12 Greatest Classic Rock Singers Of All Time
8. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley is the reason that 90% of classic rock bands exist. Though he may not have had the most consistent career trajectory, you'd be a fool to think that Presley's influence on rock and roll was anything but earth-shattering. While rock and roll was already thriving on the music scene, Elvis was the one singer who took the aesthetic and spread it around the world.
It's easy to write off Elvis as one of the burnouts of the 50's generation, but the singles he put out became the foundation of rock going forward. Though the band may have been great, the whole world seemed to come to a halt once you heard his voice. With that low gutteral register, Presley put just the right inflection in his throat that made it seem both dangerous and irresistible. This allowed him to take on raucous songs like "Hound Dog" or "Jailhouse Rock," while also allowing him to bring the mood down into miniature teen epics on ballads like "Love Me Tender."
Armed with just the right amount of hip gyration to send parents into a frenzy, Elvis rode the wave of likability and dangerousness to become the first true rock and roll rebel.