SOUND OFF
Welcome to The Voice Connection Sound Off; a forum for users of books like Raise Your Voice, Melody to Madness, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, and Unleash Your Creative Mindset, as well as a place for Vendera Vocal Academy members to interact.
This message board was created so that singers could come together and "sound off" to help support each other during vocal development and the creative process of unleashing the creative spark that occurs when writing and producing music. Currently, myself and vocal coaches Ben Valen, Ray West, and Ryan Wall are here to respond periodicially to your questions, with new vocal coaches coming soon. But, feel free to help each other too:)
This board is here for you to ask questions about my and my fellow coach's books, videos, and MP3 programs, as well as offer others help with our vocal techniques. You may also post videos of yourself and your band to share your music and ask for critiques.
Please refrain from negative comments, profanities, spamming, and inappropriate criticisms of vocal methodologies, vocal coaches, and singers. All negative posts will be deleted and subject to banning without question. I will not respond to negative posts, because, as Mark Twain once said, “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” With that said, positive criticism is welcome because that is how you'll grow as a singer during the training process.
This question is for anyone and everyone. Who are the top 5 singers of all time within the genres of hard rock/pop rock/heavy metal/hair metal?
This is not necessarily for the most impressive range or the best screamers or best growlers, but this is overall voice - range, power, melody, diversity, hard stuff and ballads.
I would have to put Matijevic at the top, even ahead of Plant. Even though Matijevic was obviously influenced by Plant, Mike is just a better singer. Gillette wouldn't make my list, even though he has the best range - because his voice tone doesn't appeal to me much, and his voice sounds a little strange once in a while. Although, some might say that makes him the best!
I guess my list would go as follows:
1. Miljenko/Mili/Mike/Michael/Mickey Matijevic/Steele - of Steelheart. Range, emotion, power, melody, and diversity. The bestest.
2. Eric Adams - of Manowar. Great screamer, also sings melodic stuff very well. Great at adding the gravelly/16th century English King vibe to his voice. Also holds notes forever on their live CD's.
3. Robert Plant - of Led Zeppelin. There would probably have been no Steelheart or Kingdom Come or Great White or Slaughter or Whitesnake - probably no 80's hair band scene at all without Plant and Led Zeppelin. I'm not a huge fan of them but he is definitely one of the originators of the high pitched male rock singing.
4. Rob Halford - of Judas Priest. Obviously, the greatest metal screamer of all time, with Adams probably sitting a distant second. Not crazy about Halford's lower range style - it's kind of plain. (I actually prefer Ripper's low range, rough style.) But Halford definitely pushed the human voice to unprecedented limits before anyone else did.
5. (Tie)Geoff Tate - of Queensryche. Doesn't add too much gravel to his voice, but his notes seem to have good resonance and float throughout the stratosphere almost effortlessly. He also seems to have a better low-end range than most of the great hard rock/metal singers.
5. Also - Freddy Mercury. Not a huge Queen fan but his voice speaks (or spoke) for itself. Awesome diversity.
Obvisouly, there are tons of guys who deserve honorable mention - Ripper Owens, Jim Gillette, Steve Perry, Bruce Dickinson, Dio, Michael Kiske, Mark Slaughter, Steven Tyler, Sebastian Bach, and the guy with the best lyrical messages - Michael Sweet of Stryper. 
I'm sure there are many other deserving singers I forgot...
Right on Jaime, George Michael is an amazing singer, he's incredibly underrated. Most people remember what he does in public restrooms more than what he does with his voice.
