Lana on Rolling Stone's list of Best Singers of All Time

[Beautiful Loser]

Quote

When Lana Del Rey’s breakout song “Video Games” started circulating the internet in 2011, the haunting melancholy lingering in the lower register of her voice stood miles apart from the bright pop hits of the time. Her style hovers between glamor and candidness, her words at times delivered casually to emphasize that there’s a banality behind the melodrama. Throughout her prolific discography, she pushes hard in both directions, as on 2014’s “Brooklyn Baby,” when she plays a coquettish character with her tone of feigned innocence, or 2021’s “White Dress,” on which she reveals all the scratches and imperfections of her airy head voice. —M.K.

Source (Rolling Stone magazine)

 

Congrats, Lana!

[slang]

I'm very glad LDR got the recognition but kind of a weird list. They do make a point of saying best singer is not equal to best voice, so Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan are higher up on the list (than say LDR). However, if they had said "200 best genre-defining vocalists" instead of "singers", maybe some rappers would have made the list (or did I miss any)?  Anyway, some highly rational choices (e.g., Sinatra, Bowie, Elvis Presly, Billie Holliday, Robert Plant, Kate Bush, Bjork), but other rational choices were left out (e.g., Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and I'm sure many more). 

 

Edit-
I don't seem to be able to see Joni Mitchell or Ella Fitzgerald on the list, because my 41-60 link seems to stop at Sade (51, btw, good choice). However, I fully believe they are there, because it would be insane to leave them out, and other people saw them. Sorry anyway.

 

Of course, I had to click on the red rectangle under Sade to extend the list. 

[Vertimus]

1 minute ago, slang said:

I'm very glad LDR got the recognition but kind of a weird list. They do make a point of saying best singer is not equal to best voice, so Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan are higher up on the list (than say LDR). However, if they had said "200 best genre-defining vocalists" instead of "singers", maybe some rappers would have made the list (or did I miss any)?  Anyway, some highly rational choices (e.g., Sinatra, Bowie, Elvis Presly, Billie Holliday, Robert Plant, Kate Bush, Bjork), but other rational choices were left out (e.g., Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and I'm sure many more). 

Yeah, as usual with that dinosaur publication, which hasn't been influential since the mid-1970s, the list was pretty much shit, and, as usual with their 'best of' lists, engineered to outrage and flummox. That's the only way they can get anyone, anywhere, to pay attention to them. I'm glad she made the list, but, Lana makes it and Joni Mitchell does not?

 

Etc.

 

Etc. 

 

Etc. 

[Sportscruiser]

Celine Dion not getting in is also sort of bizarre.

 

Happy for Lana as her voice is absolutely one of the central parts of her appeal and uniqueness.

[Beautiful Loser]

Joni Mitchell #50
Ella Fitzgerald #45
 

But yeah, I think Michael Jackson and U2's Bono should've been higher up on the list. Jackson has inspired hundreds of artists and left a huge legacy.

 

 

[ShadesOfFool]

That list is BS lol. They have Taylor above lana (hilarious), ariana and rihanna above Amy (LOL), no Celine dion, no Tony Bennett….

 

foolishness

[prettywhenimhigh]

rolling stones lists are always a mess 

[West Coast]

10 minutes ago, Sportscruiser said:

Celine Dion not getting in is also sort of bizarre.

 

Happy for Lana as her voice is absolutely one of the central parts of her appeal and uniqueness.

She should've been in the top 10. That list is a mess.

[Vertimus]

14 minutes ago, Beautiful Loser said:

Joni Mitchell #50
Ella Fitzgerald #45
 

But yeah, I think Michael Jackson and U2's Bono should've been higher up on the list. Jackson has inspired hundreds of artists and left a huge legacy.

 

 

Sorry. I was trusting what someone else said, like an idiot. I read through the top 40 last night, but was so unimpressed with RS's usual bullshit that I stopped there. 

[Beautiful Loser]

But I'm at least glad that Ed Sheeran isn't on the list.

[Vertimus]

The truth is that of course such lists are completely subjective, and RS is always biased in a great number of ways, including creating lists that are purposefully provocative.

 

In terms of 'influence,' they have Prince before Frank Sinatra, which is absurd. Sinatra and Elvis Presley were two of the most influential individuals and vocalists of the 20th century, on a global basis, but unfortunately they were white, which matters in 2022-2023, and so have to be pushed further back. 

 

And look where they have Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Ridiculous.  

[slang]

20 minutes ago, Beautiful Loser said:

Joni Mitchell #50
Ella Fitzgerald #45
 

But yeah, I think Michael Jackson and U2's Bono should've been higher up on the list. Jackson has inspired hundreds of artists and left a huge legacy.

 

 

Yeah, I gotta hate on how hard it is to scroll thru the list. They really should've done it by genre, then some of the choice rankings might have made more sense.

[cherrytropico]

help why is billie eilish on this list  

[slang]

6 minutes ago, Vertimus said:

The truth is that of course such lists are completely subjective, and RS is always biased in a great number of ways, including creating lists that are purposefully provocative.

 

In terms of 'influence,' they have Prince before Frank Sinatra, which is absurd. Sinatra and Elvis Presley were two of the most influential individuals and vocalists of the 20th century, on a global basis, but unfortunately they were white, which matters in 2022-2023, and so have to be pushed further back. 

 

And look where they have Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Ridiculous.  

But the subjectivities are collective, in some sense.

[Vertimus]

The way this list was put together is the same way they and other outlets do their '10 Best Movies of All Time' lists, which are absurdly tilted towards the 21st century, as if the brilliant era of world cinema that was the 20th century barely existed. 

 

They'll list 'Gone Girl,' 'Avatar,' 'Parasite,' 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'Moonlight,' 'Persepolis,' 'Call Me By Your Name,' 'The Social Network,' and 'Get Out,' and then throw in 'Citizen Kane' from the 20th century and that's it, which shows they know nothing about cinema and have no taste either. 

[stillrun]

59 minutes ago, slang said:

They do make a point of saying best singer is not equal to best voice, so Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan are higher up on the list (than say LDR)

......................why are they even on the list at all? Leonard and Bob can't sing for shit.....  i'm crying.....what were the qualifications here?

[Vertimus]

1 minute ago, letterblue said:

......................why are they even on the list at all? Leonard and Bob can't sing for shit.....  i'm crying.....what were the qualifications here?

Leonard could sing when he was young...'Suzanne'? But he never had a powerhouse voice. It was always his songwriting that propelled his fame. 

[IanadeIrey]

I can’t say I take lists like these as the ultimate accolade from God, but I can always say that it’s amazing when Lana is recognized favourably and celebrated for her true artistic spirit. Glad Rolling Stone is able to see that (even if the placement is way lower than where all of us would put her). 

[stillrun]

11 minutes ago, Vertimus said:

Leonard could sing when he was young...'Suzanne'? But he never had a powerhouse voice. It was always his songwriting that propelled his fame. 

yes i agree, his songwriting is great! i just don't see him as a singer. his voice is not beautiful and i don't really think he knows how.

[Beautiful Loser]

17 minutes ago, letterblue said:

what were the qualifications here?

According to their twees, "originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy".