One of the best things about working for the Automotive Training Network is the team which we have, a great team which works in perfect synergy together to deliver maximum results. This is also a team which has a laugh and the main topics of conversation are generally music and cars. Last week I was with Mark Gilbert ATN founder and huge music fan and we were discussing the best frontmen of all time. Mark charged me with putting a top 5 together and this has taken me some time to come up with. For me a frontman should be a great singer, a great entertainer and work well with the rest of the band, and here are the 5 I think did it best.
Robert Plant
Robert Plant was the ultimate frontman and arguably one of the best of all time. Plant’s voice was frankly insane and he could reach notes that other singers could only dream of. Plant was in fact the full package, he was energetic, sexy, cool, and he complimented the band perfectly. Plant’s offstage antics have also become a thing of legend which cements his place in this list.
Liam Gallagher
Although Oasis never managed to quite crack the American market there is no doubt that in Liam Gallagher the band had one of the best frontmen of all time. Gallagher had swagger, an incredible voice and he spoke to an entire generation of young fans. Liam was the perfect frontman who had his own style and reached levels of cool that defined the band and those who followed Oasis.
Freddie Mercury
For me Freddie Mercury was the greatest frontman of all time and he excelled in all of the ingredients that you need to be an incredible frontman and those who have gone after him would love to have even 10% of what Freddie offered. His voice was incredible, his stage presence was immense and he had the ability to capture crowds and have them eating out of the palm of his hand. Watch the Live Aid performance if you needed any convincing.
Kurt Cobain
There is nobody in the world like Kurt Cobain and his raw energy and love of creating a spectacle is why he made this list. On top of everything Kurt’s voice was always on point and when you think of how difficult it is to sing those Nirvana songs, it makes it more impressive. When Kurt came on stage the world stopped, the mark of a great frontman.
Dave Grohl
This may not be a common choice but in the future Dave Grohl will be remembered as one of the greatest frontmen to ever do it. What Grohl brings to a performance is incredible, both in terms of his musical ability and his talent of getting the crowd going. Grohl may have learned how to be a great frontman from Cobain, but he has certainly got his own style and twist on how to do that makes him perfect for this list.
