Well we’ve covered “Voices that get on your nerves”. (Lots of candidates there !).
How about if we try a more positive approach.
Plenty of great rock singers (this is the Naim Music Room after all). First up for me is Paul Rodgers. But countless other possibilities ……I won’t steal them all !
Female would be Ella Fitzgerald’s honeyed tones.
On a more general note, I propose Vigi Alles the Radio 4 newsreader. Great tonality and something very comforting about his voice once you get used to it.
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Freddie Mercury and Robert Plant.
Kate Bush and Floor Jansen.
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Yep, I’d agree with that.
Girls: Bobbie Gentry, Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Carpenter, Ese Okorodudu, Alison Goldfrapp, Abbey Lincoln, Dusty Springfield, Samara Joy, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday
Boys: John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Dave Gilmour, Sam Cooke, Howlin’ Wolf, Donny Hathaway, Lou Reed
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Not forgetting the plaintive talkers and mumblers.
Neil Tennant. Leonard Cohen. Mark Knopfler.
Marianne Faithfull. Lou Reed. Yoko Ono.
The indecipherable sirens Sarah Peacock, Bilinda Butcher and of course Elizabeth Fraser.
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I agree with most of @TheKevster’s and @TOBYJUG’s picks, and add:
Blokes: Al Green
Birds: Sandy Denny
And about a thousand more. At least.
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I like John Fogerty, Sandy Denny, Annie Haslam.
As deeply uncool as it is to admit these days, I also like Bono’s voice
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What era ? The Vox has changed over the years
You can’t beat a bit of Elton.
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Ronnie James Dio.
Till Lindemann.
Eric Bibb.
Jussi Bjorling.
Skin.
Renata Tebaldi.
Bonnie Raitt.
Basia.
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Thinking of gigs rather than LPs
Lucinda Williams
Eliza Carthy
Christine Collister
Solomon Burke
Ted Hawkins
Van the Man.
.sjb
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Early - Boy/October/Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum.
I did like Achtung Baby although that’s quite a different sound.
I lost interest after that really
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Franklin and Redding go to places rock singers can only dream of. Robert Wyatt could sing the phone book and I’d listen (he does of course sing the alphabet). Charlie Rich is like a velvet Elvis Presley. Simone covers all the bases. Rod Stewart at his peak was exceptional. And definitely Salif Keita.
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Ugh how did I forget War?
Thanks so much for the video. I watched it all. I always liked that track, it’s so emotive. Fascinating to see it picked apart like that.
I’ve very recently started learning guitar (planning to be decent just in time for arthritis) and I’ll be starting on some music theory next week, so this is will timed (haha) and very interesting!
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Male jazz singers based solely on the beauty of their voice would be headed by Tony Bennett and Mel Torme. Sinatra was a great singer but not in my top two, or frankly top five.
My wonderful two female jazz singers list has Ella and a contemporary choice, Diana Krall.
Some of the above, plus
Paul Robeson
Rhiannon Giddens
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For me it’s a long list so in no particular order let me start with…
Amy Macdonald.
Helena Cinto
Rumer
Ella Langley
Sarah McLachlan
Jon Anderson
Bruce Springsteen
Marc Almond
Anne Wilson (also Nancy)
Ric Ocasek
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Paul Rodgers, I endorse the greatest, at least male in the rock blues genre, I ever heard. But switching sex https://youtu.be/bPlpxHhzSp0?si=Qc3A1LErrWuv160s
Female:-
Karen Carpenter
Nanci Griffith
Natalie Merchant
Male:-
Scott Walker
Brian Fallon
Adam Duritz
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