10 Greatest Vocal Performances In Classic Rock

Singers tend to receive a bad reputation when it comes to rock and roll. Many people think that these guys just have a lucky break by making a living screaming into a microphone. On the other side, there have been many vocalists that have really shown the time and effort that goes into singing rock and roll.

A lot of people tend to forget that the voice is an instrument unto itself, and all of these singers utilize that instrument to its fullest potential. These songs not only showcase the intensity of the person's singing, but also the unique control of their range. Some of these tunes don't even feature one vocalist, but a vocal team working in conjunction with each other to create something truly spectacular.

Above all, these performances show these singers as fully functioning musicians, who put their heart and soul into their craft to make magic come out of their vocal cords. Sure, they might not be playing a guitar or tearing up the drums, but the sheer power coming from the back of their throat will make your hair stand up on end.

Any rock fan who has ever dabbled in singing knows that Jim Morrison is his own separate entity. Without knowing one thing about music theory, the frontman for the Doors had a distinct aura about him that channeled some cosmic well of songwriting expertise.

Though most of the Doors' first record saw them wearing their influences on their sleeve from blues rock to jazzier material, "The End" is the song that showed everyone just what kind of group this band was. With just a few basic instrumental foundations, the track is dominated by Morrison's voice, as he takes the listener from a lilting love song into the deepest depths of societal Armageddon. While fans had heard both sides of Morrison's voice, this tune is his greatest vocal showcase by a longshot.

Though much of the middle bit is centered around his spoken word poetry, the song shows the evolution of Morrison's singing ability from a tender balladeer with great control to a ferocious animal who will stop at nothing to get his point across to his audience. There had been many rock innovators throughout the 60's, but it was after hearing "The End" for the first time that you realized just how serious rock had become.