- What seperates them (in your opinion) if at all? Are there different criteria you use to grade singers &/ vocalists? If you see there being no worthy difference then

- I remember the fuss over Rolling Stone's "Greatest Singers of All Time" list; the discussion over Bob Dylan,etc

- Opera singers are technically great but does that "technical perfection" place them above others in other genres? Are opera singers singers or vocalists?

- Now I'm not asking for an answer to all the things I mentioned for some are moreso rhetorical questions; the question is still about differentiating between a singer and a vocalist; just throwing out some things to get the brain juices flowing

- Feel free to use examples

As long as the singer/vocalist hits a nerve in a good way is what counts for me.

Shango said:

- I feel you; maybe I'm trying to OVERstand something that's not necessary

TonyVanDam said:

- I can work w/ that

Pat Boone is a singer. I would NEVER call him a vocalist.

vocalists: Anthony Kiedis, David Lee Roth, George Clinton, Mick Jagger


singers: Corey Glover, Marvin Gaye, Prince (of course)

SPYZFAN1 said:

So the vocalist is the less talented of the 2?

wtf? a vocalist is a singer

viciuzurban said:

- So is the reverse true as well?

SPYZFAN1 said:

How in the world did you come up with that list? David Lee Roth and Mick Jagger are fantastic rock singers. Don't know George Clinton or Anthony Kiedis, so can't comment on them.

I think, as long as the singer's voice works for the music they play, they're a good singer.

SPYZFAN1 said:

neither: Ashlee Simpson, Paris Hilton, T-Pain,.....too many wack ass artists to mention in one post!

I guess it is splitting hair(s)

I've kind of always believed that a singer is someone who basically just sings a song. My Mom's old church group had singers that did strict interpretations of classic hymns.

A vocalist is the expert who takes a song and makes it their own. You can pick a vocalist out in a crowd. Charlie Wilson, Stevie, Steve Arrington, and Mic Murphy come to mind...

Not sure what the technical difference is but in my old company Vocalists were a separate category consisting of artists like:

Sarah Vaughn
Bobby Caldwell
Diane Schurr
Nancy Wilson
Nat King Cole
Kurt Elling
Doris Day

I guess we can argue all day over the semantics of what being a "vocalist" or a "singer" means, but surely the only difference that matters is between a good one and a bad one...?

Is there a difference between a car and an automobile? A boxer and a pugilist? A prostitute and a whore?

midnightmover said:

I think this may sum it up.....

Sorry but as a long time, old school-die hard 78-84 VH fan, DLR cannot sing. Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone can sing circles around DLR.

And I love The Stones (especially from the 70's), but ol' Jags can't sing or harmonize. Yes he's a great frontman and had a cool image (like DLR) but he can't sing..and his buddy Rod Stewart (who was great) will tell you that.

midnightmover said:

Sounds good

- But I just had to add: To me Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis are "technical" in their musical execution whereas Mary J Blige uses pathos in the delivery of her music