Steven Hale
2 min readAug 3, 2019

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What a great list. When you have 100 superstars like this, the ranking is almost moot.

Nice to see Lou Reed on the list — imo, he’s underrated as a rock vocalist (as well as guitarist). Not sure why Cale isn’t included; he’s become legendary if only for his cover of “Hallelujah.”

I realize “legendary” means you can’t consider some of the lesser-known vocalists. Here are a few suggestions to consider if you ever publish a list of the need-to-be-more-famous (I’m sure you know these performers, but I’m including links for the uninitiated):

Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Hatfield and the North, Camel): even more British than Bowie or Davies, in a languid, “I’m so broken that I have to pretend I don’t care” style (e.g. “It Didn’t Matter Anyway”; bonus: world’s greatest flute solo on a rock album, courtesy of Jimmy Hastings). If Noel Coward were a rock vocalist, he’d be Richard Sinclair.

Vivian Stanshall (Bonzo Dog Band). Even more British than Richard Sinclair, oozing with irony, as in “Canyons of Your Mind” or the supremely smarmy “Straight from My Heart.”

Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine, Matching Mole). Wyatt used to vocalize Charlie Parker solos in his early days; of all vocalists, Wyatt is the one who most uses his voice as an instrument, as on “Calyx”. “Signed Curtain” and “At Last I Am Free” exemplify his artistry and break your heart at the same time. But every Wyatt vocal is a masterpiece.

Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine; Kevin Ayers and the Whole World). If Richard Sinclair is languid in order to conceal his despair, Ayers used a relaxed vocal style to celebrate the joy of living simply, as on “Red Green and You Blue” (bonus: world’s greatest soprano saxophone solo on a rock album — an ode to joy by Lol Coxhill).

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Steven Hale
Steven Hale

Written by Steven Hale

Music: Discovering the lost and forgotten. Politics: Exposing injustice. Screenwriting: Emotional storytelling.

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