd – ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
45) Dire Straits – ‘Telegraph Road’ (1982)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
44) Peter Frampton – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (2003)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
43) Slash – ‘Anastasia’ (2012)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
42) The Beatles – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
41) Pink Floyd – ‘Time’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
40) Genesis – ‘Firth of Fifth’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
39) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
38) AC/DC – ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
37) Megadeth – ‘Tornado of Souls’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
36) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
35) Metallica – ‘Fade To Black’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
34) Marillion – ‘Easter’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
33) Joe Bonamassa – ‘India / Mountain Time’ (2008)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
32) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’ (1980)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
31) Cream – ‘Crossroads’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
30) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
29) Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
28) Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
27) Metallica – ‘One’ (1989)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
26) Extreme – ‘Get The Funk Out’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
25) Thin Lizzy – ‘Still In Love With You’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
24) Metallica – ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
23) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
22) Joe Bonamassa – ‘Sloe Gin’ (2007)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
21) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Mr Crowley’ (1980)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
20) Derek & The Dominoes – ‘Layla’
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
19) Gary Moore – ‘Still Got The Blues (For You)’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
18) Prince - ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
17) Deep Purple – ‘Child in Time’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
16) Bon Jovi – ‘Dry County’ (1992)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
15) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘All Along The Watchtower’ (1967)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
14) Deep Purple – ‘Highway Star’ (1972)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
13) Gary Moore – ‘Parisienne Walkways’ (1979)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
12) UFO – ‘Rock Bottom’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
11) Dire Straits – ‘Sultans of Swing’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
10) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
9) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
8) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’ (1987)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
7) Van Halen – ‘Eruption’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
6) Guns N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
5) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
4) Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (1971)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
3) Alter Bridge – ‘Blackbird’ (2007)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
2) Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘Free Bird’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
1) Pink Floyd – ‘Comfortably Numb’ (1979)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time