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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:
Jaggypinecone · 03/10/2019 08:55

It's more just personal taste. Freddie Mercury had an amazing voice and vocal range and stage presence all rolled into one package. But there are many wonderful singers out there, and it's very much 'moment in time' stuff. I just watched a youtube video of an opera singer belting out Ave Maria. I had tears rolling down my cheeks and I don't even know who she was.

Robert Plant is a fabulous singer whose voice has mellowed and changed with age. He can't snarl and hit those impossible ranges like he once could but his voice still dribbles honey into my soul.

Chris Cornell, amazing.
Nina Simone, soulful.
Eddi Reader, fabulous
Tom Jones, yup he' still got it
The guy from Simply Red had an amazing voice but probably no-one aged under 40 has ever heard of him (my menopausal brain can't remember his bloody name - arghhhh)
The divas with the huge vocal range are great but not to my taste so i tend not to listen to them though I can appreciate their talent.

It's all subjective.

Violetparis · 03/10/2019 08:57

Sinead O'Conner, saw her live and she was stunning.

Jaggypinecone · 03/10/2019 08:58

Saw Sinead too - she was stunning live. And Mick Hucknall was the Simply Red singer

RooKangaroo · 03/10/2019 08:59

@SinkGirl, no I haven't, but thanks for the link! Will watch this later.

greyscale333 · 03/10/2019 09:00

Jeff Buckley!

Alltheprettyseahorses · 03/10/2019 09:07

Christina Aguilera. She was on James Corden's Carpool or whatever it's called and he asked her to teach him to sing like her, presumably highlighting that you can't learn what she has.

Love GaGa. The first time I saw her, she was performing Poker Face on the Paul O'Grady show years ago and the way she sang while on the piano was extraordinary.

Niche one but there's a performer in the local Liverpool Everyman Rock & Roll panto who's played the baddie for the last couple of years and her voice is just mind-blowingly superb.

Giggorata · 03/10/2019 09:10

In popular music, Aretha Franklin, hands down.

The80sweregreat · 03/10/2019 09:16

Freddie
George Michael
Kate bush
I like many types of music and singers though!

PrincessHoneysuckle · 03/10/2019 09:24

Dolly Parton
Ali Campbell (ub40)
Ariana Grande
Mariah Carey
Whitney Houston
Freddie Mercury
Steve Tyler

StormBaby · 03/10/2019 09:28

I too prefer weird or folky singers. Can't stand all that riffing from Mariah and Christina! I love Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays, Bjork, Ben Howard, Florence Welch,

paradyning · 03/10/2019 09:30

George. And Freddie.

I love this video of George singing Freddie in the rehearsal studio. Better than the performance imho

paradyning · 03/10/2019 09:30

And I agree about Skin - her voice is effortless

MellowBird85 · 03/10/2019 09:33

Terence Trent D’Arby
Stevie Wonder
Otis Redding
Prince
Mick Hucknall
Michael Jackson (probably the best)

Bobbindobbin · 03/10/2019 09:40

Barbra Streisand- especially the Guilty album.

feelingverylazytoday · 03/10/2019 09:41

Male - David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Scott Walker, George Michael
Female - Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Karen Carpenter.

SerenDippitty · 03/10/2019 09:53

Mary Hopkin had a presence and maturity way beyond her years. She was only 18 when she had a number one hit with Those Were The Days.

Agree with Karen Carpenter.

My favourite classical vocalist is Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Love Scott Walker too.

SerenDippitty · 03/10/2019 09:54

Freddie Mercury could have been an opera singer had he wanted to.

LittleAndOften · 03/10/2019 09:54

@Bobbindobbin Babs is a phenomenon. Did you know that in her early career she was told she couldn't sing! It was on a BBC documentary. I could watch Funny Girl all day on repeat 😁

FfsDs · 03/10/2019 09:56

Brendan Urie

Cocolapew · 03/10/2019 09:58

Oh god yes Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond, how could I have forgotten those.

SinkGirl · 03/10/2019 09:59

How did I forget David McAlmont? Amazing amazing voice

DoctorTwo · 03/10/2019 10:02

Mike Patton.
Corey Glover.
Skin.

Funkyslippers · 03/10/2019 10:02

I love Agnetha from Abba and always have. I also love Ann Wilson from Heart, Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles and Freddie. Loads more that I can't think of at the mo

SadieBaneso · 03/10/2019 10:05

Neil Tennant is massively underrated in my opinion. Being Boring is his finest spine shivery best vocal.

feelingverylazytoday · 03/10/2019 10:15

Forgot Roberta Flack and Barry White. Love both of their voices.