Fan poll: 5 best punk vocalists of all time
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Punk singers are a different breed. Not only do they have to sing with conviction, but they also need to possess tremendous energy, flinging themselves around onstage or barrelling into a crowd, while standing for something. Since the genre’s inception, there have been a ton of standouts, so we turned to our readers and asked them to vote on the best punk vocalists of all time. They nominated many names, reaching back to the old guard and shining a light on modern heroes, but, ultimately, we’re only looking at a handful.
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From Glenn Danzig to Billie Joe Armstrong, find the top fan picks ranked below.
5. Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra stands tall among the greatest vocalists in history. During his time with Dead Kennedys, and long after, he penned cutting lyrics that pushed back against the era’s political climate, which he delivered in a shaky vibrato. It made his singing sound cartoonish and strange even though he was addressing real issues and people, like on the diss track “California Über Alles.” Along with a sardonic wit and boundless, madball energy, Biafra made a unique mark on the genre that can’t be replicated.
4. Glenn Danzig
Misfits have cast a formidable shadow over punk, in large part due to their ghoulish frontman Glenn Danzig. Inspired by watching Elvis Presley dominate on Jailhouse Rock while he was cutting school, Danzig went on to become just as influential as his hero, as he earned the nickname Evil Elvis with his ghostly cries. His singing made the band’s furious tunes more theatrical, haunting, and larger than life, best heard on their 1982 grave stomp Walk Among Us.
3. Joey Ramone
The Ramones wouldn’t be nearly as influential without their frontman’s distinctive style. Overtop the band’s three-chord blitz, Joey Ramone let out alluring croons (“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”) and spun unforgettable choruses by keeping the songs simple (“Sheena is a Punk Rocker”). His ability to weave between varying styles made him one of the most remarkable voices in the genre — and there’s still nobody who sounds like him.
2. Greg Graffin
For many, Bad Religion belong on punk’s Mount Rushmore. Part of that is because of lead singer and founding member Greg Graffin. He cites Neil Young, Todd Rundgren, and Elvis Costello as influences on his vocal style, as he employs more melody than ferocity. Along with his distinct vocal chops, Graffin also wrote songs that were existential and explored social commentary. After reading his lyrics, it makes total sense that he’d go on to pursue academia and earn a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
1. Billie Joe Armstrong
Green Day would be unrecognizable without Billie Joe Armstrong’s nasally vocals. His singing possesses a dark tone and a powerful range — particularly on 21st Century Breakdown — which helped bring the band to soaring heights. His vocals are also representative of the Bay Area, as Armstrong’s home turf was a lot more suburban and lax than his contemporaries, which lent to their goofy lyrics early on. Even now, weeks away from releasing their 14th studio album, Saviors, his voice hasn’t aged much, sounding eerily similar to those OG Green Day tapes.
