Best male singing voice ever...who has it?!

[kingdaddy]

Not one vote for David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, but like 10 votes for Steve Perry?

Wow, this forum is populated with some scary folks.

 

[Starmax]

Not one vote for David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, but like 10 votes for Steve Perry?

Wow, this forum is populated with some scary folks.

I feel your pain kingdaddy. In fact, Gilmour would place at or near the top in the category of "Best male vocalist/guitarist."

 

[Starmax]

Floyd Gilmour

David Gilmour would also place somewhere in the top-10 rock guitar players of all-time.

 

[Sheep]

Dustin Kensrue. Lead singer for Thrice and has his first Solo album out. However, I don't really care for his solo efforts.

http://www.myspace.com/thrice

 

[snowy1]

tom jones, scott stapp neil diamond and many more have great voices hard to pick one thats the best. REGARDS SNOWY1

 

[Starmax]

tom jones, scott stapp neil diamond and many more have great voices hard to pick one thats the best. REGARDS SNOWY1

snowy1, with all due respect, let's just say that you and me live on opposite ends of the musical universe!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I realize he went downhill later on, but the young Elvis Presley did have a truly amazing voice.
I also second the Neil Diamond suggestion. Granted, a lot of his songs were sappy and his stage presence cliche'd, but the man can sing.
Another favorite is Peter Gabriel (including his solo work, but especially with the early Genesis.)

 

[Bossard]

I think Tony Williams of the Platters had one of the best tenor voices from popular music. Just listen to him sing "My Prayer". He had so much power in his voice!

 

[Liberty]

Roy Orbison. Indisputable. No further correspondence entered into.

 

[jvm051]

Chris Cornell, his range is huge, and for R&B, I would have to say Marvin Gaye.

 

[Masher]

Freddie Mercury.

 

[Starmax]

Jim Morrison

Do I not get ANY amens for Jim?

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Do I not get ANY amens for Jim?

Jim had a lot going for him, especially charisma. He also wrote great lyrics. A great singer, though? I think not.

 

[Starmax]

Greatness

I guess 'greatness' is defined by the beholder. A great voice, just like a great guitar player, is more than mechanics, range, tone, etc. It matters not if Tony Bennet or Elvis, or Sting, or Sinatra are considered superior vocalists, if they don't hit you where you live. I can 'appreciate' Pavarotti ability all day long, but I can't relate to his musical genre. Jim Morrison touches and massages a deep, dark place than no one else even acknowledges(with the exception of David Gilmour), so I suppose 'greatness' is an overrated concept. What matters most is what reaches you and your response to it.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I guess 'greatness' is defined by the beholder. A great voice, just like a great guitar player, is more than mechanics, range, tone, etc. It matters not if Tony Bennet or Elvis, or Sting, or Sinatra are considered superior vocalists, if they don't hit you where you live. I can 'appreciate' Pavarotti ability all day long, but I can't relate to his musical genre. Jim Morrison touches and massages a deep, dark place than no one else even acknowledges(with the exception of David Gilmour), so I suppose 'greatness' is an overrated concept. What matters most is what reaches you and your response to it.

Good points. I agree that Jim could really stir the emotions. I guess I was interpreting the thread more in terms of "technical" singers. Like you, there are some that I fully acknowledge and appreciate from that standpoint (eg Pavarotti), but that I don't actually enjoy listening to. Widening the scope of "greatness" makes identifying candidates more difficult. For example, could Tom Waits be considered a great singer?

 

[Starmax]

Hurry up and Wait

Yeah, it's a slippery slope, trying to define greatness. Tom Waits is a perfect example. Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia too. They all have/had very unorthodox voices, which most people wouldn't consider great, or even very good, in the classic sense - in the same way Lyle Lovett is downright homely in the classic sense, but some people are attracted to the 'character' in his looks (like Julia Roberts). Personally, I don't consider Tom Waits, or any of the others I mentioned "great" singers, and I can't tell you why. But I would listen to them all day...and I can't say that about Placido Domingo, or anyone else who has perfect pitch and awesome range. I have to be able to relate to their music above all else. If all the experts consider a wine "great" - but you don't like it, is it still great? And if a tree falls in the forest, try to move the wine out of the way first...

 

[Tarub]

How about this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQVlVHsFF8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgX-hiQdfFw

 

[chenzini]

best male vocalists ever- top 5

I've been looking at a few lists, and it seems this forum has the most knowledgeable posts. - here's mine:

1. Marvin Gaye - touched by the hand of God.
2. Roy Orbison - must've been in the same room when God touched Marvin.
3. Frank Sinatra - maybe not the purest voice, but he "came correct".
4. David Ruffin - listen to "My Girl' and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", then tell me he shouldn't be here.
5. Brad Delp (Boston) - they didn't call him "The Man with the Golden Voice" for nothin'.

being a rock fan, I'd put Freddie Mercury right up there too. Plant and Tyler would occupy a slightly lower echelon.

 

[jliedeka]

Sorry . . . I'm actually laughing at some if these choices.

Van Morrison.

+1 Van Morrison is the best. Moondance is a classic and His Band and the Street Choir has a lot of great songs as well. I even like his later stuff.

 

[chucker1414]

I would have to say Dennis DeYoung from Styx is near top.

I also like Mike Patton from Faith No More, very powerful vocals he has a great range but doesn't use it that often which is a shame.

I don't listen to R&B to much so I really cannot input to much. Closest I can get is David Ruffin from The Temptations, very commanding.