13. Roy Orbison

'Rolling Stone's' 25 Greatest Singers of All Time

9th April 1964: American Rock 'n' roll singer and guitarist Roy Orbison (1936 - 1988), known to his fans as 'The Big O'. (Photo by Moore/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

25. Michael Jack... LONDON- JULY 15 : Michael Jackson performs on stage during his 'BAD' concert tour held at Wembley Stadium ,London on the 15th of July 1988.While performing in London, England Michael breaks a world record (as shown in the Guinness Book Of World Records) with 504,000 people attending 7 sold out shows at Wembley Stadium, more than any other artist.(Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) UK NEWSPAPERS OUT WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT FROM DAVE HOGAN. PLEASE CONTACT SALES TEAM WITH ENQUIRIES
24. Van Morrison MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 22: Singer Van Morrison performs on stage at Palacio de Congresos January 22, 2003 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
23. David Bowie 20th October 1973: David Bowie performing in his 'Angel of Death' costume at a live recording for a Midnight Special TV show made at The Marquee Club in London to a specially invited audience of Bowie fanclub members. (Photo by Jack Kay/Express/Getty Images)
22. Etta James HOLLYWOOD - APRIL 18: Singer Etta James (R) is embraced by U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA) during a ceremony honoring James with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame April 18, 2003 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
21. Johnny Cash American country singer Johnny Cash (1932 - 2003) sits with an acoustic guitar in a still from the film, 'Road To Nashville,' directed by Will Zenz, 1966. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
20. Smokey Robin... LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 4: Smokey Robinson performs at 'Motown 45' Anniversary Celebration Show held at the Shrine Auditorium, April 4, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
19. Bob Marley 6th April 1977: Jamaican singer-songwriter and reggae star Bob Marley (1945 - 1981) outside Marylebone Magistrates Court in London, where he was fined for possession of cannabis. (Photo by Maurice Hibberd/Evening Standard/Getty Images)
18. Freddie Merc... 29th May 1982: Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), lead singer of 70s hard rock quartet Queen, in concert at Leeds Football Club. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
17. Tina Turner LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Singer Tina Turner performs onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
16. Mick Jagger LONDON - 1986: (UK NEWSPAPERS OUT WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT FROM DAVE HOGAN. PLEASE CONTACT SALES TEAM WITH ENQUIRIES) Singer Mick Jagger attends a photo call in Soho in 1986, London. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
15. Robert Plant LONDON - JULY 10: British rock legend Robert Plant performs with his band the Strange Sensation during the Somerset House Summer Series at Somerset House on July 10, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
14. Al Green LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 24: Lifetime Achievement Award winner Al Green performs onstage during the 2008 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 24, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
13. Roy Orbison 9th April 1964: American Rock 'n' roll singer and guitarist Roy Orbison (1936 - 1988), known to his fans as 'The Big O'. (Photo by Moore/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
12. Little Richa... Little Richard leads an all-star group at the taping of 'American Bandstand's 50th...A Celebration' at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Ca. Sunday, April 21, 2002. Photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.
11. Paul McCartn... TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - SEPTEMBER 25: (ISRAEL OUT) Sir Paul McCartney performs during his first ever show in Israel, the 'Friendship First' concert at Park Hayarkon on September, 25, 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
10. James Brown James Brown, American funk soul singer, songwriter and producer, performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
9. Stevie Wonder AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 30: Musician Stevie Wonder performs on stage at Vector Arena on October 30, 2008 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty Images)
8. Otis Redding An undated photo before 1969 of singer Otis Redding. (AP Photo)
7. Bob Dylan 28th April 1965: American electric folk hero Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman 1941 - ) at a press conference in London. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
6. Marvin Gaye 29th September 1976: Soul singer Marvin Gaye (1939 - 1984) in concert at the Royal Albert Hall. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
5. John Lennon November 1963: John Lennon (1940 - 1980), singer, guitarist and songwriter with the Beatles, plays an acoustic guitar during the Ken Dodd show. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
4. Sam Cooke circa 1960: Promotional studio portrait of American soul singer Sam Cooke (1935-1964), looking up. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
3. Elvis Presley Portrait of American singer and actor Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977) as he holds a twelve string guitar, mid 1950s . (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
2. Ray Charles HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 6: (FILE PHOTO) Musician Ray Charles on stage at the 35th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Universal Amphitheatre, March 6, 2004 in Hollywood, California, where he was inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame. Ray Charles has been nominated for numerous Awards at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center February 13, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
1. Aretha Frankl... EAST HAMPTON, NY - AUGUST 23: Aretha Franklin performs for @Ross 08 Series Benefiting Ross School's Programs and Scholarships at Ross School on August 23, 2008 in East Hampton, New York (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Ross School)