underrated throats
This is my list of some of the most underrated throats, aka, singers in rock, as they somehow flew off the radar of critics and listeners alike. Some of these singers have had massive albums and singles, but for some reason, they could never make it over the hump of pure greatness by their peers.
*Please note, these are in no particular order because amazing can’t have a numerical sequence.
ronnie james dio
I first heard Ronnie James Dio when he was in Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow; the song was “Long Live Rock n’ Roll.” Then Ronnie joined a band called Black Sabbath, replacing a guy called Ozzy Osborne. When I first heard “Sign of the Southern Cross” from the first record, “Mob Rules.” is when I realized RJD was more than a singer, he lived up to his namesake as “God.”
When Black Sabbath, featuring RJD’s second album, dropped “Heaven and Hell.” the title track immediately caught my attention with its esoteric lyrics about this reality, hence starting my journey to figure out our existence, hence the reason behind creating this website.
Buck Dharma / Eric Bloom
I could put Blue Oyster Cult on my most underrated bands and guitarists list. However, I thought it would fit best in this category, as the band features two dudes who have never received any love from their peers, Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma. BOC has had many hits, including Dharma’s staple, Godzilla. However, one of their best, which for some reason was never a hit, was “I Love the Night.” and “Shooting Shark,” which has some fascinating esoteric imagery, and last but not least, “Veteran of Psychic Wars.”
Philip Bailey
I’m going; to be honest, it wasn’t until the brothers Philip, aka Philip Collins and Philp Bailey, did “Easy Lover” is when I first realized that Philp Baily was the singer for Earth Wind and Fire despite the fact I owned numerous EWF records, as it never clicked until the Brothers Phil merged their talent for one of the most famous duets in the ’80s. I must add an EWF tune as well.
Robin Zander
It’s not a secret that the Beetles heavily influenced Cheap Trick. It’s also not a secret that “I Want You to Want Me” from their album Live in Budokon was one of the most popular songs in 1978, as it was in heavy rotation on every radio station back in the day. With that said, it wasn’t until “The Flame” dropped in 1987, did I realize Robin had a fucking great voice, yet the song only reached number 14 on the US Billboard Charts.
Paul rogers
It’s no secret that Paul Rogers has one of the best throats in Rock n Roll. Paul is best known for being the frontman for Bad Company; however, his resume is much broader than that, as he was in Free, Queen, The Firm, and of course his solo work. Yet for some reason, Paul has been overlooked for a plaque in the Rock n Roll Haul of Fame, which leads me to believe, the organization has nothing to do with Rock n Roll and needs to be renamed. (I digress) Nevertheless, EyeChi dot net is giving Paul a big hug.
Steve Perry
Steve Perry was the frontman for Journey, and it seems the guy didn’t get the recognition he thought he deserved, which is true. However, Steve also played the victim and blamed the other band members for his demise. However, Steve’s demise was because of Steve, not the other band members. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Steve’s soulful voice wasn’t a massive influence on Journey’s success because of hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin‘, “Stoned in Love,” and “Separate Ways.” Happened on Steve’s watch.
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung was the frontman for Styx and, like Steve Perry, fell victim to his demise, as he wanted to morph the band into a whimper bubblegum pop band. This all happened with the release of their album “Cornerstone” Like a lot of their work, it provided an esoteric double-entendre look into this reality, as Styx was responsible for my understanding of that fact, with songs like “The Grand Illusion,” “Come Sail Away.” and “Suite Madam Blue.”
Fuck, I just realized that it’s possible Dennis quit the band to become Paul Reiser?
meg myers
I’m not limiting my list to only male voices, as several underrated female voices also fly under the radar. What would happen if Alanis Morissette, Kate Bush, and Florance + The Machine crashed into each other? You would create Meg Myers. I had never heard of Meg until recently, as she covered Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Kate is another underrated throat as well. However, Meg flawlessly channeled Kate; if you close your eyes and listen, you might confuse them. Some of Meg’s noteworthy tunes are “Little Black Death” and “Done.”
David Pack
David Pack was the lead singer of Ambrosia, a band that has undoubtedly produced more than one hit song. They have churned out several chart-topping hits, including “How Much I Feel,” “Biggest Part of Me,” “You’re the Only Woman (You and Me),” and one of my personal favorites, “Key to You,” which was featured on David Benoit’s album “Every Step of the Way.”
David has also produced records for Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Amy Grant, Kenny Loggins, David Benoit, and a host of others,
Johnny Gill
Hear me out on this one. Although New Edition was a fucking joke back in the day, little did most realize that there was a hidden gem hidden within the joke, Johnny Gill. For shits and giggles, I attended a New Editition show back in 2015, and I must say, most of the show was a fucking joke, especially Bobby Brown, as the guy was so fucking fat, he carried around a damn respirator and had to exit performing midway through the show. However, one guy stood out, and that’s when it became quite clear that Johnny Gill still had it. I will admit I own Johnny’s first solo record, and there isn’t a bad song on it, which makes this guy underrated as he never was able to shake off the NE typecast. So, what song showcases his ability to sing? “Fairweather Friend,” Of course.
Alanis Morissette
Alanis isn’t on this list because she has a fantastic vibrato. After all, she doesn’t. However, her voice is unique, and her songwriting skills are full of emotion, making her stand out from her peers and a spot on this list. One of her most lyrically brilliant songs is “Thank U,” an epiphany to “You Outta Know.”
“How ’bout me not blaming you for everything?
How ’bout me enjoying the moment for once?
How ’bout how good it feels to finally forgive you?
How ’bout grieving it all one at a time?”
Brilliant!
ed Kowalczyk ~ LIVE
For reasons unknown, Ed Kowalczyk remains one of the most underrated vocalists in the industry with his unique vocal styling and esoteric lyrics. LIVE gained notoriety on MTV with their album “Throwing Copper,” packed with musical gems, including the emotionally charged “Lighting Crashes” and “I Alone,” where Ed and TOOLS Maynard James Keenan seem to be the same person. Let’s not forget about “Dolphins Cry” and the ingeniously written “Heaven.”
David Drainman ~ Disturbed
David Drainman’s baritone vocal studdering style is nothing less than unique and sets him apart from his peers; perhaps his surname is nothing more than a curse. Most recently, David demonstrated an act of kindness to a fan as he stopped the show to give credence to a crying kid, which perhaps was a publicity stunt to get the band on the map for the mainstream. Nevertheless, David is the epidemy of a great vocalist, not to mention his ability to recreate classic ballads like Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” and his tribute to those with severe life experiences with “The Light.”
Lou Graham ~ Foreigner
I’ve never been a big fan of Foreigner. However, that doesn’t discount the fact that Lou doesn’t deserve to be validated for his ability to sing with the passion he possesses. “I Want to Know What Love Is” is, without a doubt, one of Foreigner’s biggest songs. However, in my opinion, it was also the song that broke the band, meaning the song was so big that it seemed they could not create something that could outdo it, thus, Lou leaving the band, etc. Fuck, the song was on maximum rotation on every fucking radio station back in the day.
Foreigner’s early stuff, like “Jukebox Hero,” “Cold as Ice,” “Urgent,” and “Feels Like the First Time,” was their best stuff, and then they dropped I Want to Know What Love Is” for me, it was reminiscent of “We Are the World.” bubble gum shit in comparison. I don’t know; call me cynical. However, that’s my truth, and I’m sticking to it.
Phi Collins – Genesis, Solo, Producer, actor
If you turned on the radio back in 1987, you would have heard a common denominator that was none other than Phil Collins. For one, the guy was the throat for one of the biggest progressive rock bands, turned pseudo pop band, yet, for some reason, it worked, plus a solo project that, at one time, the guy had an endless amount of hit-singles, and let us not forget that he played drums for Robert Plant and Eric Clapton; where he was the drummer for the song, “Forever Man.” and finally he was the drummer for one of the most embarrassing moments in rock history, as he played with Led Zeppelin for Live Aid, as it seemed everything went South for the band, especially Plant’s throat and Jimmy’s guitar.
Was Phil an outstanding, knock your socks off singer? No, no, he wasn’t. However, I put him on this list for pure respect for being an unstoppable human being.
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