Daily Dirt: These guys all have ‘the vocal range and a captivating stage presence’

Daily Dirt for Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024

I never knew Elvis had that kind of influence on The Boss … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 844 of The Daily Dirt.

1. It’s a man’s world, right? Well, at least when it comes to rock music, according to writer Laura McMillan.

MacMillan, who writes for hellomusictheory.com, recently compiled her list of history’s top male rock singers. 

“Whether you’re a fan of rock or not, there’s no denying the influence male rock singers have had on popular music over the past few decades,” MacMillan writes.

So what exactly makes up an elite rock star?

“Many elements make a truly great rock singer,” MacMillan writes. “At the top of the list are a powerful vocal range and captivating stage presence. The icons (on this list) have plenty of both.”

While I might change the order, MacMillan has put together a quality ranking:

• 1. Elvis Presley: She calls Elvis “one of the most influential icons of the 20th century.” I don’t think you can argue that. Plus, the man could sing, too. 
• 2. Freddie Mercury: “The unmatched four-octave vocal range and front man theatrics of Freddie Mercury made him one of the greatest rock singers in history,” according to MacMillan.
• 3. Elton John: His career has now spanned six decades.
• 4. Bono: Interesting note about Mr. U2. He is rarely seen in public without his signature sunglasses. It is not just a fashion statement. He suffers from glaucoma, making his eyes highly sensitive to light.
• 5. Bruce Springsteen: When The Boss was 7 years old, he saw Elvis perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” From that point, Springsteen wanted to be a rock star.
• 6. Steven Tyler: Tyler and Aerosmith have been going strong since the 1970s.
• 7. Bob Dylan: He’s been a cultural influence since (gulp!) the 1960s.
• 8. David Bowie: MacMillan reports Bowie was born David Robert Jones. He used the name David Bowie to separate himself from another singer, Davy Jones, who would later front the band, The Monkees.
• 9. Rod Stewart: Since his breakout hit “Maggie May” more than 52 years ago, Stewart has soared to become one of rock music’s all-time most popular artists.
• 10. Paul McCartney: Sir Paul is the second-oldest member of the top 10 at 81. Dylan is 82.

2. Yesterday, we provided the latest edition of “Funniest Town Names Across America.” Today, we focus on “Funniest Town Names Across Europe.”

• Poo, Spain. (Sometimes you just have to let smart-aleck remarks write themselves.)
• Middlefart, Denmark. (Ditto … )
• Ugley, England. (If you ever visit England, Ugley is about two miles north.)
• Dull, Scotland. (Sister city of Boring, Oregon?)
• A, Norway. (You read that right. Simply the letter “A.”)
• Aa, Estonia. (Sister city of that Norwegian town?)
• Horny Bar, Slovakia. (Pretty sure there’s also one of those in Quincy. Jus’ sayin’.)
• Rottenegg, Austria. (Austrian humor, I guess.)
• Fjuckby, Sweden. (Swedish humor, I guess.)
• Shitterton, England. (The name reportedly means “farmstead on the stream used as an open sewer.”)
• Assholmen, Sweden. (Oh, those crazy Swedes.)

3. Here are the salaries of the NFL quarterbacks in this weekend’s playoff games:

• Lamar Jackson, Baltimore: $52 million
• Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City: $45 million.
• Josh Allen, Buffalo: $43 million.
• Jared Goff, Detroit: $33.5 million.
• Jordan Love, Green Bay: $13.5 million.
• C.J. Stroud, Houston: $9.1 million.
• Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay: $4 million.
• Brock Purdy, San Francisco: $934,000.

Source: overthecap.com

Steve Thought O’ The Day
I hope Brock Purdy has a good agent. Seems like he might need a loan.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. When Steve writes, “I might change the order,” that’s code for “Rod Stewart isn’t high enough on the list.