Top 10 Worst Live Singers

Don't you hate it when you go out to see a band you love and the singer just fails?! Sure, not everyone can hit the lofty heights people like Geoff Tate, Rob Halford, and Forbidden's Russ Anderson reach but the guys on the list below really bite the perennial big one! In most of these cases, their album performances are adequate enough and sometimes even great (Chris Cornell). But these vocalists have made the list because they simply can't deliver the goods live.

Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe)

If you close your eyes at a Mötley Crüe show, you would swear that a PCP smoking crack-whore who was being strangled with barbed wire was actually screaming into a microphone! On his best days, the murderer (look it up) and future Rock-N-Roll Hall of Famer doesn't get up there and sing Nikki Sixx's songs; he cackles through them like a mad hyena! Is this an exaggeration? Well, see for yourself below but don't say we didn't warn you!

Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance)

On their albums, this My Chemical Romance front man's nasally vocal style actually works in a really dynamic, unique way. But if you've had the misfortune of catching this New Jersey band live, you'll know why he made our list. It goes to show how much ProTools has really changed the rules of the game. People have been comparing their more recent work to Queen but Way couldn't hold a candle to Freddie Mercury. Especially in the live arena.

Ozzy Osbourne

Yeah yeah, we know! He's the "Prince of Darkness" or whatever but Ozzy hasn't sung well in two decades. The poor guy's voice has been so weak in the last few years that rumors have flown around that he actually employs an off-stage vocalist to help him on certain shows. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen but as you can see in the clip below, the Ozzman has seen much better days!

Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave)

His lower register is passable but when Cornell reaches for those high notes, look the fuck out! Dogs for miles probably go running for the hills! I was witness to his butchering of the Soundgarden catalog during their set at the 1996 NYC stop of the Lollapalooza tour. His voice was so irritating that someone in the front row started yelling at him about it in between songs. Everyone around me started cracking up! The singer's band mate, Ben Shepherd, didn't like that. Right before their closing song, the tall bassist spat one of the gnarliest looking phlegm spit bombs right at the heckler! The guy had it coming but the thing is he was right about Cornell.

Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria)

Lazy, uninformed "journalists" like comparing this living Muppet head to Rush's Geddy Lee. While on Coheed & Cambria's recorded output, Sanchez voice comes off whiney yet somehow engaging, live is a completely different animal all together. I usually conjure up thoughts of a dying cat when I hear Sanchez try and rip through a song like "A Favor House Atlantic" live. Check out the video below. If I managed this band and he sang this terribly on national television, I would demand they lip-sync next time!

Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth)

As utterly annoying as this British troll's voice is on their albums, it takes a very unique breed of human to endure it live. I wouldn't even wish it on my worst enemy. Even with the entire band dressed like actors in an off-Broadway production of "Dimmu Borgir: The Musical" and a guy in a ghoul costume running around the stage (as seen below) it doesn't mask the fact that Filth wouldn't be able to pull off a Black Metal scream even if his 5' ass depended on it.

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)

After the unfortunate Grunge explosion of the early 90's, there was what seemed like an endless parade of Eddie Vedder sound-alike vocalists all over Modern Rock radio. Don't get me started on Seven Mary Three! But Alice In Chain's Layne Staley had his share of imitators too. Hey Zakk, I'm looking right in your direction. As tiring as Mr. Wylde's whole southern white trash shtick (he's from Jersey!) got old 5 years ago, his vocals just seem to get worse with each passing live appearance. In the performance below, you'll witness him even try and adopt an Axl Rose snarl, crucifying the GNR recluse in the process:

Matt Heafy (Trivium)

So you like James Hetfield? We get it dude! Many Trivium fans complained about Heafy's lack of Death Metal growling on their most recent album, The Crusade. Time will tell what direction they'll take their new material into but one thing is for sure, Heafy's gotta find someone else to emulate vocally. It would be one thing if the young Florida front man pulled off the imitation well but as you can see in the performance included, he falls flat. A band with the musical chops of Trivium deserves MUCH better singing.

Stephen Pearcy (Ratt)

Here are some theories on how Stephen Pearcy actually landed the Ratt lead singer gig: 1. He had incriminating photos of Bobby Blotzer. 2. He owned a "killer P.A." and would shell out cash for things like flyer print runs, stage clothes, and Marlboro reds. 3. He knew a lot of chicks at the Coconut Teazer.

Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)

The biggest misconception about Death Metal vocals is that anyone can do them. Children of Bodom's vocalist, Alexi Laiho proves this theory wrong. When you're in the studio, a little (or a lot in some cases) fader manipulation can take any weak growler and make them sound like positively demonic. As this Finn can tell ya, it's not as easy faking it in front of a live audience and no studio trickery backing you up. His vocal delivery lacks personality, grit, and in the end, any kind of power.