Two Beloved Minnesota Artists Made ‘Rolling Stone’s’ “200 Best Singers All Time” List

It was back on November 9, 1967, over 55 years ago, the first issue of Rolling Stone Magazine was published. Ever since then it has only grown and become one of the more renowned magazines that focuses mainly on music, politics and pop culture. To me it has always been the go to for music news. If I were a musician/singer being on the cover of Rolling Stone would be the dream.

Get our free mobile app

Every year you can count on them to give honest reviews on music, even if you don't always agree with what they say, you often respect it. You get the deep cut interview from beloved musicians around the world. Lastly, they always put out lists of who is the best of the best for the year, or sometimes ever.

To kick of 2023, they released a list of, what they believe to be, 'The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time'. The last time a list of this caliber was put out was back in 2008 and it was the top 100 and heavily fan voted. There is no perfect data on a list like this and many will argue who makes the list, while others will nod along saying yes, I agree with this whole list...but I might place this person above this one and so on and so forth. How did they decide on this list, they say;

This new list was compiled by our staff and key contributors, and it encompasses 100 years of pop music as an ongoing global conversation, where iconic Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar lands between Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash, and salsa queen Celia Cruz is up there in the rankings with Prince and Marvin Gaye. You might notice that, say, there isn't any opera on our list -- that's because our purview is pop music writ large, meaning that almost all the artists on the list had significant careers as crossover stars making popular music for the masses.

Get our free mobile app

While reading that I am sure one name caught your eye and that would be Minnesota Native, Prince. Pretty sure most, if not all, Minnesotans would agree he should be on the list. His music was visionary and he has been regarded as one of the great musicians of his time. The only complaint any fan might have is that we lost him too soon in life, when he tragically passed from an accidental fentanyl overdose on April 21, 2015. Out of this list of 200, he was ranked 16.

As for the other Minnesota artist that made the list, funny enough, he was listed right above Prince at  #15 and you may have guessed it by now, it is Bob Dylan. Born in Duluth, MN in 1941, Dylan first entered the music scene with his self-title debut album back in 1962 and has had a career that spans over more than 60 years. 'Rolling Stone' described him as,

Get our free mobile app

...one of America's great vocal eccentrics.

Both deserving artists, in this Minnesotan's opinion, to be on this list. Makes one proud to see them that far up the list too, amongst the best of the best. For those curious Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul", landed the number one spot and there are zero arguments from me on that one. But if you'd like to peruse the full list (there are no other Minnesota artists I checked), check that out HERE.