Best male rock singer ever!

[Kanada Kev]

Thanks for those Robert Palmer picks. I don't think that I have heard any of 'em. I know what I'm getting out of the CBC music library tomorrow for my work soundtrack.

[NewRider]

I'm also in total cahoots with Booche's Ryan Adams vision!

[boiler]

Go ahead, try to argue with me!

Can I get a witness?

[phishtaper]

... I kind of wish he had delivered more heart and soul, blood and guts, emotionally intense heart rending performances. I'm not saying he never delivered that ("Show Must Go On", "Love Of My Life" and "Who Wants To Live Forever" being standout examples of this), but given how great a singer he was, I wish he had reached this emotional depth more often.

personally, I think Who Wants to Live Forever and The Show Must Go On are weak tracks, although they are regarded by many as emotionally strong because of Freddie's battle with AIDS (during, and especially after). Love of my Life is a great tune, as is You're my Best Friend, also on A Night at the Opera, which, of course, has a little song called Bohemian Rhapsody. Somebody to Love is a really emotional tune that features Freddie's incredible vocal range.

But I would like to applaud AD first and Phishtaper second because my appreciation for Freddy Mercury is starting to tap out to the point I need to be directed to essential Queen albums.

I'd put A Night at The Opera, A Day at the Races and News of The World up there as perhaps the best set of three (sequential) Queen albums. Each has a number of emotional songs, often overlooked because of chart topping anthems like We Will Rock You.

My favourite Queen album is actually The Game, followed closely by News of the World. I think Save Me on The Game is the most emotional tune that they put out, but im partial to ballads written by Brian May.

But Queen is like the Beatles in that there are so many songs, and your thoughts about each can be very personal. And having grown up with Queen and having seen them live, Im sure I have a different way of looking at them than perhaps younger skanks.

[AD]

i really like Jazz and A Night at the Opera. Of course the whole catalogue is strong, but Who Wants to Live Forever and Show Must Go On are definitely weak tracks.

Get Down Make Love and Spread Your Wings off News of The World are pretty 'emotional' singing songs. Also a great album.

Save Me is awesome off The Game

Later stuff like Under Pressure, Is This The World We Created, Radio Ga Ga, all good singing songs. The rock stuff like Hammer To Fall, Bohemian Rhapsody, Tie Your Mother Down, Stone Cold Crazy, Sweet Lady, Dead On Time, Keep Yourself Alive... All good.

I dunno. There is sooo much about his singing that 'does it' for me. What a truly great and legendary man and band.

[The Chameleon]

I really don't like Queen, but appreciate the members in the band and what they brought to the table. Brian May's solos were perfect and Roger Taylor is an unsung vocal rock hero.

This is exactly how I feel tonnes of respect, but I just don't really like the band as a whole so much.

I also think this guy deserves a mention....

when he was in his prime of course

[AD]

I'd like to add Mustapha and Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy to the 'stand-out' Mercury singing tracks

I don't know if he's been mentioned, but Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden is a pretty kickass rock and roll singer.

[phishtaper]

radio ga ga is a guilty pleasure for me. it was a controversial song because it was seen by many as a huge, poppy, commercial sell-out by the band, complete with a slick number one video on MTV. this was right at a time (1984) when no "good" music was being made by anyone, and radio was dominated by brit-pap. they lost a lot of "purist" fans when they released it who mocked it as radio ca ca (ironically, the original title).

[AD]

see Live Aid, all ye non-believers