Where Perry Ranks

[Eyeof]

I think Steve Perry was an awesome vocalist in his day...I think only Dave Bickler and probably Jimi Jamison rank above him in his genre at all!

[Saint John]

No one was as good as Perry.

[Rockindeano]

I think Steve Perry was an awesome vocalist in his day...I think only Dave Bickler and probably Jimi Jamison rank above him in his genre at all!

You should be banned immediately for being a complete retard. Let's see, two Survivor fags are better than the Voice? Ok, I can see that.. Come on, toss off all you want to Jimi and The Search is Over, but be a fuckin realist, dude. Idiot. It's not an objective opinion here. Perry was heads and shoulders better than these two, and if you ask Bickler and JJ, they would say the same thing.

[Eyeof]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

[Michigan Girl]

You're insane!!!

[Saint John]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

All shit tossing aside, we can sit here and post the "best of" vocals from each person mentioned, and I think that the vast majority of their peers, people here and even voice experts, would agree that Perry is unparalleled.

[Rhiannon]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

You're being sardonic.

[journeyrock]

Why someone would come into a Steve Perry forum and pose that question is beyond me.

BTW, just for the record, you are wrong. No one was better than "The Voice"!

[slucero]

There's a reason the "Survivor" forum is BELOW Perry's.....

[kgdjpubs]

No one was as good as Perry.

I'd put Sam Cooke above Perry, though Perry was VERY close. Cooke took the style from pure gospel and applied it to pop (and blues) music. I'd say his vocal inflections were maybe superior to Perry also (see song below). Perry took Cooke's style, added a much higher vocal range, a technically more gifted voice and applied it to rock. Rod Stewart effectively did the same thing, but to a slightly different style.

What Sam Cooke did with the very minimal base of Lost and Lookin' is something I've never heard from anyone else, Perry included.
Lost and Lookin' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ3WoXPKxTQ
The difference is someone who WAS a gospel singer versus someone who did a very good job using much of the style of a gospel singer and a few other influences--it's subtle, but there is a difference.

Depending on style, I might put others ahead of Perry also. For example, Paul Rodgers is a better BLUES singer than Perry. Perry might be more talented overall, but his strength was based on motown/R&B, not blues. For a motown approach applied to rock music, there is simply no better.

[Eyeof]

oh lighten up guys...when you are a fan of a band that refuses to do ANYTHING, you have to do something for entertaiment...besides, I love this forum, as there are people actually on it! You can make a silly comment like I made and by five post down we have a Sam Cooke/Steve Perry debate...that's awesome...

[kgdjpubs]

oh lighten up guys...when you are a fan of a band that refuses to do ANYTHING, you have to do something for entertaiment...besides, I love this forum, as there are people actually on it! You can make a silly comment like I made and by five post down we have a Sam Cooke/Steve Perry debate...that's awesome...

yes, but you can't count of me to be around next time. If those Perry fans can find all the information on him, I've got no chance at all if they try to burn me at the stake for being a heretic. I think I hear the Perry fans coming down the street already, and it's not even Halloween yet.

[Rockindeano]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

You're being sardonic.

Look at Rhiannon getting loose and dropping "sardonic" into the conversation. Nicely done.

[Saint John]

I think I hear the Perry fans coming down the street

Generally speaking, it only takes one for that to happen.

[Tomulator]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

Uhh...this begs the question..."How do you know what's on SP's bedroom wall"?

[Michigan Girl]

No one was as good as Perry.

I'd put Sam Cooke above Perry, though Perry was VERY close. Cooke took the style from pure gospel and applied it to pop (and blues) music. I'd say his vocal inflections were maybe superior to Perry also (see song below). Perry took Cooke's style, added a much higher vocal range, a technically more gifted voice and applied it to rock. Rod Stewart effectively did the same thing, but to a slightly different style.

What Sam Cooke did with the very minimal base of Lost and Lookin' is something I've never heard from anyone else, Perry included.
Lost and Lookin' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ3WoXPKxTQ
The difference is someone who WAS a gospel singer versus someone who did a very good job using much of the style of a gospel singer and a few other influences--it's subtle, but there is a difference.

Depending on style, I might put others ahead of Perry also. For example, Paul Rodgers is a better BLUES singer than Perry. Perry might be more talented overall, but his strength was based on motown/R&B, not blues. For a motown approach applied to rock music, there is simply no better.

Very good points, concerning style ...I appreciate and love all of the above mentioned!!
I'm a Motown girl, which would explain my preference for Perry ...but I get that same motown vibe from Cooke too!!
Perry's the fav, hands down ...my numero uno!!

[Rhiannon]

BS!...I know for a fact that Steve Perry had a poster of Dave Bickler on his bed room wall! Bickler owns Perry's candy ass!

You're being sardonic.

Look at Rhiannon getting loose and dropping "sardonic" into the conversation. Nicely done.

Thanks Deano. OP was clearly coming in to just stir up some debate. Which they owned up to I see... nothing wrong with it. It was just hilariously transparent.

[kgdjpubs]

I'm a Motown girl, which would explain my preference for Perry ...but I get that same motown vibe from Cooke too!!

although one could say truthfully that Cooke pre-dated Motown. Quite possibly the single most copied singer in history--especially if you factor in all the singers that copied the copies (ie those that tried to copy Perry).

[timstar78]

In the rock genre, I would say that Steve Perry was the supreme singer and vocal stylist between 1978 and 1987. Since, I can't think of too many rock vocalists that come close to rivaling him. What an amazing voice.

That said, if we are speaking within the rock genre, I personally put Ann Wilson on equal footing with Perry, and if taking overall career output into account, I give her an edge in terms of longevity.

Though the quality of her voice has changed, the fact of the matter is Ann Wilson is still singing at a very high level in 2010. At the ripe age of 60, she still has plenty of range (Heart has yet to have to tune down any of their songs for Ann) and her attention to dynamics is still exquisite. She's a marvel.

Ann Wilson and Steve Perry...now that's a lost duets album that I would have loved to hear circa 1985.

[Saint John]

In the rock genre, I would say that Steve Perry was the supreme singer and vocal stylist between 1978 and 1987. Since, I can't think of too many rock vocalists that come close to rivaling him. What an amazing voice.

That said, if we are speaking within the rock genre, I personally put Ann Wilson on equal footing with Perry, and if taking overall career output into account, I give her an edge in terms of longevity.

Though the quality of her voice has changed, the fact of the matter is Ann Wilson is still singing at a very high level in 2010. At the ripe age of 60, she still has plenty of range (Heart has yet to have to tune down any of their songs for Ann) and her attention to dynamics is still exquisite. She's a marvel.

Ann Wilson and Steve Perry...now that's a lost duets album that I would have loved to hear circa 1985.

I agree with virtually everything, but I would say that Perry was the very best from 1980-1984. That super high shit prior to, and the sometimes cracking (while live during ROR) andthe Benny Mardones-like gruff stuff afterward, was very good, but not "supreme."

[timstar78]

I agree with virtually everything, but I would say that Perry was the very best from 1980-1984. That super high shit prior to, and the sometimes cracking (while live during ROR) andthe Benny Mardones-like gruff stuff afterward, was very good, but not "supreme."

Fair enough...

[Enigma869]

I think Steve Perry was an awesome vocalist in his day...I think only Dave Bickler and probably Jimi Jamison rank above him in his genre at all!

What the hell are you smoking? Sounds like Jamison's gay lover has decided to appear on MR under an alias! How is The Mistake By The Lake these days?

[Enigma869]

Incidentally, wasn't Bickler the goofy fuck dressed up the the Guardian Angels costume who sang lead on only the Eye Of The Tiger album? If you seriously think that tool was even in the same stratosphere as Perry, get yourself to an ENT Specialist, STAT, because you're hearing is all fucked up!

[Saint John]

JFB ... spreading the love down here.

[portland]

JFB ... spreading the love down here.

Refreshing isn't it!!!!

[kgdjpubs]

Incidentally, wasn't Bickler the goofy fuck dressed up the the Guardian Angels costume who sang lead on only the Eye Of The Tiger album? If you seriously think that tool was even in the same stratosphere as Perry, get yourself to an ENT Specialist, STAT, because you're hearing is all fucked up!

Bickler sang lead on Survivor (self-titled), Premonition, Eye of the Tiger, and Caught in the Game. That would be as many albums as Jamison did--if you count the "reunion" album from a few years ago. Eye of the Tiger, the song, was simply a one-off written specifically for the film that doesn't sound like the rest of the album that was named for it.

I'd argue that Bickler is a better hard rock singer than Perry (which is what most of the Bickler-era albums are), but Perry is a much better singer overall. Perry's soul background sometimes would be considered a negative to the raw edge that makes some songs work--and that raw edge is something Bickler excelled at.

[Enigma869]

Bickler sang lead on Survivor (self-titled), Premonition, Eye of the Tiger, and Caught in the Game. That would be as many albums as Jamison did--if you count the "reunion" album from a few years ago. Eye of the Tiger, the song, was simply a one-off written specifically for the film that doesn't sound like the rest of the album that was named for it.

I'd argue that Bickler is a better hard rock singer than Perry (which is what most of the Bickler-era albums are), but Perry is a much better singer overall. Perry's soul background sometimes would be considered a negative to the raw edge that makes some songs work--and that raw edge is something Bickler excelled at.

Well, I'm not the Survivor expert that some are on this board but for what it's worth, I think Jamison had a far better voice than Bickler had. I would imagine with Bickler, an album like "Vital Signs" doesn't even happen, because based on the guy's voice, it doesn't sound like he had any shot of hitting some of the notes on that album. As for your genre selection...I'm not even going to get into that. All I know is that for my ears, I've never heard a better voice than Perry's, in ANY genre. The only singer (for me) that has EVER come remotely close to Perry's raw power is Ann Wilson.

[Babyblue]

No one was as good as Perry.

[kgdjpubs]

Bickler sang lead on Survivor (self-titled), Premonition, Eye of the Tiger, and Caught in the Game. That would be as many albums as Jamison did--if you count the "reunion" album from a few years ago. Eye of the Tiger, the song, was simply a one-off written specifically for the film that doesn't sound like the rest of the album that was named for it.

I'd argue that Bickler is a better hard rock singer than Perry (which is what most of the Bickler-era albums are), but Perry is a much better singer overall. Perry's soul background sometimes would be considered a negative to the raw edge that makes some songs work--and that raw edge is something Bickler excelled at.

Well, I'm not the Survivor expert that some are on this board but for what it's worth, I think Jamison had a far better voice than Bickler had. I would imagine with Bickler, an album like "Vital Signs" doesn't even happen, because based on the guy's voice, it doesn't sound like he had any shot of hitting some of the notes on that album.

for what it's worth, Bickler had a HIGHER range than Jimi Jamison. It's hard to tell because JJ has a much fuller voice, but it becomes obvious if you compare them back to back on the same song. Some portion of Vital Signs was done before Bickler left--and he was singing quite a bit of the VS material during the 90s when he came back. For example, the high parts in Search is Over is something that JJ always struggled with live, and Bickler hit them dead on pretty much every time. If you compare the original (ie Bickler) version of Ever Since the World Began with the JJ-solo version, Jamison is straining much more to hit the notes. Same with a few others.

On the subject of actually comparing voices, Dave Bickler always struck me as having a voice like Richie Sambora. In other words, very good on his own material, but limited in what he could sing. Bickler could nail the rock material, but the very melodic JJ-songs, he absolutely massacred. Jamison never had the raw edge, but a very melodic voice. What it boils down to is that JJ is a much more VERSATILE singer than Bickler, but I won't necessarily say better.

As for your genre selection...I'm not even going to get into that. All I know is that for my ears, I've never heard a better voice than Perry's, in ANY genre.

Here's sorta what I'm talking about....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ1wCGusYxI& Not saying Perry couldn't do the song, but my theory is that his soul background would smooth it out into something totally different sounding.

Perry is certainly one of, if not the best, for the combination of technical talent, and style. Certainly, for the soul approach to rock vocals, there is no better. I might argue that someone like Paul Rodgers is a better blues singer than Perry, but Perry is a better singer. That's kinda the same point,but in a different genre.

As for your genre selection...I'm not even going to get into that. All I know is that for my ears, I've never heard a better voice than Perry's, in ANY genre. The only singer (for me) that has EVER come remotely close to Perry's raw power is Ann Wilson.

hmm....Ann Wilson is simply amazing for power. Perry certainly has a lot of depth in his voice, but I think from a pure power standpoint, Ann Wilson has him beat there.

In addition, I'd add John Farnham (when he wants to), Glenn Hughes and Jimmy Barnes (or at least pre-1998 Jimmy Barnes) to the list.

Get Wilson, Farnham, Hughes and Barnes on the same stage, and that would be pretty wild for a pure vocal power show.