Given the state our fascination with "American idol"-ish style singing, i began to wonder about all of the great vocalists who would never have cut mustard on that show. Dylan's the first one everone thinks of...

Top ten great singers with bad voices (in no particular order):

Anthony Keidis
Mick Jagger
Jimi Hendrix
Elvis Costello
Mark Bolan
Perry Farrell
Johnny Cash
David Lee Roth
Joey Ramone
Bono

Anyone else?
[Edited 3/10/07 8:30am]

Prince.

i think all five of these men have great voices. i may not care a lot for some of the music they make (i.e., bono, DLR, perry) but i think they're all five very good vocalists.

i'd put nick cave on the list of bad good singers. often he's just plain out of key, but somehow it works.

Neil Young
Van Morrison
Win Butler
Mary J Blige

I love 'em all, but many people think they can't sing.

MendesCity said:

wow, I've never heard that name mentioned in this context before. I've always thought he was one of the great white soul singers, though i guess you could say he doesn't have much of a range. I just saw him last week, and he put on a phenomenal show. He was in strong voice (no deterioration that I could detect) and his band was as sharp as a tack. One of the best large shows I've ever seen.
[Edited 3/10/07 9:14am]

damosuzuki said:

I guess it's more of an unusual voice--I just know lots of people who can't stand it, "he sounds like a frog," etc. I've never seen him live, have to do that sometime. Is any of his stuff from the last couple of years any good? I've lost track.

When I heard Van Morrison live it sounded like a record (not an accusation of playback, just a nod to his vocal skills). Not a fan of his music, but I got the tickets as a gift.

Wouldn't put him into this group either.

novabrkr said:

MendesCity said:

Mary J cannot sing
Her voice is always all over the place
but whatever

MendesCity said:

I guess I can kinda see that - the timbre is a little unusual.



I haven't heard a Van Morrison record since...err, god, it would have to be Too Long In Exile, which I thought was more than a bit crap to be perfectly honest. I think you can pretty safely bypass his records at this point, but definitely try to see him live if you can. I thought it was a really wonderful and very classy show, though he was a bit of a frosty host. he didn't acknowledge or address the audience except for one song introduction when he told a joke. "This is a song we played for the president..." ---long pause--- "of the united food-growers association."

theodore said:

other than being a wonderfully iconoclastic thing to say, how can anyone say prince is a bad singer? his range is great, his voice is strong, he's rarely if ever off key...what IS a "good" or "bad" singer?
[Edited 3/10/07 11:32am]

Anx said:

The thread is 'Bad voices - Good singers'

krayzie said:

what makes a "bad voice"?

krayzie said:

i'm probably just confusing myself, but shouldn't it be the other way around? aren't we looking for people who might be considered technically poor singers even though we find their voices pleasing? In other words, shouldn't the thread be "good voices - bad singers?"

tell me if i'm being pedantic or whatever...

damosuzuki said:

That's funny, Too Long in Exile was the last one I heard, and that's when I tuned out. I don't think I've ever heard someone say he was anything less than frosty at his shows, which may be why I've never quite gotten around to it. He needs a Candy Dulfer to warm the crowd up. (joke)

Willie Nelson
Rod Stewart
Me

Anx said:

I'm assuming by "bad voice", it means someone who is clearly not a 'trained' voocalist, however is showman enough to be able to put across a song....a consumate entertainer, as it were....

Anx said:

His voice isn't toneful at all. His non-falsetto register is very limited. To be honest if you'd ask any vocal coach that kind of voice just isn't suitable for a singer. Most would tell a person like that look for another profession before pursuing a career in music.

Not that I care about such things of course. I don't like skilled vocalists.

cubic61052 said:

i gotcha.

in that case, everyone.

Chris Martin
Thom Yorke

has anyone said janis joplin?

Most punk rockers. Iggy Pop, Johnny Rotten, Patti Smith.

Feist.

Bobby Caldwell.

I think in the beginning of his career Todd Rundgren had a terrible voice but somehow he managed to cover up because he was able to sing so tunefully. I personally realized that only years after first starting to collect his records. You can hear his obnoxious, overtly nasal speaking voice on some of the spoken segues on the "Something/Anything?"-album. It's truly... something.

It got deeper though when the years passed.

novabrkr said:

I call it the "church choir lithmus test." If someone like Prince or Keith Sweat tried to join a church choir with their voices -- much less try to be a lead singer in a choir -- people would comment on their lack of vocal dexterity. They likely couldn't join most choirs.

In a lot of ways, their vocal skills are more of a product of the types of music they make than the reflection of having naturally impressive voices.
[Edited 3/10/07 13:35pm]

Anx said:

In the context I'm providing, basically one that that isn't Whitney Houston/Aretha Franklin/Otis Redding/Mariah Carey-ish. You know, those bands you talk about with your friends where they say "I like them, but I can't stand the singer"

Anx said:

oh, I agree. I'm talking about people you wouldn't seek out for an accopella(sp?) performance....or, say,...

someone to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" at a football game. That about nails it, I think.

shockadelicaa said:

that one crossed my mind, but it's hard to listen to "Me & Bobby McGee" and put her in that category.

cubic61052 said:

Exactly.