Greatest singer of alltime??

You know there's nothing I love more than a good top 10 list---so a top 100 really gets me going.
Especially when its something as subjective as who the greatest singer of alltime is. I mean, are we talking strictly about who has the best voice? It leaves things very open to interpretation.
Let's take a look at the top 10 to get things going, as tabulated by Rolling Stone magazine:
1) Aretha Franklin--amazing set of pipes, even if she is as big as a house.
2) Ray Charles
3) Elvis Presley
4) Sam Cooke
5) John Lennon--I've always thought of Lennon as more of a writer than a singer personally.
6) Marvin Gaye
7) Bob Dylan--again, I think of him more as a writer. And man do I hate his voice.
8) Otis Redding
9) Stevie Wonder
10) James Brown

I would say at first glance that probably the only complaints I would have regarding the list at first glance is that Lennon & Dylan don't belong in the top 10, and Elvis should have been #2.
I'm not sure Wonder belongs quite this high either.


Now let's take a look at the remaining members of the top 20.
11) Paul McCartney--probably more of a singer than Lennon (certainly more successful and prolific), but is probably too high here.
12) Little Richard
13) Roy Orbison
14) Al Green
15) Robert Plant--I have to believe that Plant needs to be higher.
16) Mick Jagger
17) Tina Turner
18) Freddie Mercury--definitely should be rated higher.
19) Bob Marley
20) Smokey Robinson

Seems like there are a few here that are rated high because of their abilities as "performers" more than as "singers". I think Little Richard, Jagger & Turner are tremendous as performers, but I'm not sure strictly as singers they should be that highly rated---which of course does not mean that I don't think they are great singers. Remember, the list is entirely subjective.

For the remainder of the list....go to:The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time : Rolling Stone

So who's your choice?

Later,
Jeff