Axl Rose vs. Bruce Dickinson: who's the best?

[onemanmambo]

A new Youtube video is asking who is the best singer in the world: Bruce Dickinson or Axl Rose?

?Editing this video was painful as I had to leave out so much phenomenal material,? said the fan known as One Man Mambo.

The footage compares Dickinson and Rose since 1981.

The 15-minute video can be seen at http://youtu.be/ly4v-AJDPQM

[D-GenerationX]

I prefer Axl, obviously.

But if we are going to go in terms of who is more consistent as a live singer over the years, its Bruce.

[HBK]

I Like TWO's... But Prefer AXL

[Daniel]

i always hated these kind of comparisons
why would you compare these two 

[Sosso]

i always hated these kind of comparisons
why would you compare these two 

Yeah. It's not like a sport contest.

[Tongue-like-a-razor]

Apples N' Oranges...

[SkeletorSerpent]

Bruce is very talented; however, Bruce sounds like a demonically possessed cyborg who has been programmed to sing opera. Bruce's singing is very talented in that he can consistently and cleanly "hit notes" and "soar" effortlessly to those notes. BUT . . .  Bruce doesn't communicate emotion like Axl. Bruce can't make accessible and tangible to the listener the deepest and darkest emotional/psychological/spiritual corners of  the human heart. His political and socio-political lyrics make his soul aloof and inaccessible to the listener. In addition, Bruce sings about "heavy metal" themes- war, apocalyptic doomsday, military invasions, lightning, thunder, demons, ghosts, cannibals, tribalism, warlocks, witches, wizards, institutional corruption, plagues, thunder bolts, political hypocrisy, etc.

Through his singing, Axl communicates the entire gamut of human emotion-- existential angst, fury, beauty, romance, paranoia, insecurity, vulnerability, suicidal hopelessness, homicidal rage, love, swagger, cockiness, etc. The standard of a great singer is the one who can make a person "feel" something, the singer taps into the human psyche.
Axl is loose, with a soulful groove in his raspy voice. He can be smooth as honey, or unleash his scratch and screech. He can be high and clean, or low and ferocious.  His rich, deep baritone voice can slow down into a silky smooth croon if necessary. Axl has more texture and timbre in his vocals.

It really is apples and oranges
Bruce a classically trained metal/opera singer who identifies with classic metal themes and lyrics
Axl is a blues influenced, classic rock soul singer- he sings about hard rock themes

[Virolec]

They're both great singers and charismatic frontmen, but of the two, Bruce has consistently delivered the goods live and on record for a long time now.  If I'd to choose between them, it'd be Bruce for me. 

[Goddamn_Electric]

Two completely different styles.

If I had to choose simply on vocal talent though; Dickinson no question. Even though Guns has been my favorite band for going on 30 years.

[Limulus]

Bruce is even some years older than Axl and is still jumping (higher than Axl has since UYI tour) like he is 27 or so, such an amazing frontman, too!!

[raindog]

I can't believe this is even a question. Bruce is good, but he's not in Axl's league and never has been. I love my rock n' roll. Axl is a solid placement in the top 10 frontmen of all time. That might sound to some like damning with faint praise but I'm counting your Jim Morrisons, Freddie Mercurys etc. He's up there. Bruce, good as he is, ain't.