10 Greatest Vocal Performances In Classic Rock

There really is no set rulebook about how to sing rock vocals. From the more slipshot deliveries of some rock singers to the road-tested screams of others, much of rock's pedigree for singing revolves around being yourself whenever you step up to the mic. However, if you had to put any rule into your arsenal, emulating Robert Plant is certainly a step in the right direction.

Plant's voice always sat somewhere between a gutteral blues belter and an out-of-body spectral force, both of which turn up on "Whole Lotta Love." The song starts off with Plant's impressive vocal stabs, almost as if he's in a competition with Jimmy Page's guitar. Though this would cover the typical rock song fine, the ethereal middle section is where you really start to hear Plant's voice soar.

There's no real lyrics in this section, but the pain in his screams really tell you all you need to know. This is a man at the end of his rope, aching for the love he so desperate desires. Even when the chorus comes back in, you can still hear Plant's disembodied voice echoing just a hair behind the original vocal. There have been countless blues imitators to come before and after Led Zeppelin, but there's a reason that Robert Plant is the only one dubbed the Golden God.