Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott recently shared his perspective on Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers. He explained why he considers him one of the greatest rock vocalists despite not being traditionally rock-influenced. Elliott made these comments during an appearance discussed on Def Leppard.
Elliott’s remarks centered on Rodgers’ unique musical background and how it shaped his distinctive vocal style in rock music.
“Paul Rodgers is indeed one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time, and the reason for that is he’s not inspired by rock,” Elliott said. “He was inspired by R&B. If you talk to Paul Rodgers, he’ll tell you that the people he grew up listening to was Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and he turned it into rock.”
Elliott went on to contrast his own generation’s approach to rock vocals with Rodgers’ R&B-influenced style.
“People like me from the next generation down, we sang rock influenced by rock, so it was always gonna be more second generation,” he continued. “I took absolutely nothing except admiration from Paul Rodgers because I don’t have anything like his voice. He’s a soul singer. I’m not. I can sing a Paul Rodgers song — in fact, I’ve sung a couple. I did ‘Little Bit Of Love’ by Free on [Def Leppard’s] ‘Yeah!’ album. In fact, Paul really likes our version of that.”
The Def Leppard frontman also praised Rodgers’ stage presence across different bands and projects.
“And, of course, more recently, ‘Seagull’ for this Bad Company tribute album, which is coincidentally called ‘Can’t Get Enough,'” Elliott said. “So massive amounts of admiration. Stage presence — I actually thought his stage presence when he was fronting Queen was more extravagant than he ever was in Bad Co, ’cause he occasionally played guitar and more so than any footage I ever saw of Free. So, again, but two different styles, I didn’t really take anything from it other than I just admired it.”
These comments came after Elliott’s appearance on ‘Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute To Bad Company,’ the first-ever official Bad Company tribute album.
Elliott’s admiration for Rodgers reflects the broader impact the British vocalist has had on rock music throughout his career spanning multiple legendary bands.
Paul Rodgers’ official biography revealed that the singer has sold over 90 million records worldwide. He led Free, Bad Company, and The Firm to international success. His career achievements underscore Elliott’s assessment of Rodgers as one of rock’s greatest vocalists. His R&B-influenced approach helped to define the sound of classic rock.
The tribute album collaboration represents a full-circle moment for both artists. PopMatters reported that Elliott and bandmate Phil Collen join Rodgers and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke on a reinvention of “Seagull.” This collaboration brings together original Bad Company members with contemporary rock stars who were influenced by their work.
The “Can’t Get Enough” tribute project highlights the enduring legacy of Bad Company’s music. Ultimate Classic Rock noted that the album marks the first-ever official Bad Company tribute release. It features various artists paying homage to the band’s catalog. The project demonstrates how Rodgers’ R&B-influenced rock vocals continue to inspire new generations of musicians.
Bad Company’s formation in 1973 brought together Rodgers and guitarist Mick Ralphs. This created a supergroup that would define arena rock. antiMusic explained that the band’s collaboration with contemporary artists on this tribute album bridges the gap between classic rock’s golden era and today’s music scene. Rodgers and Kirke’s participation adds authenticity to the project.
