What is the “porcine squeal” you ask?

The inspiration comes from Bill Wyman’s ranking of every single Led Zeppelin song from worst to best. He writes,

“Plant’s voice, which, yes, could run to the porcine squeal, was for the most part an instrument of truly awesome power.”

I suppose Wyman doesn’t mean “squeal” as a compliment, but there is something about the squeal effect, if you will, that captures so much of the spirit of rock. I got in way deeper than anticipated.

You might think someone in the mould of Robert Plant, like David Coverdale of Whitesnake, would surely make it, but even tracks like “Still of the Night,” which capture the higher registers of Coverdale’s impressive range, weren’t quite it.

So, I thought about it. Overall, it’s a little spontaneous and raw, which also suggests emotion, attitude and athleticism. You love it for the very reason that it is on the verge of going out of control. You love it because it’s actually rare, and rarely lasts for long. Half a decade at best for most.

Which means it’s not merely the ability to sing high. As amazing and accomplished as so many voices in rock are, those who could truly soar on the high notes, such as say, Steve Perry, Freddie Mercury, Geddy Lee, Bruce Dickinson, or the Eagles Randy Meisner, they are not >porcine squealers (although of these five I would say Mercury and early Lee would come closest, while Perry’s voice is technically the best).

Attitude alone can’t get you on the list either. Top among the “authentic attitude” contenders was Jack White, who sings with a growling tenor, but above all it’s his guitar that emulates the porcine squeal. For that very reason, he flirted with the 10th slot anyway.

And while two heavy metal front men do make the list, most do not. Tom Keifer of Cinderella had a high, raw voice but like most glam bands, the vocals remain in the same general range with surprising consistency. Plus, what’s the difference vocally between Cinderella, RATT, Motley Crue, Winger, Warrant, Poison, Dokken, Skid Row, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot and the like? And besides, they lack the authenticity. They were acts made for stadiums.

10. Brian Johnson



Original, trendsetting heavy metal bands with iconic singers? We’re open. Johnson didn’t join AC/DC until 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, but he receives a place at the ring of honor for his memorable notes all the way up to F#5 on “Hells Bells,” “Back in Black” and “For Those About to Rock.” He also had surprising staying power. They say it’s his “head voice,” which allows him to ascend the scales without tearing up his vocal cords. Whatever the case, it’s impressive.

9. Bono, or Paul David Hewson

Hear me out! Bono has the authenticity and emotion, such as the back-to-back songs on Rattle and Hum, “Angel of Harlem” and “Love Rescue Me,” in which he hits a high C and C# respectively. (The highest notes you’ll ever hear on a studio album by Ozzy Osbourne is a C#, such as on the 1973 “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” song or the 1975 “Megalomania,” which Ozzy could not typically recreate live.) Bono also possesses the unpredictability and willingness to push to the top of his range. If you tie in other factors like his vocal’s longevity and the immense breadth and depth of U2 as a band, why not push him further up the list? For the significant reason that he rarely squeals on the studio recordings.

8. Rob Halford

Halford shows why the porcine squeal isn’t so much about singing high or with soul, as it is about energy and athleticism. Although I was never a Judas Priest fan, you have to hand it this vocal acrobat’s skills. He set himself apart from the pack of metal shriekers. Here he is in “The Ripper.”

7. Ian Gillan

Gillan of Deep Purple, (yes “Smoke on the Water” Deep Purple!), could really “go there” at a time when only Robert Plant was otherwise dominating the porcine squeal. Starting at about the 2:40 mark you can get a good squeal example. Did you know Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only this year? Nevertheless, Gillan wasn’t happy that the invitations didn’t include a couple of current members.

6. Chris Cornell

Cornell of Soundgarden could wail with the very best of them especially early in his career. The porcine squeal is a fickle friend, and like inspiration and the wind, it blows where it will. Chris Cornell’s version of it begins around 1:23 in the above video.

5. David Lee Roth

Did Sammy Hagar almost replace Roth as early as 1977? Apparently, Ted Templeton, the band’s producer, gave it some thought when Roth was struggling on some early demos. Hagar does have a stronger and clearly more long-lived voice, but for those few glory years, Roth was tops on the all-time porcine squeal charts. What else did Diamond Dave have going for him? Looks, presence, attitude, the ability to do the splits, and a lyrical sense of humor. He was surprisingly good at writing songs. A line from Van Halen I, the song “Atomic Punk,” should be put on his gravestone: “On every wall and place my fearsome name is heard.”

4. Jeff Buckley

Buckley’s famous Grace album was recorded in 1994. Up until then, the California kid was having trouble getting noticed in his own country. His popularity skyrocketed one afternoon, when he was finally given a chance to sing “Grace” on a radio station in the UK. After the incredible performance on the radio, people packed his first London gig that same night. The rest was history-in-the-making.

3. Janis Joplin

In an art form dominated by men, the oft-dubbed, Queen of Rock and Roll, had one of the most original voices you’ll ever hear. By the time Robert Plant and Zeppelin were making their way to California, Joplin was already famous from her years with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Plant says his style was a mishmash of what came to him, and the many others whom he saw and wanted to emulate. Joplin was among those elite. Honest, raw desperation. Joplin helps define the porcine squeal with her soulful and range-filled grit.

2. Robert Plant

Plant was the ultimate front man. His voice was like an instrument with one of the overall most talented casts of four that you could about put together in 1968. Page gave Zeppelin mystique, and like Plant, was also a great showman, both of which overcame Plant’s mediocre songwriting skills. Of this list, Plant and Joplin’s squeals are the most like barbaric yawps. The first four seconds of “I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a good reminder of his soul and signature sound. I’d say his high squeal had left him by 1975, but his voice has range and staying power, aka the Alison Kraus duet project (just don’t call it a duet).

1. Axl Rose, or William Bailey

His story may not be uplifting or morally gratifying, but the troubled and unstable singer wasn’t here to be a choir boy. He apparently wasn’t here for his health, either. Yes, it’s been a pretty rapid deterioration, but was Appetite for Destruction even intended to endure? Bill Bailey, as he was once named, is the sad story of a troubled kid. But it would seem Bailey/Rose has no one to blame but himself, as John Jeremiah Sullivan, who was assigned to follow him for a story on Chinese Democracy (and discovered some never-before-seen arrest photos), experienced first hand.

But this is about Rock and Roll history! While Metallica became something of the Led Zeppelin for a generation, GNR had its opportunity. Metallica endured and set standards, and GNR did not. But for the brief span that was the original five-members, Axl Rose’s voice was outrageous, wild and romantic, on-the-verge-of-violence, powerful, and with world class range. You could probably say he was a pretty decent songwriter too–an emerging writer on ‘Appetite’. No doubt, he was always testy and a shade off, but he was brilliant, and that’s why Slash, Duff, Straddlin’, and Adler put up with him all those years. No one said it was easy at the top.

Above’s a decent sampling I’ve found that isn’t mocking his deterioration, but celebrates with clips mostly from his original Guns N’ Roses cast when the magic was still magic. Not a lot of porcine squeal here, unfortunately. He does sing “Real Thing” a cappella at 3:20, which is something of a show stopper.