It’s time vocalists in the progressive genre get their due. Dwell in a list of the best progressive rock and progressive metal vocalists.

Over the years progressive music genre has witnessed vocalists with dynamic singing styles. There is never a dull moment when you get down listening to a progressive band. The structural elements in this genre of music are theatrically different from other genres. You may not come across the conventional verse and chorus you have in other popular genres. Progressive music is like a stream that never ends, the beginning seems the end and the end may make way for a new beginning in accordance with the theme.

When you listen to song structure in a progressive rock band or a progressive metal band, what overwhelms you is the smooth transition from one part to another. The moment you find yourself getting woven to a melody, the music seems to head in another direction awakening dark spaces in the mind.

Since the 60s, vocalists in the progressive rock genre have mesmerized multitudes with their brand of singing. Thought provoking lyrics in the backdrop of complex music structure forms the foundation in progressive rock.

While progressive metal came into prominence in the 80s, the roots of progressive metal emerged in the 70s in United Kingdom and the United States, when bands started experimenting with heavy metal influences and elements of progressive rock. Many vocalists in the progressive rock domain have poetic voices that weave a story through lyrics. The poignant voices of vocalists in the progressive rock genre stir the soul. You cannot help but succumb to the whiplash of lyrical poetry in progressive music. Vocalists in the progressive metal genre have engaged audiences with their vocal dynamism. High pitched vocal delivery has become insanely popular in progressive metal. The range of tones we hear in the vocal registers of progressive metal vocalists does make the jaw drop. Some of the cleanest upper register notes we hear in music come from vocalists in the power metal genre and progressive metal genre.

The list below showcases the best vocalists in the progressive rock, progressive metal and other subgenres such as experimental metal, power metal, and symphonic metal that incorporate progressive elements. Mentioned in brackets is the band/s with which the vocalist became popular.

100 Greatest Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal Vocalists

1. Jon Anderson (Yes)
2. Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation)
3. Peter Gabriel (Genesis)
4. Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings)
5. Russell Allen (Symphony X)
6. Arthur Brown (Kingdome Come)
7. Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree)
8. Geddy Lee (Rush)
9. Maynard James Keenan (Tool)
10. Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
11. Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon)
12. James LaBrie (Dream Theater)
13. Annie Haslam (Renaissance)
14. Mariusz Duda (Riverside)
15. Alan Tecchio (Seven Withches/Watchtower)
16. Geoff Tate (Queensryche)
17. Simone Simmons (Epica)
18. Roy Khan (Kamelot)
19. D.C. Cooper (Royal Hunt)
20. Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
21. Steve Walsh (Kansas)
22. Paul Masvidal (Cynic)
23. Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarious)
24. Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine)
25. Sonja Kristina (Curved Air)
26. Joe Duplantier (Gojira)
27. Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf)
28. Tommy Karevik (Seventh Wonder/Kamelot)
29. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
30. Charlotte Wessels (Delain)
31. Fish (Marillion)
32. Ray Alder (Fates Warning)
33. Mats Leven (Therion/Amaseffer/
34. Neal Morse (Spock’s Beard)
35. Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
36. Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion)
37. Jorn Lande (Masterplan/Ark/Beyond Twilight)
38. John Arch (Fates Warning)
39. Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation)
40. Tobias Sammet (Edguy/Avantasia)
41. Troy Sanders (Mastodan)
42. Rich Hinks (Aeon Zen)
43. Daevid Allen (Gong)
44. Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian)
45. Mark Boals (Ring of Fire)
46. Matt Barlow (Iced Earth/Paramaze/Ashes of Ares)
47. John Wetton (Family/Mogul Thrash)
48. Floor Jansen (After Forever/ReVamp/Nightwish)
49. Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria)
50. Tommy Rogers (Between The Burried and Me)
51. Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad)
52. Diego Marchesi (Kingcrow)
53. Andy Kuntz (Vanden Plas)
54. Vincent Cavanagh (Anathema)
55. Andre Matos (Shaman)
56. Ian Kenny (Karnivool)
57. Einar Solberg (Leprous)
58. Zaher Zorgatti (Myrath)
59. Adam Agius (Alchemist)
60. Diane van Giersbergen (Ex Libris/Xandria)
61. Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire/Labyrinth)
62. Dagmar Krause (Henry Cow/Art Bears)
63. Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta)
64. David Byron (Uriah Heep)
65. Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
66. Trent Gardner (Magellan)
67. Davidavi Dolev (Reign of the Architect/Omb)
68. Erik Rosvold (Cynthesis)
69. Jon Davison (Glass Hammer)
70. Rikard Sjoblom (Beardfish)
71. Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land)
72. Mike Vennart (Oceansize)
73. Tom S. Englund (Evergrey)
74. Warrell Dane (Nevermore/Scantuary)
75. Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved)
76. Tarja Turunen (Nightwish)
77. Sara Squadrani (Ancient Bards)
78. Rachel Jones (Karnataka)
79. Damien Wilson (Threshold)
80. Ross Jennings (Haken)
81. Ted Leonard (Enchant)
82. Alia O’ Brien (Blood Ceremony)
83. Liza Bouchelle (Mastermind)
84. Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
85. Benoit David (Mystery)
86. Renate Knaup (Amon Duul 2/Popol Vuh)
87. Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
88. Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge)
89. Thomas Vikstrom (Therion)
90. Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering)
91. Lee Douglas (Anathema)
92. Paul Wrightson (Arena)
93. Sel Balamir (Amplifier)
94. Christina Booth (Magenta)
95. Jane Relf (Renaissance)
96. Astrid van der Veen (Ambeon)
97. Peter Nicholls (IQ)
98. Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn)
99. Susie Bogdanowicz (Glass Hammer)
100. Kim ‘Elkie’ Seviour (Touchstone)

Related Article

100 Greatest Progressive Metal Bands

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Thank you for visiting my profile. I am a Freelance Content Writer. I like to learn something new every day. When I’m not at the computer, I’m either reading or on vacation. I dwell in peace, I hope you do too. My Favorite Quote “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.”- Dalai Lama

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