to think Ronan Keating can’t sing? Which other famous singers can’t sing?

[BlackBucketOfCheese]

When I was a teenager I thought Ronan Keating had a great voice (despite not being my type of music) but I think I probably just fancied him. I’ve just heard one of his songs from around 1999 pop up on a Spotify playlist and he sounds like a goat yelping into a Pringles can.

I know lots of pop stars can’t sing for shite but in my head I had him in a bracket of people who can sing nicely - despite probably not having listened to his music for 20+ years.

Can RK sing?

Which other pop stars who people think are decent singers actually turn out to sound like a farm yard animal with trapped wind.

Most of them I think

Cheryl Cole

My DH has put forward Elton John and Morrissey as his entries.

Robbie Williams

He's very nasal with his singing voice

Totally disagree. I saw Ronan live last summer and he has an amazing voice.

Can I nominate Jess Glynn and her wobbly bleating?

Saw Gary Barlow on TV recently and thought he had a crap voice tbh

Katy Perry. When she is on TV in concert or singing live its just awful

Bob Dylan. OK not a pop star but an absolute legend.
His song writing is awesome but he is definitely better leaving it other people to sing his songs!

Controversial but... any of the so-called divas... The Whitney's & Mariah's of the music industry. I find them shouty & tuneless, they absolutely kill any tenderness in a love song and their voices actually hurt my ears.

I can’t stand Elton John’s voice but I think as you’ve alluded to the quality of a person’s singing voice is often a subjective thing. You enjoyed listening to Ronan Keating sing because you found him sexually attractive.

The Tapestry album by Carole King recently turned 50. Many people, myself included, prefer her version of Natural Woman to the Aretha Franklin version even though Aretha is by any impartial definition the ‘better’ singer.

All of the Spice Girls . Mel C often gets a pass but having good solo music doesn't mean you're a good singer.

It doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Bernard Sumner of New Order is a poor singer by his own admission but it doesn't really matter in their case

Madonna
Kylie

Oh a second vote for Jess Glynn too! I once saw her referred to on MN as the singing sheep . She was asked to sing live on the R2 breakfast show a few years ago, along with Ollie Alexander. Christ on a bike... neither could hold a tune.

Elton John singing ‘I’m Dill Danding’ for that outdoor live thing last summer was all kinds of bizzare.

Madonna. Appalling live. Mostly back up dancers and singers doing all the leg work. Literally in the dancer’s cases.

Bruce Springsteen, but I don't think anyone rates him for his singing anyway do they.

And Rihanna. Her voice is such an unpleasant noise. 'Unfaithful' in particular is an assault on the ears.

@DaphneBridgerton

Robbie Williams

He was my first thought. He’s not terrible or anything - just a very average voice considering how well he’s done.

Madonna. First time I heard her I thought someone was strangling a sheep.

Lots of them.
Autotune has a lot to answer for.

@notacooldad

Bob Dylan. OK not a pop star but an absolute legend. His song writing is awesome but he is definitely better leaving it other people to sing his songs!

Yes, yes, YES! Hearing Joan Baez sing a Bob Dylan song is amazing compared to him singing his own material.

I've always hated Ronan Keating!!

There's a band called Blue October and my friend loves them but I think the singer sounds like he has a bubble in his throat.

Mark Owen from Take That, awful squeaky voice!

bit of a controversial one, but Christina aguilera.

She sounds great on record and went doing softer vocals or not trying too hard, but a lot of her live stuff is just her grunting/growling and screaming and doesn’t sound pleasant. Hurts my ears.

Celine Dion.

That brutal nasal attack is something only pub singers used to get away with.

Now most musical stage actors have it. And Celine Dion has a lot of it!