whose singing voice do you love or hate?

[Dirtgrain]

cannot tolerate even a minute of hearing axel rose.

My son hates me for singing in cat sounds every time Guns n' Roses comes on the radio.

[Dirtgrain]

All-time favorite voices: Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Layne Staley (Mad Season, mostly), Bob Marley, Wesley Schultz from The Lumineers, Lauryn Hill, Donna Summer

Off-key can still sound good to me sometimes, as with these singers/examples: Johnny Cash; "Just a Friend," by Biz Markie; Tanita Tikaram; "Won't Cross over the Line," by Marc Silver; Radiohead; "Rock Bottom Riser," by Smog; Solomon Burke; Tom Waits; Weezer. But, sometimes Sinatra does remind me of an off-key trombone, and I generally prefer other singers from his era.

Sometimes great sounding vocal tracks are so much affected by the processing.

"No Talk," by Lowell, with processing:


"No Talk," by Lowell, without much of that processing:


Those heaps of layers Enya songs, too--not sure what Enya sounds like with a relatively naked voice.

Some voices are in a weird place.

- Cyndi Lauper can sound as much like a cat as Axl Rose. But I love what she does with her voice in "Time After Time."
- Delores O'Riordan's voice does appeal to me, but when I hear other singers getting as breathy as she does, I don't usually like it. Sade gets breathy in a likable way, too (why do I make exceptions for these voices? Must be something else in their nature).
- Ronnie Drew can sound like his vocals chords served as the ashtray at the local pub for 50 years, but I still like the sound.
- Willie Nelson--I used to hate his voice, but something changed in me. While I still recognize it's nasal character, I dig it, especially on the Red Headed Stranger album.
- Shania Twain has something nasally going on, too, that still works for me.
- Sia--I've gotten a bit sick of her biggest hits, and she is a messy singer, but I still get blown away by her belting on "Chandelier."
- Chrissie Hynde, of The Pretenders, sounds like she struggles to get her breath out, but damn I love the shakiness that's part of her beautiful voice.
- Shingai Shoniwa, from The Noisettes, has a voice that reminds me of something irritating from the '60s, but for some reason I love the sound of it.
- Gwen Stefani does vocal croaking that should piss me off, but I have moments where I hear Glen Danzig and Johnny Ramone in her singing, and I like it.
- I also think the vocal croaking by A$AP Rocky on L$D sounds good. But other times, singers piss me off with it.

Voices I don't like:
- Drake (auto-tune crap);
- Jay Z--not a singer, but I hate his rapping voice;
- Michael Jackson post-puberty. I got downvoted to hell in a Reddit thread a while ago for saying this--he just seems an average singer with great songs and production--and he seems to scream to make up for it;
- Leonard Cohen (I dig his songs when other people sing them);
- Allison Krause (it's tough, as I like some of her songs and collaborations, but something muffly about it bugs me);
- Blink 182 and other White-guy whiny voices from that genre (indie pop?).

PS: Sammy Hagar can piss off.

PSS: When I first heard Donna Summer's "On the Radio," I thought she was singing right to me. I love how she sounds.

[Bunny_boy]

How could've I forgotten the beauty of Michael Bolton's pipes?

[osiris]

Donna. I don't know if she really holds that note that long, but I love this.

[Bombadil]

I forgot Geddy Lee. A Montreal pop music critic described his voice as „a gerbil on amphetamine.“
Celine…..(shudder).
Since I don't listen to creations like Beyoncé (I mean, songwriting by committee and it's garbage???) I can't comment on her singing prowess.
Neil Young.
Keith Richards;

[cryophonik]

Best male vocalist in the history of rock: Steve Perry

...and I'll fight anyone who disagrees with me

[Bombadil]

That's likely McCartney.

[vurt]

Best male vocalist in the history of rock: Steve Perry

...and I'll fight anyone who disagrees with me

dont stop believin...

(i have no idea if he sung for journey tbh)

[cryophonik]

Best male vocalist in the history of rock: Steve Perry

...and I'll fight anyone who disagrees with me

dont stop believin...

(i have no idea if he sung for journey tbh)

Yes, he did!

[osiris]

Oh no that was Freddie Mercury. Probably tied with Robert Plant. People are saying they can't stand country and western but Garth Brooks made me cry one time and I have to give it up to him. Also love Rosanne Cash (Johnny's daughter) I never got into J. Cash until the end when he did Hurt and the song that was used at the start of Dawn of the Dead.

[Bombadil]

Mercury was too bombastic for me. Great voice, though.

[mjudge55]

I'm not sure I'll describe this accurately and I may be out of date with this but... there is a style of female vocals that took over I want to say a decade ago where it has a quiet, sultry quality -- maybe Billie Eilish popularized it? -- but with an English (?) accent. Maybe it's supposed to communicate vulnerability or mystery. Like I don't have a problem with it in principle but it's just done to death and you hear it in bad TV shows and movies all the time.

What is the word for this?

[Dirtgrain]

Best male vocalist in the history of rock: Steve Perry

...and I'll fight anyone who disagrees with me

I recognize his greatness, as a vocalist, but I've never thought, man that dude can rock. It was more roller rink rock. Like, I could never feel badass walking into a biker bar when Journey is playing. But, damn, Perry can belt it like none other, in a lighter, pop rock or rock ballad sort of way. Is it just his high register or the songwriting and instrumentation around it? I'm not sure--just my take.

[donkey tugger]

I'm not sure I'll describe this accurately and I may out of date with this but... there is a style of female vocals that took over I want to say a decade ago where it has a quiet, sultry quality -- maybe Billie Eilish popularized it? -- but with an English (?) accent. Maybe it's supposed to communicate vulnerability or mystery. Like I don't have a problem with it in principle but it's just done to death and you hear it in bad TV shows and movies all the time.

What is the word for this?

I heard it called, 'constipated whispering' before.

[Dirtgrain]

I'm not sure I'll describe this accurately and I may out of date with this but... there is a style of female vocals that took over I want to say a decade ago where it has a quiet, sultry quality -- maybe Billie Eilish popularized it? -- but with an English (?) accent. Maybe it's supposed to communicate vulnerability or mystery. Like I don't have a problem with it in principle but it's just done to death and you hear it in bad TV shows and movies all the time.

What is the word for this?

Cute, whispery, breathy, coy, childish, slightly-slurring stuff?

Like Julia Michaels in "Issues"?


Or Ellie Goulding in "Burn"?


Or Haley Reinhart in "Can't Help Falling in Love"?


Or Elena Tonra in "Youth," by Daughter?



Or Dorothea Wessel in "Muddy Water"?