

Lyrically, Cuomo expertly tosses around key reference points of suburban masculinity like girlfriends, fathers, stepfathers, the garage, surfboards, vacations and unrequited love. Listen to the demo of “Buddy Holly” on Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo he already has every “oooeeeooo,” “oh oh” and “ooo ooo” perfectly in place, all obviously essential to the song. Meanwhile, Cuomo is canny enough to utilize his vocals as a key compositional instrument. Cuomo’s quirky confidence has the listener rooting for him almost instantly his singing the audio equivalent of Jason Schwartzman’s character in Rushmore. By Daniel Margolis Hit “next” or click the picture to read on…īand: Weezer Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo is a top-notch songwriter and an accomplished guitarist, but none of that would matter if it wasn’t for his voice. No people who are mainly known for their work on instruments. Thus no members of The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Zombies, The Band… 3.

No people from bands in which everyone sings and there is no clear leader. So here we present the 50 best to step up to a mic stand. Some made this list for their skill, some for their style, but all are worthy of going down in history among the best lead singers ever. What’s more, if you write songs that mean something to you, every night is not just a gig but a long trip down memory lane, which can be emotionally draining (not much successful rock is built on pleasant life experiences). And if you do play an instrument, you’ve got to do that and remember your lyrics simultaneously, which for some is like patting your head while rubbing your stomach. While the rest of your bandmates can hide behind guitars, drum kits and keyboards, you have to stand there and sing, which means figuring out something to do with your hands while singing and your whole body when not (good luck if you’re not capable of so much as a single dance move). As stupid as it may sound, given that the role generally involves copious amounts of sex and partying, being a lead singer is hard work.
