best singer, in your opinion

[drummer_14_92]

have at it

[SevenString]

Once you get beyond a certain level of overall talent and ability, "best" is very, very subjective. This is going to be an interesting thread. :o

Some of personal favorites? Russell Allen, Jorn Lande, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra. Notice that I did not say "best". ;)

[Sonic Jedi]

Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell when they sing together in harmony

[Kyle.E.Woyote]

Damn off the cuff hard to say.....Layne Staley definitely up there....

..Though I am a big Mike Patton fan...even for his crazy vocal quirks and side projects he's been on.

Some of the stuff he did with Mr Bungle and Faith no more(more the later albums) had some real sweet stuff on em.

[karma279]

Sebastian Bach

[dr5euss]

Don Henley.

[baimun]

Freddie Mercury.

[nos]

Jeff Buckley had a pretty phenomenal voice.

[DenverDave]

Really hard to narrow that down. I would have to splint it between male/female and possibly even to the genre (pop, rock, jazz, etc)...

But a few of my faves - in no particular order....

Female: Ann Wilson, Bjork, Kate Bush, Loreena McKennitt, Sarah Brightman

Male: Steve Perry, Richard Page (Mr Mister), Glen Phillips, Rob Rock, Macca

[MV4824]

"Best" is vague... but I really think that Beck and Emilie Autumn have incredible voices.

[RupertB]

My favorite is Leftoverture-era Steve Walsh.

[Music Calgary]

There's no best but...

Patti Labelle use to be utterly astounding live, may still be. I mean astounding.

Brad Delp was a good man and a great singer. He hit every single note in concert -- just like the album. And by all accounts was a really decent, considerate human being both on and off the stage. Didn't he record the vocals for Boston's first album in a utility room? Seems to me I remember Tom Scholz saying that Delp was a one-take Charlie too, i.e. hand him anything and he'd nail the track instantly.

Bruce Dickinson is one of the most consistent guys on the scene.

[careful now]

Once you get beyond a certain level of overall talent and ability, "best" is very, very subjective. This is going to be an interesting thread. :o

Some of personal favorites? Russell Allen, Jorn Lande, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra. Notice that I did not say "best". ;)

you forgot roy khan. :mad:



:wave:

[DeadNight Warrior]

I dunno about "best", but my favourites are probably Freddie and this guy:
tmkys64t570



Good ol' John Farnham has to get a mention too. :)
MDu7HdnxiE0

[zax2000]

Michael Matijevic - what a range!

[SevenString]

you forgot roy khan. :mad:



:wave:

Don't you cry... :badump:



:facepalm:

[Nick*]

I've always said that Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley were the best singers in my opinion. With that said, Freddy Mercury is the best within that genre.

[Sunsetcarcrash]

Neil Young?... no? ok... I really love Ryan Adams' voice

[flemtone]

Once again, just my opinion:

Female - k.d. lang
Male - Tony Bennett

[The Rossness]

Sammy Hagar
Ronnie James Dio
Bruce Dickenson
Mike Love
Freddie Mercury

[marmorek]

I'm amazed no one's mentioned Plant or Daltrey yet!

[flemtone]

I'm amazed no one's mentioned Plant or Daltrey yet!

(must.......resist.......)

:cop:

[TheKrabsman]

Daltrey. He is better way better than page btw too. On a different plain. Mostly because he was singing Pete Townshend's songs...

[SevenString]

(must.......resist.......)

:cop:

Don't get me started on Daltrey. :facepalm: NOT my cup of tea, to say the least.

[STFU NOOB!]

freddie Mercury is the correct answer.

[flemtone]

Don't get me started on Daltrey. :facepalm: NOT my cup of tea, to say the least.

ah, and you said Sinatra.

It was a really close race between him and Bennett - I thought Tony edged Frank out, but not by much. I go to Tony for precision, and the Chairman of the Board for feeling.

Although each is perfect for a late drink and a Lucky.

[whiteop]

don't forget Steve Perry and John Waite...

[SevenString]

ah, and you said Sinatra.

It was a really close race between him and Bennett - I thought Tony edged Frank out, but not by much. I go to Tony for precision, and the Chairman of the Board for feeling.

Although each is perfect for a late drink and a Lucky.

I'm in total agreement. My preference for Bennett or Sinatra changes with the wind, so I just as easily could have put Bennett in that short list instead, if a different neuron happened to fire in my brain at that moment.

[Slave2TheAudio]

Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell when they sing together in harmony



Chris Cornell....In his prime....holy Christ!

[Talic]

Steve Marriott and Ian Astbury come to mind.

[Surrealistic]

Its a matter of taste IMHO. For instance, whilst I can't deny that Freddie Mercury was technically excellent, I simply don't like his voice and delivery at all. My personal favourites would include Tom Waits, Frank Sinatra, Bjork, Robert Plant, David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Louis Armstrong, Lennon, McCartney, Joe Cocker, Steve Marriott ... ooh I could go on and on all day here! :lol:

Generally I much prefer a little quirkiness, a little uniqueness and/or the ability to convey the emotion of the song over vocal acrobatics. Those who prefer to show-off their vocal technique really turn me off (actually the same goes for instrumentalists too).

[Bryan316]

Sir Russell Allen
Roy Khan
Bruce Dickinson
Peavy Wagner

And... MATT F'ING BARLOW. The voice of Hell itself. None more evil. You can cookie monster it all up as much as you want, you can stomp around in corpse paint all you want. You will never be more intimidating or truly evil than Barlow.

[Bryan316]

I'm amazed no one's mentioned Plant or Daltrey yet!



Plant was always too wavy and shaky with his note control. He always seemed to have a rough uncontrollable "vibrato" and was always loose on his pitch accuracy. I also don't really like those styles of singers who never sing a part the same way twice on stage, like CandleBox's Kevin Martin. Great voices, but I look for repeatability and being able to reproduce what they put on their album.

Daltrey was an awesome influence way back in the day, but I have to put him in the "origins" category. Just cuz certain artists were the first to do what they did, or started a genre, doesn't make them the best. I'm listing singers who can go far and beyond what the classic heroes have done in their careers.

[mark7171]

my friend Jack.

[JacieFB]

Sting, obviously.

[lucasj81]

In terms of pure technical ability, Freddie Mercury was probably the best rock singer. In soul music I think Sam Cooke and Ruth Brown were the best.

[The Slasher]

Jeff Buckley had a pretty phenomenal voice.

Yeah that man could sing anything and make it sound pretty.

[lucasj81]

Oh, I forgot Roy Orbison. Unique and powerful!

[Slave2TheAudio]

I can't believe that i'm the only one that mentioned Chris Cornell...

[SevenString]

I can't believe that i'm the only one that mentioned Chris Cornell...

You aren't. See post #17.

[cherri]

Susan Tedeschi.

[KennethNishimot]

Natalie cole and nat king cole.

[MapexDrummer]

Freddie Mercury
Brandon Boyd (incubus)
Ben Burnley (Breaking Benjamin)
Gavin Hayes (Dredg)


Billy Corgan lawl
..and this random girl from myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=147088837 :love:

[flemtone]

Nobody mentioned Bonnie Raitt yet...I'm surprised.

[SevenString]

Here's one of my favorites that I mentioned:

nO-cpWpzxVA

[permawave]

Male - Chris Cornell
Female - love Jewel's voice

[Tim Smith]

I'll second (or third or fourth) Freddie Mercury, but a name I don't see here and rarely hear among the best singers but IMHO should be is Mickey Thomas, who sang "Fooled Around Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop and was the lead singer for Starship.

I don't know where he is now, but nobody knows where I am either.

[orbm1]

Frank Sinatra
Freddy Mercury
Sting

Celine Dion
Beyonce (and she is Yummy, too :D)

I cannot think of anybody else right now....

Omar :thu:

[Bobby D]

have at it

my favorite was Steve Gruden, R.I.P.:cry:

[SBF3000]

I prefer Staley, Maynard, Cornell. Their styles are/were so different and their voices so distinct and awesome.

[TOOL_5150]

Maynard james keenan

~Matt

[61gibson335]

Layne Staley!!!!!!

[pokechop49]

Glenn Hughes, Paul Rodgers

[boxorox]

Big Joe Turner. Roy Orbison. Clyde McPhatter. Marty Robbins. Proffessor Longhair. Roger Williams. The Dude from The Mavericks. Howard Tate. Dion. Elton Britt. John Denver. Frankie Lymon. Edith Piaf. Charlie Waller. Yma Sumac. Webb Pierce. Burle Ives. Odetta. Bing Crosby. Johnny Burnette. W.B.Akin. John Fogarty... Gimmee a minute...

[311thewiser]

Stevie Wonder, and this guy for rock music,

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[dekethecreep]

Elvis Presley:thu:
Heres a vid on Elvis vocal range
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ0Rhm59vsY

[Bobby D]

Robin Zander from Cheap Trick.


awesome voice.....

[RayXtreme]

Trent Reznor
Freddie Mercury
Bob Dylan
Marilyn Manson
James Blunt

[Jersey Jack]

Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Thom Yorke, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Bob Marley.

It's about mojo, not vocal chops. Analogy: Most pyrotechnic guitar players make me yawn; so do most accomplished singers. I like a simple, soulful lead line, and I like a soulful expressive voice. Most highly proficient people can't resist doing too much, and this excess often ruins the mojo.

[Swingfinger]

Scott Sturgeon from leftover crack

[Nismofreakish]

Myles Kennedy!!

[esq]

Favourite Male: Bing Crosby
Favourite Female: Dolly Parton

I listen to neither with any sort of regularity. However, their voices are phenomenal to my ears.

edit: For the record, my favourite bands are RATM, Muse, and Dire Straits. So, not even close... weird

[formula2fast]

Freddie Mercury
Brandon Boyd (incubus)
Gavin Hayes (Dredg)


Those guys are my top 3 as well as Eric Victorino from Strata (although he recently left the band).

Not only are their voices all excellent, they all write great lyrics too!

[lucasj81]

James Blunt

Not the biggest fan of his singing voice, but his speaking voice is the creepiest I've ever heard. It sounds like it belongs to a serial killer. If he ever snuck up behind me and said something about 'fava beans and chianti' I would probably drop some fruit in my loom!

[vanlatte]

Myles Kennedy!!

Holy Crap, how could I forget this guy!

Great call.

[Bryan316]

Myles Kennedy!!

Excellent call. Definitely a first round draft pick.



Still say Russell Allen. Those bastards need to tour when I don't already have gigs scheduled!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

[J.Paul]

(in order)
Jeff Scott Soto
Ann Wilson
Glen Hughes
John Cowan

and a bunch of others that I like better but probably aren't "the best" such as.......
Steven Tyler
Michael McDonald
James Hetfield
David Coverdale
Prince
Bjork
Elvis

[drummer_14_92]

Bjork annoys me...

[Silverfox]

Freddie Mercury

[Howie22]

I won't say either of these people are the "best," but they are two people who I've been extremely impressed with lately.

Jason Mraz - he has such a range, manages falsetto with ease, and seems to sing so effortlessly


Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland - What a massive, rich, and powerful female voice. Her tone and "twang" may not be for everyone, but she's got a really good range, and can really belt things out. The girl's got some pipes, and she's pretty hot to boot!

[ChordGirl]

Freddie Mercury
Chris Cornell
Aretha
Alison Krauss
Sara McLaughlin
Prince
PJ Harvey
Dolly Parton
Patsy Cline

(In no particular order)

[Davepch]

Patsy Cline
Mick Hucknell
Tracey Thorn
Dave Matthews
Paul Rodgers
Elvis Costello & Presley

( in no particular order)

[RMH]

freddie mercury
layne staley
and the man himself: James Brown, nobody but nobody can give his songs justice unless James Brown himself sings it.

[J.Paul]

we opened for Sugarland this summer and Nettles is right in the money....

I can see how Mraz might connect w/ some people...but for me his tone is limited and he's a bit wordy and busy, although he's quite listenable and soothing for 15 - 20 minuetes.....maybe not so much for an hour or two(although I'd love to play w/ him...great songs.....).
Gimme someone that can growl, scream, whisper, falsetto, baritone,shout, and connect.....

gimme "Bullet the Blue Sky"- U2
yeah
Bono!!!

I won't say either of these people are the "best," but they are two people who I've been extremely impressed with lately.

Jason Mraz - he has such a range, manages falsetto with ease, and seems to sing so effortlessly


Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland - What a massive, rich, and powerful female voice. Her tone and "twang" may not be for everyone, but she's got a really good range, and can really belt things out. The girl's got some pipes, and she's pretty hot to boot!

[Absolute Dood]

Klaus Meine, Ronnie Dio, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan, Freddy Mercury, Geoff Tate, Bruce Dickinson, Steve Perry, James Labrie, Jeff Scott Soto, are / were pretty good

[bustaplz]

Martin Sexton
Harry Nilsson

[FireWithin]

Chris Barnes, George Fisher, Killjoy, Maniac, Tomas Lindberg, Gaul

[blackknight]

Glenn Hughes, Paul Rodgers

I was reading the thread thinking "If no one mentions Paul, I'm definitely going to!" but you beat me to it!

And, on the female side, I really like Amy Lee from Evanescence a lot.

[careful now]

I was reading the thread thinking "If no one mentions Paul, I'm definitely going to!" but you beat me to it!

And, on the female side, I really like Amy Lee from Evanescence a lot.

paul rodgers is a terrific singer.

unfortunately, amy lee seems to be rather terrible when she performs live. :(

[careful now]

Klaus Meine, Ronnie Dio, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan, Freddy Mercury, Geoff Tate, Bruce Dickinson, Steve Perry, James Labrie, Jeff Scott Soto, are / were pretty good

let me guess: you like metal, no? :lol: :thu:

[WowieZowie]

This is a cool thread because we learn quite a bit about one another. It's very telling.

Female: Ella Fitzgerald.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n1EYeQOiAI

She makes me cry, she makes me laugh. Like a little boy I want to run to each person in the world and play one of her songs and say that perfection did exist, and her name was Ella.

Male: I guess Sinatra. But, I dig Daltry, and Fagan, Bennit, McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Nat Cole, on and on. But to me, Ella is and was the top of it all.

[Y0UNGBL00D]

i relaly like cedric bixler, maynard james keenan, the chick from my brightest diamond

[TOOL_5150]

i relaly like cedric bixler, maynard james keenan, the chick from my brightest diamond

MJK has the voice to put the words out there... sometyimes lyrics can hit you in the jaw and make you realize something,.... MJK is the man he has the voice to let it go.... slip away... .....


TOOL rocks!!!!


~Matt

[ChristianRock]

Women: for sheer power, Bonnie Tyler. Also, Loreena McKennitt (power and beauty) and Michele Tumes (personal taste, not about her power but something about the tone of her voice).

Men: Sir Russell Allen. Also, Brad Delp, Geoff Tate and Klaus Meine at their prime. I'm not just a rock/metal kind of guy but that genre always seems to have the best singers.

The one guy I could emulate the best in cover bands was always Robert Plant, so I have a soft spot for him as well (until Led Zep IV of course - then something happened and he was never the same again).

[Tag]

I've always said that Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley were the best singers in my opinion. With that said, Freddy Mercury is the best within that genre.

Wow, that was going to be my answer exactly: Buckley and Cornell (back in the day).

Also, surprising there hasn't been more Elvis in this thread! Watch any part of 68 Comeback Special, the guy was a vocal prodigy!!!

Elliot Smith isn't the most technically proficient singer, but his style is so unique and fitting for his music, and is so powerful in it's understatement. He is in my top 3.

I also don't really like those styles of singers who never sing a part the same way twice on stage, like CandleBox's Kevin Martin. Great voices, but I look for repeatability and being able to reproduce what they put on their album.

Haha, I look for the exact opposite! A robot can do the same thing again and again, the reason I go to see good bands play live is so I can hear variation from the cd...if I wanted to see exactly how it's done on the cd, I could stay home and watch the music video...

Jason Mraz

[Searching for vomit smiley...]

[Talking head]

Thom Yorke anyone?

[Tag]

Thom Yorke anyone?

Hmmmm, one of my favorites but he got soooo much from Buckley that I couldn't classify him in the "Best" category (to which originality plays a large part)...

[ChristianRock]

I forgot the one who might be the best rock voice of all time: Dan McCafferty.

[MADAXEMAN]

DC COOPER ROB HALFORD

[diceman1000]

my favorite is cody canada of cross canadian ragweed,hands down,he has a unique voice,and will definately pull you in.steve rice from no justice is also realy good,stoney larue,bleu edmondson(again,very unique)...of course most of you are probably not familiar with red dirt/texas country...so mainstream i'd have to say...country=jake owen,rock=david cook,pop=jordan sparks,reggae=cas haley(absolutely amazing,imo)...but i'm a red dirt man at heart,and cody is the reining champ in that arena...just my $00.02

Damon

[diceman1000]

as to my above reply,this was in terms of new new/current artists...old school's another story...i love ronny vanzant,don henley,bob seger...too many to list realy...

Damon

[ndemattheis]

Meatloaf and an honorable mention for Alanis Morrisette.

[Repner]

Daniel Gildenlöw. What a range :thu:

[tacdryver]

There are great singers and there are singers that we actualy want to listen to...

Since I do Blues, I don't think Jimie, Stevie and Eric get enough props for thier singing ability. Nickelback's singer is good, so is Brian Johnson of AC/DC

[skiscem]

Maynard James Keenan

[careful now]

it is odd that after several pages, and with all the rock and metal singers mentioned, that no one has brought up geoff tate. :o

3AQM-KdepuM

[gino999]

Layne Staley , Frank Sinatra are definitely among the top buts its very hard to tell now who is the best.

[gino999]

Layne Staley and Frank Sinatra ar definitely among the best. But its very hard to tell who is the best...

[twistofcain]

Glenn Danzig

[Ripping Rudy]

Springsteen.

[Jersey Jack]

Oh, yes, Springsteen!!! :thu:

[Steverino]

Robin Zander

[Steverino]

Alison Krauss


Absolutely :wave:

[83rdDream]

Steve Marriott and Ian Astbury come to mind.

+1 for astbury. my personal favorite by a furlong.

[drummer_14_92]

long lasting thread :o

[Zon5string]

Biz Markie.

[zildjian@consol]

Wow, what a tread,I believe all singers have there songs and also times in which they could be considered,you could also have a tread for best harmonies- Sly & the family stone. any way
Early-Robert Plant,Stevie Wonder,Steve Marriott,The Mavirks singer,The guy from Yes,Marvin Gaye,DIO,Early Rod Stewart-with the Faces,Bruce Dickinson,Elivs Costello Paul Rogers,The guy from Robin Trowers,The guys from UB40,Otis Redding,the guy from Kingdom Come,guy from Heatwave,George Benson,Al Green.........

[search now]

my latest discovery whos voice I love is

Eva Cassidy

[Jones124]

yes Don Henley is the best

[guitarjedi33]

vince neil, when he sings all the words...

[Consume]

Sir Russell Allen
Roy Khan
Bruce Dickinson
Peavy Wagner

And... MATT F'ING BARLOW. The voice of Hell itself. None more evil. You can cookie monster it all up as much as you want, you can stomp around in corpse paint all you want. You will never be more intimidating or truly evil than Barlow.


I preferred Tim Owens in IE. Matt Barlow sounds like a bad Paul Stanley imitator to me.


Tony Harnell (and I'm not a fan of TNT, but the guy has an amazing voice.)
Mike Matijevic
Jim Gillette (sorry, but the guy IS incredible, and I hadn't seen him mentioned yet - even though I didn't like his grating Axl-ish kind of tone.)

[jmcountry43]

There are lots of great singers out there. It really is just an opinion of what you like. But I would say. Vince Gill and Allison Kruass

[Jimbroni]

Martin Sexton - Incredible singing range. And the ability to do that electric guitar solo sound with his voice, blow me away.

[Foss38]

Edith Bunker

[BigVoiceTenor]

There are lots of great singers out there. It really is just an opinion of what you like. But I would say. Vince Gill and Allison Kruass

Allison Kruass' voice is the purest, clearest, sweetest, voice I have ever heard from any woman. Ever....

Even the hint of an ever so slight bluegrass twang somehow mellows the tone to an even more pleasanter (I made a new word - pleasanter) ear'gasm.

I think Allison Krauss could sing the phone book and you'd listen. Well with a little mandoliln tucked softly down below....

[bayliss]

leslie feist

[Toneranger24]

Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell when they sing together in harmony
:thu::thu::thu:

[Laroosco]

Again, I can't believe that this is supposed to be a group of singer's and Bobby Bland never comes up.

Bonnie Raitt is my favorite female singer

[romvert]

I'll second (or third or fourth) Freddie Mercury, but a name I don't see here and rarely hear among the best singers but IMHO should be is Mickey Thomas, who sang "Fooled Around Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop and was the lead singer for Starship.

I don't know where he is now, but nobody knows where I am either.
Technically, Mickey Thomas is in the same vein as Brian Delp and Steve Perry:speech level singers that make use of their whole range; pretty impressive and daring. I also think Sammy Hagar touched on that genre as a late bloomer with VH.
On the other hand Freddy, although an incredible timbre and pure tenor voice, did not do very well in pure head voice: very nasal and only in the studio. He also had a reckless abandon about his vocal performance, and didn't take care of himself like he should have. Although he had a beautiful falsetto, it did not come through live, because of all the belting.
And to think is is one of my all time favourites...

[romvert]

I'm amazed no one's mentioned Plant or Daltrey yet!
Plant was and is a lot better singer than Daltrey. He had an incredible range for the time and a pure, natural tenor timbre, like Mercury did. Daltrey was nothing but a marginal belter and screamer, doing more in the studio than anywhere else.

[romvert]

Glenn Hughes, Paul Rodgers
Mention David Coverdale while you're at it. Glenn could sound like a black woman back in Deep Purple, couldn't he? Amazing, one of my favourites.Too bad most of his life revolved around drugs...

[romvert]

Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Thom Yorke, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Bob Marley.

It's about mojo, not vocal chops. Analogy: Most pyrotechnic guitar players make me yawn; so do most accomplished singers. I like a simple, soulful lead line, and I like a soulful expressive voice. Most highly proficient people can't resist doing too much, and this excess often ruins the mojo.
you nailed it jack! The problem is that most of the ones you mention are great on delievery, originality and story, but short on vocal chops. Remember you have to have both...

[Jimmy Chaos]

Michael Stipe, totally unique, amazing range, smokes like a chimney too.
Notable mentions to Roddy Woomble (Idlewild), Colin Meloy (Decemberists) and Morrissey.

[T.B.]

In no particular order.

Phillip Bailey (Earth, Wind, & Fire)
Eldra (El') DeBarge (DeBarge)
Billy Eckstine
Nat King Cole
Ella Fitzgerald
Odetta
Mahalia Jackson
Betsy Smith
Big Mama Thorton
Russell Thompkins, Jr (The Stylistics)
Dinah Washington
Barry White
Sarah Vaughan


I had a problem with their top 10. Pasty Cline should have been in the top ten as should Donny Hathaway. I love me some Steveland Wonder, but Mr. Hathaway could sing circles around him. Scratch out Mary Jo Bilge at number 100, she's aright. It's not always about the best singing pipes but the "soul" but Jill Scott has both. Ms. Scott is the best thing going in R&B/Soul music at this time. (IMHO)


They forgot Big Mama? Blasphemy! ;)
5XUAg1_A7IE

[Laroosco]

For me it's Donny Hathaway, hands down

[MikeFairbrother]

Zak Stevens (Savatage)

[Rob_Rocks]

Steve Perry
Brad Delp
Robert Plant
Ronnie James Dio
Mike Matijevic
Steven Tyler
Mickey Thomas
Geoff Tate

[grace_slick]

Grace Slick!!

[drummer_14_92]

I predict this thread will be epic...

[djfrank]

Some of y'all are on crack with your choices...

Males:
Geoff Tate, Sebastian Bach, Michael Sweet, Brad Delp, Miljenko Matijevic... All of them can hit any note they want...and scream and rock out with a vengeance. ... ALways gotta give props to Elvis too. King Diamond has an amazing voice too... but I don't dig his music or what he is all about...

Females: Amy Lee(incredible voice), and Gretchen Wilson... Amazing singer... Especially live. And I hate country.

[romvert]

Some of y'all are on crack with your choices...

Males:
Geoff Tate, Sebastian Bach, Michael Sweet, Brad Delp, Miljenko Matijevic... All of them can hit any note they want...and scream and rock out with a vengeance. ... ALways gotta give props to Elvis too. King Diamond has an amazing voice too... but I don't dig his music or what he is all about...

Females: Amy Lee(incredible voice), and Gretchen Wilson... Amazing singer... Especially live. And I hate country.
This is completely unrelated, but I played in Dothan one time in the mid 90's, at a huge club, that also had a smaller disco type of bar to the side of it. Do you happen to know what was the name of it?

[Jersey Jack]

T.B. gets my vote for member of the month honors. That video of Big Mama Thorton was incredible! Thanks for posting that! :thu::thu::thu:

[djfrank]

This is completely unrelated, but I played in Dothan one time in the mid 90's, at a huge club, that also had a smaller disco type of bar to the side of it. Do you happen to know what was the name of it?

Sorry, I have only lived here for 2 years... but I have heard of a club that closed a few years back called grand central station?

[TWSS]

Either Tom Waits, or Marvin Gaye. I know, I couldn't have picked two more opposite singers if I tried.

[romvert]

Sorry, I have only lived here for 2 years... but I have heard of a club that closed a few years back called grand central station?
Possible... I don't know... I was just melancholically stabbing in the dark...

[romvert]

James Taylor and King Diamond. Right. I think this thread turned into a "let's see who else and what different and weird mention I can come up with" fest. The 12 year olds enjoy it but the rest of us are preparing to puke...

[djfrank]

Possible... I don't know... I was just melancholically stabbing in the dark...

If it was right in the middle of downtown then it was probably it... It has been a club for years but has changed owners and names a bunch of times. :confused:

[aravida]

Damn off the cuff hard to say.....Layne Staley definitely up there....

..Though I am a big Mike Patton fan...even for his crazy vocal quirks and side projects he's been on.

Some of the stuff he did with Mr Bungle and Faith no more(more the later albums) had some real sweet stuff on em.

Yup friend, I agree with you, really Layne Staley definitely up there....

Come on let's listen to music & forget this world :):):)

[texture]

I know His singing style is kind of an aquired taste but Chino from the Deftones does some amazing things with his voice.

[boxorox]

Big Joe Turner. Fred Astaire. Roy Orbison.

[Andrew JD]

I know His singing style is kind of an aquired taste but Chino from the Deftones does some amazing things with his voice.

He's also tortured many people with his live vocals.....I've NEVER heard that guy sing in key live for more than a word or two....(I do dig the Deftones though).

[drummer_14_92]

interesting choices

[nAmzrTakin]

Freddy mercury, Sammy hagar

[romvert]

If it was right in the middle of downtown then it was probably it... It has been a club for years but has changed owners and names a bunch of times. :confused:
I'm not really sure where it was in town. Inside it looked like a big concert warehouse, with a 4' stage; to the left of the stage there was an entrance to a small club which was running 70's jukebox stuff, like disco, funk and motown.This was '95-'96.

[ulankfan]

Nat King Cole was easy to listen to

[Microwave Walrus]

dude from hootie and the blowfish (darius rucker) has a good voice...on record, anyhow...i've never seen em or heard em live

[grace_slick]

Hey, is that Hootie dude the same guy in that band the Crash Test Dummies? They sound a bit alike.

[SevenString]

dude from hootie and the blowfish (darius rucker) has a good voice...on record, anyhow...i've never seen em or heard em live

He sounded good live, and was a nice guy in person.

Unfortunately, while the guy's got an interesting, rich quality to his voice, he sings the same style song to song, and has about a five note range.

I'm looking for a little more stylistic variation to keep my attention over the long haul.

[cearleywine]

My favorite singer alive is Kurt Elling. I also enjoy Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Gazerek, Bjork, Robert Plant.

[Bobby1Note]

OK, I'll stick to names I haven't yet seen mentioned,

Joni Mitchell (what can I say,,,,, a pioneer)

Judith Durham (The Seekers) (P.S. I L-O-V-E this woman :)

Judy Garland (defines singing with heart)

B.J. Thomas

Charles Aznavour (Sinatra called him the best singer in the world)

Andrea Bocelli

Mario Lanza

Did anyone mention Van Morrison?

Eddie Arnold

Bobby Darin

Bob

[ripNdeb]

Streisand

[Carmine55]

I had this discussion with 2 friends about a week ago. One said Robert Plant and another said Freddie Mercury. I was split between Roy Orbison and Jeff Buckley, though Jeff Buckley unfortunately wasn't around long enough to show us much more than Grace. As someone said, Buckley could make anything sound beautiful, and I've heard tons of guys try to imitate him but none come close. As far as Orbison, I don't think anyone could ever imitate his lonely wail. He had so much soul in his voice.

There's also Chris Cornell (from his Soundgarden days), Maynard, the awesome Layne and Cantrell harmony as someone said, and I know a lot of people are going to say no to this, but I don't care since he's been such a huge influence on me - Eddie Vedder. :D

As far as females, honestly...the only one that has completely captivated me is Bjork. While she's not the best, I find her style very unique and amazing.

[Obsidious]

Mavis Staples!















My opinion counts for more as the letters are bigger, see.

[Obsidious]

Also, Minnie Frickin Ripperton!

How the hell have these two not been mentioned in 150+ posts? What drugs are you people on?

[McCabe]

Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Richard Ashcroft, Scott Matthews.

[cearleywine]

Kurt Elling & Al Jarreau
03KsxLACwfM

[spiveslude]

def mayfield four myles kennedy

[TerrapinStation]

Pavarotti. Hands down, the best. 9 high C's... nuff said

Sarah Brightman is pretty damn good too.

[spiveslude]

As far as rock is concerned I dont think anyone right now can beat him. The quality of his high notes are amazing.

51BPETCl3_I

[Slave2TheAudio]

Bjork annoys me...

+1 haha

[Slave2TheAudio]

+ 1 for Eddie Vedder as well

[Swingfinger]

You really think that Eddie Vedder is as good as Chris Cornell in his heyday? They both have similar sounding singing voices but I have always found most of Eddie Vedder's stuff incredibly annoying. Like he ate too much cheese and is recording the morning after on the toilet. Maybe Creed kind of ruined that sound for me.

[romvert]

Vedder was a good writer and lyricist, and could muster incredible delivery in the studio. But in reality his voice is caca-pupu. The range of 2-3 notes at the most.

[lee_kim]

Favourite Male: Bing Crosby
Favourite Female: Dolly Parton

I listen to neither with any sort of regularity. However, their voices are phenomenal to my ears.

[srspud]

Hasse Froberg
Glenn Hughes
Jeff Scott Soto
Goran Edman
Joe Lynn Turner

[Carmine55]

Cornell was definitely a better VOCALIST than Vedder back in the early 90's, but they both were very talented writers. Vedder just has this soul to his voice that I love. I'm a big PJ fan, and though I never really cared for their fast more punkish stuff that he would scream in, I just found his voice so powerful in some of their songs...mostly anything off of Ten and Vs.

I've seen Pearl Jam a few times, and I do agree that his voice sounds much better and more powerful in the studio. Don't know how it sounded live back 15 years ago, though.

And about what Creed did to Pearl Jam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phh_FRGdKzY&feature=channel_page

:)

[Carmine55]

Oh, I forgot. I bet no one would think of this guy because he's not by any means the focus of the band. The rest of the instruments put his singing in the background, but I always though the guy had an amazing angelic voice - Jon Anderson from Yes.

[Musubi01]

Yep Sammy Hagar and Steve Perry are top, but this might work better if it was separated in to type of music styles....if we are looking at this on a world view...don't hate me but it is going to be hard to beat the Opera greats.

[destroypower]

me

[rivercity65]

Wow, what a tread,I believe all singers have there songs and also times in which they could be considered,you could also have a tread for best harmonies- Sly & the family stone. any way
Early-Robert Plant,Stevie Wonder,Steve Marriott,The Mavirks singer,The guy from Yes,Marvin Gaye,DIO,Early Rod Stewart-with the Faces,Bruce Dickinson,Elivs Costello Paul Rogers,The guy from Robin Trowers,The guys from UB40,Otis Redding,the guy from Kingdom Come,guy from Heatwave,George Benson,Al Green.........


Joined today; first post. Hi, everybody. Agree all the way with Zildjian...add a couple doing things today. Female = Lalah Hathaway. She has her dad's style, a ridiculous range, sounds amazing recorded or live, and can make you feel anything she wants you to feel without the fake American Idol melisma gymnastics. Male 1 = Musiq Soulchild. Dude is twistin' and turnin' major influences on their heads, with unique vocal riffs and background arangements. Male 2 = Anthony David. Pretty much Bruce Springsteen with a little more soul. A regular guy who sounds like a regular guy who can blow. Group = Take 6. They can do anything vocally, any style, any time.

[JDRock]

Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Thom Yorke, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Bob Marley.

It's about mojo, not vocal chops. Analogy: Most pyrotechnic guitar players make me yawn; so do most accomplished singers. I like a simple, soulful lead line, and I like a soulful expressive voice. Most highly proficient people can't resist doing too much, and this excess often ruins the mojo.

hear hear....;)

[rodclement]

always love a good thread resurection!

MIKA
Mercury
Paul Rogers

in no particular order...

rod

[earfurblues]

Best Female.... EVA CASSIDY..... no contest, the best female singer ever, RIP

[ColinLynch]

As far as the genre of rock goes (and taking account of use of lyrics, emotion, and connection to music) I feel Chris Cornell would most likely be the top of my list of "Best Singers."

However, it is not modern Cornell that takes this position. I am talking about Cornell in the days of SoundGarden and early Audioslave. Modern Cornell is shown as a Pop Star, appealing to the young and taking advantage of marketing. As far as hard rock goes, this has ruined a modern position of best singer.

So all in all, if I had to go throughout the early nineties id say Cornell was the best. In modern times I'd say Eddie Vedder (this is unbias as I have only liked some of his songs, however I understand where he's going with his music and his sound has been untainted throughout the years.)

Plus he's amazing live.

[ColinLynch]

Cornell was definitely a better VOCALIST than Vedder back in the early 90's, but they both were very talented writers. Vedder just has this soul to his voice that I love. I'm a big PJ fan, and though I never really cared for their fast more punkish stuff that he would scream in, I just found his voice so powerful in some of their songs...mostly anything off of Ten and Vs.

I've seen Pearl Jam a few times, and I do agree that his voice sounds much better and more powerful in the studio. Don't know how it sounded live back 15 years ago, though.

And about what Creed did to Pearl Jam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phh_FRGdKzY&feature=channel_page

:)

Agreed.

[RestoringSilenc]

Now,I personally love Butch Walker's voice.
I didn't go through all the pages,so i'm not sure if anyone mentioned him,plus he's not TOO famous,more on the producer level than musical,but nonetheless,i might be biased due to my obsession with him,forgive me :(.

2O39n_rQbQc

[romvert]

As far as the genre of rock goes (and taking account of use of lyrics, emotion, and connection to music) I feel Chris Cornell would most likely be the top of my list of "Best Singers."

However, it is not modern Cornell that takes this position. I am talking about Cornell in the days of SoundGarden and early Audioslave. Modern Cornell is shown as a Pop Star, appealing to the young and taking advantage of marketing. As far as hard rock goes, this has ruined a modern position of best singer.

So all in all, if I had to go throughout the early nineties id say Cornell was the best. In modern times I'd say Eddie Vedder (this is unbias as I have only liked some of his songs, however I understand where he's going with his music and his sound has been untainted throughout the years.)

Plus he's amazing live.
Cornell is an intelligent guy, good writer, but he could never match his studio performances live. Not as bad as Vedder, but somewhat dissapoiting...