Week long obsession

So, I really checked out Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Singers Ever” list, and it’s not what I’d call THE list of the greatest singers ever.

They asked 179 voters to each “list his or her 20 favorite vocalists from the rock era, in order of their importance.” The voters were a diverse cross-section of singers, band members, journalists, recording companies’ founders, and others, as well as an assortment of current and former Rolling Stone editors. They were given ballots, on which they ranked their top 20. Then accounting firm Ernst & Young did their tabulation magic, and the list was created.

–oOo–

Frankly, I’ve been having trouble with this list, and, as a result, with this week’s column, and I’m not really certain why, exactly.

There are several beautiful voices on the list: Etta James’ (number 22 on the list), Elvis Presley’s (3), Luther Vandross’ (54), Freddie Mercury’s (18), and Whitney Houston’s (34), for example. But those voices are lumped in with those of Lou Reed (62), Janis Joplin (28), Björk (60), and Axl Rose (64). To me, that’s a good use for the apples/oranges cliché.

Is that my problem with the list? That it’s not simply a list of singers with beautiful voices?

–oOo–

The voters were to list vocalists from the rock era, but that’s a broad description, as the listing indicates, what with the likes of Hank Williams (27), Stevie Wonder (9), Elton John (38), Bob Marley (19), Johnny Cash (21), Joni Mitchell (42) and Kurt Cobain (45). All rock singers? No. So we have a span of, what six decades, with a variety of genres…

Is that my issue? It’s not a pure rock (or R&B, or pop, etc.) list?

–oOo–

Or maybe it’s this: I don’t see how you can have a list of “great” singers of the rock era without Ann Wilson, of Heart, on it. Or Pat Benatar. Or Christine McVie, of Fleetwood Mac.

Or how any self-respecting list can have John Fogarty (72) above Mary J. Blige (100) or Bob Dylan (7) over Bono (32). And Bob Dylan is number seven? Really?

But they didn’t ask me. Hunh, guess that’s my problem. 

–oOo–

Just a few more of observations… 

These voters were on the list of 100: Eric Burdon (57, The Animals); Solomon Burke (89); Dion (63); Art Garfunkel (86); Merle Haggard (77); Toots Hibbert (71); Etta James (22); B.B. King (96); Darlene Love (84); Patti Smith (83); Ronnie Spector (69, The Ronettes); Bruce Springsteen (36); Mavis Staples (56); Rod Stewart (59); and Brian Wilson (52, The Beach Boys).

Keith Richards (--) ranked himself number 20; James Blunt and Courtney Love (--) both ranked themselves number one; Ozzy Osbourne (--) ranked himself at six, Billy Gibbons (--, ZZ Top) ranked himself number eight; and Maynard James Keenan (--, Tool) ranked himself number one and voted for no one else.

Alice Cooper (--), Merle Haggard, Solomon Burke, Patti Smith, B.B. King, Iggy Pop (75), and David Crosby were on the list, but none of them voted for themselves.

There are a couple of other glaring omissions from the list: Diana Ross and Grace Slick. And k.d. lang (think “Constant Craving”).

–oOo–

This silly list has been my obsession for a week now, and I’ve got to let it go before it takes over my life completely. I’d hate for my daughter to tell people in the future that Mommy had to go live with the other crazy people because Elvis was ranked at only number three!