A Generation Without Lead Singers?

10/03/2011
. (Gibson) The Who's Roger Daltrey says contemporary music is suffering from a lack of great lead singers, and TV shows such as American Idol are partly to blame. Speaking to the Associated Press, the veteran frontman said, "A lot of the new people they choose on shows like American Idol and things like that � I don't ever hear lead singers. They always seem to pick people that are great singers, fabulous singers, but they've never got the voice that makes a great lead singer."

Daltrey went on to cite several examples of lead vocalists he considers top-tier. "You hear ten seconds of Rod Stewart, you know it's Rod Stewart," he said. "Ten-seconds of Mick Jagger, that's Mick Jagger. Ten-seconds of Eddie Vedder, you know that's Eddie."

As regards the younger crowd, he did name one exception to what he considers the dearth of great vocalists. "I love Adele," he said, referring to the British soul singer whose sophomore disc, 21, is the top-selling album in both the U.S. and the U.K. this year. "That's a lead singer, [she's] the real deal." more on this story

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