15 Best Hard Rock Singers Of All Time

Heavy metal was slowly being birthed in the early 70's, but each band had one foot still firmly rooted in the blues. While the tunes may have been a bit more meaty, the main structure was based around that typical sound you'd find from Robert Plant or the Yardbirds' Keith Relf. Just on the outskirts of England, Judas Priest came to prominence and taught the entire metal world how it's done.

Though the entire sound of the band was a shock to the musical system, people could not seem to get enough of Rob Halford. As opposed to the more forceful delivery of singers before him, Halford's range gave the rock world one of the best screams on Earth. With some history in the theatre scene, Halford became enamored with the idea of using your voice as a musical force of nature rather than just a decoration, which led to some of metal's most epic moments on songs like "Painkiller" and "Breaking the Law."

The ability Halford had to switch between brooding intensity and feral shrieks was something that many metal vocalists are still trying to figure out, from Bruce Dickinson to Queensryche's Geoff Tate. As he continues to go strong today, Rob Halford has earned his stripes as a true vocal athlete.