I'd 86 Frank Sinatra from the list. I realize he was a great performer, showman, very popular, etc., but I can do without his singing.
Bill Monroe could go to. Father of bluegrass, yes. Great singing voice, no.
I'd 86 Frank Sinatra from the list. I realize he was a great performer, showman, very popular, etc., but I can do without his singing.
Bill Monroe could go to. Father of bluegrass, yes. Great singing voice, no.
Diggory Venn wrote:
Category: Pop music, broadly defined. Criteria: solely the ability to render beautiful music with the ability of one's voice, whether accompanied or not. Being a great songwriter (Kris Kristofferson) or dnacer (Michael Jackson) is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Sorry that this list is so exclusively American, but that is due to my apalling ignorance of musicians from other countries.
1. Elvis Presley
2. Al Green
3. Sam Cooke
4. Roy Orbison
5. Frank Sinatra
6. Bill Monroe
7. Nat King Cole
8. Ray Charles
9. Conway Twitty
10. Ralph Stanley
11. John Conlee
12. Robert Plant
13. Keith Whitley
14. Freddy Mercury
15. Randy Travis
To suggest the king of pop was a dancer is crazy, Michael Jackson was an incredible vocalist, in some of his biggest hits, he is not even dancing. I suggest you listen to Ben or Human Nature among many others.
This is a pretty decent list, but to have Al Green at #2 and include Robert Plant and Keith Whitley on the list shows your some lack of understanding. Those 3 guys were great vocalist, but to exclude extraordinary vocalist like Bing Crosby Steve Perry, Johnny Mathis, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Josh Groban, Luther Vandross and Johnny Hathaway perhaps means you are confusing singer, which is somewhat subjective, with vocal ability, which has objective criteria like pitch, power, range, control, etc. Case in point, James Taylor and Mike McDonald are great singers and good vocalist as well. Michael Jackson, was perhaps the greatest singer and certainly one of the greatest vocalist as well; you simply can’t become that successful being a one trick pony. I think becuase of MJ's great vidoes and overwelhming showmanship, people try to subtract form the fact that he was blessed with an absolutely incredible voice. My music teacher once said that MJ's singing of Ben was as clean a sound as a mechanical instrument.
Btw, you did a good job with putting Elvis Presley at number one, Elvis was absolutely incredible and some his best vocals are not his most popular records. Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles are all good choices as well, and like the fact that you included Freddy Mercury. To be fair, over half of the top 15 would be Black guys, someone like Johnny Hathaway was an incredible vocalist, but is not as well known to everyone becasue he was not a big crossover artist.
Just so you know, I am not the biggist Elvis or MJ fan, I prefer Mike McDonald and James Taylor, but...I am just keeping it real.
Sinatra and MJ would be tops for me. You could argue that Pavarotti moved into the mainstream if not quite pop with the three tenors and so I'd put him on the list too. At least a lot of his songs were pop songs when they were written in the 1800s.
TrackCoach wrote:
Diggory Venn wrote:Category: Pop music, broadly defined. Criteria: solely the ability to render beautiful music with the ability of one's voice, whether accompanied or not. Being a great songwriter (Kris Kristofferson) or dnacer (Michael Jackson) is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Sorry that this list is so exclusively American, but that is due to my apalling ignorance of musicians from other countries.
1. Elvis Presley
2. Al Green
3. Sam Cooke
4. Roy Orbison
5. Frank Sinatra
6. Bill Monroe
7. Nat King Cole
8. Ray Charles
9. Conway Twitty
10. Ralph Stanley
11. John Conlee
12. Robert Plant
13. Keith Whitley
14. Freddy Mercury
15. Randy Travis
To suggest the king of pop was a dancer is crazy, Michael Jackson was an incredible vocalist, in some of his biggest hits, he is not even dancing. I suggest you listen to Ben or Human Nature among many others.
This is a pretty decent list, but to have Al Green at #2 and include Robert Plant and Keith Whitley on the list shows your some lack of understanding. Those 3 guys were great vocalist, but to exclude extraordinary vocalist like Bing Crosby Steve Perry, Johnny Mathis, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Josh Groban, Luther Vandross and Johnny Hathaway perhaps means you are confusing singer, which is somewhat subjective, with vocal ability, which has objective criteria like pitch, power, range, control, etc. Case in point, James Taylor and Mike McDonald are great singers and good vocalist as well. Michael Jackson, was perhaps the greatest singer and certainly one of the greatest vocalist as well; you simply can’t become that successful being a one trick pony. I think becuase of MJ's great vidoes and overwelhming showmanship, people try to subtract form the fact that he was blessed with an absolutely incredible voice. My music teacher once said that MJ's singing of Ben was as clean a sound as a mechanical instrument.
Btw, you did a good job with putting Elvis Presley at number one, Elvis was absolutely incredible and some his best vocals are not his most popular records. Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles are all good choices as well, and like the fact that you included Freddy Mercury. To be fair, over half of the top 15 would be Black guys, someone like Johnny Hathaway was an incredible vocalist, but is not as well known to everyone becasue he was not a big crossover artist.
Just so you know, I am not the biggist Elvis or MJ fan, I prefer Mike McDonald and James Taylor, but...I am just keeping it real.
I forgot to mention Jackie Wilson.
There are so many great Male vocalists that a top 15 list is very difficult; however, any list would have to include:
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Nat King Cole
Michael Jackson
Bing Crosby
Jackie Wilson
Johnny Matthis
Roy Orbison
josh groban. and freddie murcury at like at least 4th
Carl Lewis.
Rick Astley
Luther Vandross
Page 5 and no mention of Dylan or Tom Waits? Sure, they have unconventional voices but that's part of the talent. No one else can sing like them. The quality of the songs DOES matter. Dylan will be played forever and no matter how great you think Josh Groban's voice is he will never be a better singer than Dylan.
Freddie Mercury, Sinatra, Thom Yorke, Elvis, RAY CHARLES, Lennon, Al green, Roy Orbison.
Cat Stevens and Neil Young probably need to be considered.
categorically wrote:Page 5 and no mention of Dylan or Tom Waits?
I counted three nods to dylan before your post, and at least two to Waits.
#5 for bob here
Pete wrote:
categorically wrote:Page 5 and no mention of Dylan or Tom Waits?I counted three nods to dylan before your post, and at least two to Waits.
#5 for bob here
Dylan or Tom Waits were great singers, I think the OP is talking about the voice as an instrument.
Andy Williams
Charley Pride
Roger Whitaker
Slim Whitman (youtube Indian Love Call)
Engelbert Humperdinck
Neil Diamond
Nat King Cole
Andy Williams
Charley Pride
Roger Whitaker
Slim Whitman (youtube Indian Love Call)
Engelbert Humperdinck
Neil Diamond
Nat King Cole
Re: Frank Sinatra.
If you are going with vocalists of that particular pop genre, I'd say Tony Bennet is a far better vocalist. I don't consider myself a great singer, but can do a dead on Sinatra
Ray Charles. I don't know about the other 14.
Frank Sinatra
Eddie Arnold
Bing Crosby
Dean Martin
Andy Williams
Nat King Cole
Tony Bennett
Perry Como
Bobby Darrin
Sammy Davis Jr.
Neil Sedaka
Jim Reeves
Randy Travis
Paul McCartney
and #15Wings (jk)
How about Luciano Pavarotti or Placido Domingo
Frank Sinatra "The Voice"
Roy Orbison
Freddie Mercury
There is really no one else to consider.
no order, not 15 either
maynard james keenan
freddie mercury
russell hitchcock (should've kept him further from freddie)
marvin gaye
lionel richie
pavarotti is amazing, just not my preference of music
david bowie
love these types of threads, interesting to see everyone's preferences.
Foster Brooks
Diggory Venn wrote:
Category: Pop music, broadly defined. Criteria: solely the ability to render beautiful music with the ability of one's voice, whether accompanied or not. Being a great songwriter (Kris Kristofferson) or dnacer (Michael Jackson) is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Sorry that this list is so exclusively American, but that is due to my apalling ignorance of musicians from other countries.
1. Elvis Presley
2. Al Green
3. Sam Cooke
4. Roy Orbison
5. Frank Sinatra
6. Bill Monroe
7. Nat King Cole
8. Ray Charles
9. Conway Twitty
10. Ralph Stanley
11. John Conlee
12. Robert Plant
13. Keith Whitley
14. Freddy Mercury
15. Randy Travis
That's a pretty good list. Personally, I would put Sinatra at the top. I don't think we've seen anyone since or anytime in the near future that could croon like him. Only singer I've ever heard whose voice was smoother than than the string section of a symphony orchestra when he was on. Just sick. Don't beleive me? Put on a good pair of earbuds and take a listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfkcUqZMZ94&feature=relatedThe only other that comes close is NKC and I think he is a clear #2.
Diggory Venn wrote:
Category: Pop music, broadly defined. Criteria: solely the ability to render beautiful music with the ability of one's voice, whether accompanied or not. Being a great songwriter (Kris Kristofferson) or dnacer (Michael Jackson) is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Sorry that this list is so exclusively American, but that is due to my apalling ignorance of musicians from other countries.
1. Elvis Presley
2. Al Green
3. Sam Cooke
4. Roy Orbison
5. Frank Sinatra
6. Bill Monroe
7. Nat King Cole
8. Ray Charles
9. Conway Twitty
10. Ralph Stanley
11. John Conlee
12. Robert Plant
13. Keith Whitley
14. Freddy Mercury
15. Randy Travis
Where in hell is Justin Bieber?