Joe Elliott picks the two greatest living rock singers
There’s a specific art that comes with singing rock and roll. While many singers have tried to bring theatrical elements to their music, it doesn’t get any better than singers who throw caution to the wind and scream into the microphone with reckless abandon. Although Joe Elliott carved out his unique sound when working with Def Leppard, he believes two hard rock singers are acting as the last of the genre’s golden age.
However, it isn’t the typical rock and roll grit one would expect when looking at how Elliott constructed Leppard’s vocal prowess. While the first handful of Def Leppard records saw Elliott using a grittier tone in his voice on tracks like ‘Let It Go’, it wasn’t until they started to work with producer Mutt Lange that they came into their own as a vocal presence.
Putting together the perfect vocal take one layer at a time, Lange turned albums like Pyromania into the ultimate vocal experience, featuring multiple walls of vocals that could rival Queen. Although Leppard would eventually work with different producers on their later output, that vocal chemistry would remain a constant in their lives.
When Vivian Campbell joined the band in place of Steve Clark, even he had to admit the massive vocal power that comes with being in the band, telling Classic Albums, “I remember going to see them, and I thought they were using vocal tracks because the background vocals sounded so good. They said, ‘No, it’s just us singing’. I remember we didn’t believe them. Now that I’m in the band, I know it’s absolutely true. Def Leppard is a rock band that can sing”.
As for Elliott’s vocal prowess, it all traced back to the legends of hard rock. Initially inspired by glam rock icons like David Bowie and Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople, Elliott insisted that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Sammy Hagar of Van Halen are the last two examples of classic rock and roll vocals.
Discussing the state of rock and roll, Elliott said that both frontmen have been able to maintain their vocal stamina better than any of their contemporaries, explaining, “Bowie’s come down very low in recent years, and Robert Plant doesn’t really go for the high notes that much anymore. There are only two singers I’m aware of that still have the pipes they had when they first came out: Sammy Hagar and Steven Tyler”.
Looking at both singer’s vocals throughout the years, it’s easy to see where Elliott is coming from. Although Aerosmith may have gotten off to a shaky start, Tyler’s vocals have remained one of the strongest in the business, even conjuring up the strength to hit those impressive screams in ‘Dream On’ to this day.
And while Van Halen had seen massive success with David Lee Roth behind the mic, Hagar’s approach was far more musical, reaching into the stratosphere to create excellent melodic passages on tracks like ‘Dreams’ and ‘Right Now’. Putting on a good rock show might feel like stepping into a boxing ring for any singer, but Elliott knew to pay respect to those who finetuned their instrument throughout years of rock and roll debauchery.
