The top 40 AOR vocalists of all time

[That 70s Guy]

11

Jon Bon Jovi

We might get lambasted by many readers for not placing Jon Bon Jovi higher in our chart. But this is an exercise based not on popularity but, quite rightly, on vocal ability and in that respect our boy Jon must take a back seat.Sure, he has all the chutzpah, good looks and the get up and go to make him a star several times over but even his most dedicated fans must admit his range had always been, er, restricted. That was until Canadian producer Bruce Fairbairn fixed things with the colossal-selling "Slippery When Wet", a record that suddenly gave Jon a voice and hits. If Jon's upset by his low placing on this chart, he can dry his tears with a million dollar note.

Finest vocal moment

"Livin On A Prayer" (from Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" 1986)
This is his eureka moment, the chorus demanded on extraordinary lift and Jon undeniably rose to the occasion, with aplomb.

 

[That 70s Guy]

10

Steve Overland

Overland possesses one of the most flavoursome voices you'll hear this side of Paul Rodgers, Robert Palmer or Frankie Miller. His voice has a deep, velvety quality, with the sort of intonation that suggests he's lived a thousand years and seen it all. Give him the right material and you've got a match made in heaven. Steve's tenure with FM over the years has seen him come within inches of commercial success, only for it to be cruelly snatched away at the last moment. Sure, he's got a reputation that's second to none, but that doesn't make up for years of underachieving, despite the fact that the newly reformed band has enjoyed something of a renaissance with airplay on Radio 2 and an appearance at the Download festival.

Finest vocal moment

"Does It Feel Like Love" (from FM's "Tough It Out" 1989)
A stunning track, boasted by a gold plated hook delivered masterfully by Overland.

 

[That 70s Guy]

9

Bobby Kimball

Toto are very much the epitome of AOR as we know it. Their diligent approach to every aspect of compositional craft is to be commended and, frankly, not unexpected bearing in mind they were mainly comprised of the creme of the LA session world , musicians who anonymously laid down the faultless instrumental tracks behind many of pop and rock's greatest hits. Singer Bobby Kimball had previously been in an obscure Three Dog Night spin-off band called S.S Fools ( don't bother trying to locate the album, it's really not worth the considerable effort) before finding his feet with the boys from Toto and cutting their debut album. The results were spectacular, giving Kimball a platform to shine brighter than any other singer of the era. An industrious band, Toto could do no wrong, notching up hit after hit, culminating with the worldwide smash "Africa" from 1982's Grammy winning multi platinum album "IV". By this point however, touring had taken it's toll upon the singer, and Kimball was a wreck. The band mounted an intervention of sorts which resulted in him leaving, only to return some 14 years later after they had ploughed through umpteen replacements only to conclude that the original was probably the best.

Finest vocal moment

"Hold The Line" ( from Toto's 1978 self titled debut)
Superb mixture of forceful arrogance and expressive innocence.

 

[That 70s Guy]

8

Joe Lynn Turner

Launched his career in a blaze of obscurity, via a band called Fandango (who infamously boasted a guitarist by the name of Rick Blackmore!) only to be discovered by Ritchie Blackmore, who was tired of Rainbow's then vocalist Graham Bonnet. Blackmore's plan was simple: he would use Turner's voice as a vehicle to ram-raid the US charts. For 5 minutes it worked. "I Surrender" reached #3 on the UK singles chart and Rainbow's profile went into overdrive. But it wasn't to last.

Turner was blessed with the perfect voice for US FM radio but, try though Rainbow might, the airwaves resisted them at every opportunity, leaving Blackmore no option but to dump the band and reform Purple. For Joe it meant a lifetime hopping from one high profile project to the next, including, of course, a stint with Purple. The only questionable episode was teaming up with Yngwie Malmsteen, and that was just because of the poor man's Rainbow accusations. Joe's output has always been of the highest calibre. In fact, his voice is so good that it makes most other vocalists want to shoot themselves.

Finest vocal moment

"Street Of Dreams" (from Rainbow's "Bent Out Of Shape", 1983)
Perfectly pacing his delivery. Turner succeeds in rescuing this tune from Blackmore's tendency to over-complicate.

 

[That 70s Guy]

7

Eric Martin

Cherub-faced Martin was a fixture on the Bay Area scene for much of the early 80s with his band 415 (San Fransisco's area code), later changed to EBM- The Eric Martin Band-upon signing with Electra Records. Failing to make commercial headway, Eric dismantled the band and commenced a solo career, issuing two albums of perfectly precise AOR that forced the melodic rock world to sit up and take notice. The songs were strong (mostly covers and co-writes) but it was Eric's voice that really caused heads to turn. With the voice of an angel, his tone was straight from the Stax stable, immediately comparable to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett & Marvin Gaye. Pretty fly for a white guy.
Of course, his greatest commercial achievement was the formation of powerhouse rockers Mr.Big, a virtuoso ensemble whose influences stretched back to the early 70s and acts like Free, Humble Pie and Led Zeppelin. Eric impressive roar drew instant comparisons to Paul Rodgers and Steve Marriott, hardly surprising considering their own personal debts to 60s R&B.

Finest vocal moment

"These Are The Good Times" (from "Only Fooling Myself" 1987)
Big,powerful deep with emotion,Eric unleashes a performance of pure pop genius.

 

[That 70s Guy]

6

John Waite

Lancashire born and bred, Waite's introduction to the world of AOR came via British ex-pats the Babys, with whom he scored several sizable hit singles. When that project fell apart he went solo, hitting the big time in 1984 with the single "Missing You", a million seller. When Journey ceased trading in 1987, Neil Schon and Jonathan Cain turned immediately to Waite, inviting him to front a new band they were putting together called "Bad English", a supergroup aimed precisely at the Journey's recently abandoned audience. The second single "When I See You Smile", was an immediate success, topping the US chart and cementing Waite's reputation as one of the world's greatest singers.

Finest vocal moment

"When I See You Smile" (from Bad English's self-titled debut 1989)
Angst and passion all rolled into one, Waite explodes with emotion.

 

[That 70s Guy]

5

Ann Wilson

Ann Wilson is unquestionably the greatest female AOR singer of all time. Her early years with Heart were spent fine tuning a folky hard rock sound of a Led Zep hue: but the hits soon started to dry up, and by the early 80s the band were wandering around looking for an appropriate exit strategy. Columbia Records insisted on a visual makeover and bringing in outside songwriters, resulting in still-thrilling AOR hits like "Alone" and "These Dreams". Ann and guitarist sister Nancy later dismissed this era of the group, but we would respectfully suggest that they were wrong: the quality of material and performance was hugely impressive, Ann delivering some of the finest vocals of her career.

Finest vocal moment

"Alone" (from Heart's "Bad Animals" 1987)
Ann singing her heart out in a stratospheric performance that's still a karaoke favorite.

 

[That 70s Guy]

4

Michael Bolton

Modeling his hairstyle on a controlled explosion in a deck chair, Michael Bolton was always full of contradictions. How could this Jewish white guy from New York sing like a troubled black man shackled to a chain gang? Bolton's journey through AOR was initially slow but rapidly accelerated when he issued two jaw dropping albums. Still, though, this combination of his vocal range and Grade-A material eluded commercial success. "The Hunger" issued in 1987, found him entering the MOR snooze zone and a world of homogenized family entertainment. Still, he should worry- at the last count he's sold somewhere in the region of 52 million albums worldwide.

Finest vocal moment

"Everytime" (from "Everybody's Crazy" 1985)
Bolton in emotional torment, pouring his heart out for AOR sinners the world over.

 

[The Great Duck]

Seeing Bolton is #4,it seems that Brad Delp,Lou Gramm or Mark Free will be left out.

 

[Hydrazoic Acid]

The Great Duck, oh no, they just have to be in the top three!