Greatest vocalists

[JohnFreeman]

Who do you you think are the greatest singers in history?

Obvious candidates:

http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130504145202/epicrapbattlesofhistory/images/1/15/Freddie-Mercury.jpg

http://ronewzakcleveland.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/whitney-on-mtv.png
Whitney

http://www.soompi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Stevie-Wonder-2.jpg

[Suguru101]

Andrea Bocelli is probably the greatest male vocalist of the past 20 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSjzfIt_-p4

[iamgine]

Greatest vocalist today:

http://danspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AdamLambert.jpg

Too bad his songs are lame.

[dr.hee]

Andrea Bocelli is probably the greatest male vocalist of the past 20 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSjzfIt_-p4

No.

[Suguru101]

And Tarja is probably the greatest female one of the past 20 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcNQZrhhKg

(Phantom of The Opera - The male singer is not that great but she's awesome)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p29LcuuvgQ

(The intro of the song is in a low tone, so she doesn't sound at her best.. but at about 1:35 she starts singing normally)

[Suguru101]

No.

Show me a video then. Live singing, not some album track.

[dr.hee]

Show me a video then. Live singing, not some album track.

Does it have to be pop only, or also classical music vocalists?

[Suguru101]

Popular/Romantic/etc..

If we go classical/opera there are much better than Bocelli.

[dr.hee]

Popular/Romantic/etc..

If we go classical/opera there are much better than Bocelli.

Then I'm kinda confused about the point you were actually trying to make. First you named Bocelli the "greatest vocalist of the last 20 years". Now at least the genre is narrowed down. But still...what exactly is "greatness" in this context to you, and is the only genre relevant pop music backed by strings? Also, are we talking about commerical success? Material? Technique?

[Heavincent]

Maynard James Keenan

[Suguru101]

Then I'm kinda confused about the point you were actually trying to make. First you named Bocelli the "greatest vocalist of the last 20 years". Now at least the genre is narrowed down. But still...what exactly is "greatness" in this context to you, and is the only genre relevant pop music backed by strings? Also, are we talking about commerical success? Material? Technique?

I meant voice/talent. Greatest vocalist to me is somebody who has outstanding vocal technique, range and whose voice has very good color.

Within the popular music(not necessarily pop in musical terms but popular/recognized commercially) of the last 20 years, i don't know of a man who is a better vocalist than Bocelli.

Except perhaps Geoff Tate from Queenryche, but he fell off quickly. Give me some of your examples.

[dr.hee]

I meant voice/talent. Greatest vocalist to me is somebody who has outstanding vocal technique, range and whose voice has very good color.

Within the popular music(not necessarily pop in musical terms but popular/recognized commercially) of the last 20 years, i don't know of a man who is a better vocalist than Bocelli.

Except perhaps Geoff Tate from Queenryche, but he fell off quickly. Give me some of your examples.

I'm still not quite understanding your point. Bocelli is a passable classical tenor making easy to digest pop music. Nothing wrong with that. But by specifically excluding other classically trained singers just because they happen to perform classical material, you're limiting the vocalists I can compare Bocelli with to, I don't know, nobody essentially? I mean Bocelli's material is just that...a classical voice over smooth pop tunes. Don't even know who I should compare him to.

Just don't get your point, maybe I'm too stupid, lol. Seems to me like saying "Kenny G is the greatest saxophone player of the last 20 years and there hasn't been a better pianist than Jamie Cullum in the last decade".

[16X]

Just listened to a few Bocelli songs and the guy's voice sounds annoying to me. Whitney, MJ, and Demi Lovao sh*t on him IMO.

[Suguru101]

I'm still not quite understanding your point. Bocelli is a passable classical tenor making easy to digest pop music. Nothing wrong with that. But by specifically excluding other classically trained singers just because they happen to perform classical material, you're limiting the vocalists I can compare Bocelli with to, I don't know, nobody essentially? I mean Bocelli's material is just that...a classical voice over smooth pop tunes. Don't even know who I should compare him to.

Just don't get your point, maybe I'm too stupid, lol. Seems to me like saying "Kenny G is the greatest saxophone player of the last 20 years and there hasn't been a better pianist than Jamie Cullum in the last decade".

Alright, let's go on classical singers then. I wanted to exclude them because there are so many of them that are awesome and it's like opening a can... but here you go.

Dietrich is my favorite of all time. Is he the greatest? I don't know, but this performance by him is just :bowdown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XP5RP6OEJI

[outbreak]

Johnny Cash

[pauk]

Ray Charles
Aretha Franklin
Sam Cooke
Little Richard
Stevie Wonder
Elvis Presley
Otis Redding

[Suguru101]

Diana Amrau sounds superhuman in some parts of this piece... listen from 2:45 onwards. :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=463jDvbw3LQ

[dr.hee]

Alright, let's go on classical singers then. I wanted to exclude them because there are so many of them that are awesome and it's like opening a can... but here you go.

Dietrich is my favorite of all time. Is he the greatest? I don't know, but this performance by him is just :bowdown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XP5RP6OEJI

Nice :cheers:

Don't know, this whole goat thing might work in bball or something, but music? Nah. And the thing with Bocelli is...might sound like an a**hole now...but I doubt he'd have any success if he wasn't blind. I mean what's the specific thing he's doing so well that couldn't be replaced with any semi decent tenor? It's just like...someone is writing those radio friendly romantic tunes, and they pick the most marketable guy.

Anyway...I hate opera generally, but this dude's awesome. If a singer can even give a cynical moron like myself goosebumps, he's doing it right...
Marcelo Alvarez (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxf27JNcvE)

And since you've gone old school...Peter Schreier (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaq-6U7ZJt8)

[Rasheed1]

Aretha Franklin
Patti Labelle
Mariah Carey

[FatComputerNerd]

Chris Cornell is up there

[Joyner82reload]

Greatest vocalist today:

http://danspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AdamLambert.jpg

Too bad his songs are lame.

Wrong. Adam Levine is actually the best male singer in the business, sadly enough. Nate Ruess of fun. is probably #2

[Overdrive]

Freddie Mercury, Steven Tyler, Marvin Gaye, Eric Burdon, Otis Redding and Dio for "modern" music.

Pavarotti, Callas and Joan Sutherland. The two former are very popular and some call them overrated, because they didn't display the best technical voice, but I simply their timbre.

Regarding Damrau. Saw an Interview few month ago where she claimed the Queen of the night aria is the toughest to sing in all of classical music. And untrained singer might damage her vocal chords just trying.

[El Gato Negro]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iwTdODejQh0

[SpecialQue]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX_120DMFDQ

[dr.hee]

Regarding Damrau. Saw an Interview few month ago where she claimed the Qeeen of the night aria is the toughest to sing in all of classical music. And untrained singer might damage her vocal chords just trying.

Yup, insane stuff.

[Angel Face]

Prime Lliam Gallagher is up there.

http://bilder.poster.net/p/LRG/30/3004/K8FBF00Z/Oasis-Liam-Gallagher-of-Oasis-Singing-at-Their-Knebworth-Concert.jpg

[Suguru101]

Freddie Mercury, Steven Tyler, Marvin Gaye, Eric Burdon, Otis Redding and Dio for "modern" music.

Pavarotti, Callas and Joan Sutherland. The two former are very popular and some call them overrated, because they didn't display the best technical voice, but I simply their timbre.

Regarding Damrau. Saw an Interview few month ago where she claimed the Queen of the night aria is the toughest to sing in all of classical music. And untrained singer might damage her vocal chords just trying.

This.

I saw a little girl(8-10) trying to perform it on youtube, and i was just mad at the parents for making her even attempt it and record it. The girl didn't sound trained, she just had a pretty voice. :facepalm

[JohnFreeman]

http://cache.vevo.com/Content/VevoImages/video/DF3DE3CB071F1C19677DFD0D4DD8C766.jpg

Luther Vandross

[miller-time]

No mentions of Michael Jackson or Jill Scott?

Also you need to put in some of the heavier rock singers. James Hetfield or Brian Johnson come to mind.

[CavaliersFTW]

T-Pain and Ke$ha

[Balla_Status]

Prime Lliam Gallagher is up there.

http://bilder.poster.net/p/LRG/30/3004/K8FBF00Z/Oasis-Liam-Gallagher-of-Oasis-Singing-at-Their-Knebworth-Concert.jpg

:lol

This isn't my alt I swear.

Liam was pretty damn good in his prime though.

[JohnFreeman]

:lol

This isn't my alt I swear.

Liam was pretty damn good in his prime though.
He did what he had to do. Unique though

[MMM]

Where would Smokey Robinson fit in????
He has one of the smoothest sounding voices imo but might not be among the elite vocalists.

[JohnFreeman]

Where would Smokey Robinson fit in????
He has one of the smoothest sounding voices imo but might not be among the elite vocalists.
He is definitely there.
i want to include George Michael. Just go watch Somebody to love at the freddie mercury tribute concert, that voice

[Angel Face]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1137863!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/megadeth17f-4-web.jpg

http://www.idioteq.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Kurt-Cobain.jpg

http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/loudwire.com/files/2013/01/Dave-Grohl3.jpg

http://www.aforceforgood.org.uk/images/imuj.jpg

[D-FENS]

Freddie Mercury

Mike Patton

Nat King Cole

[Patrick Chewing]

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/30389609/Chris%2BCornell%2B2.jpg

[jcsrplumply]

Bob Dylan

[Heavincent]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1137863!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/megadeth17f-4-web.jpg


:biggums:

Mustaine is an AWFUL singer. Great guitarist and a great band, but the dude can't sing for shit. He has made some good vocal melodies, but he just doesn't have a good voice.

[JohnFreeman]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B1LlYh6iKqs/TQgnmjUVPjI/AAAAAAAAEEk/AuXrPIeghg4/s1600/andrea-bocelli.jpg

Bocelli

[Patrick Chewing]

Bob Dylan


So annoying

[Jackass18]

Where would Smokey Robinson fit in????
He has one of the smoothest sounding voices imo but might not be among the elite vocalists.

It's fairly subjective when it comes to singing. Different people look for different things when it comes to singing and value them differently. Some people may rate Celine Dion highly, but I ****ing hate her voice. There's some voices I like that others hate. You might as well just go by your faves.

[Black and White]

John Legend?

[JohnFreeman]

John Legend?
Good singer, but greatest?

[bdreason]

Answers are all over the place in this thread. I'll just assume we mean mainstream popular music and the first two that come to mind are Whitney and Mariah.

[Angel Face]

:biggums:

Mustaine is an AWFUL singer. Great guitarist and a great band, but the dude can't sing for shit. He has made some good vocal melodies, but he just doesn't have a good voice.

Thread was titled greatest vocalists, not greatest singers. Mustaine's voice fit their music perfectly. His live sounds like a recording. One of the best vocalist out there.

[JohnFreeman]

Thread was titled greatest vocalists, not greatest singers. Mustaine's voice fit their music perfectly. His live sounds like a recording. One of the best vocalist out there.
Exactly. Bit like Axl Rose, isn't the greatest singer but for the genre he is

[Angel Face]

Exactly. Bit like Axl Rose, isn't the greatest singer but for the genre he is

Prime Axl Rose was one of the best vocalist ever. Too bad Axl Rose today sounds like a guinea pig.

[Overdrive]

Prime Axl Rose was one of the best vocalist ever. Too bad Axl Rose today sounds like a guinea pig.

I wouldn't put Mustaine in a class with Rose.

[MMM]

no marvin gaye????

Btw for MJ i like his voice in his Jackson 5 days compared to his adult years. Am i crazy for thinking that???

[Overdrive]

no marvin gaye????

I meantioned him.



Btw for MJ i like his voice in his Jackson 5 days compared to his adult years. Am i crazy for thinking that???

I feel the same.

[JohnFreeman]

Am I the only one who likes Luther Vandross?

[MMM]

Am I the only one who likes Luther Vandross?

naw he is definitely up there among the best

[JohnFreeman]

naw he is definitely up there among the best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNHBT7wjqVI

The talent on this stage...damn