Tops Fifteen Male Vocalists of the Twentieth Century

OP...your parameter is weak "solely the ability to render beautiful music with the ability of one's voice, whether accompanied or not." Anyway, I suggest you listen to anyone of these 16.

Roger Daltry is one of the best of all time and should rate close to the top.

Eddie Kendrick needs to be on the list. Go listen to the Temps "Just My Imagination"

A couple of guys from north of the border...Gordon Lightfoot and Burton Cummings ("These Eyes" is a good sample for Cummings).

I'll give you Elvis, Plant, Cooke, Nat King Cole from the OP list. Not my favorite but I'm ok with Sinatra as a pop vocalist and give you that as well.

Dennis DeYoung...but only early in his career...pre "Pieces of Eight" album.

John Waite. Front man for The Babys and some solo stuff as well.

Stevie Winwood. 'nuff said there.

Ric Ocasek

Marvin Lee Aday who you know as Meatloaf, based on the strength of his first album with Jim Steinman.

The other Marvin. Marvis Gaye.

Don Henley may need a mention as well.

Levi Stubbs

Stevie Wonder

Bryan Ferry

Great suggestions. I thought about Marvin Gaye after I had posted the list. He was a monumental talent.

Hey, you wouldn't let a clown fix a leak in the john. So why do you let these hooligans tear down the biz? Yeah! I don't care if he is mister Notorious big...can he croon?

in no particular order...

orbison, chris cornell, sinatra, dean martin, bing crosby, tony bennett, marvin gaye, harry nilsson, david ruffin, smokey robinson, van morrison, sam cooke, levi stubbs, al green

i'm throwing tom waits out there for #15 because he really knows how to use what he's got

goulet!

damn...how did I forget Van Morrison. A keeper.

A few more to consider: elton john. Phillip bailey. Daryl hall. Adam levine. Tom jones.

Tom Petty

Mark Knopfler!

Seconds (or thirds) for Sam Cooke, Tom Jones, and Marvin Gaye.

And big props to the OP, I always wondered what Diggory Venn the reddle man would go on to in his settled domestic bliss.

Chris Cornell in the 90's was a beast. He's lost a bit now due to age/smoking but the guy was immense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CykTEffKHA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjNjJR9jUGo

trollinhating wrote:

Hey OP, you have no idea what a real vocalist is, so eat a dick and please don't shame us with your list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrfvP11Hbo

Criteria for being a real Male Vocalist:

1) Military service (Preferably in the choir)

2) Primary vocalist for elderly or disabled person that's NOT your vocation -- so like a parent or other family member.

3) Worker in some way in a war zone -- construction, journalist, crooner, whatever.

4) Married, active father and primary lullabyer to 2-4 children. You must live in the same house with those children and the mother, and you must take care of them financially and emotionally and sing lullabies to them. You can't be a BAD father and be a Male Vocalist. You also do not have to procreate. You could be a father to them by adoption or marriage (wife had kids from previous marriage for example). Need at least 2 to fully feel what it's like to be a father and to have a decent audience, and more than 4 just allows the kids to sing to themselves too much, so 2-4 kids is the range. Now, if you had 4 and then one moves out and you had a 5th, then I'd accept that.

Jeff Buckley has got to be up there... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSyUI1GpGQM

bob, born Zimmerman

bobby kimball

brad delp

steve perry

teddy pendergrass

Mick Jagger and Bono make my list.

Really nice list Diggory Venn. I especially like that you've got the reverend Al Green listed right up there, with Nat King Cole, my personal choice as #1 in the last century. I won't argue with Elvis at #1. Here's another voice, that I discovered about six years ago when I bought a 'Desert Island' disc titled 'John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman.' Although familiar with John Coltrane, I did not know about Johnny Hartman. What a wonderful voice. You can hear him here, with Coltrane. The vocal doesn't come in until about the 2:00 minute mark; just enjoy Coltrane until then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecrE80rnjhw

Other voices? In rock, I'd be inclined to put Freddie ahead of Robert Plant. But also ahead of Plant, for me, I like Axl Rose. (Aside, 'Sweet Child O' Mine' has my vote for greatest rock song.)

I'll also suggest a nod to Hank Williams. What a body of work he left for a guy who died at 29. And that reminds me of the great Alan Jackson. I'm not a real big country fan, but I really dig Alan. Great voice. Here he is, with a great haunting song about Hank, called 'Midnight in Montgomery':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp3AY4zbRwU

And Jackie Wilson. The HUGE influence on MJ.

I grew up hearing older relatives talk about what a great singer Dick Haymes was. So, I just looked him up. He has a following alright. You can judge for yourself at youtube.

OK...and one more...I grew up to my mom cleaning the house listening to this guy...Johnny Mathis.

Well, this was fun. Now, to paraphrase Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty in Blade Runner..."time to run."

I wasn't a big fan of Michael Jackson as an act, but have to say he had one of the greatest voices I ever heard.

Someone else no one has mentioned is Morten Harket from A-Ha. I know it's a bit "poppy", but I heard somewhere that he holds the longest note of any male on a record in one of their more recent singles. Can't remember the name of it, but he is able to hit some really high notes.

Guess one's choice depends a lot on what sort of music one's into.