15 Most Underrated Hard Rock Singers EVER
1. Glenn Hughes - Deep Purple
When Deep Purple decided to cut ties with singer Ian Gillan, many fans were absolutely devastated. It was no daunting task to recreate Gillan's vocal delivery, but the band proved they could have lightning strike twice when they added David Coverdale to their ranks. While Coverdale may be known as the initial frontman, Glenn Hughes is the real reason why the band was able to stay afloat.
Initially with the funk rock outfit Trapeze, Hughes introduced a style that was more in line with R&B than the typical hard rock of the day. Upon arriving at the audition to replace bassist Roger Glover, Hughes expressed an interest to be part of a vocal team rather than just being a backing vocalist. Coverdale may have been the prime force at the time, but the impressive vocal chops during the breakdown of the song "Burn" showed that Purple had a more than capable vocalist waiting in the wings.
Even after his departure from Purple, Hughes has developed one of the most impressive rap sheets in rock and roll, working with everyone from Tony Iommi to blues guitarist Gary Moore to forming the supergroup Black Country Communion with Joe Bonamossa. Other singers may have more adulation, but when you're talking about the Voice of Rock, Glenn Hughes has to be among the greatest of all time.