Axl refuses ‘best singer’ tag

Axl rose has refused the tag of “world’s best singer” given to him by a survey last week – and he’s offered a list of vocalists he’d rather listen to instead of himself.

Concert Hotels recently unveiled a chart that suggested the Guns n’Roses frontman was able to sing a wider range of notes than dozens of others including Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey and Freddie Mercury.

But Rose tells Spin: “It’s very flattering and humbling to be included in such an illustrious ensemble.

“From what I could tell, the article was for the most part only talking about the professionally-recorded vocal range of the singers they compared, calling the entire group ‘the world’s greatest singers.’

“If I had to say who I thought the best singers were, I’d say first that I don’t know there’s a definitive answer as in my opinion it’s subjective; and second, that my focus is primarily rock singers.”

Rose lists his favourites as Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, retired Nazareth frontman Dan McCafferty, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Jeff Lynne and Jonny Cash, among others.

He adds: “I would rather hear any of them any time rather than me!”

Meanwhile, Vintage Vinyl News has produced its own survey, which suggests that Faith No More frontman Mike Patton deserved the “greatest” tag more than Rose does.

They say: “We found that Rose is still a formidable force – but he is not the artist with the biggest vocal range. He drops to number two behind Patton, who was the only singer we found with a range greater than six octaves.”

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.