Exactly how good of a vocalist was Axl compared to the greats?

[Young_Gun]

Compared to say Rob Halford, Bobby Plant, Mick Jagger, Steve Tyler, Elvis and anyone else who had extreme talent in vocal register, octave range, power etc?

[MEXzilla]

Axl in his heyday would easily take the crown but then again it's all a matter of personal taste.

Like I wouldn't even mention halford in the conversation I would substitute him for Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley.

[nightrain86]

Appetite/Lies era Axl was up there with the best of them imo.

[Young_Gun]

Axl in his heyday would easily take the crown but then again it's all a matter of personal taste.

Like I wouldn't even mention halford in the conversation I would substitute him for Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley.

I should have mentioned Chris Cornell too. Not too familiar with jeff Buckley but Halford has amazing range even to this day. Bruce Dickenson(Iron Maiden) also has impressive vocals.

[izzygirl]

Bruce DIckinson, Freddie Mercury and Bon Scott are higher in my list but Axl was pretty decent. One of the best for sure. But yes, it depends on taste, for example, for me Mick Jagger is not that good.

Edited August 17, 2013 by izzygirl

[Young_Gun]

Bruce DIckinson, Freddie Mercury and Bon Scott are higher in ly list but Axl was pretty decent. One of the best for sure. But yes, it depends on taste, for example, for me Mick Jagger is not that good.

How could i forget Freddie Mercury!

[J Dog]

I've always thought Axl had one of the best rock voices ever, I'd put him against anybody.

[Eu4ic]

Kinda like comparing Warhol to Manet to da Vinci. They're not only technically diverse but they have completely different approaches to the craft itself. I think Axl is great because he took rock vocals (and performance) to a completely unknown place, yet clearly carried the spirit of past greats forward, like Robert Plant, Tina Turner, Janis...

And to be honest I've heard few even in metal approach Axl's blood-curdling screams back in the day. He was not just changing his sound, but compromising his own well-being with those screams. Same with his live performance, it was nuts. Something about giving everything for the performance, we like. And for many, that all factors in to what we consider "a good vocalist." Axl does that better than anybody.

[MEXzilla]

The dude does have a great range so if we are basing it soley on that then he is defenetly up there.

[MB.]

Bruce DIckinson, Freddie Mercury and Bon Scott are higher in ly list but Axl was pretty decent. One of the best for sure. But yes, it depends on taste, for example, for me Mick Jagger is not that good.

I agree with this, although Bruce I like less and would add Elvis. When looking only at the voice Mick's isn't half as good as Axl's in his good days. But that's only talking about voice. It certainly is a matter of taste, cause I know many people who don't like axl's voice at all. Edited August 17, 2013 by MBRose

[J Dog]

Certain songs, it's like his voice isn't just for the vocals but it's another instrument in the band. I think he did this better than just about anybody.

[Ace Nova]

It's between Axl Rose and Robert Plant, imo.

[Patience 4 Axl]

His voice was very unique. Someone who knows nothing at all about music could instantly identify who it was singing. It's also polarizing, you either love a voice like that or hate it. I personally loved it, not because I thought he was good, but because I felt he was different.

[Janis]

http://youtu.be/NIBpylQJ85Q I think this concert proves that Axl was on the same level and way better in my opinion than Plant or Jagger. Love going back to this concert as Axl's voice was at it's best. Of course Ritz 88 was also just as good. He was a true original. He has that extra thing or just more charisma and passion when he sings and performs than they had. Listen to the end of Nightrain he sounds so much like R Plant. It's a pity he couldn't sustain the voice quality he had in 86/87 into the nineties but the fact that he once sounded like this blows any of the current guys away. They'll never be as good as Axl in his prime.

[Guest cbgnr666]

On his best days as a total pakage he's probably the greatest frontman.He also has had some really really bad days at really bad times which kinda blows.

[Crash Diet]

Compared to say Rob Halford, Bobby Plant, Mick Jagger, Steve Tyler, Elvis and anyone else who had extreme talent in vocal register, octave range, power etc?

Rob Halford is different (maybe a very young Axl in Rapidfire sounds a little bit like him)

Robert Plant is different

Jagger isn't a good singer technically...

Steven Tyler, hmm that's another story

Elvis is different

So comparing these singers to Axl isn't a good idea

Edited August 17, 2013 by Crash Diet

[vaida]

Compared to say Rob Halford, Bobby Plant, Mick Jagger, Steve Tyler, Elvis and anyone else who had extreme talent in vocal register, octave range, power etc?

You missed Rolf Harris off the list..

[Pinball Wizard]

Axl should be on the top10 list of the best voices in Rock. Without thinking too much I can come up with a bunch of names of singers in rock who have both Technic (how you control your voice and your range) and charisma, like: freddie, bruce, bach (one of the most underrated singers in rock/metal), dio, halford, plant, tyler, gillan...given Axl's prime, he definitely deserves a spot among the greatest of all time.

The thing is, as a singer myself, I think what makes someone a great singer is not only what they could do in their prime, but how they maintained that high level of quality throughout their career. That is when Axl loses ranking, in my opinion. I'm not bashing Axl's voice or whatever, but he was never consistent, even during his heydays, just watch any bootleg from '91 and then another from '92/'93 for proof. On the other hand, guys like bruce, freddie, bach, dio and tyler managed to keep on a good level of quality, regardless of age, drug addiction, mishandling of your instrument at some point of their career and so on - that is why I think these guys deserve to be ranked higher than Axl, since the talk here is being the best SINGER not the best FRONTMAN. As a frontman Axl only loses to Freddie!

PS: I give more credit to singers who are able to sing stuff other than rock and roll. Take Sebastian Bach for example: the guy is a truly metalhead born to sing metal, but take a listen to the things he sang in Broadway and you'll be astonished! Being a great rock/metal singer doesn't necessarily mean you can do well on broadway for instance - I don't think Dio would do a good job in a gig like this - and I respect a lot more those who can do things other than only rock/metal because they are good SINGERS not only good ROCK SINGERS.

[stumbleine]

It's between Axl Rose and Robert Plant, imo.

add Mick,Bon Scott,Kurt and perhaps even Steven Tyler.

[phaeryen]

The top of the game is Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury.

Axl is on second tier together with a few others.

Still almost at the very peak but I just have to put these two gods above our little redhead.

[Dazey]

Compared to say Rob Halford, Bobby Plant, Mick Jagger, Steve Tyler, Elvis and anyone else who had extreme talent in vocal register, octave range, power etc?

You missed Rolf Harris off the list..

I've seen Rolf twice with a 40,000 plus crowd. Axl can't touch that these days!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Jnc8YQM2M

On topic. Axl in his prime is better than them all on the basis of pure personality.

Edited August 17, 2013 by Dazey

[Young_Gun]

Axl should be on the top10 list of the best voices in Rock. Without thinking too much I can come up with a bunch of names of singers in rock who have both Technic (how you control your voice and your range) and charisma, like: freddie, bruce, bach (one of the most underrated singers in rock/metal), dio, halford, plant, tyler, gillan...given Axl's prime, he definitely deserves a spot among the greatest of all time.

The thing is, as a singer myself, I think what makes someone a great singer is not only what they could do in their prime, but how they maintained that high level of quality throughout their career. That is when Axl loses ranking, in my opinion. I'm not bashing Axl's voice or whatever, but he was never consistent, even during his heydays, just watch any bootleg from '91 and then another from '92/'93 for proof. On the other hand, guys like bruce, freddie, bach, dio and tyler managed to keep on a good level of quality, regardless of age, drug addiction, mishandling of your instrument at some point of their career and so on - that is why I think these guys deserve to be ranked higher than Axl, since the talk here is being the best SINGER not the best FRONTMAN. As a frontman Axl only loses to Freddie!

PS: I give more credit to singers who are able to sing stuff other than rock and roll. Take Sebastian Bach for example: the guy is a truly metalhead born to sing metal, but take a listen to the things he sang in Broadway and you'll be astonished! Being a great rock/metal singer doesn't necessarily mean you can do well on broadway for instance - I don't think Dio would do a good job in a gig like this - and I respect a lot more those who can do things other than only rock/metal because they are good SINGERS not only good ROCK SINGERS.

Great post. Bach is a great vocalist and has very impressive range. He even bagged out Scott Weiland for having no range hehe. Is it possible to maintain the vocals as one gets older or is it just a fact that they deteriorate in time?

[Ace Frehley]

Bon Scott was not good. At all. Living in Australia, and perth at that, all I ever hear is how amazing Bon Scott was. I can't think of anybody more overrated as a singer. Even though I can't stand ACDC, I respect what they have achieved. Even if they have played the same song for close to 40 years haha.

On topic tho, Axl in the Lies era was amazing. The sheer power and the fact that nobody at all sounded like him at the time is what helped propel GnR (or at least opened the doors).

The king (or queen even) is still Freddie Mercury though. Hands down. All time greatest. Words can't explain

[Bruno P.]

Obviously most of those guys rank way above Axl as singers, especially Freddie, Bruce, Rob, Gillan, etc.

The king (or queen even) is still Freddie Mercury though. Hands down. All time greatest. Words can't explain

:lol: :lol: Absolutely.

As a frontman Axl could have challenged him though.

[ll_tj1]

From a personal perspective, its just choosing between Axl and Freddie. If I take my personal opinion out of the discussion, then I'd say he's in the same area code as Plant, Mercury, Halford, Cornell, Hoon & Tyler. I would put Phil Anselmo and Eddie Veddar in the area code beneath them, but it's a close neighborhood. I know I'm forgetting someone right now, but these are the top 8 to me. With Phil and Eddie being 7 & 8, and the top six in no particular order. Axl had the power, the anger in his voice, and a soft side as well. His voice is clearly one of the most indistinguishable voices in music history. And also one of its most unique. As far as being a live performer, he's ahead of everyone I listed, with Mercury in second, and everyone one else quite a ways off from those two.