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.

’ve had signing lessons myself and I’m fairly sure most of the “singers” mentioned on this thread have never had a proper singing lesson in their lives. I studied music at uni and had friends at the conservatoire and can spot a properly trained singer a mile off

Then you should know that there is no need to be professionally trained to be a singer. I really don't think Elton John et al need your patronising "singers" as if they are somehow less so than you are. Are you a multi millonaire with enough platinum records to cover your mansion?

Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Awful live. Very out of tune.
Sex in his hay day though

Agree that Bob Dylan is proof that being wonderfully musically talented doesn't mean you can sing. Awful voice. Distinctive, though.

Geri Halliwell can't sing; even after all the sound engineering jiggery pokery, she just has a horrible tone. Just not a nice sound.

Ellie Goulding always sounds strained and shouty even when it's a studio recording.

Robbie Williams isn't great but he's got a lot of stage presence.

I think bad male singers can often get away with it more than female ones, sadly. Something about the lower, possibly more resonant tones of a male voice seems to cover up a lot of crap sound and technique that's harder to hide in a female one. Not always, of course, but quite often. I also think a badly hit low note isn't usually as horrible as a badly hit high one.

@kakiqueen Red Hot Chilli Peppers are my biggest disappointment live. They just play riff after riff on guitars and it seemed like the set never got going

Most of the X Factor/Pop Idol/The Voice crowd.

None of Take That can sing

It's often not the person but what they are singing. I do not recognise Westlife as music, for example.

@DontTouchMyHairISwear

All of these people CAN sing, just not to your individual tastes. It's not the same thing.

Rubbish. Plenty of people can't sing subjectively or otherwise. Victoria Beckham made millions and couldn't hold a sick note.

Another person voting for Madonna. Saw her live in the 80s - appalling - worst concert I have ever attended.
Dylan on the other hand is superb, it's easy to knock him but I've loved his voice ever since the first time I heard it when my boyfriend opened his front door to me in 1978 and I heard the sound of Dylan drifting down the stairs from his bedroom.
"Who's that?!" I gasped - I was utterly blown away by the sheer raw emotion of his voice and have bern hooked ever since.

Geri and Victoria I will agree with because they are neither technically accomplished nor have a distinctive interesting voice. Very bland. Throw Jenny Frost from Atomic Kitten into the same category.

Rubbish. Plenty of people can't sing subjectively or otherwise

Do you mean objectively?
Claiming Elton John and Kylie etc simply can't sing is inane. They clearly are able to sing. If you don't like their singing that doesn't mean they can't. and its incredibly arrogant to think it does.

There’s interesting voices that I love listening to (Shane MacGowan) & then there are voices that are just shit (Madonna). Totally inexplicable to me that anyone ever wants to listen to her.

I can never decide how I feel about Mel C. She was clearly the best singer in the Spice Girls which was why she always had the hardest parts; none of the others could hit those notes. And it's a distinctive voice too. But it is a bit of an unusual tone, not exactly mellifluous, and I can never decide if I like it or not.

@Frazzled2207

Madonna, all of Take That spring to mind.

I am not keen on Gary Barlow or Elton John and they’re not very good singers but both are accomplished musicians in songwriting and (less so Gary) pianist terms. Playing the piano and singing at the same time is bloody hard and Elton in particular do it well.

I’ve had signing lessons myself and I’m fairly sure most of the “singers” mentioned on this thread have never had a proper singing lesson in their lives. I studied music at uni and had friends at the conservatoire and can spot a properly trained singer a mile off.

Many trained singers sound awful - often because they are more interested in their craft rather than the essence of the song they are singing

WTF you don't like Bob Dylan? He's part of my religion, man.

Music would be exceptionally boring if only the technically great singers were allowed to do it

Oh 100% but that’s not my point.
I was convinced that Ronan (and lots of people who just open their mouths and scream) were amazing, and to watch television or listen to radio as a teenager you’d hear over and over x2000 that RK was incredibly talented. Through some kind of indoctrination (and probably a spot of fancying blonde lads when I was 13) I had separated him into a bracket of “phenomenal singer”.

We all like different music and that’s brilliant, we can all find out groove somewhere. None of Blur are brilliant singers but they were/are my favourite. That said radio DJs didn’t ever say “wow what a voice” after playing Tender.

Watching Elton nowadays makes me sad. I saw him live about 12 years ago and he was so amazing! His voice has really gone downhill.

I could never bear to listen to Frank Sinatra, as to my ear he sings flat, way off the note.
I was very surprised when my DDs music teacher told me that Sinatra sang everything one sixteenth of a tone flat and it was his signature style!
I still don’t understand the difference between deliberately missing every note and just, you know, being a crap singer...

@DudeistPriest

WTF you don't like Bob Dylan? He's part of my religion, man.

I love Bob Dylan, but I don't think he is a good singer.

I hate Ronan Keating's voice with a passion.

It's when he tries to put soul in it, shamough and shamooahing all over the place and weirdly rolling his Rs.

I find Sam Smith to have a weird nasal thing going on but for some reason still enjoy listening to him.

I think a technically "bad" singer can still give an enjoyable performance though. There's more to it than just a honed voice. Some people's weird vocal ticks add to their distinctiveness and can make a mediocre singing voice sound good.

Saying that, there's an awful lots of shouty whoopy growlers out there that try too hard to sound soulful who make your ears bleed.

Love your descriptions by the way.
he sounds like a goat yelping into a Pringles can
Brilliant.

Sheryl Crow singing the Tomorrow Never Dies Bond song, how did she get such a high profile gig with that voice, she is just terrible.

Madonna and Robbie are more entertainers. They both have the something extra.Great sage presence and know how to work the crowd.
Theres nothing wrong with that.
I would rather go to one of their concerts and enjoy the show.
Rather than Mariah who just stands there and warbles.

And that Elton John clip is gold

@lemorella

Cheryl Cole

God yes, she's dreadful

@Trisolaris

Watching Elton nowadays makes me sad. I saw him live about 12 years ago and he was so amazing! His voice has really gone downhill.

This.

He definitely was a good singer back in the day but sadly his voice has gone,

Oh my God.

That Elton John video. He sounds like Vic Reeves doing the pub singer on Shooting Stars. :o