The top 40 AOR vocalists of all time

[That 70s Guy]

17

Steve Walsh

Athletic frontman of uber progressive rock giants Kansas, who stormed the US charts with a neat hybrid of technical pomp and wistful melody, best expressed on their epic smash hit "Carry On My Wayward Son" (inspired by 19th century abolitionist John Brown, who graced the cover of their eponymous 1974 debut album). Without Walsh, Kansas might have been just a bunch of midwest no-hopers looking to ride the coattails of the original Brit prog invasion, but his voice took them to levels of success they could have only dreamt about. But it's not all about Kansas. During the 80s he formed Streets, a cracking melodic rock band who recorded two highly combustible albums that sadly failed to ignite the charts.

Finest vocal moment

"Carry On My Wayward Son" (from Kansas's "Leftoverture" 1976).
Walsh's muscular, agile vocals ride the riff like a cowboy busting a bronco.

 

[Groovy Man]

Steve Walsh

Athletic frontman of uber progressive rock giants Kansas,

I don't know about uber , but this guy could sing. I always liked Steve Walsh's vocals. He's up there on my long list of favorite vocalists.

Kinda underrated, while others are overrated.

 

[That 70s Guy]

16

Robin Zander

With his striking blond locks, pencil thin build and a voice from heaven. Robin Zander helped elevate the slightly zany Cheap Trick to major stardom. Big in Japan when nobody really knew what they meant, hordes of giggling Japanese girls fainted at his mere presence. A string of hit albums followed, but like all shooting stars the sparkle soon faded, leaving the band exposed to cruel major label machinations forcing them to use outside material- which, rather ironically, produced their biggest hit ever "The Flame", a song penned, bizzarely, by an ex-member of the Brit prog outfit Atomic Rooster.

Finest vocal moment

"Dream Police" (from Cheap Trick's "Dream Police" album 1979)
Zander utilises his full range on this track, from whispered spoken word bits to full throttle screams.

 

[Groovy Man]

16

Robin Zander

With his striking blond locks, pencil thin build and a voice from heaven.

I'm hoping a chick wrote this...

sounds like a love struck teenage girl...

 

[Travelin' Man]

I completely agree with the last two. Steve Walsh and Robin Zander have been two long time faves for me.

I'm waiting for Paul Rodgers to show up.

 

[Hydrazoic Acid]

And i'm still waiting for Mark Free!

 

[That 70s Guy]

15

Eddie Money

Edward Joseph Mahoney first arrived on the scene as sort of a soul singer, wielding a sax instead of an axe. Press reports made much of a phoney NYPD career (apparently he was a trainee in the typing pool) but it wasn't until his fourth album, "No Control", that the AOR cognoscenti started to embrace this husky-voiced power-popper, watching wide-eyed as tracks such as "Shakin'" and "Think I'm In Love" gave him hit single success. I remember sitting with Money one time in a London hotel suite, and it was like talking to Rodney Dangerfield on acid.

Finest vocal moment

"Take Me Home Tonight" (from "Can't Hold Back" album 1986)
An impressive duet with Ronnie Spector, bringing out the absolute best out of each other.

 

[That 70s Guy]

14

Bryan Adams

Hailed primarily in AOR circles as a songwriter rather than a singer, there can be no denying the impact of Adams' voice on some of the best material to have ever been crafted by a Canadian this side of, er,Randy Bachman. Most of the key tracks in Bryan's canon sound like he's singing with a throat full of wood shavings, in a good way. Immediately identifiable and straddling that difficult line between sounding hoarse yet mellifluous, Adams' early work gives the impression of limitless capacity. The fact that on stage he looks like he's been placed under temporary house arrest is neither here nor there. Early rock'n roll hits like "Run To You" and "Summer Of '69" later gave way to MOR balladry for movie soundtracks, while hardly electrifying, certainly proved massively lucrative: "( Everything I Do) I Do It For You" from "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves" infamously held the top spot in the UK singles chart for four long months during the summer of 1991, a record that remains unbeaten.

Finest vocal moment

"Run To You" (from "Reckless" 1984)
All the right notes sung in exactly the right order.

 

[That 70s Guy]

13

Dave Bickler

Millions know the voice but few know the name. Bickler is the unsung hero of AOR vocalists, having sung on the second most popular track in the entire history of melodic rock (after Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'), namely Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger". Bickler had been with the band for four years when Sylvester Stallone heard their "Premonition" album and in particular the track "Poor Man's Son", requesting that they write a similar tune for his upcoming movie "Rocky III". Natch, the song became an American anthem, used for just about any occasion that commands grit and determination. Bickler's performance is truly astonishing- raspy yet melodious, perfectly matching the song's revving riff.

Finest vocal moment

"Summer Nights" (from Survivor's "Premonition", 1981)
Bickler follows the example of Steve Perry's upper register-and nails it.

 

[That 70s Guy]

12

Glenn Hughes

Not really known as an AOR vocalist per se, more a man influenced by R&B who just happened to cut his teeth in two seminal British rock bands, Trapeze and hard rock behemoths Deep Purple (where he played bass and harmonized alongside similar Purple newcomer David Coverdale, injecting their love of soul into the group's pompy riffage). When the later group crash-landed in 1976, Hughes went on an infamously debauched and debilitating five year bender, issuing very little in the way of notable product until he teamed up with guitarist Pat Thrall in Hughes/Thrall. Together they cut one of the greatest, most underappreciated AOR albums of all time, featuring impossibly catchy songs and Hughes' greatest ever vocal performance.

Finest vocal moment

"I Got Your Number" (from the self titled "Hughes/Thrall" album 1982. Hughes in strangulated nut-sack ecstasy.