2010 is over and everyone is done
going through others’ ‘Best of…’ lists. Looking to fill the gap till all you
list-lovers will have to wait out till the end of 2011, I’ve started bringing
out my own lists. Lists of lists, list upon lists, and then some. Yeah, you get
the point, but this has to start somewhere, and here’s that ‘somewhere’.
This is a list of the ten best
singing voices that I’ve listened to in my twenty three trips round the sun. (please be aware that this list is
subjective, you may or may not agree with my choices here. This is also not
based on the number of octaves that a singer can sing in, this is based on the
power that a singer has in his or her voice. This list is also subject to the
presence or absence of a singer/band on my playlist. If you have any comment
about the order or the presence or absence of someone that you like, please do
drop me a line)
10. Natalie Merchant – 10,000 Maniacs. Yes,
that may be the weirdest name for a band that anyone has come up since the ‘Sex
Pistols’ but this woman has a voice that’s hauntingly memorable. You Must Listen to : Because the Nights
and These are Days, both available in two versions, the original and the MTV
Unplugged one. You Must Listen because:
of the Irish connection, both her parents are half Irish and that gives her one
hell of a cool accent. I personally think that the sexiest accent that any
woman can have is the Irish brogue.
9. Alison Sudol (a.k.a A Fine Frenzy) This
is a woman who plays the piano and also sings and I think that the combination
is very cool indeed. She’s been on the charts in at least six countries and for
someone dubbed as an ‘alternative’ artist, that is commendable. Her songs have
been featured on the film ‘Sleepwalking’ and also in the sitcom How I Met Your
Mother. Considering that her moniker draws
from Shakespeare and that she’s been featured as one of VH1’s ‘You Oughta Know’
artists, this is one woman whose voice you should allow to sing you to sleep.
Highly recommended listening. You Must
Listen to: Almost Lover & Think of You. You Must Listen Because: of the piano bit and also because of the
ethereal feel of most of her songs, and did I mention the depth of her voice?
8. Brian Johnson – AC/DC – Yeah, this man
is the English frontman of an Australian band and he’s electrifying. The lead
singer of the favourite band of any
electrician and also a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductee, sent his first
record as replacement singer for Bon Scott, to second in the list of all time bestselling
albums; such was his impact. His voice is acerbic and yet melodramatic, bitter
yet understandable. The perfect voice to Angus Young’s tone, and at 60+ the man
has enough energy to hang from a bell during a live concert. Yes, you’d have to
be crazy to not have listened to at least one of AC\DC’s simply constructed yet
effective songs. You must listen because: This is the perfect heavy metal
voice, distorted yet legible enough to be understood. You Must Listen to :
Hells Bells, Highway to Hell, War Machine and You Shook Me all Night Long.
7.
Tom Araya
& James Hetfield– Slayer & Metallica resply. – Need I say anything more about the two front
men of two bands out of the Big Four of Thrash metal? One’s a nut and the other’s
a nut who lost his voice some years ago. Yes, there’s nothing more to be said
about them other than you’ve missed a lot if you’ve never listened to either.
Both rarely use rhyme in their singing but you hardly ever notice that, all
that hits you is the power, the raw power almost like eloquent cavemen. You
Must Listen Because : Hell yeah they’re cool and they both play guitar. And they are wild enough to raise hell wherever they go. And one of them is part of a band that’s
credited with putting out one of the heaviest records of all time. You Must Listen
to: Angel of Death (Slayer), Reign in Blood (Slayer), Jihad (Slayer), Master of
Puppets, The Day That Never Comes, The Judas Kiss, My Apocalypse, Enter Sandman, Fade to Black, Nothing Else
Matters… I could go on…
6.
Elvis Presley – Solo Artist – The King of Rock ‘n
Roll needs no introduction. With a voice that could make female hearts turn to
pudding and a name to match, he was nothing better than the king, but sadly not
king enough to make it to number one on this list. His eyes, his hair and his
dancing, they were all great and even greater were his songs The man served in
the arms, met Nixon and though he died in August 1977, sightings of ‘The King’
are not uncommon to this day. You Must Listen Because: The voice, is simply
that of a king, deep and rich, like dark chocolate. You Must Listen to: I won’t
help you here. Ask your parents of grandparents, if you’re young enough.
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