Best Male Opera Singers

The Top Ten
1 Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce was an Italian operatic tenor who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time.

The greatest of all time. High Cs. I believe no one can match him. I have been hearing opera arias since I was more or less 7 years old, as my father used to play them all the time. The first time I heard Pavarotti, I said to myself, "this is it." Nobody can match, at least during my lifetime. The Babe Ruth of baseball, the Michael Jordan of basketball, the Tom Brady of football, the Yo-Yo Ma of violinists, etc.

Of course, Luciano Pavarotti is the top male opera singer. No other male opera singer, dead or alive, young or old, can compare with him. He leaves them all behind the starting blocks.

There will never be another Luciano Pavarotti! I grew up on classical music and have heard many others, and some were very good, but there is only one Pavarotti!

2 Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso was an Italian operatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles from the Italian and French repertoires that ranged from the lyric to the dramatic.

The world of music is diminished for not having modern recordings of his voice. Certainly the equal of the great Pavarotti, and even possibly superior. We will never know.

Pavarotti is the best that we know of, but we will always wonder. What if Caruso lived in modern times?

Fantastic voice but second as not much heard otherwise, most probably joint first with Pavarotti.

3 Mario Lanza Mario Lanza was an American tenor of Italian ancestry, and an actor and Hollywood film star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16.
4 Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli is an Italian classical crossover tenor, recording artist, and singer-songwriter. Born with poor eyesight, he became permanently blind at the age of 12 following a football accident.

In my opinion, one of the most inspiring voices I have ever heard. His ability to perform across a number of genres is fascinating, and his ability to capture the attention of even the youngest listener is amazing.

At the age of 60, his voice absolutely sparkles in all registers. And now that upper register has beautiful depth and focus. Truly something the Lord has made!

This man has, in my opinion, the best male singing voice through time. What makes him better is that he has been blind most of his life (since the age of 12).

5 Placido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil, known as Plácido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, conductor and arts administrator.

The best ever and the king of all opera singers - unparalleled in all aspects of art and personality.

6 Franco Corelli

Best dramatic spinto tenor ever.

7 Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
8 René Pape
9 Alfredo Kraus
10 Antonio Cortis

He was known as the "Spanish Caruso". The ease in his singing of "Nessun Dorma" is remarkable.

The Newcomers

? Peter Anders
The Contenders
11 Mario Del Monaco
12 Boris Christoff Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered to have been one of the greatest basses of the 20th century.
13 Max Lorenz
14 James Morris
15 Dmitri Hvorostovsky

He was the fusion of power, dignity, and velvet! An extraordinary combination of talent, beauty, and the tragic story of his unfairly short life.

A greatly trained classical voice. I love his style!

Best baritone. For sure, Russian one.

16 Beniamino Gigli
17 Jose Carreras Josep Maria Carreras i Coll, better known as José Carreras, is a Spanish tenor from Catalonia who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini.

The most beautiful voice in the world. Still fantastic at 70.

Very smooth voice and fantastic tenor!

18 Juan Diego Florez
19 Richard Croft
20 Jussi Björling

The greatest opera recording of all time was Jussi Björling and Victoria De Los Angeles singing La Boheme in 1955.

He should be number 1. Listen to the Pearl Fishers Duet with Robert Merrill.

21 Tito Schipa
22 Jonas Kaufmann

Jonas Kaufmann sings appropriately for the role or song he's performing. He modulates his voice, not to overpower or to impress, but to express musical lyricism fitting with the performance (contrasted with Pavarotti thoughtlessly bellowing at anyone foolish enough to listen). He's the best and most versatile male singer I've ever heard.

Most versatile tenor of our time.

23 Ezio Pinza
24 Bryn Terfel
25 Gerald Finley
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