Every time I hear about one of those Rolling Stone lists of “greatest” anything I usually snort, “Give me a break. Those decrepit old critics lost credibility years ago, even before they put the Backstreet Boys and the Olsen twins on the cover.”

Or as my friend Bobbo in the Fallen Stars puts it, the occasion arises when Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner thinks, “Slow newsweek, let’s roll out another one of those crappy-list issues.”

But you know what? We all debate them anyway. I can’t help it. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I am one of those geeks from “High Fidelity,” who makes list of virtually anything. I guess it’s a Gen X thing. And, hey, years ago I was a rock critic.

So when Rolling Stone decided this time to highlight the greatest singers  I bit. And, I have to concede, it’s a pretty good list. Oh sure, there are notable omissions. There always are, but it’s a good representation. (I recall in 1989 or so when the magazine listed the greatest rock albums and put “Never Mind the Bollocks” at the top. I admired that — it was a brave and true pick).

My real issue, though, was how do you define “the greatest singers.” Do you take into account the vocalist’s chops? Style? Charisma? Are we talking greatest front-men or front-women? If we are then Mick Jagger or Joan Jett ought to be in anyone’s top 5. Are we talking just rock and soul? Or pop music in general? Wouldn’t that open it up to all those great jazz singers? And don’t forget country!

I limited myself mostly to rock ‘n’ roll, leaving me open to rock, soul, and country since my definition of rock’n’ roll is where rhythm and blues meets at the corner of country and western. Still, I couldn’t resist adding a few of the jazz greats.

Here’s my list:

1) Marvin Gaye

2) Joni Mitchell

3) Kurt Cobain

4) Aretha Franklin

5) Elliott Smith

6) Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald

7) Kate Bush

8) Chuck D and Tupac

9) Bon Scott

10) Jim James

11) Johnny Rotten

12) Beatles

13) Dylan

14) Sam Cooke

15) Jackie Wilson

16) Roger Daltrey

17) Michael Stipe

18) Mel Torme

19) Al Green

20) Phil Lynott

21) Billy Corgan

22) Jeremy Enigk

23) Cat Stevens

24) Janis Joplin

25) Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto

I neglected Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Chrissie Hynde, Black Francis and Kim Deal and some others, but, what the heck. There’s only room for so many and I can’t explain why they’re not there. Ask me tomorrow and they probably would be.

Anyway, keep in mind this is a list of favorites. If I were asked to make a list of the greatest singers it would surely be different and Elvis and Mick Jagger would be near the top.

Here’s Bobbo’s list:

1) Bono. He makes it sound so easy and yet no one can sing like him.

2) Springsteen. He brings an athleticism to it and an ability to sing the cheesiest thing and yet it works for him.

3) Paul Westerberg. “The lonliness of the long-distance runner.”

4) Jim Croce. He sounded the same if he was telling you the story as he did singing it to you.

5) Joe Strummer. He made you believe that you could do it too.

6) Linda Rondstadt. Such a pure, amazing voice. I recently bought her greatest hits (the Capital Years) and there’s a live version of her singing “Long, long time” from the Troubadour that is amazing.

7) Rod Stewart (with or without Faces and only up  until he sang on that soundtrack with Bryan Adams and Sting — and then he doesn’t matter anymore).

8) Pete Townsend. I like his voice so much better. Roger was his ying/yang thing. I get it but for me Townsend singing on “Slit Skirts” conveys way more and means so much more to me than any Who song.

9) Neil Young. I dig Shakey’s voice. You’re never quite sure how it got to where it was going. And to hear the live version of “Tonight’s the night” from back in the ’70s — truly haunting.

10) Pat Benatar. her voice blows me away. I always remember there was a note in “Fire and Ice” that she would hold and then the guitar would p ick up the same note to start the solo — that always seemed so cool to me!

My friend Dave, who once fronted a great Chicago band back in the day called The Leeches (cool name, eh?), offered this top 10:

1) Elvis

2) Marvin Gaye

3) Sam Cooke

4) Mojo Risin

5) Roy Orbison

6) Smokey Robinson

7) Nina Simone

8) Aretha

9) Johnny Cash

10) Paul McCartney

Mike Swanson, one of our copy editors, offered up this EPIC list (man, does he have great taste!):

1) Solomon Burke

2) Otis Redding

3) Glenn Danzig

4) Garnett Mimms

5) Marvin Gaye

6) Ian McKaye

7) Sly Stone

8) James Brown

9) Blind Willie Johnson

10) Johnny Rotten

11) Aretha Franklin

12) Ted Hawkins

13) Kool Keith

14) Daniel Johnston

15) Bob Dylan

16) Mark E. Smith

17) Ian Curtis

18) Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

19) Mississippi John Hurt

20) Johnny Cash

21) Janis Joplin

22) Curtis Mayfield

23) Richard Manuel

24) Edith Frost

25) Bill Callahan

Who are your favorites?

Now let’s debate greatest lead guitarists next!