KISS Gene Simmons rated the Rolling Stones’ 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list ‘BS’ after he and Celine Dion were among those who failed to make the cut.
speaking to TMZthe rocker called the new list, updated since the last version in 2008, “skewed” and one-sided after artists like Adele and Aretha Franklin were included and he was not.
Gene also took a jab at Rolling Stone, saying he used to want to buy the magazine adding that he doesn’t “give a shit” that it didn’t make the cut.
Anger: Gene Simmons rated Rolling Stones’ list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time ‘BS’ after he and Celine Dion failed to make the cut along with a host of other famous singers.
The rocker believes that Rolling Stone goes for people who have a distinctive style and recognizable voice rather than who is the better singer.
When the list was published on Sunday, it attracted a lot of controversy online.
The list of artists was wide and varied, due in part to the change in criteria, despite controversies over who was not included.
Controversial: Artists like Adele, Whitney and Aretha made the cut, but Gene and Celine (pictured) were left out
Dion, who was snubbed, is known for her powerful and technically adept voice and the Canadian singer, 54, has also amassed more than 200 million records sold worldwide, while winning a host of accolades and awards. during his five decades in the spotlight.
There were no big surprises in the Top 10 of the RS list, other than Dion missing out on the list.
Many would agree that having Aretha Franklin at number one is a no-brainer, followed by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday and Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Otis Reeding and Al Green.
Fan Reaction: Dion is known for her powerful and technically adept voice and the Canadian singer, 54, has also amassed more than 200 million record sales worldwide.
While soul and R&B artists dominated the Top 10, numbers 11-20 were much more varied and eclectic with the addition of rock and pop singers.
Rock and roll icons Little Richard and John Lennon were 11 and 12 years old, followed by Patsy Cline, Freddie Mercury, Bob Dylan, Prince, Elvis Presley, Celia Cruz, Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye.
Some fans outraged by Dion’s snub pointed out that some of the questionable names on the updated list don’t have what most people would consider a classic voice, but that’s where the new criteria come into play.
Those names most experts would agree don’t have a better singing voice than Celine Dion include many of the rockers on the list, including Ozzy Osbourne (#112), Glen Danzig (#199), Kurt Cobain (#36), Bruce Springsteen (#77), Mick Jagger (#52), John Foggerty (#118), Patti Smith (#117), Chrissie Hynde (#114), Roger Daltry (#109), Courtney Love (#125) and Joe Strummer (#130).
Also, it’s obvious that singers like Leonard Cohen (#103), Bob Dylan (#15), Lou Reed (#107), and Johnny Cash (#85) leaned more towards attitude and a uniquely poetic style in their vocal delivery and letters.
Critics would also argue against most pop stars including Lady Gaga (#58), Taylor Swift (#102), Usher (#97), Selena (#89), The Weeknd (#110) and George Michael (#62). ).
But readers should remember that when Rolling Stone first published its list of the 100 Greatest Singers in 2008, journalists “used an elaborate voting process that included input from well-known musicians” who leaned toward classic rock and pop singers. the 60s and 70s.
This updated version was compiled by the publication’s staff and key contributors, and focused on the last 100 years of popular music, while asking its readers to “keep in mind that this is the list of the greatest singers, not the list of the best voices”.
What seemed to matter most to RS journalists was ‘originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog and the breadth of their musical legacy.
Arguing the case: Dion fans and singing experts would also argue against list-making singers like Lou Reed, pictured, and Bob Dylan.
“These are the vocalists who have shaped history and defined our lives, from smooth operators to raw screamers, from gospel to punk, from Sinatra to Selena to SZA,” the article said.
Dion is by far one of the most successful and impactful singers in modern history having first emerged in her native Canada as a teen star with a string of French-language albums in the 1980s.
He would go on to gain international fame by winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.
After learning to speak English, Dion was signed to Epic Records in the United States, eventually releasing her debut album in English, Unison (1990).
In the wake of her third English-language album, The Color Of My Love (1993), the Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada native had become a global superstar.
Over the last four decades, he has won five Grammy Awards, six AMAs, seven Billboard Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 20 JUNO Awards, to name a few.
He also holds a host of world records including the best-selling French-language albums in history; best-selling contemporary female artist; first and only female artist to have two of her albums sell over 30 million copies worldwide; The world’s best-selling solo artist of the ’90s; and second woman in history to sell 50 million records in Europe, among many others.
It seems Dion, herself, doesn’t seem to mind being left out of Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, considering she hasn’t responded publicly.
Key credentials: With sales of more than 200 million records sold worldwide, Celine Dion is among the best-selling music artists of all time; she is seen performing in France in July 2017