Good list , though it never occurred to me to do a ‘best British’ list (which it would be for me).
If I did, favourites would have to include Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison (Northern Ireland being British by current boundaries), Greg Lake and Robert Plant.
I believe you left the “Boss” off your list. I’m a Jersey girl and I saw him perform at the shore in a small smokey bar at the very beginning of his career.
Donovan. I must have listened to that album a hundred times. Might as Well Catch the Wind and Atlantis are still embedded in my soul.
David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust
Robert Plant
Whom I’m going to see this weekend!
Billy Joel who has performed a hundred times at Madison Square Garden a man who cannot be stopped.
Spot on, Jim!! You could add every Roy Orbison male backing voice list and all of your “also placed” list and still there would be others - but your top ten, really is…
I think I started with a list of 35 (forgot to mention Smokey Robinson. Must have had a brain fart). But if I had to choose a Mount Rushmore, it would be Elvis, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Roy Orbison).
Can’t argue with your fine list! I’d love to know what else Brad Delp did other than sing with Boston. I’ll have to look into that.
I’ll need some time to figure out who would make my list, but there would be definite overlap. Especially Jeff Buckley, who I was lucky enough to see perform live right after the Grace album came out.
I wrote about that show a year and a half ago, which you can check out here:
I don't believe Delp sang with anybody else, and I'm just going by memory. I'd like to look him up, too. I seem to remember he had an early death. Through it all, his legacy would, then, seem to be, The Voice of Boston...not altogether a burden to have as your legacy. Now, I'LL go look!
Well, he did some small stuff, but, dang...I hadn't remembered what a sad and unfortunate ending he had, especially as it seems to have tied back, at least a bit, to his Boston days.
I was a diehard Jeff Buckley fan for many years, and suppose still am though I've gravitated away from the Grace material, but over time I've come to think Tim Buckley was the greater artist despite dying even younger.
Tim Buckley was more from my time period, but honestly he was more of a blip on my musical radar back then. I'll admit I was a late-comer in appreciating several great artists. Warren Zevon, Toy Caldwell and John Prine come to mind.
Part of the issue with Tim Buckley is that much of his best work was live and only released posthumously (apparently he was starting to organize a live compilation at the time of his death). Highest recommendation for his Peel Sessions (released on a record called Once I Was) and Dream Letter: Live in London.
Good list , though it never occurred to me to do a ‘best British’ list (which it would be for me).
If I did, favourites would have to include Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison (Northern Ireland being British by current boundaries), Greg Lake and Robert Plant.
Hmmm, nay be showing my age here…
Freddie Mercury, Paul Rodgers, Rod Stewart, Steve Winwood, Lennon/McCartney, Gary Brooker, David Gilmour?
But yeah, Van the Man.
Freddie might just be the GOAT, but debatably British.
The one I think I really missed is Bowie.
How about all of the U.K. Then you'd have to at Tom Jones, right?
I believe you left the “Boss” off your list. I’m a Jersey girl and I saw him perform at the shore in a small smokey bar at the very beginning of his career.
Donovan. I must have listened to that album a hundred times. Might as Well Catch the Wind and Atlantis are still embedded in my soul.
David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust
Robert Plant
Whom I’m going to see this weekend!
Billy Joel who has performed a hundred times at Madison Square Garden a man who cannot be stopped.
Great list, Jim! Agree with most.
My Faves:
American - Steven Tyler.
British - Freddie Mercury.
Canadian - Burton Cummings.✌️
Spot on, Jim!! You could add every Roy Orbison male backing voice list and all of your “also placed” list and still there would be others - but your top ten, really is…
I think I started with a list of 35 (forgot to mention Smokey Robinson. Must have had a brain fart). But if I had to choose a Mount Rushmore, it would be Elvis, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Roy Orbison).
Can’t argue with your fine list! I’d love to know what else Brad Delp did other than sing with Boston. I’ll have to look into that.
I’ll need some time to figure out who would make my list, but there would be definite overlap. Especially Jeff Buckley, who I was lucky enough to see perform live right after the Grace album came out.
I wrote about that show a year and a half ago, which you can check out here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/earworm/p/jeff-buckley-new-years-prayer?r=1046qe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I don't believe Delp sang with anybody else, and I'm just going by memory. I'd like to look him up, too. I seem to remember he had an early death. Through it all, his legacy would, then, seem to be, The Voice of Boston...not altogether a burden to have as your legacy. Now, I'LL go look!
Well, he did some small stuff, but, dang...I hadn't remembered what a sad and unfortunate ending he had, especially as it seems to have tied back, at least a bit, to his Boston days.
Cool. Thanks Steve.
LOVE RAY CHARLES! I literally have all his recordings!
On my Mount Rushmore of American music.
Cool!
I was a diehard Jeff Buckley fan for many years, and suppose still am though I've gravitated away from the Grace material, but over time I've come to think Tim Buckley was the greater artist despite dying even younger.
Tim Buckley was more from my time period, but honestly he was more of a blip on my musical radar back then. I'll admit I was a late-comer in appreciating several great artists. Warren Zevon, Toy Caldwell and John Prine come to mind.
Part of the issue with Tim Buckley is that much of his best work was live and only released posthumously (apparently he was starting to organize a live compilation at the time of his death). Highest recommendation for his Peel Sessions (released on a record called Once I Was) and Dream Letter: Live in London.
Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into it sometime over the next few days.
HARRY NILSSON hands down
"You're breakin' my heart, you're tearin' it apart ... so fuck you!"
Best opening line ever.
Great list. Don't think I saw Harry Nilsson mentioned in the article or comments.
Songs like…
https://youtu.be/8dnUv3DUP4E?feature=shared