The greatest singer of all time, according to Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop‘s showmanship and stage presence are the ingredients that have made him a rock ‘n’ roll icon rather than his ability to hit a high note.
Despite his immense, larger-than-life persona that can light up any room, Iggy Pop wouldn’t be considered by many as the greatest singer ever to live. However, if it came under the broader scope of frontmen, then The Stooges icon would be firmly rooted in the conversation.
For any music fan, picking the greatest singer of all time is an almost impossible assignment, and the top spot probably changes as frequently as the weather. Many factors could be considered, whether this be taking a holistic approach by exploring the wider cultural impact of their career and how their work inspired others. For Iggy Pop, he let his answer be dictated by his heart.
In 2008, Iggy participated in a survey for Rolling Stone alongside various other legendary figures in the music business to name the 20 singers he considers the greatest. As somebody who constantly breaks the rules, Iggy unsurprisingly couldn’t stick to the remit of the task and instead chose to name 21 of his personal favourites, finding room for Kurt Cobain in the 21st spot.
Other names on his list include proper legends like David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, Chuck Berry, and Brian Wilson. Being a massive Beatles fan, Iggy put Paul McCartney in third place, with John Lennon just edging him out in second.
In the top spot, Iggy celebrated Elvis Presley, who, on the surface, has little in common with Pop’s brand of raucous punk. However, during a profile with The New Yorker in 2019, Iggy revealed Elvis was the first significant influence on his artistry.
He also explained how the performative aspect of Presley’s live shows was particularly inspiring to him as an impressionable youngster. “I started listening and watching, especially the stuff he took from minstrel shows. The footwork, the tongue-in-cheek humour,” Iggy revealed.
While by modern-day standards, Presley’s live act was relatively tame and inoffensive, it was a different world in the 1950s. He was a rock ‘n’ roll revolutionary who was deemed “unfit for family viewing” by The Ed Sullivan Show. Yet, due to public demand, they were left with no choice but to welcome Presley to the hit TV show, which caused a record-breaking 82 per cent of the American television-watching public to tune in to the performance in 1956.
At this time, Iggy would have been nine years old and never before been exposed to anything remotely similar to Elvis, which had a lasting effect upon him, as well as millions of others. In 1994, he honoured his love of Elvis by performing at a star-studded tribute concert in Memphis. The event, hosted by John Stamons, also included acts such as Sammy Hagar, Jerry Lee Lewis, Michael Hutchence and Cheap Trick.
Iggy Pop’s view of Elvis could have been clouded by an unfortunate set of circumstances that followed decades later. Notably, their careers are intriguingly intertwined because ‘The King’ died shortly before the release of his second solo album, Lust For Life. As both artists were signed to RCA, the label focused on repackaging old material from Presley and let Iggy rot by the wayside.
Because the label had their sights set on Presley, Lust For Life ended up slipping under the radar – and unfairly so. Thankfully, time’s done it justice. The David Bowie-produced album is now rightly seen as a classic, and one of the true high points of Iggy’s career.
Although the saga led to his exit from RCA, Iggy’s appreciation for Presley, a major reason he became a rock star in the first place, could never be diminished.
