What are some vocalists that are better than Axl?

[Demon Wolf]

I'm not dininishing Freddie's songs that he wrote with in the band context, but he had others adding their own parts, just like what happened in gnr. November rain would have been a lot different without Slash's guitar work, same applies for Bohemian Rhapsody, and every other Queen song. But Prince actually wrote and played all the parts to his hits, thats a BIG difference if you ask me.

Again, I'm not trying to sell Freddie short, but everytime this topic of greatest frontmen/singers gets brought up, many of you say Freddie and think he is the end all be all of the discussion. So I keep throwing Prince's name into the hat, yet NO ONE has been able to provide any sort of facts or anything for that matter that shows that Freddie was better than Prince. Obviously it is all very subjective, but honestly how is Freddie superior to Prince in anything? Honestly I would say Prince is superior to Freddie in about every way. Which that is just my opinion, but come on, make your cases people. What could Freddie do that Prince couldn't other than make an opera album? But Prince could make dance, hip hop, funk, soul, and many other types of music that Freddie could only dream of making.

So many of you pray at the alter of Freddie Mercury (which is fine, he was in fact a legend) but I have indeed found the answer to the question "who was better than Freddie?" His name is Prince....

Oh and just calling Prince a douche is hardly an argument. Even if you think he is a dancing little fairy, Freddie was an ACTUAL fairy, so that arguement doesn't hold a grain of salt.

Well we could just run the list of songs each wrote and see how many the majority knows... wouldn't really show which is 'better' or 'worse' but it would show the popularity... Queen win. Freddie was an incredible singer, powerful until the last weeks of his life (check the show must go on, recorded weeks before he died). Absolutely incredible performer and able to whip any crowd into a frenzy, I think Freddie could have played at a black metal festival and the crowd would still have loved it he was that good at working a crowd and his voice was so good. I find it hard to think of any other that can best him or can even come close. Prince writes all his material, plays the instruments, records them etc. doesn't make him better though. I always hear "you have to listen to purple rain", well, I'm pretty certain he has other albums... are they no good? nobody ever mentions them. As for queen every 2nd person will tell you to listen to a different album.

Two great artists but as a performer and a vocalist Freddie is untouchable.

If you want to argue straight vocal ability, then (perhaps) Freddie had the stronger voice, but I would argue that Prince's falsetto is actually higher than Freddie's, but Freddie may have him beat on the lows. But as an overall performer? NO FUCKING WAY!!! It's not even close. Freddie was great at capturing an audience, I'll give him that, but nothing he did live was all that exceptional. Prince had all the moves of guys like James Brown and Jackie Wilson, plus the rock chops of guys like Hendrix. I'm sorry but Queen as a band couldn't follow a Prince show, he would up stage them, no doubt about it. He is a better guitar player than Brian May is, and probably a better piano player than Freddie, hell he can play bass and drums better than deacon and roger. Obviously you need to get some Prince education. Yes Purple Rain is his masterpiece, and the most Rock of all of his albums, but he has had a full career of hits. Song for song I bet he has more hits than Queen does. Even today he is still elite among the elite, he is the bastard love child of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, and just about as good as both. As great as Freddie was, he isn't even in Prince's league. Hell Axl, Plant, Dio, Tyler, all of the rock singers mentioned in this thread are not even in Prince's league. The only ones that are; MJ, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, and other black soul/rb singers.

I love Prince but man you are severely underestimating Queen. They've sold three times the records that Prince has. John Deacon is a criminally underrated bassist and Roger Taylor is a great drummer with a strong voice. Brian May is a guitar virtuoso and you can't claim he is inferior to Prince when it comes to playing, they're different sort of players.

And Brian May has said numerous times Freddie himself sometimes wrote the parts Brian was going to play. Like the guitar riff in Death On Two Legs, the post-opera section guitar riff in BoRhap etc

Edited March 30, 2014 by Demon Wolf

[Forsaken]

Good Lord.... that is all.

[EvH]

Give a listen to this :

And tell me Queen is overrated. One of the best bands ever and some of the greatest musicians to have ever recorded music.

[gunnari]

Give a listen to this :

And tell me Queen is overrated. One of the best bands ever and some of the greatest musicians to have ever recorded music.

We still love you, Freddie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDUmT3wm-0A

[luciusfunk]

I'm not dininishing Freddie's songs that he wrote with in the band context, but he had others adding their own parts, just like what happened in gnr. November rain would have been a lot different without Slash's guitar work, same applies for Bohemian Rhapsody, and every other Queen song. But Prince actually wrote and played all the parts to his hits, thats a BIG difference if you ask me.

Again, I'm not trying to sell Freddie short, but everytime this topic of greatest frontmen/singers gets brought up, many of you say Freddie and think he is the end all be all of the discussion. So I keep throwing Prince's name into the hat, yet NO ONE has been able to provide any sort of facts or anything for that matter that shows that Freddie was better than Prince. Obviously it is all very subjective, but honestly how is Freddie superior to Prince in anything? Honestly I would say Prince is superior to Freddie in about every way. Which that is just my opinion, but come on, make your cases people. What could Freddie do that Prince couldn't other than make an opera album? But Prince could make dance, hip hop, funk, soul, and many other types of music that Freddie could only dream of making.

So many of you pray at the alter of Freddie Mercury (which is fine, he was in fact a legend) but I have indeed found the answer to the question "who was better than Freddie?" His name is Prince....

Oh and just calling Prince a douche is hardly an argument. Even if you think he is a dancing little fairy, Freddie was an ACTUAL fairy, so that arguement doesn't hold a grain of salt.

Well we could just run the list of songs each wrote and see how many the majority knows... wouldn't really show which is 'better' or 'worse' but it would show the popularity... Queen win. Freddie was an incredible singer, powerful until the last weeks of his life (check the show must go on, recorded weeks before he died). Absolutely incredible performer and able to whip any crowd into a frenzy, I think Freddie could have played at a black metal festival and the crowd would still have loved it he was that good at working a crowd and his voice was so good. I find it hard to think of any other that can best him or can even come close. Prince writes all his material, plays the instruments, records them etc. doesn't make him better though. I always hear "you have to listen to purple rain", well, I'm pretty certain he has other albums... are they no good? nobody ever mentions them. As for queen every 2nd person will tell you to listen to a different album.

Two great artists but as a performer and a vocalist Freddie is untouchable.

Mother Love was Freddie's last vocal. The Show Must Go On wasn't recorded weeks before his death. Innuendo was released in February 1991, Freddie died November 1991.

[RandallFlagg]

Well we could just run the list of songs each wrote and see how many the majority knows... wouldn't really show which is 'better' or 'worse' but it would show the popularity... Queen win. Freddie was an incredible singer, powerful until the last weeks of his life (check the show must go on, recorded weeks before he died). Absolutely incredible performer and able to whip any crowd into a frenzy, I think Freddie could have played at a black metal festival and the crowd would still have loved it he was that good at working a crowd and his voice was so good. I find it hard to think of any other that can best him or can even come close. Prince writes all his material, plays the instruments, records them etc. doesn't make him better though. I always hear "you have to listen to purple rain", well, I'm pretty certain he has other albums... are they no good? nobody ever mentions them. As for queen every 2nd person will tell you to listen to a different album.

Two great artists but as a performer and a vocalist Freddie is untouchable.

Sign O The Times and Lotus Flower are ridiculously good albums by Prince along with Purpz!

[DieselDaisy]

I'm not dininishing Freddie's songs that he wrote with in the band context, but he had others adding their own parts, just like what happened in gnr. November rain would have been a lot different without Slash's guitar work, same applies for Bohemian Rhapsody, and every other Queen song. But Prince actually wrote and played all the parts to his hits, thats a BIG difference if you ask me.

Again, I'm not trying to sell Freddie short, but everytime this topic of greatest frontmen/singers gets brought up, many of you say Freddie and think he is the end all be all of the discussion. So I keep throwing Prince's name into the hat, yet NO ONE has been able to provide any sort of facts or anything for that matter that shows that Freddie was better than Prince. Obviously it is all very subjective, but honestly how is Freddie superior to Prince in anything? Honestly I would say Prince is superior to Freddie in about every way. Which that is just my opinion, but come on, make your cases people. What could Freddie do that Prince couldn't other than make an opera album? But Prince could make dance, hip hop, funk, soul, and many other types of music that Freddie could only dream of making.

So many of you pray at the alter of Freddie Mercury (which is fine, he was in fact a legend) but I have indeed found the answer to the question "who was better than Freddie?" His name is Prince....

Oh and just calling Prince a douche is hardly an argument. Even if you think he is a dancing little fairy, Freddie was an ACTUAL fairy, so that arguement doesn't hold a grain of salt.

According to Brian and Roger, Freddie wrote a lot of the guitar parts himself on songs that he wrote. Ogre Battle is a good example. Freddie wrote that on guitar.

Freddie wrote the guitar parts on piano. May's heavy - walking - riff on the third section of Bohemian Rhapsody was written in this way; you can tell it was written on a piano as it is very, chromatic. Of course May wrote all of his guitar leads but they did not give him a songwriting credit.

Ogre Battle was written by Freddie on guitar.

Yes, well he liked to get his guitar out on stage during the 80s (like Jagger also). But I distinctly remember May saying the Bohemian riff was written on a piano; I think it was on the Queen videos dvd which has this bonus 'Making of Bohemian Rhapsody' extra.

[Iron MikeyJ]

Give a listen to this :

And tell me Queen is overrated. One of the best bands ever and some of the greatest musicians to have ever recorded music.

I never said Queen are overrated, or that Freddie is overrated. But some of you feel that they are the be all and end all of these discusions, and I'm just saying that their are other musicans and artists past or present that maybe better. As far as rock bands go, I would completly argue that Zeppelin, The Beatles, and even Van Halen were better than Queen. When it comes to individual performers, their are absolutly people that were better than Freddie Mercury, I'm sorry but Prince is one, Hendrix was another, James Brown is a third. I could keep going and going. Even Freddie himself said that when he worked with MJ that there was nothing he (freddie) could teach Michael, that Michael didn't already know, and Freddie was like 10~15 years older than him. Freddie himself was in awe of MJ, I saw the interview on tv a couple of months ago.

I agree that Queen and Freddie are among the all time greats, but neither are #1, I'm sorry I just don't see it.

[EvH]

Give a listen to this :

And tell me Queen is overrated. One of the best bands ever and some of the greatest musicians to have ever recorded music.

I never said Queen are overrated, or that Freddie is overrated. But some of you feel that they are the be all and end all of these discusions, and I'm just saying that their are other musicans and artists past or present that maybe better. As far as rock bands go, I would completly argue that Zeppelin, The Beatles, and even Van Halen were better than Queen. When it comes to individual performers, their are absolutly people that were better than Freddie Mercury, I'm sorry but Prince is one, Hendrix was another, James Brown is a third. I could keep going and going. Even Freddie himself said that when he worked with MJ that there was nothing he (freddie) could teach Michael, that Michael didn't already know, and Freddie was like 10~15 years older than him. Freddie himself was in awe of MJ, I saw the interview on tv a couple of months ago.

I agree that Queen and Freddie are among the all time greats, but neither are #1, I'm sorry I just don't see it.

I was referring to the post where you say that Prince is a better musician, among other things, than each member of Queen. Which is a ridiculous statement, to say the least.

(And for the record, I for one am not saying that Queen is the end of every discussion about artists more than you are about Prince.)

[Iron MikeyJ]

@EVH,

No I'm not saying Prince is the final answer to every question either, but I do think he is a better guitarist than Brian May, May is good, but I wouldn't put him in a virtuoso class. As far as Deacon goes, I can post the link to the interview where Dave Grohl got the chance to jam with Prince, and he even said he is the baddest man on the planet. He said that he picked up the bass and was the "baddest fucking bassists" he had ever heard. That's a pretty powerful recomendation, I'd say he is without a doubt superior to Deacon. As far as drums go, I highly doubt Roger can do anything on the drums that Prince can't. Honestly I think you my friend are selling the Purple One short.

Prince's only true musical short comings are he can't play any horns or brass (but I've heard he can write amazing music for horns, he just can't play them) and I don't think he is an amazing songwriter. I will give Freddie the edge in songwriting. Prince has written some classic songs, but as a songwriter I'd say he is pretty good, not exceptional. One critic pointed out that Prince has always had ana amazing sound to his music, but the songs were not always there, which I thought was a fair critique.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Mike420

[Iron MikeyJ]

Dave Grohl telling his story

This solo by Prince is better than anything Brian May ever played.

[grouse]

Give a listen to this :

[youtube links]

And tell me Queen is overrated. One of the best bands ever and some of the greatest musicians to have ever recorded music.

I never said Queen are overrated, or that Freddie is overrated. But some of you feel that they are the be all and end all of these discusions, and I'm just saying that their are other musicans and artists past or present that maybe better. As far as rock bands go, I would completly argue that Zeppelin, The Beatles, and even Van Halen were better than Queen. When it comes to individual performers, their are absolutly people that were better than Freddie Mercury, I'm sorry but Prince is one, Hendrix was another, James Brown is a third. I could keep going and going. Even Freddie himself said that when he worked with MJ that there was nothing he (freddie) could teach Michael, that Michael didn't already know, and Freddie was like 10~15 years older than him. Freddie himself was in awe of MJ, I saw the interview on tv a couple of months ago.

I agree that Queen and Freddie are among the all time greats, but neither are #1, I'm sorry I just don't see it.

Wow just wow, I mean it's your opinion and all but rating van halen and the beatles above queen....People have gone to psych wards for less

I get what you are saying and after all it comes down to musical taste but in my opinion Queen is the best band ever and I'm sad to say but nothing will ever top it.

[Bruno P.]

Tbh I've never, ever, really... ever heard of Prince being mentioned on the same sentence as Freddie as far as singer/frontman goes let alone the whole band

To this day and age (not many, though) people still think that Axl was a better singer than Freddie... to each their own, I guess.

[RandallFlagg]

Most people have heard some of the Purple Rain album and a few singles and little else by Prince.

[Iron MikeyJ]

Most people have heard some of the Purple Rain album and a few singles and little else by Prince.

Most people have only heard about ten Queen songs total, so I don't get your point.

Here is the list of Queen songs the general population knows:

1. Bohemian rhapsody

2. Killer queen

3. somebody to love

4. crazy little thing called love

5. another one bites the dust

6. we will rock you

7. we are the champions

8. under pressure

9. bicycle race

I'll give you a freebee, whatever song you want to add, but thats pretty much it folks.

Prince's general audience songs:

1. Party like its 1999

2. little red corvette

3. purple rain

4. When doves cry

5. lets go crazy

6. I would die for you

7. rasberry beret

8. kiss

9. delerious

10. pussy control

11. cream

12. batdance

And these are only the song that pretty much everybody knows, so clearly Prince has just as many "hits" as Queen does.

[DR DOOM]

I always found Queen to be a great sounding band with a surprisingly small number of great songs.

[luciusfunk]

This solo by Prince is better than anything Brian May ever played.

Nah

[MattElias]

DAVID COVERDALE!!! WHY THE HELL NOBODY REMEMBERED?!

http://youtu.be/sUaYP7Zy914

[luciusfunk]

Most people have heard some of the Purple Rain album and a few singles and little else by Prince.

Most people have only heard about ten Queen songs total, so I don't get your point.

Here is the list of Queen songs the general population knows:

1. Bohemian rhapsody

2. Killer queen

3. somebody to love

4. crazy little thing called love

5. another one bites the dust

6. we will rock you

7. we are the champions

8. under pressure

9. bicycle race

You're My Best Friend

Princes of the Universe

Who Wants to Live Forever

Fat Bottomed Girls

One Vision

Radio Ga Ga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGxX3qht99o

Most people have heard some of the Purple Rain album and a few singles and little else by Prince.

Prince's general audience songs:

1. Party like its 1999

2. little red corvette

3. purple rain

4. When doves cry

5. lets go crazy

6. I would die for you

7. rasberry beret

8. kiss

9. delerious

10. pussy control

11. cream

12. batdance

And these are only the song that pretty much everybody knows, so clearly Prince has just as many "hits" as Queen does.

[bumblerose]

Mercury and bon scott.

[D..]

This debate is almost impossible, we'd have to hear every singer sing everyone's song to have a clear judgment. Or take a rather difficult song to perform and see how all artists perform it. Axl couldn't sing Bohemian Rhapsody so well in his prime for example, but I prefer Axl over Freddie on his own songs, so that doesn't mean anything.

We could debate over who is was the best frontman, who was the best artist, but singer.. it's impossible to tell.

To me David Gilmour is one of the best singers ever for example, but that's largely influenced by how good his songs are.

It's safe to say though that the singers I enjoy the most are Axl, Freddie, Michael, Gilmour, Bowie, and Bellamy.

[Estranged Reality]

i like and respect queen/mercury but personally they're not in my top ten.

i would rank prince above them, but it's subjective of course.

[DR DOOM]

Bowie's voice was strong as ever last time he toured- he sounds brilliant on the recent album too.

Gilmour is another guy who's voice is as good as ever.

[SlashisGOD]

Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, King Diamond, Dio, any power metal singer. Bruce is in my top 3 or 4 for singers.

[wasted]

I like Mark Lanegan and Mike Patton vocals. maybe not technically the best.