Paula Abdul was always a below average vocalist. But at least she had better music (especially the hit singles from her self-titled debut album!).

[Edited 7/7/11 19:29pm]

Let's not forget, Shikira "The Goat"

HotGritz said:

LaToya Jackson can neither sing well nor speak well. Her vocal chords cause ear infections.

Toy isn't that bad a singer, actually

Janet sangin'

from 2:13 on

also

Paula managed to be a mediocre singer before autotune. Many of today's pop singers are mediocre with autotune.

Nice video's you posted SeanMan.

Yes, Janet's tone is wonderful. Really pretty voice. I love her voice.

Paula Abdul's voice is like nails on a chalkboard, but she was lucky enough to have decently crafted pop songs that distracted from it. Kind of weird to be analyzing her voice now though, considering how she is about 20 years ago. No one is hounded by her music/singing being unavoidable, so if anyone finds her singing that bad, they really don't have to hear it.

Far as Janet is concerned, yes she's better than Paula...but she, herself, is not a good singer at all. In addition to doing a bunch of mumbling and silly cooing, her voice is thin, strained/shrilly, too hushed or too choppy/talk-y. And worst of all, her diction is terrible. Half the time I can't tell what the hell she's saying. I think Jam/Lewis knew how to work whatever she had into their busy production, and engineer it to sound decent enough, but her vocals were never impressive.

Cinnamon234 said:

Nice video's you posted SeanMan.

Yes, Janet's tone is wonderful. Really pretty voice. I love her voice.

paniuroczy said:

You're forgetting Ke$ha.

If you actually listen to Ke$ha's unrleased music shes a really good singer. Listen to her song "Feels Like Rain" she sounds amazing. its just that most of her released music thats on her albums are filled with effects.

Yes, Paula Abdul is a terrible singer like the majority of the female Pop singers.

Oh since this thread shifted to being about Janet - I've come to terms that Janet isn't much of a good 'singer'. Especially since we haven't really heard her singing voice outside of the studio these past 10 years - she's really just a studio singer.

I always found it really ironic that Paula Abdul was an AI judge and she never really got called out on it because her voice sucked. She was a good pop star there for a minute (good pop songs, good videos, very good dancer) but she is never gonna win any singing competition, the mere notion is

I saw the MTV tour in 1989 with Milli Vanilli, Was Not Was, Tone Loc, Information Society, and Paula Abdul (it was free for me somehow... and it was at The Summit in Houston).

Paula Abdul was terrible, like watching a talent show squad lipsyncing over sterile FAME choreography.

Believe it or not... Tone Loc rocked the house with his 3 b-boy dancers.

Information Society sounded good too.

Paula Abdul is singing background vocals on this song released earier this year.

it's possible that Paula wasn't even singing some of the vocals on her first album

Yvette Barlowe of the Mary Jane Girs went on to sue Virgin Records in 1991, claiming that she had shared the lead vocals on the songs "Opposites Attract," "Knocked Out," and "I Need You" on Paula Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl.^[1] In 1993, a jury eventually ruled against Barlowe.^[2]

I'll admit this : she WAS and IS tight as hell.

ufoclub said:

I saw the MTV tour in 1989 with Milli Vanilli, Was Not Was, Tone Loc, Information Society, and Paula Abdul

Lord, this pretty much confirms that the 88-90 era was the first crappy era of pop history!!

What about Lumidee?

JoeTyler said:

ufoclub said:

I saw the MTV tour in 1989 with Milli Vanilli, Was Not Was, Tone Loc, Information Society, and Paula Abdul

Lord, this pretty much confirms that the 88-90 era was the first crappy era of pop history!!

the late-80s is when pop music began its decline.

Serious said:

What about Lumidee?

Yooooooooooooo! I forgot about this broad! Who's dick is she sucking to even have a career in singing? She might be worst then Paula [only because Paula actually has some great songs]!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I did say "Pop music".....so she doesn't count for this category. But thank you for bringing her up! She is Horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss Paula.

MidniteMagnet said:

I prefer Paula to any of the girls currently dominating the Hot 100 nowadays.

She is pretty bad. I have always loved SpellBound. It came out when I was a little kid and I actually found myself rebuying it a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it all over again! Bad voice but good songs. Maybe she is a lot like Britney.

SoulAlive said:

JoeTyler said:

Lord, this pretty much confirms that the 88-90 era was the first crappy era of pop history!!

the late-80s is when pop music began its decline.

91-94 was pretty strong, but 1995 was the real beginning of the end. Death certificate: 2004...

Serious said:

What about Lumidee?

meisme said:

She is pretty bad. I have always loved SpellBound. It came out when I was a little kid and I actually found myself rebuying it a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it all over again! Bad voice but good songs. Maybe she is a lot like Britney.

Britney's songs are terrible. Out of the songs she released there are only a handful which are OK.

Most of Paula's songs were solid pop songs.

I just dont get the CONSTANT comparisions of artists of the past with artists out now. Even the MOST mediocre act of the past is better than this ish we have to look at today.

SoulAlive said:

JoeTyler said:

Lord, this pretty much confirms that the 88-90 era was the first crappy era of pop history!!

the late-80s is when pop music began its decline.

Between sets, they would play music videos LOUD, and they were playing Duran Duran's "All She Wants Is" (which is a pretty damn cool song), but in the middle of it, Downtown Julie Brown turned it off, and said "Turn of this crap, let's listen to something good" and then played "Batdance" as she and other dancers did a whole choreography to it.

802 said:

MidniteMagnet said:

I prefer Paula to any of the girls currently dominating the Hot 100 nowadays.

Well, if Paula Abdul were doing here thing today she'd be as big or bigger than she was 20+ years ago. She's got the look, she's a more talented dancer than her would-be competition, she'd have massive production assistance. That's what matters in today's pop music, for the most part.

ufoclub said:

1sotrue said:

ufoclub said:

I saw the MTV tour in 1989 with Milli Vanilli, Was Not Was, Tone Loc, Information Society, and Paula Abdul (it was free for me somehow... and it was at The Summit in Houston).

Paula Abdul was terrible, like watching a talent show squad lipsyncing over sterile FAME choreography.

Believe it or not... Tone Loc rocked the house with his 3 b-boy dancers.

Information Society sounded good too.

Well I liked Paula not a great vocalist but she was America's sweetheart at one time. Dancing/choreography was her forte. If you came to see Paula you came to see her dance too. I think some people thought she can be another Janet Jackson Information Society ? I saw them perform live I remember the lead singer wearing roller skates on stage.

On the radio and on MTV, Abdul was the bomb. I love that song "Straight Up". My girfriend once broke up with a guy by calling him on the phone (I think this must have been like 8th or 9th grade for her) and playing "Cold Hearted Snake" all the way though without saying a word.

But I can rememeber, when Abdul was on stage performing... everyone was acting like it was intermission after the first number... get some hot dogs... hit the restroom... she'll still be "singing" and dancing when we get back.

namepeace said:

802 said:

Well, if Paula Abdul were doing here thing today she'd be as big or bigger than she was 20+ years ago. She's got the look, she's a more talented dancer than her would-be competition, she'd have massive production assistance. That's what matters in today's pop music, for the most part.

YUP... thats the ONLY thing that matters to become a IT factor in the industry regardless of real talent. While Paula is not much of a vocalist she would be Janet Jackson number two if she was out today.. Paula can dancer her lil behind off I dont care what nobody says. Even her dancing ability is very underrated.. She did tap, jazz, hip hop etc.