3 Rock Vocalists Who Proved the 1960s Were Unmatched

These three rock vocalists proved that the 1960s were unmatched in diversity of sound, power, and raw emotion. These vocalists brought something unique to rock, which hasn’t been recreated since.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1964, the Animals Hit No. 1 With the Song That Inspired Bob Dylan to Go Electric and Reshaped Popular Music]

Janis Joplin

Our first vocalist, Janis Joplin, came to fame in the late 1960s. Though she had a short-lived career, she left quite a mark on rock. When we think of singular voices in the genre from this era, Joplin comes to the forefront.

Every song she touched had a grit to it that no one else could muster. Banshee-like, Joplin’s voice rattled the bones of the listener, overwhelming them with both sheer force and agility. One of her most famous tracks, “Me And Bobby McGee”, epitomizes everything great about her voice. It’s not pretty per se, but it’s deeply stunning in a way no other rock vocalist has ever been.

Robert Plant

Moving on to another rocker whose grit and singular voice are unmatched, we have Robert Plant. Led Zeppelin would really hit their stride in the 1970s, but the late 1960s laid the groundwork for this legendary outfit. Blazing that trail for them were Plant’s unmistakable vocals.

You couldn’t mistake Plant for any other artist when his voice plays, even today. Back in the 1960s, listening to this frontman was likely an otherworldly experience. No one knew what they were getting into. Far from simply digestible, Plant’s vocals take the listener somewhere else. Even now, when we’re used to hearing what he sounds like, it’s still a transportive experience.

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison had a very different voice than the other two artists on this list. Morrison’s vocals were poetic, near-spoken. He didn’t hit screeching belts like Joplin or Plant, but he still packed a punch.

“The time to hesitate is through / No time to wallow in the mire / Try now we can only lose / And our love become a funeral pyre,” he sings in one of The Doors’ most famous tracks, “Light My Fire”. In this song, Morrison illustrated what he did best: simple lyrics, simple delivery, and a wealth of angst and edge. He didn’t need to be in-your-face with his voice to get his point across. He could be quieter than most rockers and still hit the listener in the gut.

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