The Best Frontmen In Rock

[E. Shaun]

Okay, so I nicked this thread idea from a post by Spock. Still, I love little irreverent and inconsequential things like this, so...

Who would you consider to be the best frontmen / frontwomen in rock history?

It's already been established that I would consider Freddie Mercury as one of the best...but who else?

[chrisj]

Glancing over at my 'classic albums' DVDs-

Kurt Cobain
Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford

Fripp! (just kidding :D )

[st robert]

let us not forget...


bono


rob

[Spock]

Well, some this came up over drinking lots of beer, so I don't remember all of them.

Those listed so far and...

Plant
Peter Gabriel
Daltery
Elvis
Joplin
David Lee Roth

[Calvin]

A few if my favorites (most already listed above):

Daltrey
Gabriel
Sting (with the Police)
Jimi
Bono
Freddie

:Coolio:

[Fulcrum]

I gauge a frontman or woman by how difficult it is to pry your eyes off of him or her when they're doing their thing-- and that is more than just looking pretty behind the mic. It starts with charisma.

Annie Lennox
Steven Tyler
Michael Hutchence
Peter Garrett
David Bowie
Mick Jagger
Geoff Tate

for starters.

[Calvin]

Can't believe I didn't list Bowie. Shoot me now.

[emtou2u]

Based on Fulcum's criteria:

Mick (anytime)
Steven Tyler (i'd say now more than earlier - especially when he pulls out the harmonica)
Robert Plant (Led Zepp earlier years)
Axl Rose (early earlier years - really - earlier years)
Roger Daltrey
Jimi Hendrix

[jerryskid]

Saw Plant work the house several times....he's a master...
Mick Jagger...hardest working man in rock......
Jerry Garcia.....(just kidding)

[rockdart]

Paul Stanley
Marylin Manson
Corey Taylor

And one guy... I can't stand his voice, can't stand the music. But Steve Summers from Pretty Boy Floyd. I saw him take a hostile crowd and turn it completely around inside of 5 minutes. It impressed the hell out of me.

And as much as I hate to admit it, Brett Michaels.

There have been quite a few that never made it out of obscurity, but as frontmen they were really good.

[J.G.]

I always thought that Animal should have been infront.

ENERGY.

; J

[E. Shaun]

Though not of the same calibre of the "greats" above, Billy Corgan used to do a great job of commanding the audience. He would do the whole "angst" act...but then you would always see a smirk on his face, letting the audience know that he KNEW it was just an act...part and parcel of being a frontman.

There's this great video clip on Vieuphoria before Smashing Pumpkins made it big in Germany. The audience was clearly in a surly mood, throwing beer cups at the band. After a moment, Corgan deadpans, "Stoppen ze throwing ze cuppens..." followed by an understated, "Danke" from James Iha. No cups were thrown after that. ;)

[CurtZHP]

Bon Scott

[gabby garcia]

a whole bunch of those listed above as well as:

Springsteen
Joey Ramone
Dave Grohl
Eddie Veder
Elvis (Costello and Presley)
Debbie Harry

that I can think of right now...

[Palewailer]

James Brown
Otis Redding
Jackie Wilson

[mixervixen]

We've seen Tom Petty as he's come through the last couple of years and it's always first rate.

[otek]

I gauge a frontman or woman by how difficult it is to pry your eyes off of him or her when they're doing their thing-- and that is more than just looking pretty behind the mic. It starts with charisma.

Annie Lennox
Steven Tyler
Michael Hutchence
Peter Garrett
David Bowie
Mick Jagger
Geoff Tate

for starters.


And here I was thinking you'd include Ian Anderson... :Roll eyes:

...though you did say "for starters". :D

[E. Shaun]

And here I was thinking you'd include Ian Anderson... :Roll eyes:


Good call, Otek.

Nothing like a peg-legged, long-bearded flautist to captivate the audience.

[MudCat]

And here I was thinking you'd include Ian Anderson... :Roll eyes:




So help me, I was just about to post him......an aMAZing showman...kind of a medieval madman with a flute.....incredibly theatrical.

[Smileyblue]

Peter Garrett
Michael Hutchins
Mick Jagger
Brandon Boyd (I love a man who can play dijaridoo)
Alice Cooper
Bowie
Annie Lennox
Madonna (Can't sing but puts on a good show)
Freddie Mercury
Marilyn Manson

[otek]

And how about a couple of great frontwomen?

Nina Hagen
Tori Amos
Tina Turner
Stevie Nicks
Kate Bush

[Brendo]

There's this great video clip on Vieuphoria before Smashing Pumpkins made it big in Germany. The audience was clearly in a surly mood, throwing beer cups at the band. After a moment, Corgan deadpans, "Stoppen ze throwing ze cuppens..." followed by an understated, "Danke" from James Iha. No cups were thrown after that. ;)

Geek USA, Munich, 1993!

I love how he throws the cups back.

There's another version of this song, on the Greatest Hits DVD, where they play with a horde of clowns onstage... "They say you are the company you keep..."

Also, they've been known to play in dresses... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9HnAK1zGjk)

[Fulcrum]

And here I was thinking you'd include Ian Anderson... :Roll eyes:

...though you did say "for starters". :D


Yeah, I covered my ass there, didn't I. Anderson would eventually have occurred to me, I assure you.

Also on the quasi-prog tip, Phil Collins was not half bad fronting Genesis in the late 70s and early 80s, until he found his solo career and became insufferable.

[Tim Halligan]

Eddie Veder



You obviously didn't see the show I saw...


"Dull as dishwater" would accurately describe him. He's obviously had a charisma bypass.


I also saw the DVD release they did (Touring Band?) and he was still almost entirely charisma-free.

He's more of an "anti-frontman" in my humble estimation.


Fulcrum has nailed the definition perfectly:


I gauge a frontman or woman by how difficult it is to pry your eyes off of him or her when they're doing their thing-- and that is more than just looking pretty behind the mic. It starts with charisma.


With the Pearl Jam show I saw, I found myself looking anywhere but at the frontman.


I will add one more name on the positive side:

Tex Perkins.


Cheers,
Tim

[Johnny]

Mr. Robin Zander.
Mr. Robert Palmer.
Both those guys have (had) a lot of class and confidence.

Trent Reznor.

Gary Cherone.

[Mixerman]

Morris Albert

No one can touch him as a front man.

Not Mick. Not the Boss. Not Jim Morrison. Not Bono. Not Bowie. Not David Byrne. Not Freddie Mercury. Not Jimi Hendrrix. Not David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltry, Ozzy Osborne, Steven Tyler, Elvis Presly, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Todd Rundgren, Peter Gabriel, Prince, Elton John, nor for that matter, Mark Mothersbaugh.

No one!

Mixerman

[malice]

Morris Albert

No one can touch him as a front man.

Not Mick. Not the Boss. Not Jim Morrison. Not Bono. Not Bowie. Not David Byrne. Not Freddie Mercury. Not Jimi Hendrrix. Not David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltry, Ozzy Osborne, Steven Tyler, Elvis Presly, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Todd Rundgren, Peter Gabriel, Prince, Elton John, nor for that matter, Mark Mothersbaugh.

No one!

Mixerman

Oh, Yeah,

that guy ...

The one that stole his big hit song from Loulou ...

malice

[Grapestomper]

Morris Albert

hehehe... Had to Google that one.


(I'm proud to say)

[malice]

hehehe... Had to Google that one.


(I'm proud to say)

Nobody in France forgets about a bad thief

malice

[Grapestomper]

Nobody in France forgets about a bad thief

malice

You guys get your "feelings" hurt?




Back on Mixerman's post: it was to my great discredit that I also had to google Mark Mothersbaugh.

[Buzzgrowl]

Iggy Pop
Angelo Moore
Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson

[magicchord]

Liberace...

[blackieC]

Just a few comments.

Magicchord, been hanging out with Kenny lately?

Grapestomper, you had to Google Mothersbaugh? For shame, for shame.

Mixerman, whatever the fuck you're smoking please save me some.








Okay, I realize that it was a joke but the fact that you know that is just, well, it's kinda creepy man.
:lol:

[Mixerman]

Grapestomper, you had to Google Mothersbaugh? For shame, for shame.

Well, they kind of all sang, so none of them had any exceptional fame as individuals.

Okay, so without looking, who produced their first album?

And if that one's too easy, who was GOING to produce their first album?

If you looked, you're not allowed to post the answer. If you didn't look, you're allowed to post a guess.

Enjoy,

Mixerman

[Grapestomper]

Wow.

I looked, so I won't say anything, except...

Wow: I didn't know that.

M

[Senap]

Bon Scott

Ditto.

[Scratchy Potts]

Paul Rodgers
Roger Chapman
Sting
Hendrix
Ian Anderson........:Thumbsup:

[Calvin]

Well, they kind of all sang, so none of them had any exceptional fame as individuals.

Okay, so without looking, who produced their first album?

And if that one's too easy, who was GOING to produce their first album?

If you looked, you're not allowed to post the answer. If you didn't look, you're allowed to post a guess.

Enjoy,

Mixerman

Sheesh, the stuff I don't know. Obviously, I had to look it up, so I won't divulge anything.

[Bryson]

David Bowie

James Brown

Jimi

Tom jones

Freddie

Jagger

Lennon

Daltrey

Plant

Fee

Beck

Elvis

DLR

[Johnny]

I didn't realize Devo was formed in 1970.:icon_eek:

[TSTW]

who was GOING to produce their first album?

If you looked, you're not allowed to post the answer. If you didn't look, you're allowed to post a guess.

Enjoy,

Mixerman

Okay, ive found out who produced the 1st album but i cant seem to find who was going to produce it. May someone post a link or pm who it was?

Tar muchly

TSTW

[TSTW]

Morris Albert

No one can touch him as a front man.

Not Mick. Not the Boss. Not Jim Morrison. Not Bono. Not Bowie. Not David Byrne. Not Freddie Mercury. Not Jimi Hendrrix. Not David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltry, Ozzy Osborne, Steven Tyler, Elvis Presly, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Todd Rundgren, Peter Gabriel, Prince, Elton John, nor for that matter, Mark Mothersbaugh.

No one!

Mixerman


Michael Jackson?!

Hell of an entertainer!!

[Mixerman]

Devo's big break came in 1976 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_in_music) when their short film The Truth About De-Evolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truth_About_De-Evolution) won a prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Arbor_Film_Festival); it was then seen by David Bowie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie) and Iggy Pop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop), who championed them and enabled Devo to secure a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Brothers_Records). By this time Alan Myers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Myers) had replaced Jim Mothersbaugh as drummer. After Bowie backed out due to previous commitments, their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question:_Are_We_Not_Men%3F_Answer:_We_Are_Devo%21 ) was produced by Brian Eno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Eno) and featured a radical cover (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version) of the Rolling Stones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones)' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%28I_Can%27t_Get_No%29_Satisfaction)" and the controversially titled "Mongoloid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoloid_%28song%29)".

If it's on the internet, it must be true.

Mixerman

[Mixerpuppet]

Paul Stanley
Marylin Manson
Corey Taylor

And one guy... I can't stand his voice, can't stand the music. But Steve Summers from Pretty Boy Floyd. I saw him take a hostile crowd and turn it completely around inside of 5 minutes. It impressed the hell out of me.

And as much as I hate to admit it, Brett Michaels.

There have been quite a few that never made it out of obscurity, but as frontmen they were really good.




What... No Ozzy!???


No DLR?


No Blackie Lawless?


NO DONNIE OSMOND!!!!


I''ll second Paul Stanly and Corey Taylor but I don't have the experience of a Marylin Manson show to second it...

I guess genre plays a good part of this thread because I remember being impressed by Bob Dylan as a front man...

And Zappa....

[62Jazzbass]

I think you gotta add Prince.

[FajitaTone]

Iggy Pop, cuz he's my neighbor.... :very happy:

[Grapestomper]

Shayne MacGowan.


Such an ugly, drunken trainwreck that you couldn't look away.


Beautiful voice (ocasionally)
M

[volthause]

GG Allin.

[Anduin]

John Belushi.

http://www.maximumeyewear.com/productfolder/celebrity-sunglasses/musicians-sunglasses-men/john-belushi-sunglasses/blues-brothers-sunglasses.jpg