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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Best Ever Singer?

487 replies

PennyNotSoWise · 02/10/2019 22:34

AIBU to be a nosy caah and ask who you think the best singer the world has ever seen is?

Mine is Freddie Mercury. I've just seen the ad for Amazon music (I think that's what it was) where it's just his voice singing Somebody To Love, music drowned out, and Sweet.Baby.Jesus, it gave me goosebumps. If I didn't have alopecia, my hair would be standing on end, I tell you Grin Wow, could that man sing!

I told DP and he said, "meh, he was alright." Shock

Who are your favourites? And any particular song where they're at their best?

OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 03/10/2019 23:25

Whenever I hear a song by the Traveling Wilburys, I always wonder if they may have had a few 'difficult' conversations between themselves.

In a supergroup featuring the vocal talents of Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, there must have been a number of rather awkward occasions where none of them felt able to gently say "No, it's OK, Bob - really; we've already got the vocals covered on this one, thanks!" Grin

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 03/10/2019 23:30

I agree re Freddie - it's not really my kind of music, but you simply can't deny that voice. I also concur with a PP, though, about Brian May and Roger Taylor - although often overlooked (and I know they were very happy to let Freddie be the showman at the front), in any other band, there would have been no question as to their taking their natural place as highly-acclaimed lead singers.

I suppose it went both ways, too - Freddie was an accomplished musician too, but he was mostly happy to leave the instruments to the others and just focus on singing and 'performing' himself.

Dowser · 03/10/2019 23:45

Come on folks ..show a bit of love for
Joe cocker
Amazing gravelly voice

TheCanterburyWhales · 04/10/2019 06:52

Penny- thank you That's a shame- I remember seeing her on one of those sleb pop rival/x fac things and thinking she had a great voice.

Meatloaf- agree. (also love Jim Steinman) I think I read somewhere ages ago that an opera voice coach said that had he been caught early, he could have been a Pavarotti.

He is a bloody diva though as well Saw him live years ago, and he stropped off after about 3 songs and wouldn't come back.

WeBuilt- I always say that the problem with the great God Bob is that nobody has ever dared tell him he can't actually sing. Grin

ShippingNews · 04/10/2019 07:03

Freddie for me too. He was pitch perfect and could break your heart with his vocals. Nobody else comes close .

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 04/10/2019 07:04

My dd met the Diva recently. She was working as an intern on one of her shows and was introduced to her by her boss at the production company. She says she couldn't have been more friendly or welcoming and now refers to her as "me mate Bev". Just for another pov.

learieonthewildmoor · 04/10/2019 07:20

I'm so glad someone said Annie Lennox!
Neil and Tim Finn.

Van Morrison.

Paul Kelly does not have a technically good voice but his songs are amazing.
I also love me a bit of the Clancy Brothers: Castle of Dromore and Shoals of Herring for anyone who loves folk.

bruffin · 04/10/2019 07:35

One of my favourite albums every was by Sad Cafe back in the late 70s. I also went on to love Mike and the Mechanics.
We then went to see a singer called Paul Carrack who had been lead with Mike and the Mechanics, also appeared on Squeeze records etc .
What i found out that night was the joint lead singer of M&TM was a singer called Paul Young who had been lead in Sad Cafe. He had sadly died back in 2000.
I have seen M&TM live twice since. Their new leads Roachford and Tim Howar bothehave amazing voices. Tim Howar also does West End and saw him in Chess with Michael Ball.

Violetparis · 04/10/2019 07:39

Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunnyman has a great voice.

MrsGface · 04/10/2019 07:48

Jimmy Somerville’s small town boy brings me out in goosebumps

Binkytheslug · 04/10/2019 07:49

There are so many
Peggy Lee - her version of Fever makes my knees melt
David Bowie
Iggy Pop
Michael Stipe
Stevie Nicks
Freddie Mercury
Matt Johnson (The The)
Sade (Smooth Operator also makes my knees melt)
James Dean Bradfield (Ocean Spray is a beautiful song)
Kate Bush
Kate Pierson (B52’s)
Louis Armstrong
Tom Robinson
George Michael (Cowboys and Angels)
Yasmin Archer
kd Lang

user764329056 · 04/10/2019 07:53

Chocolate deficit disorder, that voice, just wow

Binkytheslug · 04/10/2019 08:01

David Sylvian

Binkytheslug · 04/10/2019 08:57

Oh yeah, violet! Ian McCulloch.

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 08:59

I still have in my head the voice of a woman on one of those talent show things singing “Running Up That Hill”. It was years ago, but I can still see and hear her....

lynsey91 · 04/10/2019 09:09

I love the voice of Scott Walker and Barbra Streisand. Never seen them live though and voices on a record/cd can, obviously, be improved.

I love Meatloaf but when we went to see him live we walked out he was so bad!

Singers I have seen live and thought had great voices are:

Mick Hucknall
David Bowie
George Michael
Michael Jackson
Adam Lambert
Cat Stevens (I think he has a beautiful and distinctive voice)

Female singers I have seen and loved:

Joan Armatrading
Annie Lennox
Pink
but by far the best was kd Lang. She has an incredibly powerful voice and each word she sings is so clear. For me her version of Hallelujah is far and away the best

bruffin · 04/10/2019 09:25

Beverly knight was very friendly when we met her at War of the Worlds gala night.
She was in Memphis for a while but we say her understudy , but dd went back and saw it with Beverly Knight and said understudy was better. Understudy was Rachel John who is now playing Angelica in

GlitchStitch · 04/10/2019 09:39

Bert might have been Bo Bruce on the Voice?

Turquoisetamborine · 04/10/2019 09:44

Best male - George Michael
Best female - Whitney

RuffleCrow · 04/10/2019 09:49

Sandy Denny. Star

I love a lot of different singers for many different reasons, but it's her voice that feels like 'home' to me - it's what I always return to eventually. I can't quite describe how much I love her.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 04/10/2019 09:50

For me her version of Hallelujah is far and away the best

Not disputing in the least, but have you heard John Cale's version of it? His voice is so rich and smooth and beautiful to listen to.

Whoever overlooked him and instead made Lou Reed the lead singer of the Velvet Underground needed their head examined.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 04/10/2019 09:55

Several people saying Van Morrison. I agree that his voice is wonderfully expressive and beautiful in its own way, if not vocally the purest or the greatest range.

But talking of divas, the 'Belfast Cowboy' is notoriously grumpy and difficult to work with. He has been known to put his newspaper on top of the piano at the back of the stage during gigs and just turn around and read it during instrumental interludes or when it's somebody else's bit to sing!!

SeaWitchly · 04/10/2019 09:55

Ariana Grande has a baby voice IMO.. ‘Thank you, next’ in particular is dire... again just imo.

Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton and Ella Fitzgerald all do it for me.

Susiesoap7 · 04/10/2019 09:58

Freddie, Dolly, Whitney, gaga. So many ⭐️

RuffleCrow · 04/10/2019 10:11

Can I just add that I saw Lady Gaga playing in an empty dive bar in NYC way before she was famous. Weirdly, she reminded me of Joni Mitchell in terms of her style - it was just her and the grand piano. She also thoroughly deserves a Star

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