Top 5 singers

[duke of new york]

Who are your top 5 favorite vocalists? Can be members of bands, solo singers, rappers, Gregorian chanters, whatever. Also doesn't have to be exactly five, since I know no one will stick to that number.

Here's mine:

1. Freddy Mercury
2. Johnny Cash
3. Regina Spektor
4. Elton John
5. Dean Martin

 

[EyeSeeCold]

The thread prompt is confusing. Vocalist is more encompassing, but the thread is asking for singers..and then rapper is thrown in...different abilities there.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

And then there is Rahsaan Roland Kirk, he's not a singer, but he definitely has vocal skills with wind instruments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXD1OrmzCQI

 

[Don't mind me]

1. Christina Grimmie (anyone disagreeing with this personally offends me)
2. Jacqueline Stem
3. The Weeknd

 

[GYX_Kid]

Devin Townsend
Kyo (Nimura Tooru)
Dave Hunt aka VITRIOL
Corey Taylor
Max Illidge


list will change in the future

 

[Cognisant]

Frank Sinatra
Dr Steel
Jonathan Coulton
Trent Reznor or that guy from Mindless Self Indulgence
Vocaloid Hatsune Miku (her voice is arguably the most artificial)

 

[EyeSeeCold]

eh...

Grace Slick (as part of Jefferson Airplane)
Patsy Cline
Lauryn Hill
Ozzy Osbourne
Marty Balin (as part of Jefferson Airplane)
Bob Marley

honorable mentions:
Donovan
John Lennon (as part of The Beatles)
Geddy Lee (as part of Rush)


Trying to think of more.

 

[Oedipus]

Regina Spektor
Bob Dylan (easily the world's most appealing wailing)
Nathan Willet
Jack White
Syd Barrett

 

[duke of new york]

The thread prompt is confusing. Vocalist is more encompassing, but the thread is asking for singers..and then rapper is thrown in...different abilities there.

I thought I made it clear when I said "Can be members of bands, solo singers, rappers, Gregorian chanters, whatever." People who make music with their voice rather than using an instrument. And EyeSeeCold, I wouldn't really consider someone playing a wind instrument a "vocalist."

Then again, I think you understood perfectly what I meant, and you just wanted to draw attention to my laziness in using the word "singer" in the title. Damn INTPs, always throwing a tantrum at the slightest misuse of language!

 

[P.H.]

Sinéad O'Connor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jRzm3dJ-_c

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I thought I made it clear when I said "Can be members of bands, solo singers, rappers, Gregorian chanters, whatever." People who make music with their voice rather than using an instrument. And EyeSeeCold, I wouldn't really consider someone playing a wind instrument a "vocalist."

Then again, I think you understood perfectly what I meant, and you just wanted to draw attention to my laziness in using the word "singer" in the title. Damn INTPs, always throwing a tantrum at the slightest misuse of language!

You just said you don't consider a wind instrument musician to be a vocalist, so you already admit to not being able to understand where I'm coming from and therefore can't understand why your prompt is confusing to me.

If you're going to allow rappers to be vocalists then wind instrument musicians should be allowed too. At least that's how I see it, vocalists make music with their mouths...at any rate I gave my list already.

 

[Don't mind me]

At least that's how I see it, vocalists make music with their mouths

It's vocalist (vocal=related to the voice), not oralist

 

[EyeSeeCold]

It's vocalist (vocal=related to the voice), not oralist

Hmm... I agree with this.

 

[snafupants]

Oralists seem to specialize in a field in which forgoing any distinct noises, save the occasional groan, is prized, whereas vocalists make pretty, melodic sounds with their vocal chords.

 

[duke of new york]

It's vocalist (vocal=related to the voice), not oralist

Correct. Leave it to you guys to turn a simple question into an exercise in linguistic deconstruction.

 

[PartyPoison]

1. Matt Bellamy
2. Tim McIllrath
3. The singer of Coldplay
4. Gerard Way
5. Bert McCracken
6. Michael Jackson
7. Freddie Mercury
8. Kellin Quinn
9. Jarred Leto
10. William Beckett

Extra points for over achievers?

 

[Oedipus]

Regina Spektor
Bob Dylan (easily the world's most appealing wailing)
Nathan Willet
Jack White
Syd Barrett

Regina Spektor
Bob Dylan
Serj Tankian (of System of a Down)
Jack White (of The White Stripes)
Jim Morrison (of The Doors)

 

[skip]

One of the nicest voices I've ever heard was the saloon singer at the end of A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966). I forget her name but IIRC she was a professionally trained singer. A clear, beautiful voice.

 

[Hadoblado]

1. - Devin Townsend

All my other favourite vocalists are too specialised to really compare them. Devin does everything amazing. I never envied a vocalist until I heard strapping young lad.

 

[Affinity]

1. Beth Gibbons
2. Lou Rhodes
3. Sophie Barker

 

[Proletar]

What kind of thread is this?

PEOPLE - JANIS JOPLIN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzNEgcqWDG4

 

[MizKodomo]

Bobby McFerrin
Nneka
Mark King (Level 42)
Tori Amos
Neil Finn (hell!yea Split endz)
----
- Sting
- Natalie Dessay (seriously, look up "Glitter and be Gay")
- Jesus Christ Superstar (Original London Concept Recording) (So much love for their Judas)
- Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro Karl Bohm edition
- Ringo Sheena (especially in Tokyo Jihen)
- Fatoumata Diawara
- Marina from Marina and the Diamonds
- Emmy Rossum
- Alisson Kraus
- Annie Lennox
- Enya

 

[CLOfriendOSE]

I don't like to rate people, so here are just my top-ish-5-in-no-order

1)Diana Damrau (best living Queen of the night, IMHO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc )

2)Ledisi (neo-soul - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg6DfIpfZjY )

3)Thomas Quastoff (check him out - born with "serious birth defects caused by his mother's exposure during pregnancy to the drug thalidomide (which was prescribed as an antiemetic to combat her morning sickness). Thomas Quasthoff is 4' 4¾" (1.34 m) [1] tall due to shortening of the long bones in his legs, and he has phocomelia of the upper extremities with very short or absent long bones". He is inspiring.)

4) Giorgio Zancanaro (My ideal Verdi baritone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-71vXpQc4Wg )

5)I can't pick only 5!
Operatic: Natalie Dessay, Fritz Wunderlich, Simon Keenlyside, Leontyne Price
Non-operatic: Rachelle Farrell, Darius De Haas, Azam Ali,

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

1

2

3

4

5

 

[GYX_Kid]

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTP7bd0ncYA

^ Accessible enough for pop/rock radio stations

The key is versatility with this vocalist:

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLlh8B3cq-Q

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLX9jtgjxhM

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcxU36MbpqM

This is Devin Townsend, btw

Spoiler

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

 

[Dapper Dan]

I don't generally listen to music for the singing, but there are a few notable exceptions.

1. Johnny Cash. He's miles ahead of everyone else, honestly.
2. Regina Spektor. Listening to her sing makes me feel good.
3. Matt Bellamy. I don't exactly listen to Muse for the vocals, but the guy is ridiculous.

 

[Vidi]

Ah, this one allows me to kill 5 birds with one stone. 5 vocals I like, my favorite singer being the one in the very beginning and then at around 5.00 in the middle of the clip. It saves me from the inconvenience of choosing from 5 times 10 amount of singers.

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AecA2k94MQ