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

[Mudcat]

Just Starting a War

Any front man who sounds like a castrated sheep should not be included. This would leave out leads from groups like syt(n)x, Rush, The Four Seasons, etc.. and leave only...

Bruce Springsteen


Dam thats too bad, maybe I should also include any front man who also sounds like they're constipated and trying to push one out should not be included. That would leave only..

Roger Daltry


Ummmhhhhh. I love the Who, but Roger has no range. My vote goes to Robert Plant. Oh wait, he sounds like a castrated sheep most of the time. I'll go with Roy Harper and/or John Fogerty

 

[20to20K]

Yes, but it is the dead guys that I remember the most, and besides, I am sure they are singing somewhere (or at least I hope they are singing somewhere).

O.K, you make a fair point...my favorite dead guys:

Nat King Cole
Marvin Gaye
Ray Charles
Frank Sinatra
Barry White

If Sinatra really was Johnny Fontaine, he may not be singing now...

 

[slmcdonald7]

My Top Five:

1) Billy Corgan
2) Louis Armstrong
3) Don Chambers (of the band Waterdeep)
4) Maynard James Keenan (for the same reason that I picked Billy Corgan, his voice fits his music perfectly)
5) Jude

-Stephen

 

[annunaki]

Busted! Halford can really sing though, and especially in the early days, Priest had a few ballads. Songs like Before the Dawn, Last Rose of Summer, and their cover of Diamonds and Rust are a good showcase for his voice.

I agree with including Freddie Mercury. He was truly one of the greats. I read that Queen is reforming with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company as the vocalist! I like him, but it'll be hard to fill Freddie's shoes.

Rob, I was not doubting that Halford could not sing. I was just stating the obvious.

 

[annunaki]

I would have to disagree with the James Hetfield post. He does not have much for range. He sounds like a guy who is trying too hard to sing. No offense to the poster, to each their own.

 

[jzac]

Any front man who sounds like a castrated sheep should not be included. This would leave out leads from groups like syt(n)x, Rush, The Four Seasons, etc.. and leave only...

Bruce Springsteen

I love the BOSS man and his music, but he sometimes sounds like he's ready to go for a dump!

 

[Mudcat]

I love the BOSS man and his music, but he sometimes sounds like he's ready to go for a dump!

Did you read what I wrote next?

 

[jzac]

Did you read what I wrote next?

Point taken! I missed that one!

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Well, the best voice ever was Bing Crosby.

In rock, the decent voices are few and far between. I'm talking about the ones with decent range and can actually sing in key:
Paul Rodgers of Bad Company is one.
Don Dokken
Lou Gramm of Foreigner
Paul Young I think had a great voice, just couldn't stand his music.

However, if we're talking best frontman regardless of singing ability, I'd have to go with Lonesome Dave Peverett of Foghat. I don't think anyone had his kind of energy and enthusiasm. You could hear how much he enjoyed what he was doing in nearly every song.

 

[xraydude]

For rock I'd have to say Steve Perry of Journey. He had a very unique, listenable quality to his voice along with great range.... just a great set of pipes.
As for R&B, Michael Mcdonald is hard to beat!

 

[bpape]

Roy Orbison for pure range, feeling, variety, etc.

A close second would be Mel Torme. Ever heard him on Was Not Was doing Zaz Turned Blue?

 

[20to20K]

Was Brothers...

Roy Orbison for pure range, feeling, variety, etc.

A close second would be Mel Torme. Ever heard him on Was Not Was doing Zaz Turned Blue?

That "Zaz turned Blue" cut is hilarious. That entire album (Born to laugh at Tornados) is a trip. My favorite cut is "Knocked down, made small, treated like a rubber ball".

 

[bpape]

Yeah, it's a hoot. If you like strange stuff like that, you might also like to listen to Todd Rungren - RA - but I stray from the topic - sorry.

 

[Hawkeye]

Yeah, it's a hoot. If you like strange stuff like that, you might also like to listen to Todd Rungren - RA - but I stray from the topic - sorry.

I really love the Ra album. I first bought the 8track back in the mid '70s, then found a vinyl copy a few years ago. One of these days I'll hunt around for the cd - I think its been released on cd, not sure. I think Rungren/Utopia played Singring and the Glass Guitar while promoting Ra back in '75. I went to one of the concerts, a huge show at Buffalo's Rich Stadium featuring Rungren, Edgar and Johnny Winter, Peter Frampton, and others, (or was it all a dream?)

 

[BMXTRIX]

Paul Simon is phenomenal he knows his stuff
Steven Tyler still knows how to work the full range even after all these years which just blows me away
Josh Groban has a great voice, but I wonder if he is gonna be all artsy-fartsy for his life, or if he is going to delve into more light rock and take the quality up a notch... Sinatra style.

I will never say that any single one is best. There are just a ton that are incredible and I will continue to like groups that don't have much talent but I end up singing along anyway. Anyone for some more A-Ha?

 

[bpape]

Ra is definitely on CD. I have a copy.

 

[jzac]

Paul Simon is phenomenal he knows his stuff
Steven Tyler still knows how to work the full range even after all these years which just blows me away
Josh Groban has a great voice, but I wonder if he is gonna be all artsy-fartsy for his life, or if he is going to delve into more light rock and take the quality up a notch... Sinatra style.

I will never say that any single one is best. There are just a ton that are incredible and I will continue to like groups that don't have much talent but I end up singing along anyway. Anyone for some more A-Ha?

You must have liked 80s pop group A-HA, eh, because I did I loved their Hunting High and Low album. The others were pretty good too. The lead singer, Morten Harket, has a very nice voice. Like most others, the group disappeared after a few awards except for some recent appearances in Europe (I read somewhere).

 

[FLZapped]

Best voice ever though not in the genre selection:
Pavarotti....and he makes it look effortless.

Krafty1

Placido Domingo fits that mould too.

-Bruce

 

[Krazykaj]

Roy Orbison for pure range, feeling, variety, etc.

Totally agree, I’m surprised he hasn't been mentioned more often.

Roy Orbison hardly has to open his mouth and there is rich sound pouring out.
I like to compare him to the annoying Bruce Springsteen in Black and White night (no offence to Bruce fans)

Others that have already been mentioned here like Elvis, Freddy, Frank S. etc., all have great voices too, much better than the majority of ‘male’ singers today, in 2005.

I also like male vocalists like Andrea Bocelli, but he isn’t exactly Rock&Roll or R&B

Cheers
KJ

 

[BMXTRIX]

You must have liked 80s pop group A-HA, eh, because I did I loved their Hunting High and Low album. The others were pretty good too. The lead singer, Morten Harket, has a very nice voice. Like most others, the group disappeared after a few awards except for some recent appearances in Europe (I read somewhere).

Offbeat 80's stuff for sure...
A-Ha, Men Without Hats, the FIRST Tears for Fears album, old Pet Shop Boys... Just music you could listen to over and over. Opinions vary on their quality of music, but some of those bands set a style that others imitated, or avoided with a passion.