Elvis is still the King

He remains, and perhaps always will, the King. Tomorrow, half a century after his recording debut, Elvis Presley will be crowned the greatest voice of all time by Q magazine.

But the poll also exposed some of the worst singers of all time. The hall of shame includes screechers such as Ozzy Osbourne, Mariah Carey, Céline Dion and Yoko Ono.

Music experts and writers from the magazine deliberated, debated and probably stuck their fingers in their ears on more than one occasion to find the singers whose voices raise hackles, cause earache and terrify domestic pets to condemn nine of the worst offenders - plus a whole musical genre.

Deconstructing Osbourne, the Q panel said that although he was once a powerhouse, "he now sings like he speaks - this may be cause for sympathy but not for buying his albums".

Mariah Carey is castigated for "squawking": "She may have a 100-octave range and the ability to sing so loudly that birds' nests fall from trees, but that doesn't make it right." Céline Dion is included for "grinding out every note as if bearing some kind of grudge against the very notion of economy".

Ono, who at 74 is still recording, is said to be "cursed with a voice that even John Lennon couldn't love". The list is completed by Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, Sugarcubes singer Einar, M People's Heather Small, Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, Haircut 100's Nick Heyward and "any death metal singer".

Returning to the greatest singers, the panel shows a bias towards singers from previous generations with Aretha Franklin in second place and Frank Sinatra in third. Seven of the top 10 are dead, including Otis Redding, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley and John Lennon. The other two living singers in the top 10 are Robert Plant and, controversially, Mick Jagger.

The Top Ten

1. Elvis Presley

From his debut release 'That's All Right' onwards, Presley put sex into rock and roll. Country, gospel and blues, he took them all in his stride

2. Aretha Franklin

Said to have a four-octave range, soul star Franklin showed her prowess and power on hits such as 'Respect' and 'I Say a Little Prayer'

3. Frank Sinatra

Renowned for his perfect delivery and phrasing on classics 'My Way' and 'I've Got You Under My Skin'

4. Otis Redding

Fine versions of songs like 'Satisfaction', but loved for '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay'

5. John Lennon

Not technically brilliant, but expressive. 'Imagine' is regularly voted one of the all-time great songs

6. Marvin Gaye

Shot dead by his father in 1984, the Motown star was said to have 'the voice of an angel trapped in a man'

7. Kurt Cobain

Not exactly a beautiful voice but his anguished cries on Nirvana hits such as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' launched a rock revolution in the early 1990s

8. Robert Plant

As singer with Led Zeppelin, Plant and his feminine high register touched millions with 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Immigrant Song'

9. Mick Jagger

Jagger's wicked rasp introduced Britons to rhythm and blues and is still going strong after more than 40 years

10. Jeff Buckley

Was barely known during his lifetime, but his only completed studio album is now a classic, especially his version of 'Hallelujah'