Musician Steven Van Zandt has recently found himself at the center of a social media storm due to his personal ranking of top lead singers. This debate originated from a Twitter exchange where Van Zandt shared his list of favorite lead vocalists in response to a fan’s question.
Initially, the guitarist had named a select few singers he considered the best. Yet, his list was met with mixed reactions, with fans and followers questioning the omission of several notable names. The controversy grew to the point where Van Zandt found it necessary to delete the original tweet.
In an attempt to address the concerns raised, he expanded his list by including more names in response to ongoing feedback from his followers. Each request for an overlooked artist resulted in another addition. After an exhaustive back-and-forth, the musician presented a comprehensive list, aiming to incorporate as many suggestions as possible.
However, the controversy didn’t end there. Upon revealing his all-inclusive list, Van Zandt was then asked to provide a similar ranking for female lead singers. Meeting the challenge, the rocker responded by listing several renowned female artists, such as Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, and Stevie Nicks, among others.
A fan’s initial question is as follows:
“Stevie, today is the birthday of Eric Burdon; as far as lead singers and on-stage presence are concerned, is he in your top 10?”
Little Steven replied:
“Jagger, Iggy, Presley, Wolf, Brigati, Rotten, Garrett, Monroe, Bruce, J Morrison, Daltrey, Cooper, Bono, Bowie, Tyler, Stewart, Cocker, Plant, Mercury, Roth, Gabriel, Burdon, Dylan, Dion, Lindsay, Scott, Brown, Zander, Joey!, Vedder, May, Strummer, K Pickett, Rodgers, Johansen.”
Another fan said:
“Now do the chicks!”
The guitarist responded:
“Love, Turner, Raven, Joplin, Springfield, Spector, Elliot, Benatar, Lulu, Slick, Nicks, Wilson, Driscoll, Quatro, Jett, Raitt, Hynde, Lennox, Phillips, Lauper, Black, C Love, Manson. Harry, Ronstadt, Crow, Bush, Phair, Simon, Smith, Shore, Shaw, Amphlett, Morissette, Faithful…”
Thus, despite his efforts to satisfy his followers’ curiosity and cater to their suggestions, Steven Van Zandt has still had a difficult time listing his favorite singers of all time. It looks like he will have to include more names based on fan requests in the following days, too.
Jagger, Iggy, Presley, Wolf, Brigati, Rotten, Garrett, Monroe, Bruce, J Morrison, Daltrey, Cooper, Bono, Bowie, Tyler, Stewart, Cocker, Plant, Mercury, Roth, Gabriel, Burden, Dylan, Dion, Lindsay, Scott, Brown, Zander, Joey!, Vedder, May, Strummer, K Pickett, Rodgers, Johansen. https://t.co/9aaOq9PaYJ
— 🕉🇺🇦🟦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) May 11, 2023
Love, Turner, Raven, Joplin, Springfield, Spector, Elliot, Benatar, Lulu, Slick, Nicks, Wilson, Driscoll, Quatro, Jett, Raitt, Hynde, Lennox, Phillips, Lauper, Black, C Love, Manson. Harry, Ronstadt, Crow, Bush, Phair, Simon, Smith, Shore, Shaw, Amphlett, Morissette, Faithful… https://t.co/7Uv0a0Nujv
— 🕉🇺🇦🟦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) May 12, 2023
