Favourite Singers

[The_111th_Beatle]

Just thought this might be an interesting topic given the different things that appeal to people in music vocals. Here are a few of mine:

Morrisey
From despair to comedic wit with everything including anger and affection in between. His voice was increcibly expressive and was able to carry his brilliant but sometimes strange (and very occasionally ridiculous) lyrics.

Best vocals: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, This Charming Man, Paint A Vulgar Picture, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, I Know Its Over

Mick Jagger
Theres a snarling, rebellious sexuality in his voice thats one of the most exciting things in rock n' roll. He can also descend very well to mock country and show a sensitive side in some beautiful tender ballads. And if that doesn't convince you then listen to Let it Loose... amazing.

Best Vocals: Satisfaction, Sympathy For the Devil, Brown Sugar, Let it Loose, Wild Horses, Lets Spend the Night Together

Bob Dylan
If there is a God and he sends us an angel to warn us of the horror of an oncoming apocolypse that angel will have Dylan's voice. His finger wagging protest songs and prophet of doom narrations in songs such as A Hard Rains Gonna Fall and The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol make him perfect for the role. That said there's a lot more to his vocals than that, sneering put-downs, tender love odes and raw self revalation. His voice is an acquired taste but in my opinion one of the very best in music.

Best Vocals: Like a Rolling Stone, Gates of Eden, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, The Times They are a' Changin,' Make You Feel My Love, Blind Willie McTell, Tangled Up in Blue

Kurt Cobain
Brought all his angst, passion and soul to his music and brought grunge to a whole new level. Maybe he didn't have the range of some of the others on my list (no swaggering sexuality or tender ballads) but what he did sing he sang fantastically.

Best Vocals: Polly, Heart Shaped Box, Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (live), About A Girl (live), Lithium, Something In the Way, Rape Me

The Beach Boys
OK maybe this is cheating a bit but they're all such good singers and combine together so well. They have really beautiful voices and hearing they're music gave me a new appreciation of vocal talent

Best Vocals: Don't Worry Baby, God Only Knows, Caroline No, Good Vibrations, Devoted to You, Please Let Me Wonder, Don't Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder)

John Lennon
Maybe my favourite singer ever. Just such range and passion that can bring life to every song and always make you relate to and engage with him. From the early pop days of the Beatles to the self revalation of his early solo career Lennon sounded like he meant every word he sung (whether or not the listener agreed with him).

Best Vocals: Working Class Hero, Strawberry Fields Forever, Come Together, Woman, Nobody Told Me, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Don't Let Me Down

Some honourable mentions and their best vocals who might punch their way into this list:
David Bowie - Five Years
Paul McCartney - She's Leaving Home
Bono - Pride (In the Name of Love)
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Neil Young - Southern Man
_________________
"Its so easy to laugh, its so easy to hate. It takes guts to be gentle and kind"

[Mr. Shankly]

How about some female singers?

1) Aretha Franklin (One of the greatest singers ever of any genre)

2) Patsy Cline

3) Billie Holiday-(Not a lot of range, but so much fragile humanity and pain is conveyed in her voice)

4) Nina Simone-(there is a classy elegance and sophistication in her voice mixed with raw emotional pain.)

5) Neko Case-- (Have you heard her? She's a like a modern day amalgamation of Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. Very talented, yet only the alt country and indie crowd seem to know about her)

6) Natalie Maines- (Although I don't own any of their records, you have to admit as far as mainstream country artists go these days, the Dixie Chicks are pretty damn talented; "Not Ready to Make Nice," shows Maines has a hell of a voice too.)

7) Natailie Merchant- (10,000 Maniacs are not one of the greatest bands ever but she is a great singer. There's a lot of power in her vocals.)

And here's a few more male singers I'd like to add:

1) Michael Stipe-(My favorite singers are the ones that don't sound like anyone else, the onesyou can instantly identify--nobody sounds like Michael Stipe but Michael Stipe.

2) Shane Macgowan-(If you're throwing back a few pints, nothing is better than vintage Pogues and he has the perfect whiskey-damaged voice for this soundtrack.)

3) Jay Farrar--(Maybe it's because I'm originally from the Midwest, but there's something so comforting about this warm voice. The first time I heard Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, I was mesmerized.)

4) Neil Young (another very distinctive voice)

5) Bruce Springsteen-(There is so much energy in his voice and so much raw emotion. Yet his anger and sadness and pain about the state of the world is almost always uplifting and energizing, not depressing.)

6) Thom Yorke-(Nobody sings the language of deeply felt meloncholy more intensely than this guy. It's too bad so many singers have begun to imitate him... badly.)

7) Otis Redding- (Along with Aretha Franklin, the most powerful emotive soul singer ever. His voice was a gift from God.)

[Mr. Shankly]

Almost forgot:

Elvis Costello- (another very distinctive, instantly recognizable, voice that has improved greatly over the years. He has challenged himself pushing his range by singing in a variety of genres and styles.)

Can't believe I forgot him!

[AfterHours]

My 15 greatest rock vocalists, emotional power being the only criteria (as it should be). In parenthesis for each is the song that features their greatest vocal performance.

1. Tim Buckley (Lorca)
2. Captain Beefheart (Moonlight On Vermont)
3. David Thomas [Pere Ubu] (Life Stinks)
4. Nico (Janitor of Lunacy)
5. Mark Stewart [The Pop Group] (We Are Time)
6. Robert Wyatt (Sea Song)
7. Jim Morrison [The Doors] (Break On Through To The Other Side)
8. Tom Waits (Train Song)
9. Grace Slick [Jefferson Airplane] (White Rabbit)
10. Mary Margaret O' Hara (The Cry of Man)
11. Nick Cave (The Good Son)
12. Patti Smith (Birdland)
13. Van Morrison (Beside You)
14. Lisa Germano (My Secret Reason)
15. Mick Jagger [The Rolling Stones] (Let It Loose)

[bc1991]

Captain Beefheart
Mike Patton
Scott Walker
Van Morrison
Beth Gibbons
Roger Daltrey

[californication]

In addition to all of those above, Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell.

[AFig]

no mercury mentions?

[Mr.Music]

Captain Beefheart(Moonlight on Vermont, Frownland, The Host, the Ghost, the Most Holy-o)
Tim Buckley (Monterey)
Morrisey(I know its over)
Van Morrison(Beside You, Cyprus Avenue, Astral Weeks)
David Thomas( Life Stinks)
Nick Cave in The Birthday Party(Mr.Clarinet)
David Byrne(Once in a Lifetime)
Bob Dylan(It Takes Alot to Laugh it Takes a Train to Cry)
Win Butler(Wake Up, Neighborhood Laika)(Arcade Fire)

[maxxy]

I honestly don't think bob dylan is all that great of a singer. He is probably the greatest songwriter ever and one of my favorite artists, but, as recognizable as his voice is, it's not his strength.
How come no one mentions Freddy Mercury? You gotta love him.
Bruce Springsteen is also really good.

[maxxy]

MMM... Okay after talking to bananabrother yes bob dylan does have a lot of emotion in his voice, and I could see you having him as a great singer. So he's not my favorite singer ever. Oh well.