Music

Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time has queer Twitter calling shade

Beyoncé and Kate Bush

Beyoncé and Kate Bush, who according to Rolling Stone, are only okay at singing. (Getty)

Rolling Stone has released a run-down of what it claims are the 100 greatest singers of all time that has been called the “dumbest list ever compiled in the history of lists”.

The list, as it is fast becoming known on Twitter, was decided by 179 “experts” who considered qualities such as “expressivity, surprise, soul, grain, interpretive wit [and] angle of vision”.

Sadly, the angle of vision that resonated most with the judges seemed to be white, straight and cisgender male.

Already the list has been criticised for being “way too white dude heavy”, with straight white men making up roughly half of all entries.

Twitter users were also outraged at the list’s failure to include renowned artists (and gay icons) such as Beyoncé, Kate Bush and Judy Garland.

Many were also confused by the low rankings afforded to the few icons which made the cut, such as Whitney Houston (34) and Mariah Carey (79).

The list included a small handful of openly LGBT+ artists, including Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Janis Joplin, Morrissey and Little Richard (who came out as gay in 1995 before denouncing homosexuality as unnatural in 2017).

Aretha Franklin, who topped the list, was only one of two women in the top 20, the other being Tina Turner (17). Overall just 24 women were included.

As the turn of the decade approaches, Rolling Stone and other publications are ranking the best music of the  last few years.

Inevitably, Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy in Love’ topped Rolling Stone’s list for best song of the century so far, while Frank Ocean’s Blonde won Pitchfork’s ranking of the decade’s best albums.

More:
Register to save articles and more. It'll only take a minute and it's free.
JOIN US TODAY!