Spin off: who are the least talented famous singers?

[WishinAndHopin]

Mick Jagger: just shouts tunelessly. He can’t sing at all.

Generally a lot of men in bands, like the Gallagher brothers, Alex Turner, and the singers in the Kinks.

Chris Martin - he’s just an insipid whiner. There was an advert with a woman with a good voice singing while driving a big lorry. I thought “that’s a nice song” and realised that it was actually Yellow by Coldplay. I never even realised it was a decent song because he just sounds so horrendous.

Generally women are held to a much higher vocal standard, and are only ever considered respectable artists if they are also good singers. Men who can’t sing get away with it. But ti balance it here are two women:

Geri Halliwell: Posh gets shit on for her bad singing but at least she had a pleasant enough tone. Geri is far worse - flat as a pancake.

Taylor Swift: such a weak voice. Sounds like mediocre karaoke.

Can't speak for modern singers really, but I always think Frank Sinatra was flat ( not that I enjoyed his music anyway).

I just can't bear Bob Dylan. Either his voice or his lyrics.

Leonard Cohen and Ella Fitzgerald; Eva Cassidy and Amy Winehouse however...

How are PPs certain any artist 'writes all their own material' instead of being provided material if a label thinks they're marketable and, when successful, NDAs are doing the heavy lifting?

Another for Taylor Swift, we saw her on the eras tour and her singing was awful to the point that some songs were so bad it was funny.

Beyonce, a great studio singer, awful live.

I'm still scarred by her performance at Eurovision!!

Bob Dylan - magnificent song writer but his voice is awful.
madonna - no range at all.
geri halliwell. - you can hear her breathe so clearly on look at me. It’s painful.
robbie Williams - belongs in a backstreet working men’s club.
Liam Gallagher. - Noel is way better.

Beyonce
Adele
Geri H
Mel C
Lana del Ray
And especially Alicia Keys (so flat & tuneless)
I reckon Jennifer Hudson puts them all to shame, particularly Queen B. 😑

Maybe I should have written 'striving for perfect diction'!

I do think that lots of the names mentioned aren’t necessarily good singers like Karen carpenter but are good performers. Taylor is most definitely not a great singer but she’s amazing in so many other ways it doesn’t matter to me.

I've never understood the whole idea that RW is actually known as 'The Voice'.

It's like somebody is suggesting that Pavarotti, Caballe, Carreras, Brightman, Bocelli and countless others are meh enough and ten a penny, but RW is on a complete other level way above them all!!

Elvis. Breathing control so bad he took a breath in the middle of 'woo (breathe in)den heart'. Never wrote any original material. Guitar accompaniment to, for example, Wooden Heart and Love me Tender so simplistic, could have been played by a ten year old. The King, indeed- not in my opinion.

I agree with Tom Waits - Rain Dogs is one one my favourite albums. And I think his voice is unbelievably sexy.

People saying Taylor Swift, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan etc are missing the point - they are singer songwriters, it is a different craft.

For truely dire singers, obviously Geri Halliwell but she did have the strongest image of the group and I think Madonna is also excused on pure charisma and not marketing herself as primarily a singer.

Cilla Black is obviously dire and personally I don't enjoy the Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston singing style. I dislike warbling - just pick a note and commit to it.

To say how self-assured Frank Sinatra was of his own 'amazing' talents, I really don't think he had much at all to boast about.

Maybe he 'knew people' who would 'gently help you to change your mind' if anybody ever criticised his singing.

Yes! I call her the singing crow. I know she was friends with the Beatles but still can't understand how anyone could have given her a recording contract!

To all the people saying “so and so doesn’t belong on here, they’re a great songwriter/ performer” etc -

Yes they do! This is what the whole thread is about!

On the other thread about bad actors, there were some interesting discussions about how there are different types of film stars, and not everyone has to be a talented actor. e.g, The Rock and Jason Statham are action heroes, while Keanu Reeves is watchable and mesmerising.

It’s the same with famous singers - some manage to be great artists in other ways without being able to sing well.

But some are just outright untalented.

Gregory Porter. Rubbish.

I don’t mind cilla …

I could be wrong but my understanding is that Diana Ross got the frontwoman gig mainly because she was being serviced by Motown boss Berry Gordy.

I think there are a few things going on.
There are great performers. Singing varies, but you're there for the experience. Most of the bands of my youth.
There are great writers, who also sing. Your Dylans, Waits.
There are your belters.
There are those whose voice itself sounds beautiful, even if they're singing the shopping list. Emmy lou Harris, Nina Nastasia.

I'd have been the first one. Can carry a tune, but not got a great range. Can perform though.

Ed Sheeran
Robbie Williams
Taylor Swift
Elton John

i love the sound the Rolling Stones made. Mick Jagger singing Slow Horses is just brilliant. I also loved The Kinks sound.

I wasn't a great fan of Whitney Houston style of music but she was a very good singer!

Also, you do realise she has passed away?

To add more to the list:

Kanye West: I really like Kanye as an artist, he’s so witty and creative. And obviously he is primarily a rapper. But sometimes he sounds flat even doing that.

Paris Jackson: insipid weak indie girl voice.

Blue Ivy: I feel a bit bad about including this one because she’s only a child and being pushed as a nepo baby, and it’s not her fault. But she literally cannot sing at all - not just weak, she can’t even hold a tune. She is also not a natural dancer. Yet her mum keeps trotting her out on stage. She should be in school following her education and working on her non-showbiz interests and talents. But they keep trying to push her even though she can’t do it. People are being polite now, but at some point the public will stop humouring her and it’s just cruel for her parents to do this.

Beyonce.
She doesn't sing, she shouts.

Ellie Goulding. So annoying and affected.

Yes I used to love Kylie, but she's definitely changed the way she sings. Almost like she's trying too hard to sound sexy.