Iconic '70s Singer Voted 'Most Unique Voice' in Rock History
- - Iconic '70s Singer Voted 'Most Unique Voice' in Rock History
Jacqueline Burt CoteJanuary 8, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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While rock history is filled with outstanding and unforgettable singers, what sets one apart from another isn't necessarily technical skill. (After all, some of the most beloved vocalists of all time probably wouldn't have made it very far on American Idol.) So which chart-topping rock singer is considered to have the most distinctive sound of all?
That's what Rolling Stone tried to figure out with a 2012 readers' poll which asked the question: Which singer has the most unique voice?
As far as readers were concerned, the top 10 most unique singers in rock history included some fairly unsurprising picks, from a range of decades and styles of music. Coming in at #10, for example, was Geddy Lee of Rush, whose super high vocals are certainly one-of-a-kind, to say the least. Taking the #9 spot was another unconventional singer: Neil Young, whose vocals have spawned plenty of parodies (but remain unparalleled).
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David Bowie, whose style of singing has inspired countless imitations over the years, was listed at #8, while the incomparable Janis Joplin came in at #7 (the only woman on the list).
When it comes to "unique" singers, Axl Rose most likely comes to the minds of many fans, which is why he was ranked at #6; ditto for Eddie Vedder at #5, whose warbled vocals with Pearl Jam influenced many lead singers who came later. Even more influential — not that anybody has ever been able to sing like him — was Freddie Mercury, coming in at #4.
Rock's "Golden God" himself, Robert Plant, came in at #3 (and with good reason — while many have tried to copy his style in the years since Led Zeppelin first exploded, no one has really succeeded). Speaking of impossible to replicate, the gruff vocals of genius singer-songwriter Tom Waits landed him the #2 spot.
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So which legendary singer was voted as having the most unique voice of all time? Bob Dylan, of course. As the Rolling Stone article noted, "Before Dylan hit the scene in the early Sixties, great singers had to have traditional voices. People like Frank Sinatra had hits, and people with voices like Dylan wrote the songs and stayed behind the scenes. Dylan changed all that, ushering in the singer-songwriter era."
While there are, naturally, plenty of unique singers who weren't included on this list, those who did most certainly deserved the votes.
Related: This '80s Icon Voted 'Favorite Rock Singer of All Time'
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
