February 21, 2008
Who's the ultimate front-man?

That's what it takes to be a truly phenomenal front-man. And the '80s were full of some truly great ones. Still, if you had to name the ultimate '80s front-man, who would you pick?
List time again. Leave a comment with your favorite front-men. Here's some criteria to agree on. Solo artists like Billy Idol and Rick Springfield are not eligible. By the very nature of them being solo, they already stand out. And despite the term "front-man," your picks can be either male or female. (Or, in the case of Boy George, possibly both.)
Feel free to state your case for your picks. In the meantime, here are some names worthy of the title:
STEVE PERRY (Journey): Sporting those tuxedo tails, he danced around the stage like his pants were on fire. And that voice? One in a million. The band hasn't been the same without him -- so much so that when Journey picked a a new lead singer, they chose someone who sounded exactly like Perry.
DAVID LEE ROTH (Van Halen): Nobody should be allowed to sing "Running with the Devil" except Roth. Sure, he got a little too cabaret in the mid-80s, but his return to the band has reinvigorated a classic 80s act.
BONO (U2): A star from the moment he marched out with the white flag at Red Rocks during "Sunday Bloody Sunday."
SIMON LE BON (Duran Duran): Give Simon bonus points for standing out in a band already full of pretty faces.
CHRISSIE HYNDE (The Pretenders): Can you even name another member of the band?