Who's got or had the best singing voice?

[Kenno]

Feel free to talk about any style, rock, pop, opera or whatever.

For me it was Pav, rip.

 

[Agravic]

Ella Fitzgerald.

 

[WoodfordReserve-Neat]

Feel free to talk about any style, rock, pop, opera or whatever.

For me it was Pav, rip.

Wow, this is a tuff ,tuff question.have many favorite ones. But here are a few..

+1 the Pav...I don't think anyone can beat his cover of Nessun Dorma for me.
Maria Callas - Un bel di vedremo (Like it just as good) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFQXdJxhmaY
Roy Orbison - "Crying"
Righteous Brothers (Bobby Hatfield) - Unchained Melody

Oops, almost forgot the Queen of soul ! ARETHA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGAiW5dOnKo&list=AL94UKMTqg-9AQHw-H4wKwQuvHKZQH67tF&index=9&feature=plcp

 

[Haggises]

For rock music for me.......early Freddie Mercury or Ian Gillan.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Me.

 

[MrDentini]

For me, it's Billy Holiday.



It's not a "beautiful" voice, but she crumples my skin.

 

[oakeshott]

Ella Fitzgerald.

Yes. This.

In Ken Burn's series on Jazz, one of Ellington's band members talked about the time when Ella toured with the band. She was a young girl then and going from town to town by bus with the band...a band comprised of some of the finest musicians in America. He said that sometimes Ella would just spontaneously start singing and then all these grizzled vets and musical geniuses would just suddenly go quiet and listen.

Personally, I can think of no other singer with both the vocal and stylistic range that Ella had. Break your heart with a ballad or get you out of seat swingin'. From all accounts every other professional musician and singer was in awe of her (except I think for Billie Holiday who it was rumored resented Ella).

Another grossly underappreciated vocal genius was Johnny Hartman. I was introduced to him when a friend of mine who'd just retired from playing professionally in a jazz band and in broadway orchestras gave me the album he did with Coltrane. Amazing album, extraordinary voice.

 

[oakeshott]

For me, it's Billy Holiday.

View attachment 268007

It's not a "beautiful" voice, but she crumples my skin.

Although I chose Ella, Billie is also a favorite. My dog is named after her which, in my frame of reference, is a high honor.

 

[Graybeard57]

In no particular order, because each has their own strengths, here are my favorites:

Aaron Neville
Elvis
Roy Orbison
Iz

Joan Baez
Eva Cassidy
Linda Ronstadt
Patsy Cline


Sorry, it's too hard to single out just one, but if I HAD to:

Patsy Cline

 

[Kentos]

Can't compare to the classic voices of yesteryear, but I really dig Jason Mraz.

 

[Lucidor]

I'm going to have to be a good Swedish patriot and say Jussi Björling:

Runners up are legion:

Emma Kirkby
Freddie Mercury
Ella Fitzgerald and countless others.

 

[MrDentini]

I'm sorry but I have to add something. My favourite genre is Jazz, that's why I voted a jazz singer above. But in the pop world I can't avoid to mention our great Mina. She retired from the public scenes in the 1978 and it's a pity because she sings like no one.

In contrast to "normal" people, whose vocal range is almost two octaves, Mina's voice has an extension of three octaves and, using the "falsetto", she's able to reach nearly three tones, thus her vocal range comprises more than 40 semitones (for "normal" people it's about 24 semitones). Besides techincalities, here's a couple of videos, bad sound quality (like any video). It should be listened with a real hi-fi, but:

Another one.

How I wish to see her live, but it's impossible.

 

[Niles]

Sinatra.

 

[Graybeard57]

Yes, Sinatra! He's at the top of them all. Thank you for pointing him out.

 

[commanderkeen]

Freddie Mercury has the most versatile voice of all.

Exhibit A:

 

[commanderkeen]

Exhibit B:

 

[jazzman]

Jazz, male: Johnny Hartman
Jazz, female: Sarah Vaughan
Rock, male: Jim Morrison
Rock, female: Grace Slick
Country, male: Willie Nelson
Country, female: Emmylou Harris
Jazz, rock, pop, still performing: Holly Cole

Oh, and then there are: Janis Joplin, Paul McCartney, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Alison Krauss, Greg Allman, Levon Helm, David Crosby, Diana Krall, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin....

 

[SmoovD]

Too hard to pick just one so here are some of my favorites:
Pop, male: Harry Nilsson, Tim Buckley and Mike Patton
Pop, female: Bettye Lavette, Irma Thomas and Sandy Denny
Jazz, male: Ibrahim Ferrer, Joe Williams and Louis Armstrong
Jazz female: Cassandra Wilson, Billie Holiday and Keely Smith
Country, male: Ralph Stanley, CHarlie Louvin and Freddy Fender
Country, female: Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams

 

[sychodelix]

Way too many to choose from, and it varies a lot depending on genre as well.

Rock - Freddie Mercury
Opera - Maria Calles
Blues - Buddy Guy
Metal - Ronnie James Dio
Old Country (Cowboy music, hate New Country) - Marty Robbins

Heck, lots of other good ones too like Roy Orbison, Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, Klaus Meine

 

[Niles]

Yes, Sinatra! He's at the top of them all. Thank you for pointing him out.

My pleasure