The Top 40 Greatest Voices in Rock

@Slappy Doo Hoo,

Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

And guess what people...the list says "rock." Not R&B, not funk, not blues. ROCK.

amen

@aidan,

aidan wrote:

Here's a much more comprehensive list of great voices - male and female

Aretha Franklin - who didn't even make this top forty list (WHAT?) is popularly conceded to be number 1.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article5251701.ece

Rebecca, candor moves me to say
that when I heard Aretha Franklin, in the 1960s,
I deemed it a hellish experience; ruff n gross.
Sometimes I was kinda trapped and coud not turn it off; torment.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Quote:

a bit heavily weighted toward white men - who just don't have the best voices

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5LWwC-cE8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1JFKJtPVlQ&feature=related

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@OmSigDAVID,

David - that's why I love talking to you - never wishy washy or predictable - so descriptive-always a delightful surprise....I just laughed out loud for about three minutes straight.

Yeah- I agree her voice can be that way - it does have sort of a shrill edge to it sometimes - but what's amazing about her voice is the POWER, and I think that's what people recognize.
I like her on some songs - alot- but I can't really listen to a whole album of her and only her very often. She's not my favorite female singer - there are a lot of females I'd rather listen to - Mary J. Blige is one.

When I say smoky - I don't mean rough - I mean there's just this extra layer of something - I guess I mean it's more opaque sounding - not clear. Hard to explain. But I would consider it to be an asset rather than a defect.

I think you're right about young black artists (particularly males) and the rough, gruff stuff for a while - but there's a whole new movement now and the emphasis is back on singing - sort of old school soul style - like Marvin Gaye or someone like that (he had a wonderful voice).

There's this group called Madcon I really like - but I like soul and blues. Even in white singers - I tend to go for the more bluesy sounding ones. That's just my personal preference.

2 Replies

When I think of Rock n Roll, I think of Dick Clark
in the 1950s n early 60s:
Connie Stevens, Elvis Presley, Roy Hamilton, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Patience & Prudence, Linda Scott,
the Crests, Dion & the Belmonts, Bill Haley, the Everly Brothers, Connie Francis, Little Peggy March,
Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Fleetwoods, the 4 Seasons,
the Kingston Trio, Sonny & Cher, Johnny Horton, Neil Sedaka,
the Safaris, the Ventures, the Diamonds, the Association,
Steve Lawrence, Buddie Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Lettermen and the Mello KIngs

David

0 Replies

@djjd62,

djjd62 wrote:

Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

And guess what people...the list says "rock." Not R&B, not funk, not blues. ROCK.

amen

There is such a fine line between rock, R&B, blues, funk, country etc. though. Certainly the "Moonlight Sonata" or Handel's "Messiah" could not be translated as rock in any form or fashion, but rock & roll had such a profound impact on the British and American scene that it has influenced all genres that followed. Each genre has its own flavor, of course, but the lines around the edges are definitely blurred and all singers from the 1960's on would occasionally wander across those blurred boundaries. Elvis, for instance, was the king of rock, but he also occasionally wandered into Motown, the blues, gospel, country, and other contemporary styles.

I have a hard time limiting any of the greats to one genre.

1 Reply

@aidan,

aidan wrote:

David - that's why I love talking to you - never wishy washy or predictable - so descriptive-always a delightful surprise....I just laughed out loud for about three minutes straight.

Yeah- I agree her voice can be that way - it does have sort of a shrill edge to it sometimes - but what's amazing about her voice is the POWER, and I think that's what people recognize.
I like her on some songs - alot- but I can't really listen to a whole album of her and only her very often. She's not my favorite female singer - there are a lot of females I'd rather listen to - Mary J. Blige is one.

When I say smoky - I don't mean rough - I mean there's just this extra layer of something - I guess I mean it's more opaque sounding - not clear. Hard to explain. But I would consider it to be an asset rather than a defect.

I think you're right about young black artists (particularly males)
and the rough, gruff stuff for a while - but there's a whole new movement now and the emphasis is back on singing - sort of old school soul style - like Marvin Gaye or someone like that (he had a wonderful voice).

There's this group called Madcon I really like - but I like soul and blues. Even in white singers - I tend to go for the more bluesy sounding ones. That's just my personal preference.

I like to look at BEAUTY.
I like to listen to BEAUTY.
I like to feel BEAUTY.
I like to taste BEAUTY.
I like to smell BEAUTY.

Some of those male black groups
demean themselves as tho thay were not as much interested in ENTERTAINING anyone
as much as thay were looking for a FIGHT, as tho thay try to appear truculent.
Thay give me the subjective impression
that thay choose to reject beauty and to adopt its OPPOSITE.

Tho I tried to avoid hearing Aretha Franklin,
when I coud not avoid it, it sounded as if
she were of nasty temperament, angry in a quarrel.
That is the OPPOSITE of beauty; anathema.

Concerning what u posted about liking blues music.
Is that in the nature of lamentation? Depressing ?

Is EXULTATION better ?

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

David said:

Quote:

Some of those male black groups
demean themselves as tho thay were not as much interested in ENTERTAINING anyone
as much as thay were looking for a FIGHT, as tho thay try to appear truculent.
Thay give me the subjective impression
that thay choose to reject beauty and to adopt its OPPOSITE.

Well, there are theories that that's a phenomena associated with the culture they found themselves in - instead of decrying and deriding it and appearing to be victims of it- they portrayed it in their 'art' (I can picture you rolling your eyes) as chosen and valuable and exalted it.

But that's not all black groups David...and you should hear some of the really hateful and violent **** (sorry, I know you don't like profanity- but that's what it is) some all white groups put out.

Quote:

Tho I tried to avoid hearing Aretha Franklin,
when I coud not avoid it, it sounded as if
she were of nasty temperament, angry in a quarrel.
That is the OPPOSITE of beauty; anathema.

That's pretty perceptive David, because actually, I've read that's true about her in terms of her personality, at least now, since she's become famous and a diva.
I'm a lover of all things beautiful too David - but I can find something to like in just about any sort of music (except Emo or that hate-filled neo nazi skin head crap - those are just scary).

Quote:

Concerning what u posted about liking blues music.
Is that in the nature of lamentation? Depressing ?

I like the blues, because I love the beat and two of my favorite instruments are piano and guitar. And they're pretty heavily featured in the blues - I love blues guitar and blues piano.
Although I love lyrics, when I listen to the blues, the words are less important to me and I prefer faster moving blues songs to slower moving.
I love to listen to it live especially - and pretty much can't sit still when I'm listening to it - it definitely doesn't depress me- I find it energizing.

Quote:

Is EXULTATION better ?

That's what gospel's for!

I can find music to suit any occasion or mood

2 Replies

@aidan,

aidan wrote:

David said:

Quote:
Some of those male black groups
demean themselves as tho thay were not as much interested in ENTERTAINING anyone
as much as thay were looking for a FIGHT, as tho thay try to appear truculent.
Thay give me the subjective impression
that thay choose to reject beauty and to adopt its OPPOSITE.

Well, there are theories that that's a phenomena associated with the culture they found themselves in - instead of decrying and deriding it and appearing to be victims of it- they portrayed it in their 'art' (I can picture you rolling your eyes) as chosen and valuable and exalted it.

But that's not all black groups David...and you should hear some of the really hateful and violent **** (sorry, I know you don't like profanity- but that's what it is) some all white groups put out.

Quote:
Tho I tried to avoid hearing Aretha Franklin,
when I coud not avoid it, it sounded as if
she were of nasty temperament, angry in a quarrel.
That is the OPPOSITE of beauty; anathema.

That's pretty perceptive David, because actually, I've read that's true about her in terms of her personality, at least now, since she's become famous and a diva.
I'm a lover of all things beautiful too David - but I can find something to like in just about any sort of music (except Emo or that hate-filled neo nazi skin head crap - those are just scary).

Quote:
Concerning what u posted about liking blues music.
Is that in the nature of lamentation? Depressing ?

I like the blues, because I love the beat and two of my favorite instruments are piano and guitar. And they're pretty heavily featured in the blues - I love blues guitar and blues piano.
Although I love lyrics, when I listen to the blues, the words are less important to me and I prefer faster moving blues songs to slower moving.
I love to listen to it live especially - and pretty much can't sit still when I'm listening to it - it definitely doesn't depress me- I find it energizing.

Quote:

Is EXULTATION better ?

That's what gospel's for!

I can find music to suit any occasion or mood

I bet u CAN !
I m not into music much anymore.
I don 't recognize currently popular names.

I was not aware of the existence of all white hate music.

Against what is the hatred aimed ?

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@Pamela Rosa,

Fats Domino should be on that list and every other list, the man was a stylist, he sold more records than your whole list put together without any publicity just pure talent. Vincent Spiteri Melbourne Australia

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@aidan,

aidan wrote:

Quote:

Is EXULTATION better ?

That's what gospel's for!

I can find music to suit any occasion or mood

I like ODE TO JOY

DAVID

0 Replies

@Slappy Doo Hoo,

Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

And guess what people...the list says "rock." Not R&B, not funk, not blues. ROCK.

yup - it also says best voices

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

"The Top 40 Greatest Voices in Rock."

There, it's copied & pasted. I could say "I want to have sex with a blonde woman," and you could take "I want to have sex" out of that sentence, then assume I want to bang a guy following your logic.

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I still don't think you can rule out the transition singers. Bo Diddly for instance was considered one of the transition singers who helped invent rock as it emerged from the blues. How would you classify this one for instance: rock or blues? You'll find it on lists for both:

1 Reply

@Foxfyre,

Wow, that's a great song.

I'd say that falls in the rock category...it's blues...and blues rock...

0 Replies

@Foxfyre,

I agree (But Perry Como?)

What the hell is "Rock" anymore?

There are so many sub-genres, it's pretty tough to define the term.

Take a look here:

Quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rock_genres

Punk Rock
Pop-Punk
Glam-Punk
Electro-Punk
Dance-Punk
Celtic-Punk
Art-Punk
Cowpunk
Folk-punk
Garage-punk
Gypsy-punk
Hardcore punk
Horror-punk
Nazi-punk
Ska Punk
Skate Punk
Street Punk
Post-Punk
Post-Punk Revival

And these are all sub-genres of a sub-genre of Rock

Now isn't that ridiculous?

This is what Rolling Stone created: The psuedo-intellectualization of Rock.

Never-the-less, anyone who doesn't consider Blues, Rockabilly, and R&B as falling under the general umbrella of Rock, needs to provide us with a cogent definition of the term.

1 Reply

@Finn dAbuzz,

Well okay, I'll concede that Perry Como is a stretch as either a rock or blues singer. Smile

This one doesn't feature a great singer, but it does profoundly illustrate the blending of blues with rock:

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Probably no other 'new' genre has so influenced music as has rock. When rock first burst onto the American scene, Sinatra denounced it as degenerate. But then he would later record music by Billy Joel, George Harrison, Jimmy Webb, Stevie Wonder and others. In later years his own unique style shifted from big band, broadway, and swing and he seemed to favor jazz that invariable included a rock beat.

Even in this one, which would be nobody's definition of rock I think, you will find an unmistakable rock beat in Sinatra's version. At the very least, it is such a neat rendition that I think most will enjoy it:

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Okay I have to reverse my position again and put Perry Como back on the rock list. The man did have a great singing voice, and this is rock:

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Hard to believe Lou Gramm didn't make your list. that boy can wail...

1 Reply

The Top 40 Greatest Voices in Rock

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