I was questioning your taste in music.  I know that's strange. 

I was questioning your definitions of singer and vocalist.  I think we were using them differently. 

Jim Morrison and the Doors should be on that list.  Not Light my fire, but he's written some really great and strange songs.  Texas Radio and the Big Beat, or some of his twisted love songs, or The Soft Parade, or Crystal Ship, or People Are Strange....  If you're using either voice (he's got a really sexy baritone) or lyrics he should be there.

Also, as usual, there aren't enough women on that list.  Janis Joplin made it, but Carole King and Joni Mitchell should be there (they might be too late for the focus--I don't think James Taylor made it either.)  Even Carly Simon should make the bottom end, imo.

Ok, I didn't look closely enough.  Joni Mitchell is there, and for a song I would have given her credit for.  Same with James Taylor.  Carole King should be there as well though.  And Jim Morrison is there for a song he didn't write, which is rediculous.  It's also one of the least meaningful songs the Doors ever created.  I would have put Joni Mitchell much higher on the list.

Oh, and while i like Fake Plastic Trees, I would have put Thorne Yorke on with "Street Spirit, Fade Out" instead--because i think it represents both him better and the rock movement better.

What?  No Ronnie Milsap?? Lost in the fifties...

well, you are probably more correct.  the dictionary makes no distinction between those terms.

for me, a vocalist can be someone who sings "ooooh", "ahhhhh".  but the dictionary defines vocalist as 'a singer'.

Far too many of those really great artists have met their demise far too young in their lives.

Sadly, we're very lacking in good singers/vocalists anymore. I heard that cacophony that they're calling a remake of We Are the World played yesterday. I was expecting maybe a more modernized tune or rhythm to appeal to the younger generation. It wasn't that (other than the section where they broke out into really bad rap), but truly, utterly horrible attempts at singing that sounded worse than a grade school chorus singing in a school gym. It sounded horribly off key, with every performer singing in a different key of off key. It was really painful to listen to, and everyone I've mentioned this to so far who also saw the performance agrees. I guess nowadays what we lack in vocalists, we make up for in sound technicians who truly work miracles to make those off-key performers sound like they can somewhat sing.