Best frontman in rock history?
Best frontman in rock history? 20 votes
4 votes
1 vote
1 vote
11 votes
1 vote
2 votes
Comments
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Mr Mojo Risin
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David Lee Roth
Everyone here knows Phil is my guy but DLR saved Van Halen from becoming a weirdo prog rock band
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Write-In
It's Jimi Hendrix and not particularly close.
Vocals...check
Guitar...check
Songwriter...check
Ultimate showman...check
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Mick Jagger
A REAL front man doesn't play an instrument other than harmonica or occasional tambourine, so @DerekJohnson fucked this all up but a lot lot the correct choices are here with Bon Scott and Daltry being glaring omission's.
It's Mick and it's not really close. Jagger invented the entire concept of rock front man and ripped off James Brown better than anyone.
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Write-In
I reject your qualifications. That's just a way to manipulate the rules so that someone like Plant, Jagger, or Daltry can win.
I will now bow out of this discussion in protest…
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Yellowsnow has this right… the frontman is kind of a combo of singing and the main point of crowd rapport.
Then there is the sideman…. was reading about John Lee Hooker's days touring the segregated south. He's only take one other musician to play backup, who also drove, fixed the car in event of breakdown, handled the hotels, got the girls for after the show, etc. The sideman had many roles. They'd pick up local musicians for drums, bass, etc.
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Write-In
Dave Grohl
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Mick Jagger
The rules are what they are, chief. I didn’t write them - Jagger did.
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Mick Jagger
I will posit that that John Lennon should not be in the conversation…with ALL due respect, he was part of a 2 headed monster. And for those doubting Jagger, give the kid a break! He’s only been at it for 62 years, fer chrissakes. He’ll get better…
Honorable mention:
Alice Cooper
Peter Wolf
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Mick Jagger
It was a toss up for me between Jagger and DLR. Jagger won because he kept his band together.
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John Lennon
Lennon. Best voice and songwriter of anyone on the list.
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Mick Jagger
Curious to hear the bored’s opinion on Bono. Came after Mick obviously but fits the bill in many ways.
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James Hetfield not on the list? Lame.
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David Lee Roth
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Write-In
He played a guitar = disqualified. We're only considering guys who exclusively sing, prance and pose effeminately while stuffing socks in their pants.
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David Lee Roth
At Hardcore Husky we call that a typical Tuesday
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Get Lennon of the list then. Guitar player. Give me Sabastian Bach for 2 albums.
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Also, David Coverdale as a write in. He was early money plowing Tawny Kitaen before she looked like the cat woman.
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David Lee Roth
Get yourself a fucking Union Jack avatar you savage
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Mick Jagger
Dude plays a guitar on stage, ergo, not a "front man" . I thought you Limey's knew about rock music. Christ.
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Tom Hanks plowed Tawney first
Bachelor Party
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Mick Jagger
I think I'd probably have Jim on my Mt Rushmore of rock front men…
Mick Jagger
Diamond Dave
Lizard King
The 4th spot gets really messy me
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Mick Jagger
Mine would be
Jagger…he ripped of JB’s act and made it his own, famously
Daltrey…I saw him sing Won’t Get Fooled Again, live, when he could still sing it…nuff said
Rod…with Faces / early solo, not so much in his “Tony Bennett” phase
Iggy Pop…truly original
I think Springsteen and Ronnie Van Zant merit mention, even tho the Boss plays an instrument
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Write-In
How about David Byrne? I guess he picked up a guitar for some songs though.
How about Ann Wilson or is there going to be a front woman pole too?
Ann Wilson
Deborah Harry
Janice Joplin
Chrissy Hines
Courtney Love. <faggy wink>
Who else?
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I am not a Brit lol. I doubt there are many Brits that love UW football. I live here now.
James Hetfield might be the best frontman that ever did it. He IS the front of Metallica - which is arguably the biggest band "since" the Beatles for multiple generations. Do you have a pic of Zappa? He sued my Uncle once. Fucking poser.
You could also through Brian Johnson and Bon Scott from ACDC if playing guitar hurts you, but then they split it.
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Mick Jagger
I figured as much, but you're still a Limey for our purposes her.
I'm a Stones guys first and foremost, but Zeppelin is the probably the biggest post Beatles break-up band of all time. Metallica can lay claim the the 80s and 90s.
Hetfield is the "front" of Metallica but being a lead singer/songwriter are not the same thing necessarily. For example, Pete Townshend is clearly the the driving creative force of The Who, but he's not the "front man". Daltrey is. Same was true for Van Halen who went through numerous "front men".
Bon Scott is in the Mt Rushmore conversation. Brian Johnson was only there for a year or two of peak AC DC.
Yes, Zappa is the avatar. "Watch out where the Huskies go and don't you eat that Yellow Snow".
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John Lennon
The definition of a frontman is the lead singer. Hetfield is the lead singer of Metallica, so I think he qualifies. Whether or not they also play guitar doesn't factor into the definition.
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Mick Jagger
Disagree.
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Freddie Mercury
Little sad no one mentioned the best cartoon front man, Dr. Rockso (a funny little parody of David Lee Roth).
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Mick Jagger
The definition of "Frontman" is Lead Singer…is a drummer who is the primary lead singer a frontman? Phil Collins? Don Henley? Peter Rivera (Rare Earth)?
Also, there are many bands, historically speaking, that had legit multiple lead singers…
Beatles (3); Eagles (4); Byrds (2); Pink Floyd (2); Fleetwood Mac (3); Little Feat (3); Jefferson Airplane (4); The Band (4); The Monkees (3); Doobies (3-4); The Clash (2); CSNY. Hell, The Beach Boys had 5.
For me, it is all about body language, basically saying "I'm the one in charge here" even if the aren't autonomous within the group, and between song banter with the crowd…Jagger; Daltrey; Stewart; Bon; DLR; Axl. I am more partial to a true frontman not playing an instrument (tambourine / maracas excepted).
There has to be some flair, some drama, some diva in there to be a true frontman, IMO…
