-A.S. I told you how I felt about Rolling Stone’s list, now I’m going to give you my own. Not because I think I can do it better, but because I’d do it different. Feel free to leave one of your own if you disagree. The Rolling Stone ranking is in parenthesis and I will include some key tracks to check out.

1 (1). Aretha Franklin: Can’t disagree with RS on this one. I think it has something to do with listening to a lot of Oldies 104.3 in the car with my mom when I was little. I always dug the girl groups and female vocalists, and Aretha Franklin is the best of them all. Key Tracks: “Think,” “Chain of Fools”

2 (2). Ray Charles: He really could be 1b in my book. They’re both different better, in a better different sort of way. There is some footage of little Andy singing Ray Charles around my house somewhere. I haven’t changed much since then, to be totally honest. The only difference is my stage has moved from the fireplace to the drivers seat of my car. Key Tracks: “Georgia on my Mind,” “What’d I Say, pts. 1 &2″

3 (8). Otis Redding: Perhaps given more time, Otis Redding would be number one on my list. I don’t think anyone ever has had more soul in their voice than him. I think if he would havehad a larger catalog, he would have an argument to be number one. Key Tracks: “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now),” “These Arms of Mine”

4 (15). Robert Plant: There is something to be said for someone that can hold their own with some of the most awesome rock music of all time. Without him, most of the bands in the 80s would have lead singer that didn’t know how to sing, and Axl would have never even gotten the opportunity to take 13 years to release Chinese Democracy. Key Tracks: “Dazed & Confused,” “Immigrant Song”

5 (11). Paul McCartney: He could rock as hard as “Helter Skelter” or croon as sweet as “Yesterday.” His voice has been on hits for the last 40+ years. Paul McCartney is number one on my list of artists I most want to see, and that set of pipes sure is a big reason. Key Tracks: “Hey Jude,” “Maybe I’m Amazed”

6 (3). Elvis Presley: He changed the way people could sing. He sang with a raw sexuality you could feel the yearning in his voice on a ballad. This white boy understood the roots of the music he sang, and it showed in his songs. Key Tracks: “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock”

7 (9). Stevie Wonder: There is a joy in his voice that no singer has ever come close to. I think if I were in a deserted island situation, Stevie Wonder would be the one artist I would choose to listen to for the rest of my life. Key Tracks: “Superstition,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”

8 (33). Steve Winwood: Traffic is one of my favorite bands of all time, and the voice of Steve Winwood is probably the biggest reason for that. The best example I can think of to demonstrate how much I love him occurred at this summer’s Mile High Music Festival. I saw Winwood perform “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” early in the day at his own set, and had just as much fun that evening as he rocked those tunes with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. There’s not many artists I would tolerate that from. Key Tracks: “Can’t Find My Way Home,” Dear Mr. Fantasy”

9 (40). Curtis Mayfield: Maybe it’s the soul child in me, but in my book there is no voice more moving than that of Curits Mayfield. “People Get Ready” is one of my favorite songs of all time. There is just something so special about the way he sings that tune that gets me every time I hear it. Key Tracks: “People Get Ready,” “I’m So Proud”

10 (Not Ranked). Warren Haynes: This is kind of a wildcard for this spot, I know. I love me some Southern Rock, and Warren Haynes combines my favorite parts of John Fogerty and Gregg Allman and infuses it with an extra touch of soul. It doesn’t hurt that he also penned my favorite song of all time. Hearing Warren Haynes sing “Soulshine” as an encore with Phil Lesh & Friends forever changed the way I look at music. Key Tracks: “Soulshine,” “She Said, She Said”

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