Who is your favourite singer all time? Male/female

[HansonBro]

I realize this is subjectional, so maybe if we get to a certain point, a poll could be put up.

But who would you call the best singer for each gender?

I'm leaning on Whitney Houston and Mariah C for the girls. I could be totally wrong though. As for the men I have no clue.

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[The Crypto Guy]

Jelly Roll

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Hmmm. In terms of just voice and not necessarily my favourite artist I’d have Elvis for the best male. Female is tough. Aretha and Whitney Houston were both great singers but with different styles. I really like Linda Ronstadt as a singer as well although I doubt she’d be on most lists as the top female.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Mike Patton and Diamanda Galas for me.

 

[kihei]

Smokey Robinson

 

[Seattle King]

Luciano Pavarotti

 

[Hammettf2b]

Mariah Carey

 

[Teemu]

Nat "King" Cole
Ella Fitzgerald

 

[reckoning]

Just my personal preferences, and just only based on their ability as a singer (songwriting, musicianship and other aspects are not counted)

Male: Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Chris Isaak
Female: Maria McKee, Kate Bush, Natalie Merchant

 

[I am not exposed]

It's silly to try to establish "best" so perhaps change the thread title to "favourites".

 

[Mescaleroman]

Guy Garvey / Sinead O'Connor

 

[Eye of Ra]

mariah carey

 

[HansonBro]

It's silly to try to establish "best" so perhaps change the thread title to "favourites".

Agreed... updated

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Karen Carpenter and Ben E King

 

[Lshap]

"Favourite" and "Best" can be totally different.

Billie Holiday might be my favourite all-time female vocalist, but anyone familiar with her style would never call her voice the 'best'. It's a unique sound and an acquired taste. About 20 years ago, I introduced a class of grade school kids to some of the classic jazz artists. Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. When they heard the clip of Billie Holiday's scratchy voice sounding like someone woke her up at 3:00am and stuck a mic in her face, many of them giggled. I'd like to think some have come to appreciate her and possibly remember that first time hearing her in that classroom.

Gladys Knight might be my favourite female singer of the last half century. Perfect combination of earthy soul.

For pure emotional wallop, I've got two. Karen Carpenter - I don't think it's possible to combine sweet and bittersweet into one voice like she did.

The other is Dusty Springfield. Purely personal, but there's something about this lady's voice I find.... haunting. If you're unfamiliar with her, try this .

 

[Lshap]

By the way, if we're talking voice, it's important to appreciate the human voice as a performance instrument and not a note-producing machine. Singing is much more than hitting a note and pressing on it with power. That's a demonstration of technical skill, good for audience reactions on America's Got Talent and a nice way to end a ballad, but mostly irrelevant in music.

Think of your favourite singer singing your favourite song; the magical moments feature a phrasing, a feeling, a timbre, a stretch or strain, something unique to their instrument. You're hearing a performance. What makes it great isn't them sitting on a note and applying vibrato for 15 seconds. Power and vibrato will help you win a talent contest, but that's not what makes a great song.

Which is a long way of saying I have no idea how to choose my favourite male singer, because there are way too many of them with way too many unique styles. Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and David Ruffin (The Temptations) are all classic Motown singers, but they're as different as a cello, a piano, and a trumpet. Three great instruments with three entirely different sounds.

Paul McCartney had an amazing pop voice – he could do rock and beautiful ballads equally well. He's an all-time great in his particular musical lane. So is Sting, for similar reasons. Neither were virtuoso singers, but both knew how to use their vocal instrument to perform great songs of their particular genre.

Other great vocal instruments: James Taylor, Otis Redding, Al Green, a dozen more I'll remember five minutes after posting this...

Oh - and what about Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Beach Boys? As a longtime harmony guy, I have to give a nod to collective singing, which is a whole other level of vocal precision-flying. Singing is a blast, but you haven't lived until you've sung in a choral blend.

 

[Osprey]

I'll answer this with the singers whose voices impress me the most and whose music I like and go with Randy Travis and Dolly Parton. Both of their voices are amazing, unique and a treat to listen to.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

My favorite male singer of all time would probably be Frank Sinatra. The smoothness of his voice, his technical skill, and just many of the memories I have of some of his songs are just very special. Timeless tunes.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Tom Jones

Diana Ross

 

[Ozz]

Ozzy for male, but no one enough to constitute a pick for female.

 

[S E P H]

Floor Jansen because she is actually amazing, I have no problem saying she is a top 3 singer of the past 30 to 50 years.


My favourite male singer is probably Edu Falaschi.

There are a ton of great singers, but Dick Valentine from Electric Six is another one who has a very unique voice and uses it to its strength.

 

[JFedol]

Male: Michael Jackson
Female: Whitney Houston

 

[Hammettf2b]

Well now that the title is completely different my answer would have to change because my opinion on best singer and favorite singer are totally different.

Favorite singer would either be Paul McCartney or James Hetfield

 

[Babe Ruth]

Difficult for me to get it down to one favorite male singer..

Layne Staley
G. Danzig
Jim Morrison
Elvis

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Ok. The updated question changes my answers.
Favourite female singers are Whitney and Aretha. Others are Dusty Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, and Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries.
Male singers are Al Green, Levon Helm of the Band, early John Lennon with the Beatles, Bowie, Righteous Brothers and Neil Diamond.