Rank the Sabbath Vocalists!

[Zzzptm]

Ozzy
Dio
Gillan
Hughes
Martin
... and Bill Ward!

How do they stack up in your view? I know there's usually a knife-fight between Ozzy and Dio at the top, so let's just agree to disagree when it comes to those two. And I know there's bootleg material of Dave Walker, Jeff Fenholt, and Ray Gillen - also Rob Halford. If you can find that stuff, feel free to post links to it so we can give it a hear and make comparisons of our own.

Bill Ward is an interesting piece of the puzzle. He's not a bad singer at all, by any measure... so is he *better* than any of the other guys that handled the mic for Sabbath? And what makes a vocalist better or worse? Or better or worse for Black Sabbath? I really enjoy Glenn Hughes, but his work with Black Sabbath is some of his weakest output... is Bill Ward a better vocalist for Sabbath than Glenn Hughes?

Discuss...

[Charger]

Ronnie

Ozzy
Ian
Tony

Ray Gillen
Rob Halford

Dave Walker

Glenn Hughes
Bill Ward

Ronnie ofcourse is number one and so high up there no one can ever touch him.

Ozzy, Ian and Tony are a tight group. Ozzy wins points for originality but Ian and Tony for technical ability both of which are miles ahead of Ozzy.

Ray Gillen was technically good singer but he lacked power and presense in his voice.

Rob is Rob but didn't quite fit Sabbath, but he did a good job though.

Dave Walker's voice was good but he obviously wasn't a good fit.

Glenn Hughes...ugh.

Bill Ward...should have sticked with the drumming.

[Jack the Stripper]

I like Ozzy the most but not by much. Just always have felt this deep connection to his voice and the despair he portrays. His tone and vocal melodies are hypnotic and just make me wanna singalong with him like no other singer can whether with Sabbath or solo.  Ronnie is a close up 2nd. Probably the greatest singer in terms of combining power, virtuosity and beauty. Martin, Hughes, Gillan & Gillen are all great singers in their own but I don’t rate them in Sabbath. It’s always been just Ozzy and Ronnie for me. I like Bills voice and obviously Rob Halford is another idol of mine but he can’t possibly count in the discussion for just a couple of live shows.

[Zzzptm]

I'll have Ozzy and Dio at the top - the most material and the best material came from them. Aging took a toll on Ozzy's voice, but I leave that aside when I consider his overall output. Rank the man at his best against others at their best.

Even though there were a LOT of missteps with the Martin lineups, I still really enjoy Martin as a singer, especially on The Eternal Idol. I would put that above the other singers (excepting Ozzy and Dio).

Next for me is Ian Gillan. Because he's Ian effing Gillan, that's why. Except I could do without his odd choice of gargling noises, which were due to his voice being in rough shape and needing an operation.

Hughes did so much better with just Iommi... I really think if Seventh Star had been allowed to go in a different direction it would have been a much better album... and not a Black Sabbath album, just a Tony Iommi solo album.

Same with Dave Walker. If he's in the lineup, it's a different band. Ray Gillen... he's a question mark for me, wondering if he could have done more.

Bill Ward... he'a an odd outlier. He only got to sing when Ozzy opted out. But I'm trying to imagine him doing Martin-era material and I don't think he'd sound half bad on it, and maybe actually a better fit for the band's sound than Hughes or Gillan. Maybe with some lessons and coaching, he'd be fine on certain numbers, just not the ones that required really strong vocals, like the Dio material. He'd also sound off on Iron Man and other major Ozzy-era classics. In truth, I don't even like Dio singing those. It's just wrong.

[Typhon]

Ozzy.
You mean there are others?   

Okay, don't anyone have a seizure.  But let's face it, the guy was born to sing the Great 8 material.  Nobody else could have done it quite like him.  His voice has that naturally sinister sound that drives the mood home.  And like Jack said:

His tone and vocal melodies are hypnotic and just make me wanna singalong with him like no other singer can whether with Sabbath or solo. 

Kudos, fellow Sabbath brother. 

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I think in terms of range and ability Ozzy is probably the least talented singer that Sabbath have ever had. But that doesn't tell the full story. Sabbath wrote songs which suited his range, and the vocal melodies were as good as anyones. So my ranking is:

Ozzy
Ronnie
Tony
Glenn
& then Ian

Ian outside of Born Again would probably rank higher, I just don't think he sings that well on BA, how much I'm influenced by the muddy mix I'm not sure.

I have listened to the Ray Gillen version of Eternal Idol, I just don't particularly remember it.

[Thelemech]

Ozzy
Dio
Gillan


Tony Martin


Glenn

and all the other wankers dead last.

[Thelemech]

Ozzy
Dio
Gillan


Tony Martin


Glenn

and all the other wankers dead last.

I should mention that I do not consider Rob Halford or Ray Gillen to be Sabbath singers. Gillen did his best work in Badlands anyway IMHO.

[Zzzptm]

Getting some good chuckles out of the thread, especially Thel's "wankers" comment.

I'll drink to that, Thel!

[Thelemech]

  

[Ted Sallis]

Gillan
Dio
Ozzy

I don't consider either Glenn Hughes nor Tony Martin to have been singers for Sabbath; in my view they both fronted what was or should have been Tony's solo career.

Ted

[Typhon]

I don't consider either Glenn Hughes nor Tony Martin to have been singers for Sabbath; in my view they both fronted what was or should have been Tony's solo career.
Ted

   

[Zzzptm]

Gillan
Dio
Ozzy

I don't consider either Glenn Hughes nor Tony Martin to have been singers for Sabbath; in my view they both fronted what was or should have been Tony's solo career.

Ted

EPIC DE-LURK