Top 5 Vocalists

[WrongVerb]

RightVerb and I are discussing who are the greatest vocalists of all time. One list for male and one for female.

Female for me:

Aretha
Whitney
Ella
Etta
Mariah

Male:
Elvis
Pavarotti
Sinatra
Prince
Freddie Mercury

[Rojo]

I'm not even an Opera fan, but Mario Lanza was better than all "three tenors".

Robin Zander from Cheap Trick. But I love Cheap Trick.


Pet Benatar.

[marcshoe]

Years ago, I had a friend whose mother had brought her up on Mario Lanza, and she insisted no one else came close. I'd forgotten about that. I know nothing about opera, but the favorite bit I've heard is Kira Ti Kanawa singing Richard Strauss.

Otherwise, Sinatra has always been my ideal. I'd have to think more to come up with a more complete answer.

[Rojo]

Years ago, I had a friend whose mother had brought her up on Mario Lanza, and she insisted no one else came close. I'd forgotten about that. I know nothing about opera, but the favorite bit I've heard is Kira Ti Kanawa singing Richard Strauss.

The actor Paul Sorvino used to do an opera show on public radio and play tracks and comment on opera singers. He was effusive about Lanza and even I could hear the difference.

[Betterread]

Classical-
Maria Callas (soprano)
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo soprano)
Enrico Caruso (tenor)

Jazz
Nina Simone

rock/pop
Elizabeth Fraser

[mth123]

I'll take a shot. Rock ERA only:

Male
Freddie Mercury
Paul McCartney
Paul Rodgers
Robert Plant
Elvis Presley

Female
Ann Wilson
Aretha Franklin
Grace Slick
Lady Ga Ga (Not my style, but a fantastic voice)
Whitney Houston (again, not my style but great voice)

Non Rock (Coed list) because these names should be ona list of great singers
Frank Sinatra
Barbara Streisand
Ella Fitzgerald
Martina McBride
Pavarotti

[Bourgeois Zee]

Were does Chris Cornell rank?

And Roger Daltrey?

[RichRed]

The actor Paul Sorvino used to do an opera show on public radio and play tracks and comment on opera singers. He was effusive about Lanza and even I could hear the difference.

My late uncle was a huge opera fan, but he especially loved Mario Lanza. He was also a prolific letter writer who saved everything. After he died, I found a copy of a letter he wrote to the local (Norfolk, VA) radio station that had a weekly opera show. He wrote that he really enjoyed the show but politely asked if they could find it in their hearts to play more of his favorite singer, Mario Lanza.

He also resisted moving from his home to a retirement community because he wanted to still be able to blast his Lanza records after midnight if he felt like it...the animal.

[Rojo]

He also resisted moving from his home to a retirement community because he wanted to still be able to blast his Lanza records after midnight if he felt like it...the animal.

Quite an animal. Awesome.

This is a drinking song and not the best showcase, but:



(Dedicated to RedTeamGo)

[texasdave]

Karen Carpenter

[marcshoe]

Non-Rock (I don't know opera well enough):

Sinatra
Peggy Lee
George Strait
Patsy Cline
Sarah Vaughan

Rock(ish):

Roy Orbison
Sam Cooke
Eric Burdon
Roger Daltrey
David Bowie/Freddie Mercury/Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin


This is far from a definitive list

[Rojo]

How could I forget Roy Orbison?

But I gotta nix Roger Daltrey. Dude just screams.

[Boston Red]

I'm not qualified to make a ranked list, but my favorites on the female side are more in the mold of Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks and Melissa Etheridge than some of the others mentioned here.

[RichRed]

In addition to many of the names already mentioned, I’d give Neko Case, Brittany Howard, and Rufus Wainwright some consideration.

[klw]

The name which leaps to mind for me has not yet been mentioned: George Michael.