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Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time


"The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time" is a feature published by American magazine Rolling Stone in 2008. The list presented was compiled by a panel of 179 musicians. It was updated in 2023, and upgraded as "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time" list. The 2023 list was compiled by the magazine's staff and key contributors. American singer Aretha Franklin topped the list both times.

When publishing the updated list in 2023, Rolling Stone noted that "this is the Greatest Singers list, not Greatest Voices list. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent".

RankImageNameLifetime
1Aretha FranklinMarch 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018
2Ray CharlesSeptember 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004
3Elvis PresleyJanuary 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977
4Sam CookeJanuary 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964
5John LennonOctober 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980
6Marvin GayeApril 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984
7Bob DylanMay 24, 1941 – present
8Otis ReddingSeptember 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967
9Stevie WonderMay 13, 1950 – present
10James BrownMay 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006
RankImageNameLifetime
1Aretha FranklinMarch 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018
2Whitney HoustonAugust 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012
3Sam CookeJanuary 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964
4Billie HolidayApril 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959
5Mariah CareyMarch 27, 1969 – present
6Ray CharlesSeptember 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004
7Stevie WonderMay 13, 1950 – present
8BeyoncéSeptember 4, 1981 – present
9Otis ReddingSeptember 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967
10Al GreenApril 13, 1946 – present

The omissions of singers Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Bill Withers, and Nat King Cole as well as the placement of American singer Michael Jackson, who placed 86th, were criticized. Singer Chaka Khan, who was ranked 29th on the list, called Rolling Stone editors "children of Helen Keller" and publicly expressed her outrage about being placed lower than Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey. She later apologized for her comments. Musician Van Morrison, who placed 37th, also criticized the list, claiming that singers Joan Baez, Solomon Burke and Bobby Bland should have all ranked in the top twenty.

  • List of best-selling music artists

  • The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time

  • The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time

  • The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

  • The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

  • The 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time

  • 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023 edition) by Rolling Stone

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