1981: Rick Springfield over Bruce Springsteen
Is there a better karaoke song than ''Jessie's Girl''? Rick Springfield's power-pop ode to forbidden love has a fist-pumping chorus that has fueled countless boozy sing-alongs. Is it better than Bruce Springsteen's ''The River,'' a nuanced and haunting portrait of working-class, small-town life? Probably not. Still, in 1981 voters chose Rick over Bruce for Best Rock Vocal Performance (Male).