Lennon, shot dead by a deranged fan in New York in 1980, received the accolade from British rock music magazine Mojo, which compiled a list of the top 100 singers by asking tens of thousands of readers to vote for their favourite 10.
Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, who shared singing and songwriting duties with Lennon, was seventh.
"Lennon recorded a huge variety of songs and in each variety an authentic passion and a need to communicate come shining through," Mojo editor Matt Snow said.
As if to prove the rock 'n' roll adage that it's better to "live fast, die young", half the stars in the top 10 are dead.
IN TOP VOICE
1. John Lennon
2. Elvis Presley
3. Aretha Franklin
4. Frank Sinatra
5. Bob Dylan
6. Roy Orbison
7. Paul McCartney
8. Otis Redding
9. Robert Palmer
10. Ray Charles