In 2008.... wait - let me start from the beginning - which, ironically, comes way past that point. Earlier this evening (see?), whilst drinking a good amount of wine (keep that in mind while you drink this and spot any grammatical errors or jumps in logic), I played a game where I tried to guess the top 10 on Rolling Stones' 100 Greatest Singers. What I didn't realize is the list had nothing to do with the quality of singer. It was more a "Most Iconic and Influential Artist" list. Not any less important, but - spoiler alert - if Freddie Mercury isn't on your top 10 greatest singers (#18 on the RS list), your list is... well, worthless.
I'm not an expert on the subject, but I did some time as a professional musician... ok, I guess technically that makes me an expert, but not in the critical sense. Although I was a pretty choppy guitarist, I feel pretty strongly that my vocal strengths are what allowed me to be paid on a regular basis. My (drunken) point is, I feel I can make a reasonable top 10 on the best singers in popular music. I'd love to hear your list or if you REALLY feel Bob Dylan is a top 10 singer of all-time, let me know. Maybe I can have my mind changed. This is not based on influence or frontman status or songwriting ability - just the best singers in my opinion. Thanks for reading - and enjoy.
#10: Christina Aguilera - The youngest in my list is also a victim of the era in which she was popular. Though the vocal gymnastics were sometimes a bit much - and what kept Mariah off this list - make no mistake, Aguilera has a sultry, smooth voice (Genie in a Bottle, Beautiful, multiple tracks from Back to Basics) that would stand out in any decade of popular music. Also, she is able to change gears and sing with some fire and growl (Dirrrty, Lady Marmalade) unlike many artists with that angelic a voice.
#9: Steven Page - I am placing Mr. Page this LOW because of my affinity for Barenaked Ladies. I'm worried that their being my favorite group may cloud my judgment. I will tell you that for most of my adulthood, I would place Page at Number Two on my personal list of favorite vocalists. His vocal range is broad, theatrical and more powerful live when in top form than any studio recording could show. With BNL, songs like Break Your Heart, Call & Answer, and What A Good Boy featured the depth and power that he brought. After departing the band in 2009, Indecision, Entourage and A Different Sort of Solitude are a few highlights, though I'm waiting for a solo effort that showcases the amazing vocal ability and passion I've seen since I fell in love with the old band 20 years ago. It's still there, as I saw Steven this spring and - even in a small venue with mediocre acoustics - he blew the audience away. I just hope he writes a song or two that does justice to one of the best pop voices of all time.
#8: Al Green - The Rev. He doesn't have the cache or the grand number of hits that some of his contemporaries had, but his voice could carry a tune, an album, a world if it needed to. We all know about Let's Stay Together, but take a few minutes and listen to it again. The rise from soulful storytelling throughout the first verse to sensual pleading toward the end of the track is some of the most passionate singing you can find and the basis for many an R&B song later in time.
#7: Art Garfunkel - It's odd to put a "second banana" in as one of the best singers of all time. After splitting for the 2nd (and most permanent) time in 1970, Garfunkel was unable to duplicate the success experienced with Paul Simon, while his erstwhile partner found both critical and commercial approval as a solo artist. This does not diminish the pure, haunting sound of Garfunkel's tenor voice. Whether in The Sound of Silence or The Boxer or one of their many other hits, Garfunkel's harmony stays with you in a way many voices fail to.
#6: Whitney Houston - A tragic ending and a less-than-graceful fall from public adoration does not diminish what Houston was during her prime. While I considered Mariah Carey for the top 10, the vocal gymnastics that almost got Aguilera booted were what did her in. I always consider Houston, Carey and Aguilera as a lineage of sorts, but Aguilera and Houston were able to shift into a higher gear that Carey never found in my opinion (this duet helping my argument). Houston's rendition of the National Anthem remains the most powerful and memorable. "The Voice" was also able to find a more sultry tone with songs like My Name is Not Susan, among others. Of everyone on my list, Houston is the one artist who I feel could vary as high as #1, but her massive talent did not produce a "Live" album or tour of epic magnitude and longevity that would have propelled her further up.
#5: Stevie Wonder - Very few artists have the catalog or the credentials of Little Stevie Wonder. A career that spans five decades with very few valleys and many peaks along the way. Another artist who was able to change gears and demonstrate vocal range not just in tone, but in emotion, Wonder crafted hits over many years with one of the most silky smooth voices in popular music. He tells a story with each lyric and can paint a tapestry with his bee-bopping and interludes. There is a nasal quality that has gotten more noticeable over the years, but for me it is not distracting (until recently) as much as it is a unique layer to his voice.
#4: Prince - One of the most under appreciated artists in modern music, Prince partially has only himself to blame by being a recluse and a mystery. He is, however, one of the most talented musicians we've ever been graced with. He manages to be underrated as both a guitarist and a vocalist, which is extremely hard to pull off. Maybe I place too much stock in songs like Darling Nikki and Sexy MF, but Prince could... well, fuck you with his voice and there was nothing you could - or want to - do about it.
#3: Marvin Gaye - Another tragic death, and much like Houston years later, a career that deserved a much better final act. Gaye sang one of the most influential songs ever released , "What's Going On", and due to the high political impact, it was only able to be released because of the vocal quality on that record (Gaye refused to record further material until it was released, but had it not been amazing, the record label would have just sued him for the next album). Gaye had one of the most soulful voices to ever be recorded and from "Heard it Through The Grapevine" up through "Let's Get it On", influenced millions of singers to come.
#2 Elvis Presley - Much of the mystery and eccentricity that clouded his life and his death masks the fact that this man was "The King" and deserved the crown. No singer before or since has been able to cross so many genres so successfully. Whether it was gospel, soul, country or Rock 'n' Roll, Presley was a master of them all. When Garth Brooks tried to crossover and be a rock star under a different name, failing miserably, it was a reminder that Presley could effortlessly pull off that feat multiple times, sometimes on the same album.
#1 Freddie Mercury - Proof of Mercury's vocal abilities is not best found in his amazing range (bass low F to soprano high F) nor his tonal qualities on such Queen staples as Somebody to Love or Don't Stop Me Now. It is best proven by the fact that Mercury recorded an Opera album in 1988 (with operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé) that spawned a top-10 (UK & others) single. This was no vanity project - it was the official anthem of the 1992 Barcelona (the album and song name) Olympic games. Mercury's voice lived on long after his death in movies, TV and radio airplay. The songs remain fresh (well, maybe not Radio Gaga...) and his voice is still one of the most haunting, mesmerizing in history.
Other singers I debated include: Frank Sinatra, Maxwell, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Leann Rimes, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, George Michael
Who do you think I missed? Who do you think I nailed? Let me know in the comments!
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