EDITOR'S NOTE: When EW.com's staff began brainstorming a list of the best rock frontmen and -women of all time, you can imagine how long it was — about 150 names from all eras and genres. So how'd we narrow it down to this sleek gallery of 31? Well, we set a couple ground rules: First, we stripped down the word frontman to its strictest definition — that is, the artist whose sole responsibility it is to stand in front of his/her mates to sing, rap, and entertain, as opposed to playing an instrument to boot. (Sorry, Billy Joe Armstrong, Gregg Allman, and Jerry Garcia!) Then, we cut the artists who have led bands bearing their names — like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, or the Jimi Hendrix Experience — simply because, well, it seemed like they're really solo artists with a band in support.

Now that we've cleared that up — and, we hope, staved off tons of angry e-mails about omitting, say, Sly Stone — let's get this thing rolling, with the coolest Icelandic rocker ever...