Listening to a CD today, it struck me that the singer, while very talented, really wasn't capturing the underlying emotion in the lyrics of the song. I mean, if you're singing about a broken heart, that heartache should come through loud and clear in the voice. What singers have best conveyed the raw emotions of their lyrics?
I'll start with singers who improved on the original.
Hurt by Johnny Cash. This is almost the gold standard of raw emotion.
Sound of Silence by Disturbed sung live on Conan. Just Wow! Raw and haunting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7RVw3I8eg
And then...
I'll Alway Love You by Dolly Parton. Whitney Houston was arguably more beautiful, but it lacked the emotion Dolly puts into the song.
Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh... much better raw emotion than Eric Clapton's version.