These I liked since forever
1. Freddy Mercury (Queen)
2. Dexter Holland (Offspring)
3. Bjork
Honorable mentions:
Chino Moreno (Deftones)
Maynard James Keenan (Tool)
Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood)
Bowie
Morrissey
Siouxsie Sioux
For me a great vocalist is not someone who can shatter glass with their range or belt out every song so it sounds less like a piece of music and more like an exercise in vocal gymnastics. I prefer unique voices, rich with personality. That’s why I would personally rate someone like Johnny Cash as a better singer than the likes of Whitney Houston. Perhaps not better, but one that I find more interesting to listen to.
My top 3 would be
Dolly Parton
David Bowie
Kylie Minogue
The third name there would also be the number one most underrated for me. People hear her pop dance bangers and have no idea she can also sell a song like this..
https://youtu.be/3bwF3ItV7CI?si=0Z27hQsieSJbzKAq
Sort of agree, as massive Tom Waits fan
shareFreddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Roger Daltery
Frank Sinatra
Barbra Streisand
Nat King Cole
Streisand is fantastic. And I'm so glad that her prime was in an era -- between Billie Holliday/Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney/Mariah -- where it wasn't considered fashionable to curb stomp the lyrics and make the vocal melody all about you. She leant her voice in service to the song instead of wearing the song as a skin suit to promote herself.
shareYou said it. The over-the-top syndrome has completely swamped contemporary art - no one apparently told these people they were being pretentious asses.
shareWow- tough getting it down to three.
1 and 2 are easy.....
Robert Plant
John Lennon
One can't lock in a #3. So, I'll just put some names out there...
Roger Daltrey
Karen Carpenter
Layne Staley
Linda Rondstadt
Paul McCartney
Freddie Mercury
Pat Benatar
Gloria Estefan
Lou Gramm
This last guy, he never really hit it big. He's got a fantastic voice....
Kenny Rankin
On any given day, any of these vocalists could claim the #3 spot.
Bruce Dickinson
Chris Cornell
Dave Brock
Hard to narrow it down to three, but here are mine:
1) Karen Carpenter
2) John Denver
3) Brad Delp
I do have to say this...I love listening to the "old crooners" when it comes to Christmas music...Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, et.al. There's just something about their Christmas recordings that are of its time but timeless.
Brad Delp's a pick I wanted to make, if only there was a bigger body of work to point to.
shareSam Cooke
Karen Carpenter
Freddie Mercury