NME's Greatest Frontmen Ever (2011 edition)

this list is kinda lame but aw sweet that Joey Ramone is up there. I may vote for him

THREE token women! We're making advances, guys.

It's got to be Matt Bellamy. "Let Your Love Flow" was great.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO white

two in the top ten!
xp

a hoy hoy, yeah, was going to add 'but not even one token black person'. Jesus.

Like even if you don't think rap has frontmen (only has frontmen tho?), where is yr marvin or bob or james fucking brown? james fucking brown?

Hendrix the only non-white person on that list.

Jimi is the token black person, surely?

mr hendrix?
xps

Oh, I didn't notice Hendrix. Apologies.

So they have to "front" a band? Otherwise: Bowie.

agree that James Brown is a glaring omission. he was basically ALL front man

Hendrix is the go-to 'token non-white person' for music journos who can't spell 'Marley' or 'Brown'.

this is iggy's show but i threw a vote to bolan regardless

I'd say Hendrix is the more obvious choice for the NME if they're going to choose one and only one non-white person. But, you know, maybe they should consider not doing that.

Like i hate being that guy complaining about it on every fucking one of these threads but

Also you know what I hate? Is it seems like they have only ever listened to like 50 bands ever and just chopped that list in half. Not like "hey i've listened to everything and we have seen decades of live music, of not live then on youtube or whatever, and read interviews with charismatic great band leaders and came up with this list" or even "hey, these are all the people we dig", it screams "what is the name of that guy who fronts muse again? kids like muse, right?"

That's a good point, no solo guys in it (since technically jimi was in the experience hah)

if only it had been Bob Marley's Wailers

Mind you, I will defend this from the old farts at the BBC - almost none of these frontmen are relevant now. The fact that they've lugged out some fairly boring Britpoppers to pad out the list is pretty stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if they were being paid by management to put them in to plug their reunion tours.

tbf though, there are not a ton of black performers that fit the mold of lone guy fronting a band. there are a bunch of solo artists who didn't really have conventional bands behind them, and then there are a bunch of groups with no clear frontman. Prince didn't really front a band in any real sense, for ex., neither did Stevie Wonder, etc. P-Funk - I guess you could give it to George, but that isn't really representative of how they functioned. most of the other great r&b and funk groups functioned more as units, carrying over from the doo-wop tradition.

xp

it does say Ever not Currently as that gomp guy says though

xp Phil Lynott?

am i missing something w/r/t liam from oasis? i always see him mentioned in stuff like this, but iirc all he did was stand there with his hands behind his back and look bored and shit.

Well yeah, but what I mean is that the BBC guy is complaining that it's TOO current. But it isn't at all.

xpost to AG

oooh yeah Lynott

What about Smokey Robinson? Or Diana Ross? Or the million other Motown bands that were "X and the Ys"?

xxxp I think there's some kind of law with NME/Q/Mojo where Liam has to appear on any list that's even tangentially related.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3918/image5sm.jpg

you gotta admit bobby g or liam ahead of mick jagger is just silly

What about Smokey Robinson? Or Diana Ross? Or the million other Motown bands that were "X and the Ys"?

Smokey had top billing. Diana Ross did not. also what "band" did she front, the other two singers? Motown's house band? I dunno what other Motown bands you're thinking of. Temps didn't have a frontman, Marvin Gaye didn't have a band, etc

xxp NME desperately trying to re-position themselves with 'the kids' in that hastily written 'five worst frontmen' section at the bottom of the page. They're all fronting bands that the NME have championed as recently as last year.

In terms of theatrics and charisma I'm tempted to go for Freddie.

It's between Joey and MES for me.

I'm torn between Joey and Lux tbh

You think Diana Ross had no control over what the Supremes/Funk Bros did? Really?

I dunno they're just not a band in the conventional sense - they had a rotating cast of supporting musicians, material was written by songwriting teams, etc. I don't think these are trivial distinctions in terms of how groups function.

You're right, but I doubt that is why NME left them all out..

There's a live readers poll on nme.com that updates every 30 mins. You can see what their readers are actually into

http://www.nme.com/ratemy/205334/greatest-frontmen-and-women

Muse's messageboard is great at getting all their fans to participate in polls

ILM is probably responsible for robert smith @ #2

Haha who are their five worst frontmen?

Chris Martin, Bono, Tom Smith, Johnny Borrell, Kelly Jones

lux v mercury v curtis i think for me

xpost uh for best of that list, not worst

http://i53.tinypic.com/21ki6iv.jpg

riding on the coattails of indie?

The live one is much, much worse.

I was clicking through it just now and who should pop up by Phil Lynott.

love how they can include a gallagher and yet moan that bono has opinions about stuff

maybe it's because Bono reads books

A lot of what I consider 'classic frontperson moves' came from gospel performers. AFAIC James Brown codified it, Jagger borrowed it, Iggy borrowed from both of them, and Lux borrowed from all four. Prince should def be on this list, too. And I know I'm lolold, but I don't even know what Liam Gallagher or Jarvis Cocker DO on a stage.

Half the people on this list upstaged by Alice Cooper. Or Fee Waybill.

Jarvis used to tell quite amusing stories. For indieworld 1994 he had charisma.

matt fucking bellamy?!

debbie harry, no question. most of the rest couldn't front their way out of a wet paper bag

doors aren't super hip on ilx but you know, for what ever you think of the lizard king, like he, to me, is the template of the classic rock star

lmfao matt bellamy -__________-

also: no robert plant or bruce dickenson >:(

or axl

On this list I'm voting Lux.

if "BBC arts guy" doesn't know the word "foreword," he should be sacked

And I know I'm lolold, but I don't even know what Liam Gallagher or Jarvis Cocker DO on a stage.

Jarvis was a p great frontman - led the direction of the band, was witty, visually compelling, mucked in on an instrument occasionally, properly "performed" his lyrics.

voted Lux

What about David Lee Roth?!?!

The criteria for this poll is confusing, so I'm going with my faves based on 'the show' and singing prowless, but one thing can out weigh the other to make the overall.. and of coarse there is the 'wow' factor, anyway, you get the idea.

1) Mick Jagger
2) James Brown
3) Prince
4) Iggy Pop
5) Freddy Mercury
6) David Lee Roth
7) Robert Plant
8) Ronnie James Dio
9) Chris Robinson
10) Jim Morrison

Also you know what I hate? Is it seems like they have only ever listened to like 50 bands ever and just chopped that list in half. Not like "hey i've listened to everything and we have seen decades of live music, of not live then on youtube or whatever, and read interviews with charismatic great band leaders and came up with this list" or even "hey, these are all the people we dig", it screams "what is the name of that guy who fronts muse again? kids like muse, right?"

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, February 23, 2011 8:35 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YES, i know right

like this entire exercise is p much entirely worthless as journalism or as tastemaking or as...ugh can't believe people got paid for this shit

also why is liam gallagher on a front cover in 2011?

Because it's not a magazine aimed at you?

Hi.

G-keeper, not bothered, wasn't going to.

My missing pick would be Liam out of Sultans of Ping, an excellent frontperson.

My vote out of ones I've seen on the list: Lydon.
Otherwise, Iggy.

The NME's list-every-week thing is a death rattle, surely?

Also Chuck D's in tears 'cause Karen O's better than him.

Because it's not a magazine aimed at you?

― DL, Thursday, 24 February 2011 08:46

It's aimed a bit at me some weeks, used to be aimed at me full tilt, then other weeks it's aimed at who I do not know.

More interested in the list of "100 gigs you should have been at" or suchlike.

Anticipate: a count of two I attended.

(probably zero)

Bono pisses on most of em.

xpost I meant not aimed at lex - it's never aimed at lex.

Taht Worst list is pisspoor. If you're going to punch a target as easy as Bono then do it with some originality and flair.

terrible list. voted Lydon on impulse. MES and Jarvis are probably my favorites here though.

James Brown and Mick Jagger are the only true answers of course.

I'm not saying he's not great, but I'm a little agog to see Shaun Ryder so high

on the list I mean

actually I even prefer Strummer, Hendrix, Curtis, Joey and Harry to Lydon. he just felt like the right answer.

xxp talking to myself

Liam out of Sultans of Ping, an excellent frontperson.

Not excellent enough for you to know his name ;)

It was Niall wasn't it?

It's aimed a bit at me some weeks, used to be aimed at me full tilt, then other weeks it's aimed at who I do not know.

It's called 'getting older'.

It was a long time ago.

Well it may not be aimed at lex but I'm white, straight, lower middle class, educated, indie, still buy records and magazines. And it was me lex quoted so...

And 22. Or as I'm too old to be on an episode of Skins am I too old to not get annoyed by the NME? Great marketing strategy that.

I'm going to vote based on the impact they made when I saw them live, so that narrows it down to 13 before we've even started.

Shouldn't be on this list, if my experience was in any way typical: Karen O, Bobby Gillespie, Shaun Ryder.

Mid-table: Damon Albarn, Liam Gallagher, Brett Anderson.

Upper table: Jarvis Cocker, Mark E Smith.

Right Up There: Jack White, Joe Strummer, Patti Smith, Morrissey, Debbie Harry.

So it's between Jack White and Patti Smith.

It's called 'getting older'.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 24 February 2011 09:50 (35 minutes ago)

I'd be intrigued to find out what proportion of people buying NME this week with Liam G/Beady Eye on the cover are under 21

Yeah, let's do this properly...

Seen:
Brett Anderson, Joey Ramone, Damon Albarn, Jack White, Bobby Gillespie, Marc Bolan (does "in-person" count? I think it does)
Joe Strummer, Mark E Smith, Shaun Ryder (briefly, two mins and a "thanks goodnight"), Liam Gallagher, Morrissey, John Lydon

Win: Lydon.

GillBobespie, I saw (nearly forgot), it was back in their Gentle Tuesday days, nice enough.

Oh, etc....

wtf is 1 beady eye? gallagher been suffering from pink eye or something? because if that is a band name then ew.

Still the winner...

http://www.dangerousminds.net/images/uploads/alex_harvey.jpg

Em'dy wanna argue aboot that?

http://www.bobharris.org/images/ogwt/sahb5.jpg

THREE token women! We're making advances, guys.

Not bad considering they are then counted as frontMEN.

i see what you did there.

No Dio, no Lemmy, no Ozzy, no Lynott: no credibility. I've never read this mag, pretty certain it's not for me.

seen: Anderson, Albarn, White, Cocker, Gallagher (for one song then he stormed off the big blouse)
winner: pff, it probably is Gallagher, no way I'm voting though. Brett Anderson's alright.

my father-in-law was telling me at the weekend that he saw Hendrix. He's not a very cool guy so I was impressed by that.

I mean, this list - never mind your underrepresented minorities, it's like Mercury and Morrison are token picks from the 'good frontmen' community.

(xposts) Tom D., you're reading my mind. I was thinking about this stupid poll last night, and great front-folks I have seen, and Alex was definitely up there with the very best of them.

Never mind Liam, Damon Albarn really has no place on this list.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01788/beefheart_1788793b.jpg

Sure putting Liam Gallagher on your cover in 2011 is about the same as putting Roger Miller from Mission of Burma on your cover in 1996?

He was kind of odd live... LOL Beefheart odd! (xp)

Pretty sure Liam Gallagher will sell a few more copies than some dude out of a band no one in Britain remembers.

Well it ought to be xxp, but none of the dadrock lot ever seem to have gone out of fashion in nme world. Nor has anyone so far as I can tell, except the odd romance went sour. That lack of a generation gap is dismal, really - like if they'd had Noddy Holder on the cover all through the 80s.

Anyway, who's the least charismatic frontman ever? I saw Graham Coxon's band supporting someone once, couldn't keep my eyes on him.

Bruce Springsteen anyone?

Oh, but does he not count? Can frontmen play instruments?

I'm not sure what conditions NME laid down.

I thought Ian Brown would be #1?

I mean, this list - never mind your underrepresented minorities, it's like Mercury and Morrison are token picks from the 'good frontmen' community.

Along with Brett Anderson (and possibly Morrissey), Mercury represents a minority as well, you know....

Along with Brett Anderson

o rly

Never mind Liam, Damon Albarn really has no place on this list.

― Matt DC, Thursday, February 24, 2011 3:11 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

hey give the guy some credit, in the 1993-1996 period he was quite an athletic and engaging frontman - climbing up speakers, jumping into the crowd, etc. Fun!

A lot of frontment were doing that around there - I dunno, he's just a bit too Everybloke to count. Especially in a list that doesn't include James Brown, Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne or Prince.

I hear Marcus Mumford is quite an engaging frontman too

THREE token women! We're making advances, guys.

none of them would really strike me as token candidates. Karen O would have a good chance of winning if it was just candidates of the 21st century. However, this must surely be a battle between Iggy and Freddie.

Until I just googled her, i didnt have a clue who Karen O was. Never heard of her band, must be an English thing.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

X + your granny on bongos = the band?

Winner = MES.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

No Daltrey, no credibility.

dlp9001 knew!

Who?

Who are you asking?

mark e smith winning this over freddie mercury really epitomizes everything i hate about ilm sometimes

I've never heard of MArk E Smith

never heard The Fall, sean?

No... should I have?

i dunno how known they are in the states, esp to a metal guy like you, but they been around 30 years and are one of uk indies most loved bands round here.

ive always wanted to hear a collaboration between lemmy & mark e smith. dunno why. they probably couldnt last more than 10 mins in a studio

wow 30 years?!... okay. I thought they might have been some upstart, at least they've been around, I guess..

Well we have Mexican Food, does that make it equal? LOL!

Jack White got a raw deal here. A staggeringly effective frontman, at least in his White Stripes days.

Jack White was a fantastic frontman and probably the best of the 00s but voting him best frontman ever just feels wrong.

Until I just googled her, i didnt have a clue who Karen O was. Never heard of her band, must be an English thing.

lolwut

i will never understand what people's thing with the fall is - as gross as all the rest imo

i voted debbie harry i think, in light of results regret not voting karen o

ugh @ jarvis cocker being so high

between cocker and MES people sure do love their indie frontmen pretending to be ~smart~

so glad freddie fuckin mercury didnt win this

17) Lux Interior 6
1) Iggy Pop 5

Explain:

xxp or actually being smart in the case of MES

Iggy has dedicated his career to the art of frontmannery, Lux has dedicated every moment and aspect of his life to it?

mark e smith winning this over freddie mercury really epitomizes everything i hate about ilm sometimes

1988 -

We catch a six am ferry with a group who are fronted by a superstar from a famous group (Queen). They shout, and like all Covent Garden rockers try and be rebellious in public. My Armani pullover is some kind of fashion faux pas to these Canterbury Revenge middle class hard rockers.

Hilariously and without any prompting they launch into rabid defence about playing with this star, saying how talented they are in their own right etc. how great he is - he even comes on their bus sometimes. We ask if they have an oxygen tent for these occasions and say he sounds like a fine leader of men.

They are insolent in the main though, me and the lads ashamed to be in the same business, but we're tired as we actually did some work in Europe, and have slight revenge as the young Customs lads appear to be Fall fans and examine us quickly, while HMC detain this mentally retarded other group and search their ridiculous rock steel suitcases and cassette holders. We leave Dover 30 minutes before the justifiably angry seamen of Britain descend and paralyse the port.

Presumably, this will be "The Cross", with Roger Taylor in somewhere nearby the band?

ah yes, another tedious anecdote that conclusively illustrates why The Fall are soooo much cooler than other bands, thank you

never, never understood the fall

remember the build-up to [whatever album they released in 1994] and then actually hearing 'em...

did not imagine that they'd achieve indie tenure in the US as well

Well, I did not imagine they'd play the interval at the Superbowl.

Oh hang on, I just did.

I can more or less understand the others, but what on earth are three of you doing voting for Bobby Gillespie?!

not a huge mes fan either but at least he didn't play sun city or record radio gaga

yeah i remember him turning down sun city

the tour operators were up in arms

at the personal request of 'miami' steve van zandt

never, never understood the fall

Fair enough, but do you actually like anything?

spring and summer are nice imo

The Best of KC and the Sunshine Band -- The Poll

Good taste!

ah yes, another tedious anecdote that conclusively illustrates why The Fall are soooo much cooler than other bands, thank you

― some dude,

Wasn't really that I don't think - just a sort of 'ah, wasn't there that Queen/Fall thing Smith wrote about somewhere?'. from a briefish Briefish European tour diary he wrote for the NME, which I quite like.

Mark E. Smith cannot sing, has never been able to sing, and will never be able to sing.

I think he agrees with you! ("I don't sing I just shout - all. on. one. note" - Your Heart Out.)