It is a question as old as the genre itself. Who is the greatest rock singer of all time? This week, one show stepped up to try and boldly answer that unanswerable and nuanced question. The Always Sunny podcast got into a heated debate over the topic, with the It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia castmates Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney each presenting passionate cases for their favourite rock singer of all time.
The debate kicked off when McElhenney posited that Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has "one of the top five voices in the history of rock 'n' roll", that statement was faced with significant protest from Day and Howertown, leading to the type of deeply emotional, frequently flawed and unintentionally comedic argument that the medium of podcasting was invented for. There is also discussion of what constitutes 'rock', with Day arguing for James Brown and Aretha Franklin as rock singers.
Voices given the nod by the castmates during the chat include Rose of whom who McElhenney says "He rocks, he’s loud, he’s consistent. But when you hear his voice, you know it’s him – it’s distinct", Hearts' Ann Wilson who Howerton definitively states is "the most incredible rock vocalist of all time, personally, and Mike Patton.
The Patton shoutout stirs some deep debate with the Faith No More, Tomahawk and Mr. Bungle vocalist the subject of a spirited defence from Howerton who is wearing a Tomahawk shirt while the chat takes place. Speaking of Patton, Howerton states “In rock circles, he is widely considered to be one of, probably the top three greatest rock vocalists of all time, easily. And by many, No. 1 hands down, hands down."
An argument between McElhenny and Howerton about whether Ann Wilson or Axl Rose is the superior singer ensues with Day making some trademark comical quips in-between cases and also interjecting with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler as a candidate.
Watch the full debate below.
For more discussion of some of the rock and metal world's most brilliant voices, check out our articles on the fiercest femme voices, and the overall greatest rock/metal voices. The latter list features Patton alongside other titans including Chester Bennington, Amy Lee, Maynard James Keenan and Chino Moreno.
Bennington's voice can be heard in all its glory on the epic 20th-anniversary edition of their game-changing second album Meteora. Released in various configurations, including a Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Set, Deluxe Vinyl Box Set, Deluxe 3-CD, and Digital Download, all of which are available to purchase via Maniacs now, Meteora|20 is a Linkin Park fan's dream.
Buy Meteora|20 now.
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