We've had enough heated arguments about the merits of Lennon vs. McCartney to know that when it comes to music fandom, it's all very subjective. For every *NSync shrine, there's a Backstreet Boys altar to match. But this article on Grantland has taken on the formidable task of narrowing it down to a science and doling out unbiased, subjective ratings of music's favorite lead singers.
Not unlike baseball scouting stats, writer Steven Hyden is attempting to quantify the unquantifiable, but his system seems to work pretty well. The method involves determining LSV (Lead Singer Value) based on a number of criteria including Estimated Vocal Prominence, Potential For Replacement Index, and Earned Stardom Quotient (in which Freddie Mercury gets a perfect 5). While Brandon Flowers of The Killers only gets a 12 out of 20, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend is near-perfect with a score of 17. And while we're not sure how we feel about Thom Yorke being outranked by Adam Levine (serious doubts), this is a pretty interesting list that, we think, will hold true ten years from now when certain bands have faded from memory. (Grantland)
Image: Via Grantland.