Cheers to the webmaster behind the Rod Stewart fan club site, Smiler, who is cock-a-hoop about the latest issue of Classic Rock and our cover feature on The Greatest Rock Singers Of All Time.

Rod is No.5 in our list, which prompted Smiler to proclaim:

‘Well done to Classic Rock, the world’s most credible rock magazine, for at last giving Rod the recognition for his talent that lesser music press have failed to do in the past.’

Check out the Smiler website here and Classic Rock’s full, unexpurgated, in-praise-of-Rod entry below, written by Ian Fortnam…

“Is this a white guy? You are kidding me!” was Chuck Berry’s initial response to hearing Rod Stewart’s explosive rendition of his Sweet Little Rock ‘N’ Roller.

It’s the extraordinary tone of Stewart’s voice that first captures the attention: a characteristic sawdust rasp, totally unmistakable, propelled by a fearsome set of lungs that refuse to recognise their limitations.

While it clearly wasn’t possible for a slight Archway mod to replicate the awesome sonic boom of a 6’6”, 300 lb Howlin’ Wolf, Rod invariably did his best, and in attempting such a feat, stumbled upon one of rock‘n’roll’s defining voices.

While it’s the exquisitely ragged timbre of Rod’s vocals that grab the headlines it’s his phrasing – as smooth as Sam Cooke’s cravat – that’s established him as one of the finest interpreters of a song lyric in rock history.

From Truth blues-wailing, through Faces machismo to solo crooning, there’ll never be another Rod.

Rod’s greatest vocal moment:

Pool Hall Richard, Five Guys Walk Into A Bar, 1973
Rod barrels along at full-tilt, cackles, whoops, rhymes ‘breaking my heart’ with ‘stealing my tart’ and even breaks the odd bottle: a powerhouse performance.