10 greatest vocalists

[begin_within]

What would be your lists of the 10 greatest female vocalists, and 10 greatest male vocalists? Mine would be

Karen Carpenter
Judy Garland
Ella Fitzgerald
Ann Wilson
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Whitney Houston
k. d. lang
Edith Piaf
Janis Joplin

Nat King Cole
Freddie Mercury
Dean Martin
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Ray Charles
Luciano Pavarotti
Johnny Cash
Julio Iglesias
Bing Crosby

What would be yours?

[sarge43]

1. Can't disagree with your list

I'll just add

Lena Horne
Bessie Smith

Hank Williams
Placido Domingo

[azmouse]

2. Agreed for the most part

I'd remove Streisand (can't stand her) and add Rosemary Clooney.

I'd remove Johnny Cash (meh) and add Tony Bennet.

[azmouse]

5. I'd add Linda Ronstadt to the list too.

Her voice is amazing.

[TK421]

60. Linda Ronstadt most definitely

[Captain Hilts]

67. Remember her duet with Phoebe Snow on Saturday Night Live? nt

[TK421]

69. This one? I was four, so I had to youtube it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3OCrNiZ_4


but I'm sure I've seen it in syndication...good stuff

[TK421]

70. oh, I really had to add this since I think it is one of her best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0qm8nq8RcA&feature=related


if not underrated

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

75. Most excellant

choice! :toast:

[TK421]

76. I've always remembered that one....she was great in that!

[Captain Hilts]

11. Like her or not, Streisand has an incredible voice. Even my tea bagger friend agrees with that. nt

[azmouse]

16. I don't like the sound of her voice.

Does nothing for me... teabagger opinion or no.

[Captain Hilts]

19. This OP asked for greatest, not favorite. I loathe whitney Houston, but acknowlege

she has a great voice. Same for some of the opera folks.

[azmouse]

21. You're picking nits.

Greatest... best... favorite... mostly the same thing.

[Captain Hilts]

29. I know, it's a complicated concept....

[RainDog]

3. karen carpenter?

:scared:

the carpenters made me lose faith in humanity.

[RainDog]

4. fer instance

her version of superstar SUCKED.

it was bereft of soul. it sounded like muzak. it made me want to puke.

[PRETZEL]

7. And Luther Vandross' verson

would put him on the list.

But I did like Karen Carpenter though, but maybe not enough to put on the list.

I might replace her with Roberta Flack,

[Captain Hilts]

12. Carpenter had a distinctive, nice deep voice. I forgot my home girl, Roberta Flack! nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

34. Luther, "A House Is Not A Home," live @ NAACP Image Awards

AMAZING performance...just watch the audience reaction shots (especially Dionne Warwick's)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2-PW2l4b2A

:toast:

[donheld]

81. -!00

[begin_within]

42. Oh come on. Possibly the greatest alto ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYNckacP6E

[RainDog]

49. amy winehouse would wipe the floor with Karen Carpenter

Carpenter was the essence of banality, to me.

just my opinion, but I detest her so much I cannot voluntarily click on a link that would force me to hear or see her.

she literally made me want to vomit.

make herself want to vomit too, apparently.

[begin_within]

50. Wow, you are bitter

To each his own, actually, but I don't really care for Amy Winehouse's thin, nasaly tone, and she tries to hard to be a like black soul singer, but whatever, anyone is entitled to their opinion. Frankly I wouldn't judge the Carpenters based only on their lightweight pop hits; they did a lot more than those. But again, you're perfectly entitled to have your own peculiar take on the world.

[RainDog]

51. lol.

it's bitter to have an opinion that's different than yours? okay.

[begin_within]

53. Maybe you should read your posts aloud into a tape recorder, then play them back.

[RainDog]

55. why thanks, great idea!

I used to write professionally... sometimes about music. Writers use words to achieve a certain effect, just as vocalists use notes. I achieved the effect I wanted when describing Carpenter. How do I know this? By your personal attack.

You confuse personal issues with musical taste. Or rather, because someone doesn't share your musical taste and states it in no uncertain terms, you don't like it and attempt to pervert that opinion into an attack - as a personal issue. so who has problems here?

I have said nothing about you personally.

I bet you thought Hunter S. Thompson was just a bitter guy too. (not that I am comparing myself to him, but considering your response, he might be a little too opinionated in a different way than you.)

in any case, this is too boring to bother with. I could give two fucks about Karen Carpenter or your opinion.

[Swede]

80. Dude,people are having fun and you pee in the pool?

WTF?

[RainDog]

90. I'm not the one who started on personal insults.

so why are you asking me this question and not the op?

[Swede]

91. The OP obviously likes Carpenter,you then make a bulimic joke.

Not cool. Lots of people know someone bulimic and or anorexic. Here's your quotes "I achieved the effect I wanted when describing Carpenter. How do I know this? By your personal attack." and "in any case, this is too boring to bother with. I could give two fucks about Karen Carpenter or your opinion."

Read those again. Condescending,insensitive,dismissive. All in a thread about personal likes of singers.

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

97. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TK421]

73. Now you've stepped into it...you've insulted Gen X's version of Karen Carpenter

since we're drawing comparisons here....be careful...they will take you off their friends list on MySpace :scared: they do these nasty things nowadays

[Captain Hilts]

57. Wow. I can't imagine hating a pop singer so much to make cruel jokes. And Amy's got her issues. nt

[Captain Hilts]

56. She and Jo Stafford are the altos. nt

[Captain Hilts]

59. Keeley Smith was another great alto. That's her singing the low parts in Jump, Jive and Wail...

and "Old Black Magic."

Great singer.

[Brother Buzz]

6. Eva Marie Cassidy belongs on that list and...

if someone bothered to listen, really listen, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay could be on the list.

Janis Joplin was unique, but falls short of greatest in my mind. Mind you, that's just my opinion.

[suninvited]

84. definitely Eva Cassidy

[RainDog]

8. bjork

[Flaxbee]

9. Women, I really also like Bonnie Raitt and Kate Bush

not sure if Kate Bush is an all-time great, but her voice can be lovely. Also Koko Taylor, Etta James, Ruth Brown, and Tiri Te Kanawa. Definitely agree with you about k.d. lang.


Men, I love love love Jose Carreras - might not be the oomph behind his voice like with Domingo or Pavarotti, but to me, Carreras' voice is infinitely sweeter. Peter Gabriel. I'd kick Sinatra to the curb, sorry about that. He's technically fantastic, but no soul. Love Ray Charles - saw him live in the 90s. I agree with Eddie Mercury & Dean Martin, too.

I also like John Hiatt a lot.

I guess I don't go so much for power of the voice, but the heart and soul behind it.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Okay, here goes

Barbra Streisand - the best voice there is. Listen to her younger recordings. Amazing.
Ella Fitzgerald - no one more versatile. Completely owns every song she sings.

Their AAA minor leaguers:
Judy Garland - no one get more emotion out of a song - catch the youtube vids of Garland singing with Streisand.
Aretha Franklin - showing the effort and emotion that is put into every song.
Sarah Vaughn - what a voice!

AA minor leaguers - great mechanics of singing. Don't need autotune

k.d. lang - great voice and can sing.
renee fleming - opera exemption. If you don't like opera, check out Christmas carols, etc.
Leontyne Price - opera exemption. Hear her Porgy and Bess. Can sing soprano, but vocally is so much more.
Susan Boyle - vocal trainers told me she CAN really sing even with bad musical backing, even when she can't hear herself. Great range.
Jessye Norman - opera exemption. Described as a "dramatic soprano," or a "Falcon" soprano. No wimpy soprano her.
Billie Holiday - you have to ask?
Whitney Houston - great voice and range. Changed the way a generation of women sang. The latter kind of ruined women's voices for a while.

A minor leaguers - less about mechanics but performance
Abbey Lincoln - the one who isn't Sarah Vaughn because Sarah Vaughn is
Sarah McLaughlin - k.d. lang edges her out for AAA.
Beverly Sills - opera exemption good, but not distinctive enough for me.
Anita O'Day - like Garland, dap for being able to get emotion into a song
Janis Joplin - yeah, got that emotion into a song like few else. Kind of the white version of Aretha without as good a voice
Grace Slick - great, strong, voice
Dinah Washington - died too young
Edith Piaf - amazing emotional projection
Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie, meet Janis, Janis, meet Bonnie

OVER RATED:
Shirley Bassey, as much as we love Goldfinger
Celine Dion - just another pretty voice
Mariah Carey - spare me.

UNDER RATED:
Doris Day - distinctive
Anita O'Day - I know she was mentioned earlier, but she's still under rated
Gladys Knight - a good church singer even without her Pips.
Karen Carpenter - a nice, deep voice

[Captain Hilts]

13. Damn, forgot Lena Horne. nt

[tishaLA]

32. Love your list. I'd put Carmen McRae and Betty Carter on the list

add Chaka Khan and get rid of Sarah McLaughlin, Beverly Sill, and Grace Slick, but overall, it's a great list. I especially agree with the underrated.

Oh and now I see the Annie Lennox suggestion, which I also agree with.

[Captain Hilts]

38. I caught the McRae omission too late to change. I'm also an Annie Lennox fan -

Have you seen the Annie Lenox-Aretha Franklin video? If not, get it on youtube.

Consider Sills and McLaughlin history!

I need to know Betty Carter better. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks!

[av8rdave]

14. Great list...a couple I would add

Annie Lennox. I was never a huge Eurythmics fan, but the lady has an incredible voice. Check out some of her songs on her solo album, "Medusa"

Paul Hewson (Bono). U2 fan or not, a pretty rich voice. Can even do a respectable falsetto without causing nausea.

[Whisp]

83. Medusa is the shit.

what a great album. that woman is a purring lioness with bouts of roar.

[MilesColtrane]

15. The ladies:

Aretha Franklin
Ella Fitzgerald
Patsy Cline
Ann Wilson (Heart)
Bessie Smith
Maria Callas
Chaka Khan
Bonnie Raitt
Joni Mitchell
Mavis Staples

[Dr Morbius]

17. Here's my list. I am sure I've forgotten someone worthy.

The Ladies:

Aretha Franklin
Dinah Washington
Patsy Cline
Ella Fitzgerald
Alison Krause
Maria Callas
k. d. lang
Etta James
Mahalia Jackson
Janis Joplin

The Men:

Nat King Cole
Freddie Mercury
Sammy Davis Jr
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Ray Charles
Roger Daltrey
Johnny Cash
Roy Orbison
Enrico Caruso

Edited to include the great Patsy Cline.

[Captain Hilts]

20. Good call on Cline and M. Jackson!!!

[MilesColtrane]

18. The gentlemen:

Nat King Cole
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Elvis Presley
Stevie Wonder
Frank Sinatra
Robert Johnson
Enrico Caruso
Hank Williams
Marvn Gay

[tango-tee]

22. How about adding Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith,

and dropping Karen Carpenter?

For some reason, I detested her voice right along with her style of music. It made me grind my tooth enamel to a powder.

[Walk away]

43. .

[Walk away]

44. Anne Wilson over Billy Holiday is just odd. nt

[tango-tee]

94. I hate to admit this,

but I had to google "Anne Wilson". Still doesn't tell me a lot, though.

[geardaddy]

23. Good list

I'd add Sharon Jones to the women and Tom Jones to the men.

[Captain Hilts]

24. I don't know Sharon Jones at all. Which song should I search for her? nt

[blueknight]

25. johnny maestro of the crest.

along with so many other doo-wop singers

[Captain Hilts]

27. Oh neat. This will be fun. I'll add Sandy Denny to this list. nt

[geardaddy]

26. Search for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

[Captain Hilts]

28. Looking forward to it!

[Tikki]

30. Here hear...

Freddy Mercury
Joey Ramone
John Doe
Roy Orbison
Bobby Bland
George Jones
Boy George

Chrissie Hynde
Rosemary Clooney
Ella Fitzgerald
Patsy Cline
Wanda Jackson
Nina Hagen
Lene Lovich
Gracie Slick

others....

Tikki

[Captain Hilts]

39. Kudos for mentioning Lene Lovich! AND Rosemary Clooney. nt

[coyotespaw]

54. Kudos for including George Jones

but you have to include the man that called him the "second best singer in America," Frank Sinatra. I'd kick out Joey Ramone (I'm a huge fan of his music, but his vocals are unimpressive.) John Doe should be replaced with Bill Medley, Chris Isaak should have Bobby Bland's spot, and Ray Charles should be where you have Boy George. Other than that, I can agree with you.

[Tikki]

58. Not so much a Sinatra fan...and Joey and John stay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHHA1cPRGM
"Silver Wings"....The Knitters..John sounds this good live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLx70K34xnY
"She Talks To Rainbows"...The RAMONES...Joey just gets it.

Tikki

[Burma Jones]

31. OK, these are among my favorites.....

Aretha Franklin
Billie Holiday
Bessie Smith
Kathleen Battle
Joan Baez
Joni Mitchell
Janis Joplin
Marilyn Horne
Bonnie Raitt
Iris DeMent


Stevie Wonder
Luciano Pavarotti
Sam Cooke
Bryn Terfel
Robert Plant
John Lennon
Little Richard
Billy Eckstine
Johnny Cash
Willie Nelson

[Manifestor_of_Light]

86. Pavarotti was a great tenor in the1970s.

Before he turned into a clown and would sing anything for a buck.

By then he had one volume level "BLAST".

No subtlety.

I like Domingo and Carreras better. Roberto Alagna. Baritones, Bryn Terfel and Thomas Handsome.

Basses: Sam Ramey is too stiff.

Other tenors: Alfredo Kraus doing Estrellita, Franco Corelli doing Core Ingrato (Ungrateful Heart)


Some opera singers are too stiff. I liked Beverly Sills. Saw her in the 70s.

Best Mezzo: Rise Stevens, Teresa Stratas. If you wanna get knocked on your ass with emotion, get THE UNKNOWN KURT WEILL CD on Nonesuch by Teresa Stratas.

I'm a mezzo :D

[Burma Jones]

89. Fair Enough....Pavarotti pandered for sure, but he earned that choice

What gets me about Pavarotti, and this might be because I have some hearing loss at the very high upper end (couldn't be happy just singing and playing trumpet, I had to play in a punk band too), is the clarity of the overtones, the ringing lacking in other tenors.

I sing 1st tenor, I've been paid to sing with Church Choirs but that's as professional as I get. I play trumpet and the way I learned to breathe to play my horn is how I breathe for singing.


I like liturgical music, not so much opera.....sacrilege, but that's the way it is.


I came to singing through trumpet playing, so I like tenors that have that brilliant presence, like a trumpet, hence the preference for Pavarotti.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

93. Surtitles got me to understand and groove on opera.T

They post the words on a little screen above the stage, in English, for you to read, while they are singing, so you know what's going on.

I first saw that at a production of Samson and Dalila in 1990 and it rocked MY WORLD!

Now I can get into it and groove on it. And the productions are just fabulous these days.
And the love duets often get closer to being the horizontal bop.

As I say, why go to the opera if all the sex, nudity and violence are offstage??? :evilgrin:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

33. The Velvet Fog

Gotta have Mel.

And Bobby Darin. His version of "More" is the epitome of cool, confident swing.

I'm with you on Dean / Frank / Elvis / Nat / Ray / Johnny Cash. The rest, not so much. Nothing against them, they just aren;t in my first cut.

:toast:

[Captain Hilts]

45. Darin's version of "More" IS great. I also agree with the Velvet Fog. nt

[Mendocino]

35. Van Morrison

after that it doesn't matter.;)

[MrScorpio]

36. The Ladies

Minnie Riperton
Flora Purim
Shirley Bassey
Ella Fitzgerald
Dusty Springfield
Aretha Franklin
Sade
Billie Holiday
Roberta Flack
Lauryn Hill



The Gents

Marvin Gaye
Omar Lye Fook
Robert Plant
Hamish Stuart
David Bowie
Ron Isley
Barry White
Stevie Wonder
Steve Arrington
Tom Jones

[Captain Hilts]

37. I need to become more familiar with Sade. nt

[Lucian]

40. Janis Joplin makes my ears bleed.

Simone Simons of Epica has an angelic voice, which is reminiscent of Amy Lee's voice.

[Iggo]

41. Bookmarked for later. I gotta think about this one.

[JanMichael]

46. Given time Freddie Mercury may have been #1.

The man had a psychotic range (I mean crazy low to high) and powerful lungs.

The rest on the list are/were all pretty damned fabulous too. No disagreement here.

[kwassa]

47. Comparing different genres of singing in one list is pointless

It is like comparing apples to oranges to peaches to watermelons to grapes to rhubarb. The reason they do what they do is completely different in each category.

This needs to broken down into best within their genre, be it:

Opera
Jazz
Rock
Soul
Gospel
Pop
Country
Rhythm and Blues (to be further broken down by era)
Classical
etc.

These lists are always weighted towards rock singers that lived in the past 30 years anyways, because that is the frame of experience of many of the members here.

[begin_within]

52. There is no comparison going on in this thread.

[quickesst]

48. Too many to list all,,,,

...but for purity of voice these three come to mind. Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Mama Cass. Special mention to the ballads of Marty Robbins. "El Paso". Thanks.
quickesst

[RagAss]

61. Dean Martin

[TK421]

62. I would like to add Carly Simon to your list of female vocalists

I've always loved her voice

[Captain Hilts]

63. Don't all three Simon sisters sing? I know one was an opera singer. nt

[TK421]

64. I don't know about any sisters but I'll look it up n/t

[TK421]

65. Eldest sister Joanna....I just looked it up, you are correct!

edited to add: her father was co-founder of Simon and Schuster publishing co. I never knew that!

They have a factory just a mile down the road from me

edited AGAIN to add: the IMDB link that gave me all that info

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0800089/bio

[Captain Hilts]

66. Yes, now I remember. Joanna. I knew the S&S stuff. That's why she got

was able to be a ball girl for the Yanks or Mets. Yanks, I think.

Just a warning! A friend of mine's IMDB bio says she's married with 3 kids. She's single with none!

[TK421]

68. oops! guess they ought to change that, huh?

:rofl: some things always manage to slip through the cracks, I suppose

[TK421]

71. Hate to hit you with all these links, but here is one of my favorites from Carly Simon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds81S61UvPA

in my opinion...this one never got the attention it deserved, but the wording was beautiful

[Xipe Totec]

72. Okay, a different slant here

Teresa Salgeiro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgoqv9Etq2I

Nana Mouskori
http://www.youtube.com/user/mapachtli42#p/f/67/dma4r9ymDC4

Mercedes Sosa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnxfPBIbcek

Joan Baez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shgSLKb-onA

Linda Rondstadt
http://www.youtube.com/user/mapachtli42#p/f/13/DjRhadhHUKQ

Lisa Gerrard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p2g2WuGXwE

Ana Belen
http://www.youtube.com/user/mapachtli42#p/f/3/j3oZdc1Zehw

Lola Beltran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHW-q8oD3gE

Gaudi Galego
http://www.youtube.com/user/mapachtli42#p/f/132/Sn8UP1JKJ0M

Luz Casal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnVZE5I8Os

[GoneOffShore]

74. My top ten

In no particular order and leaving operatic voices out - That's a completely different topic.

Ella Fitzgerald
Amalia Rodrigues
Susannah McCorkle
Sandy Denny
Edith Piaf
Judy Collins
Joan Baez
Sharon Jones
Jonatha Brook
Julie Andrews


Frank Sinatra
Tony Bennett
Richard Thompson
Serge Gainsbourg
Warren Zevon
Robbie Robertson
Michel Sardou
Gordon Lightfoot
Charles Aznavour
Bob Dylan

[Alexander]

77. The late, great Ronnie James Dio deserves a mention.

That dude had pipes.

[Sebastian Doyle]

78. Shout out to Ronnie James Dio

Even at 67 and literally at death's door, the man could not stop singing.

Here's his last recording..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUqaFyPI9ZQ

"Metal will never die" :headbang:

[bridgit]

79. I'd add Nina Simone & Julie London on top and Joe Williams & Tony Bennett on the bottom...

[Captain Hilts]

92. LOOVVEEE - Joe Williams. nt

[Whisp]

82. add Annie Lennox, Sarah Brightman and Patsy Cline

[jotsy]

85. Tough list to generate! Had a great time flipping through so much history, tyvm.

Ladies
Billie Holiday
Patsy Cline
Aretha Franklin
Barbra Streisand
Linda Ronstadt
Bette Midler
Stevie Nicks
Annie Lennox
Ann Wilson
Christina Aguilera


Gentlemen
James Taylor
Frank Sinatra
Art Garfunkel
Allen Clarke
Stevie Wonder
Freddy Mercury
John Denver
Marvin Gaye
Paul Carrack
Elvis Presley

[wickerwoman]

87. For my money:

Dido
Sade
Sinead O'Connor
Annie Lennox
Sarah McLachlan
Shirley Bassey
Mama Cass
Cyndi Lauper
Janis Joplin
Aretha Franklin

Van Morrison
Sam Cooke
Freddy Mercury
Axl Rose (even though he's a putz)
Wilson Pickett
Marvin Gaye
Brad Delp
Bono
Eddie Vedder
Steven Tyler

[mikeytherat]

88. Monica Jackson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYpp1a7IVZk&feature=player_embedded

Monica is the recently deceased vocalist from my band, and most of the world had never heard of her.

mikey_the_rat

[NoGOPZone]

96. No mention of Otis Redding yet, or did I miss it?

Please don't tell me I'm the first to mention him.

Some other good ones I haven't seen yet. Steve Marriott, Fats Domino, Annie Haslam, Johnny Rivers, Shirley Owens (The Shirelles), Beverely Sills, Levon Helm and Fayette Pinkey (The Three Degrees)

[WinkyDink]

98. If you're going to include opera: Sutherland; Callas; Price; Te Kanawa;Caballe; etc . They rule.

[Steely_Dan]

99. Steve Perry

Sorry...I am not a big Journey fan. However, it is hard to deny the fact that Steve Perry's voice is among the best.

-P

[Steely_Dan]

100. Steve Perry

Sorry...I am not a big Journey fan. However, it is hard to deny the fact that Steve Perry's voice is among the best.

-P

[Steely_Dan]

101. Steve Perry

Sorry...I am not a big Journey fan. However, it is hard to deny the fact that Steve Perry's voice is among the best.

-P