Philip Clark Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 WARNING: ANOTHER OFF TOPIC THREAD by me. Haters be warned. Axl Rose has been sited as one of the greatest vocalists ever due to this infographic on ConcertHotels.com http://www.concerthotels.com/worlds-greatest-vocal-ranges Now, this has stirred much debate. So much to the point that another site has disputed the data and even added more singers and their ranges. http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2014/05/digging-deeper-axl-rose-is-not-singer.html IMO, "widest range" does not equal "greatest singer." How do you guys feel about these lists, and who would you site as the greatest singer ever? Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Stevie surely. Mariah surely. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I saw that on FB and commented. It's not an apples to apples comparison because it includes falsetto range. Not everyone chooses to sing falsetto, so comparing somebody with some high falsetto in a song to somebody who sings no falsetto is misleading. They even include Mick jagger screaming "who!" In Start Me Up as part of his range, even though he doesn't sing anything in that range. It also doesn't take into consideration any recordings that may have been sped up or slowed down. So not only does it not compare how good a singer is, it doesn't even really compare actually vocal range. Here is a better link: CLONK Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 [video:youtube] "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I thought Adam Lambert was the new King of wide range vocals today. Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Minnie Riperton had a freakish range. Agreed though, that range does not equal greatness. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Heslop Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I saw that on FB and commented. It's not an apples to apples comparison because it includes falsetto range. Not everyone chooses to sing falsetto, so comparing somebody with some high falsetto in a song to somebody who sings no falsetto is misleading. They even include Mick jagger screaming "who!" In Start Me Up as part of his range, even though he doesn't sing anything in that range. It also doesn't take into consideration any recordings that may have been sped up or slowed down. So not only does it not compare how good a singer is, it doesn't even really compare actually vocal range. Here is a better link: CLONK Mariah uses vocal whistle sometimes too...more or less harmonics. Ultimately it is pretty unimportant though. Good is good and a good singer is good within their range regardless of what that range is. All range allows for is some measure of versatility and the band doesn't have to learn songs in odd keys. Stage: Korg Krome 88. Home: Korg Kross 61, Yamaha reface CS, Korg SP250, Korg mono/poly Kawai ep 608, Korg m1, Yamaha KX-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcazzy Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 No doubt about it, in my opinion as greatest singer, Steve Walsh of Kansas in his prime. His range was pretty damn good also. John Cassetty "there is no dark side of the moon, really. As a matter of fact it's all dark" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 For the chicks - definitely Mariah Carey - an absolute monster vocalist . Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowtraveler Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Chaka Khan has pretty awesome chops. Among jazz singers in particular, after genuflecting in Billie's direction, I'd nominate Helen Merrill for pure artistry and musicianship. And I would never assert that freakish vocal range==best singer, either. B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phnymiboy Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 What? The late great Don Van Vliet aka Captan Beefheart not on the list? Well I never...He did have a 4 1/2 octave range. Great voice. http://bigfun3.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/BigFunThree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phloid Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 No doubt about it, in my opinion as greatest singer, Steve Walsh of Kansas in his prime. His range was pretty damn good also. Walsh and Steinhardt had remarkable (unassisted) pitch on Icarus Borne on Wings of Steel. Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Brad Delp of Boston and Lou Gramm of Foreigner had great voices in their prime. I think because Boston did not tour as much Delp's voice remained intact until his death. Hearing Delp live hitting those notes and singing in his style from Boston's first two albums was the most amazing to me because the studio recordings were polished to perfection. I actually preferred hearing his voice less than perfect because of this. These guys covered a wide range singing full-voiced which is extremely difficult and harsh on the vocal cords. Walsh and Gramm were reckless live singers. It is not surprising that their voices were blown out. Although that GF Live album shows him screaming out songs, Farner backed off eventually and he can still sing fairly well. I don't think falsetto should be included with singing full-voiced. When Mariah Carey debuted she reminded me of Whitney Houston. I think Sarah Mclachlan has great range and a better voice than Mariah or Whitney. The singer from Evanescence, Amy Lee, relies heavily on pitch correction but she has a good voice and useful range when assisted. IMO, range can be useful and interesting but the voice and style is most important. This leads me to think of Peter Gabriel's dynamic voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-missRichardTee Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Scanned very superficially -) Singing is something I have been putting more attention on lately. Singing is complex as a human is complex.. of course some humans are far more complex than others. Singers can have great range from low to high great emotional range Being very friendly. or like Bob Dylan an anti hero type. The Blues- Any number- but worthy of mention is a white chick I like a lot, Bonnie Raitt! Or James Taylor! Razor sharp pitch is another attribute An ability to mimic another singer. Frank Sinatra was famous for "phrasing". Mahalia Jackson was a giant of her time.. and she had what Stevie Wonder has.. a spiritual dimension. Ability to act- One singer set up a song before singing a note, and owned the crowd, before he sang! one singer who had totally lost his voice, told me he tells himself, "I dare you not to like me"! Melodic gift Johnny Mathis Improv like Ella or Sting Also to be charismatic like Elvis, Satchmo etc Great ear for harmonies. Crosby Still Nash and Young anybody? Take Six? Four Freshman. Incredible tone Great rhythmic ability Check out Marlena Shaw, of course James Brown Great power.. the operatic crowd have this tremendous sincerity... Diction looks! There are so many facets to singing that a man with no voice per se, was one of the greats Louis Armstrong.. makes no sense, but he was great singer. Range is one of many facets. Same thing with musicianship... many many facets. Some are more complete than others, but I doubt there is one singer who embodies all the above perfectly! You don't have ideas, ideas have you We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 One of the most full on singers I have ever come across (and awesome keyboardist) - Mr Delmar Brown > - awful recording , but still sounds stunning through all the mud and wow and flutter. Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phloid Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 (here is the video inline) [video:youtube]NxSzk_k4L2s This sent me off searching for more. Ironically it seems to be the best example and better sound quality than anything else I could find. Makes me think of UK/John Wetton and Seal. Delmar is/was? in a band called Bushrock. The bassist Yossi Fine is incredible: [video:youtube]0Ju-yTZ2z8Y Delmar has toured with Sting which lead me to this singing performance. Not only does Robert Downey Jr. have a good voice, his microphone technique is as good or better than that of many professional singers: [video:youtube]xiuzFNtki60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-string-man Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 All these lists are flawed IMHO. Some opera singers have a huge range, and are not mentioned. Cleo Laine had a big range (not sure how many octaves). Ian Gillan could reach the highest notes, but I think it was more of a scream than singing. At least he screamed in key though! His voice is shot now. SSM Occasionally, do something nice for a total stranger. They'll wonder what the hell is going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Mariah = triumph of technique over taste. Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37 Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 The Axl Rose range is pure BS. The "note" he apparently hits in Ain't It Fun is screeching/screaming, and bares only a passing resemblance to singing. I sometimes sound like that when taking a particularly nasty crap, but I don't expect anyone to applaud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME: In the silly milestone department comes a report from Billboard magazine that singer Mariah Carey's "Someday" set a new record - for highest note sung in a No. 1 hit single, B above high-C. That breaks the old record, F sharp above high-C, attained by the late Minnie Riperton on 1975's "Lovin' You." "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyS Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Geoff Tate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboK Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 For Rock Music there is only one answer: Steve Perry. Countertenor extraordinaire. Power and ease beyond measure. (take note at 1:55 and especially 3:45) (2:50 mark) What frustrates me is when a singer has a normal operating range that is much lower but they can hit a single note really high (whistle notes). This being called range is a bit deceptive imo. Perry operated in a ridiculously high register almost all the time. And it never sounds pushed. Very close second would be Freddie. Wow. Here is a good site for singer analysis: http://therangeplace.forummotions.com/f1-range-stuff I like that they actually reference songs (live and studio) as opposed to just citing a range. Korg Kronos 2 61, Kronos 1 61, Dave Smith Mopho x4, 1954 Hammond C2, Wurlitzer 200A, Yamaha Motif 6, Casio CDP-100, Alesis Vortex Wireless, too much PA gear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineandkeyz Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I don't know the details of their respective ranges, but in the rock world Mickey Thomas (Elvis Bishop Band and Starship) and Kelly Holland (Cry of Love) come to mind. Live: Yamaha S70XS (#1); Roland Jupiter-80; Mackie 1202VLZ4: IEMs or Traynor K4 Home: Hammond SK Pro 73; Moog Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue; Yamaha S70XS (#2); Wurlitzer 200A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Minnie Riperton had a freakish range. Agreed though, that range does not equal greatness. [video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMNltC9EvTU Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 Minnie Riperton had a freakish range. Agreed though, that range does not equal greatness. Although, she sold it every time. So, to me, that makes her great. Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 If I don't like the music or the particular song, I don't care if the singer has a 5 octave range. My top 3 favorite male white rock singers are - John Lennon, Paul McCartney & Steve Winwood. Black R&B /Soul would be Stevie, Marvin Gaye and maybe Al Green. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Cleo Laine had a big range (not sure how many octaves). Cleo was great. [video:youtube] Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane hugo Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 The Axl Rose range is pure BS. The "note" he apparently hits in Ain't It Fun is screeching/screaming, and bares only a passing resemblance to singing. I sometimes sound like that when taking a particularly nasty crap, but I don't expect anyone to applaud. Is that even Axl hitting that note, or is it Michael Monroe? On topic: I cannot for the life of me remember the guy's name, but there was this singer back in the early days of Chicago house music that had the most incredible range. There's this song in Porgy and Bess where a bass and soprano sing a duet - the guy could cover both parts flawlessly. Mariah: I've seen so many articles that say she has a 6-octave range. Really? A grand piano has 7 octaves and a bit. http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I think I can hear a softly sung G1@0:18 , to a definite C7 belted out at 2:47 in this gorgeous song (I remember when it hit the airwaves , and we were blown away - and bought it ) > "Vision of Love" > (Aahh ....don't ya just love that reverb ;-) ) Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickzjamm Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Ken Tamplin, has "KTVA" (on line vocal lesson... that guy's got serious vocal chops. You don't know you're in the dark until you're in the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 For Rock Music there is only one answer: Steve Perry. Countertenor extraordinaire. Power and ease beyond measure. Wrong. He's no where near a countertenor. Maybe a bargain-counter tenor... A countertenor is a male alto, and he's not even close. No way he can go up to an E5. If you want high, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jon Anderson. He truly is a male Alto. For range and control still maintain Annie Haslam of Renaissance has all the others whacked to the wide. Ashes Are Burning Live she still has magnificent control of her 5-octave range. Listen to the first 2 minutes for control, but if you want to just be wowed with a singer's capabilities and range, just jump to 3:10 and watch her let loose with those astounding pipes in "Ashes Are Burning." ..Joe Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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