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Post by Newbie on Jan 11, 2023 14:09:31 GMT
I acknowledge that this is just a way to let people know that Rolling Stone still exists but thought it could spark some conversation: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-singers-all-time-1234642307/martha-reeves-3-1234642940/Frank Sinatra is in the top 20. They also have Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong but I did not see Bing Crosby, Judy Garland or Doris Day. Some people that rated surprisingly low: Buddy Holly is a lowly 174, Johnny Cash is 85, Babs Streisand is 147, and Elton John is 100. Celine Dion fans are p.o.'d that she didn't make the cut. |
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Post by sepiatone on Jan 11, 2023 17:13:03 GMT
That Aretha was 1 on the list is good enough for me. But not having the time and patience to go over the list more carefully, was Bob Dylan on that list>  Or for that to happen maybe the list should be 4,000 names long...? That ANYONE would disagree with any of the placements on this list only proves why such lists are worthless from jump. Sepiatone |
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Post by Newbie on Jan 11, 2023 18:08:33 GMT
That Aretha was 1 on the list is good enough for me. But not having the time and patience to go over the list more carefully, was Bob Dylan on that list> Or for that to happen maybe the list should be 4,000 names long...? That ANYONE would disagree with any of the placements on this list only proves why such lists are worthless from jump. Sepiatone Aretha is a worthy #1. Dylan has a ...unique voice. He would not be one the top of my list neither would a lot of what they have for their top singers. Here is Rolling Stone's top 30: 1.Aretha 2. Whitney Houston 3.Sam Cooke 4. Billie Holiday 5.Mariah 6. Ray Charles 7.Stevie Wonder 8. Beyonce 9.Otis Redding 10.Al Green 11. Little Richard 12. John Lennon 13. Patsty Cline 14. Freddie Mercury 15. Bob Dylan 16.Prince 17. Elvis 18. Celia Cruz 19. Sinatra 20. Marvin Gaye 21. Nina Simone 22. Adele 23. Smoky Robinson 24.George Jones 25.Mary J Bilge 26. Paul McCartney 27. Dolly Parton 28.Mahal is Jackson 29. Chaka Khan 30. Hank Williams |
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Post by Newbie on Jan 11, 2023 18:28:27 GMT
I'm with Sepiatone. These kinds of lists are ridiculously subjective. I ran through the list while eating my Wheaties this morning. Can't imagine that anyone is pouring over each of the 200 descriptions. How do you go about comparing 200 singers from different styles and times?
If anyone wants to post their top 5, let's say, please feel free.
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Post by sepiatone on Jan 12, 2023 16:45:59 GMT
Really Newbie, I was being facetious about Bob Dylan being on a list of "best" singers. There was a time earlier in his career when his singing voice was much better than it became in a few short years, but not really worthy of a spot on a "best" list. But of course, fitting well with the music of the song he was singing.
And I'm with ya Newbie about comparing so many singers from so many different styles (and genres) and times. "Singers" is pretty ambiguous. I guess because it's a Rolling Stone list we're supposed to assume it refers to a few particular styles and such. But as it just says "Singers" I'd voice an objection to the fact that
MARIA CALLAS
ENRICO CARUSO
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI
LEONTYNE PRICE
BEVERLY SILLS
ROBERT MERRILL
Weren't on the list(as far as I read).
Sepiatone
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Post by Mario Lanza on Jan 12, 2023 17:12:40 GMT
From the OP's link (emphasis mine):
This new list was compiled (by) our staff and key contributors, and it encompasses 100 years of pop music as an ongoing global conversation, where iconic Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar lands between Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash, and salsa queen Celia Cruz is up there in the rankings with Prince and Marvin Gaye. You might notice that, say, there isn’t any opera on our list — that’s because our purview is pop music writ large, meaning that almost all the artists on this list had significant careers as crossover stars making popular music for the masses.
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Post by Newbie on Jan 12, 2023 20:43:50 GMT
Thanks for pointing that out Mario Lanza.
Bob Dylan wouldn't be on the top of my list of best singers but Rolling Stone had him at #15. Neil Young is on there somewhere, too. Personally, his voice is like nails on a chalboard. But, ya know, all that is subjective.
Some others left off, I believe: Julie Andrews, Edith Piaf, Nat King Cole, Joe Cocker, BB King, Eric Burden of Animals fame, Ray Davies of the Kinks.
Ok here's my top 5:
Frank Sinatra
Judy Garland
Aretha Franklin
Freddie Mercury
Johnny Cash or John Fogerty
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Jan 12, 2023 21:25:25 GMT
This is mostly a pop music listing and once I knew that I kind of lost interest. Ok Billie Holiday is listed as #4, but I suspect this is just an iconic pick. Those doing the poll know her (from bio-movies or just because she is iconic) so they selected her, I doubt many have listen to her more than once.
No Sarah Vaughan, Ella, in the top for the woman? No Nat King Cole?
Yea, I'm cynical. This list is bogus, but debating listings is always fun regardless.
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Post by Newbie on Jan 12, 2023 21:55:04 GMT
This is mostly a pop music listing and once I knew that I kind of lost interest. Ok Billie Holiday is listed as #4, but I suspect this is just an iconic pick. Those doing the poll know her (from bio-movies or just because she is iconic) so they selected her, I doubt many have listen to her more than once. No Sarah Vaughan, Ella, in the top for the woman? No Nat King Cole? Yea, I'm cynical. This list is bogus, but debating listings is always fun regardless. Ah, yes, Sarah Vaughan is another good one. Agree the list is b ink but it is fun to debate or come up with your own. |
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Jan 13, 2023 0:10:58 GMT
This is mostly a pop music listing and once I knew that I kind of lost interest. Ok Billie Holiday is listed as #4, but I suspect this is just an iconic pick. Those doing the poll know her (from bio-movies or just because she is iconic) so they selected her, I doubt many have listen to her more than once. No Sarah Vaughan, Ella, in the top for the woman? No Nat King Cole? Yea, I'm cynical. This list is bogus, but debating listings is always fun regardless. Ah, yes, Sarah Vaughan is another good one. Agree the list is b ink but it is fun to debate or come up with your own. Good to see my point was understood. When I see such a list I just role with in instead of getting hot under the collar, asking "how can so-and-so NOT be on this list!!!!". As for my top 5 (any gender); It would be Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and John Lennon. I'm not saying I believe these are the singers with the best voices but these are the ones I listen too the most since I like the songs they sing (jazz standards), and the overall sound of the music; E.g. The Nat King Cole trio with Oscar Moore, on guitar. With Lennon, it is the total Beatles sound. The Beatles, other than the Kinks from time to time, are about the only non-jazz I listen too. Tonight is jam night; going to play jazz standards for the first 90 minutes and than we end with Beatles until we have to tone it down to be respectful to the neighbors. |
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Post by Newbie on Jan 13, 2023 2:13:01 GMT
Good list. Can't go wrong with any of those names, jamesjazzguitar. I see you're going with Lennon rather than McCartney or even Harrison. Do you tend to play more Lennon centric Beatle songs?
Based on that list I certainly wouldn't object, if I were your neighbor, to a little night music. Sounds like a good way to spend a Thursday night.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Jan 13, 2023 18:01:35 GMT
Good list. Can't go wrong with any of those names, jamesjazzguitar. I see you're going with Lennon rather than McCartney or even Harrison. Do you tend to play more Lennon centric Beatle songs? Based on that list I certainly wouldn't object, if I were your neighbor, to a little night music. Sounds like a good way to spend a Thursday night. I actually play more McCartney songs than Lennon songs. One reason is that McCartney wrote songs with more interesting chord progressions and this makes them more fun to play as instrumentals. E.g. Fool on The Hill, Honey Pie, Here, There and Anywhere. Take I Never Give You My Money; The chord progression is the same as Fly Me To The Moon. Honey Pie is based on a Django Reinhardt tune Stompin at the Decca. I'm not a very good singer so I tend to sing the songs Ringo sung, many that are not written by a Beatle like Act Naturally and Honey Don't, as well as Octopuses Garden and the McCartney song he wrote for Ringo, A Little Help From My Friends; That song fits my singing - "what would you do if I sang out of tune"! BUT this list was about singers and I slightly favor Lennon's lead singing over McCartney (but I favor McCartney's backup singing over that of Lennon.) John's voice was more unique than Paul's or George, which sometimes makes it stand out too much when harmonizing with the others (Paul and George singing together sound blend better IMO). |
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