Who’s the greatest emo vocalist of all time? It’s a difficult question with dozens of options. Going back to its early days with powerhouses like Caithlin De Marrais of Rainer Maria and Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional, the music has evolved in the ensuing decades, never the same between generations, and made way for a lot of top-tier singers who’ve made their own distinct mark on the genre. Naturally, we turned to our readers and asked them to name the best emo vocalists, regardless of era, and these are their top picks, ranked accordingly below.
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5. Bert McCracken
While it’s debated if the Used are really considered emo, Bert McCracken definitely delivers anguished, high-octane performances that stack up against some of the genre’s classic songs. Across nine studio albums, and a forthcoming B-sides LP, the band have managed to remain fairly unclassifiable, mixing post-hardcore, emo, and pop punk, among others, into a dizzying spell that’s just as potent as the day their self-titled debut dropped in 2002. “The Taste of Ink,” a standout from that LP, embodies the 2000s mall-emo era and continues to be a setlist staple to this day.
4. Patrick Stump
Fall Out Boy are a lot more influenced by pop these days, but no matter the era, Patrick Stump has always possessed an inimitable style. Influenced by the Get Up Kids and Saves the Day, he uses his soulful, gigantic voice to increase the drama and atmosphere, which is aided by Pete Wentz’s evocative lyricism. It all adds an abundance of swagger, personality, and theatricality to his impressive vocal runs. Stump’s belts are as iconic as the band’s biblically long song titles, and if you ever listen to their isolated vocal tracks, you’ll get why readers included him in this list.
3. Anthony Green
Anthony Green was named the best post-hardcore vocalist, but our readers decided he was worthy of this title, too. Between his many bands — from 2000s outfits Saosin, Circa Survive, and the Sound of Animals Fighting to his latest venture in the supergroup L.S. Dunes, plus his gut-wrenching solo material — Green is a versatile singer who’s able to adopt and blur multiple styles into his own unique vision. He also tackles addiction with fearlessness and empathy, letting others know they’re not alone through his striking lyricism.
2. Hayley Williams
It can be argued that Paramore are more pop punk than emo, at least in their earlier days, but either way, Hayley Williams has left an immeasurable mark on the genre as a whole. She also has deep respect for it, as evinced by her Everything Is Emo radio show, where she delves into ’90s to modern-day artists who helped shape the genre and shouts out her favorite new bands, like Scowl. Williams is also one of the few who was unafraid to call out the mistreatment within emo, reminding people that it wasn’t always a safe space and refusing to become a “nostalgia band” by transcending the genre instead. The mark of a truly gifted frontperson is also their ability to speak out, and Williams has that in spades.
1. Gerard Way
Of course Gerard Way was going to snag the top spot. When people think of emo, the My Chemical Romance frontman usually comes to the front of mind because of his immense impact on the genre. Taking notes from Queen and Britpop, Way is a phenomenal storyteller whose theatrical, soul-baring performances make MCR’s songs feel like high drama. From the melodic “Early Sunsets Over Monroeville” to the experimental cabaret banger “Mama,” Way’s vocals ripple with emotional intensity and passion, leaning into darkness as much as hope. Quite simply, no other singer could fit this band.
