Ask anyone who grew up in the 1970s who their favourite rock singers were. Go on and read interviews with all the biggest rock stars of the era, and see which singer their praised. You’ll always end up at the same name, that of Paul Rodgers, one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time.
Rodgers has delivered incredible singing across a greater span of time than nearly any other famous vocalist. If you’re a student of singing, you should check him out!
Listen, I’ll help you get started! These are, in my opinion, the ten best-sung tunes involving the great Paul Rodgers.
The Greatest 10 Vocal Performances by Paul Rodgers
10. ”The Stealer”
Initially, the teenage friends who had formed the blues-rock group Free essentially just wrote songs as extensions of jams.
In fact, on a song like “The Stealer,” you get the impression that Rodgers delivers his very best when riding the wave of the music, when allowing improvisation to enter the picture. Fantastic performance!
9. ”Satisfaction Guaranteed”
It should be noted that Paul Rodgers has gone the long haul. Recently retired, the man maintained his vocal talents intact in a career that lasted from the 1960s up until the 2020s. It wasn’t just Free and Bad Company that he has in his resume, but essentially, the opportunity to sing with Queen and Led Zeppelin’s main man.
It should also be noted that his voice was so good that he scored hits across many of these decades.
The Firm, a partnership with Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page, is one of the great let-downs of rock history. And while “Satisfaction Guaranteed” was a minor hit, it’s still wonderful to hear Rodgers adding his talents to highly produced pop ballads of the 1980s.
8. ”The Hunter”
I think it’s unfair. How can a teenage blues fan sing so well right off the bat?
“The Hunter” was recorded on Free’s debut record, one made when the group members were, practically, still kids. Rodgers’ marvellous smoky tone is already there, as is the confidence. Of course, this would not be a one-off.
7. ”Burnin’ Sky”
I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but, to my ears, Paul Rodgers has sung great on great songs, and just as great on bad ones. In fact, sometimes it’s hard to tell.
By 1977, Bad Company was running out of steam. However, the resonant, soulful singing on “Burnin’ Sky” is effortless and still delights upon repeated listens today.
6. ”Can’t Get Enough”
Mick Ralphs had the song, and Mott the Hoople thought it wasn’t worth the band’s time. Clearly, they couldn’t imagine how it would sound with Paul Rodgers on vocals.
It’s an exuberant performance that proves why so many professional rock singers have held this singer as their role model. I’ve been reviewing rock music for decades now and have yet to hear a singer of Rodgers’s ability.
5. ”Fire and Water”
When push came to shove, Rodgers had to develop past his blues roots. “Fire and Water” showcases his keen understanding of what makes a pop song work.
But it’s also the understanding of how his voice works that pushes the song, I think. The way that his singing slides into a tenor range in the chorus while maintaining the rich resonance still sounds brilliant.
4. ”Walk in My Shadow”
Rodgers and his friends were already great disciples of the blues when they started Free. “Walk in My Shadow” reveals that they were intimately familiar with the art form and all of its tricks.
It’s amazing, though, how well the singer can execute those. In falsetto, Rodgers brushes past a G♯5 here with complete ease. In fact, Paul Rodgers’ vocal range extends all the way from an E2, and it was something he possessed from the beginning.
3. ”Feel Like Making Love”
It’s a voice that flows perfectly on rock radio. Rodgers knows when to ease off and when to push. The chorus of “Feel Like Making Love” is pure hard-rock ecstasy. Still, it’s the intonation and tone across every note that make this a bona fide classic.
2. ”All Right Now”
Ok! You’ve heard the song a million times. It’s just four chords long, and the second verse is the same as the first.
However, I’ll be honest. I always listen to “All Right Now” the whole way through when it inevitably comes on the radio. With this performance, Rodgers set a standard for the blues-rock singer archetype that would dominate the 1970s. Still, I’m not sure that this standard has often been matched.
1. ”Bad Company”
He didn’t just howl or croon. He wasn’t just a baritone or a tenor. Paul Rodgers could do it all and learned how to use his vocals in a dynamic, exciting way.
“Bad Company” tells the story of the rockstar as ne’er-do-well on the run, and it’s Rodgers’ delivery that sells the tune.
The tremolo, soulful vocal flourishes, and the resonance of his voice are simply superb. In my opinion, this is Paul Rodgers’ greatest vocal performance.
