Top 10 Singers Who Frequently Use or Used Double Tracking
In audio recording, double tracking is the process of recording a musical part (typically a guitar part or lead vocals) and then recording it again, thereby doubling it and giving it a stronger, fuller sound. This technique is far more prominent than many might think. However, some vocalists prefer to use delay effects or stitch together multiple takes to achieve the desired sound instead.There is also a second method called "Automatic Double Tracking" (ADT), where the part is split off through a tape delay by a few milliseconds, creating the illusion of double tracking without requiring multiple takes. ADT was famously pioneered at Abbey Road Studios and heavily utilized by artists like The Beatles during their mid-career recordings.
Double tracking is not necessarily a flaw. When done correctly, it enhances the production without the listener even realizing it. However, if poorly executed, it can result in sync issues, particularly in the lead vocals. A notable example of this can be found in The Beatles' version of "Matchbox," where some minor synchronization issues can be heard.
Feel free to provide more examples of artists or songs that employ double tracking. If you do, consider including additional background information on how extensively they utilized the technique!

The Beatles are considered to be the most famous users of double-tracking, with John Lennon using it the most of all. In fact, he motivated Ken Townsend, one of the engineers at Abbey Road Studios, to invent the first automatic double-tracking system after he got tired of having to do multiple vocal takes.

Roger Daltrey frequently used double-tracking throughout the sixties. It wasn't until Who's Next that he didn't use it as much.

Listen to the early Mark II records, particularly In Rock, and you will hear that a lot of the vocals are double-tracked. Even on Child in Time, which means that he probably had to sing those high parts multiple times.

I don't think there's a T. Rex record where Marc Bolan isn't double-tracked. I even saw a performance on the German show Beat-Club (if I remember correctly) where he recorded the basic track live with the band and they filmed him doing the secondary vocals and guitar solo. They integrated the footage of the two Bolans together (horribly, though. Beat-Club had awful graphics).

Not just Paul but Gene too - pretty much all of the 70s Kiss records had double-tracked vocals.

Brad is an interesting case, as he didn't just double-track his lead vocals, he also double-tracked each harmony line. No wonder those Boston records sound massive!

I once read that Butch Vig said that when they recorded "Nevermind," Butch motivated Kurt (who was reluctant) to double-track his vocals by telling him, "John Lennon did it." Apparently, he also had to trick Kurt into doing extra takes by telling him that something went wrong.

Freddie used it in certain songs during the mid-70s. I remember watching a video where Brian May listened to the multi-track tapes of "Bohemian Rhapsody," and noted that the lead vocals on the "so you think you can stone me" section are not 100% in sync. Brian said that he kept some minor flubs on purpose to give the lead vocals a more natural sound.

In general, Brian Wilson insisted on double-tracking all lead vocals on Beach Boys albums from the Surfin' U.S.A. album onwards, regardless of who was singing.

Double-tracking is a staple of Metallica's music, even though you may not realize it. Just listen to any of the isolated vocal tracks from the 80s.
The Newcomers

He is best known for his work as a songwriter, writing for artists such as Chris Brown (most notably "New Flame"), Usher ("Lemme See"), and Justin Bieber ("Right Here").
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Layne, in my opinion, had the most unique voice among the singers listed. His use of double-tracking on their records really helped to showcase the power of his vocal ability. He's also my favorite singer of the bunch, so that never hurts.
Alice In Chains used to do this a lot during their career in the 90s. You can listen to a perfect example of Layne doing this in the song Brush Away from their self-titled record (commonly known as Tripod). Other examples are Them Bones from their second album Dirt, and the chorus of We Die Young from their debut album Facelift. Needless to say, he always made it sound badass.


