Top Ten Clean Metal Vocalists
There has been a lot of top metal vocalists list on this site, but this list is purely the singers that only do clean vocals, so no Michael Akerfeldt or Corey Taylor. Who are the best clean metal vocalists (range, emotion, versatility)?
Paul Bruce Dickinson, known professionally as Bruce Dickinson, (born 7 August 1958) is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He is most well known for being the lead singer in heavy metal band Iron Maiden and his solo career.Outside his career in music, Dickinson has pursued a number of other activities. He undertook a career as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines, which led to a number of media-reported ventures such as captaining Iron Maiden's converted charter aeroplane, Ed Force One, during their world tours. Following Astraeus' closure, he created his own aircraft maintenance and pilot training company, Cardiff Aviation, in 2012. Dickinson presented his own radio show ...read more. He's got clean vocals and a good vocal range. He is versatile to many of the songs themes and he can go really high and low. Perfect choice for number 1.
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an American heavy metal singer, songwriter and musician. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture ...read more.
Hansi Kürsch, born Hans Jürgen Kürsch, is the lead singer, lyricist, co-composer and bassist for German power metal band Blind Guardian . Heavily influenced by Freddie Mercury, he creates a huge choir effect by overdubbing his own voice multiple times in complex, overlapping vocal harmonies. He records each vocal track individually because harmonizers and "perfect pitch" programs don't work with his voice due to distortion and the natural double layer effects his vocal cords have .His early technique made use of a more aggressive and harsher, "screaming" technique . ...read more.
Taking everything into account, he's my #1. The most emotional and the most versatile metal singer for me (stylistic, technical and tonal versatility). Hansi and Dio have the same ranges, that are a bit bigger than Kiske's and Dickinson's. Hansi voice is also very powerful and can sound both very dark and very angelic. His vocal cords have natural double layer effects. His vocal technique improved significantly over time.
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest and famed for his powerful wide ranging operatic voice. The widest range on this list - over 4 octaves. I think everybody knows his vocal skills and I don't need to say more.
Thanks metal_treasure I forgot to add him, just noticed he was missing from your remix
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the former lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Vocal technique of Michael Kiske and Geoff Tate is almost with no weak spots - i.e. their breath support, runs, volume control, switching, etc.
Russell Allen is a singer and lyricist best known as the vocalist of American progressive metal band Symphony X. What is there to say about Russell Allen from his amazing vocals in the band Symphony X to his concept project with Jorn Lande and his guest work with Avantasia he hasn't disappointed and still has a voice as powerful in his work on the 2015 album Underworld
Floor Jansen is a Dutch singer-songwriter and vocal coach. She is currently vocalist of Nightwish and leader of Revamp.
John Nicholas Oliva, known as Jon Oliva, is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Co-founder of the metal band Savatage and the rock opera Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He's got a real 4 octave range, able to morph the sound of his voice to any style, from John Lennon and Freddie Mercury, and clean to Joe Cocker-raspy. Range - 4 octaves, which is more than Dio, Kiske, Dickinson, Sammet...
Emotion - 10/10. Versatility - 9.5/10. His voice is also very powerful.
Tobias Sammet is a German metal musician, best known as the vocalist and primary songwriter of the power metal band Edguy, as well as the founder, main singer and bassist of the metal opera Avantasia. One of the metal voices I am addicted to. A beautiful and effortless tenor with excellent vocal technique. Remarkable sustain and controlled screams. His voice often reminds me of Bruce Dickinson and Michael Kiske. Just give a listen to the intro of 'Nailed to the Wheel', and 'Sacrifice', 5:00-6:05 (both by Edguy).
Ian Gillan is an English singer and songwriter. He originally found success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple, and the original singer on the rock opera concept album Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber, where Gillan had the leading role (Jesus Christ). One of the most underrated metal singers. His singing style shaped the clean vocal style in metal: wide range (4 octaves), legendary screams, powerful voice, operatic style. He was Bruce Dickinson's vocal idol. Then Bruce influenced almost everyone with clean vocals. Hansi Kürsch also said Gillan was his fave metal singer and biggest influence.
Roy Sætre Khantatat, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. Commonly known as Roy Khan or simply Khan, he was the lead vocalist for the symphonic power metal band Kamelot from 1997 to his departure in 2011. He co-wrote most of Kamelot's songs with the band's guitarist and founder Thomas Youngblood during his tenure. One of the more unique voices in metal and the amount of effort he had put into his performances and studio time to portray every song to its true form really shows, doesn't try to show off with his vocals with over the top notes like some singers.
A very operatic voice, with lows and high notes, from head voices up to powerful chest voice and amazing lyricist.
He's the reason why I got in to metal
Geoff Tate is a German-born American singer and musician who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. His vocal technique was almost perfect in his prime and he should be in the top 10.
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli (born August 17, 1977), generally known as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a Finnish singer-songwriter. She is a soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves. ...read more.
Amy Lynn Hartzler, known professionally as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter, classically trained pianist and composer. She is also the lead singer to the Arkansas band Evanescence. Not a metal vocalist.
Jørn Lande is a Norwegian metal and hard rock singer known for his solo career as Jorn, and providing vocals for Avantasia, Masterplan, Ark, Beyond Twilight, Millenium, Allen/Lande, Mundanus Imperium, Vagabond, The Snakes, Ayreon.
Daniel Heiman (born June 11, 1974) is a Swedish power metal singer. He is most famous for his time in Lost Horizon. After leaving Lost Horizon, he recorded an album with the band Crystal Eyes, and later founded the band Heed. Try this: Lost Horizon - Highlander.
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was born on December 3, 1948. He is also known as ''The Prince of Darkness''. Ozzy is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the band Black Sabbath. Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and has since had a successful solo career, releasing 11 studio albums. Added him on for completeness, since he contributed a lot to the metal scene. he has descent vocals but there are so many better metal vocalists out there
Matthew 'Matt' Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He was the lead singer for Iced Earth in the 1990s and 2000s. He is currently the lead singer for Ashes of Ares. After the September 11 terrorist attacks Matt Barlow decided to become a police officer and contribute to the "real world" instead of living the illusion of a "rock star." In 2007 he returned to music. One of the most powerful and emotional metal voices. I like him very much, a favorite singer of mine.
Iced Earth - Melancholy, Dracula, A Question Of Heaven, Ghost Of Freedom.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains.
Paul Andrews better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981.
Ralf Scheepers is the vocalist for German heavy metal band Primal Fear. He has a relatively high-pitched tenor-esque singing voice and sometimes uses a shriek reminiscent of Judas Priest's Rob Halford, although it is his baritone lows which give him a near four-octave range in the modal register. Yes, he's one of the underrated/unnoticed metal singers but he's damn good. The short article under his name describes his voice very well.
I think some of his best vocal performances are: Primal Fear - The Man (That I Don't Know), Strike; Scheepers - Before The Dawn (Judas Priest cover).
Probably one of the more underrated singers
Laying the Demon to Rest, Nailed, Mirror of Souls, do I need to go on?
Probably the best Christian metal vocalist ever
Heidi Parviainen is a Finnish lyric soprano, and best known as the former lead singer of Finnish metal band Amberian Dawn.
Joey Belladonna is the American Thrash Metal singer, best known for leading the band Anthrax. He also sings and drums for the cover band Chief Big Way.