Top 10 Best Singers of All Time
The voice of a great singer that can fill a room or stadium, touch the deepest corners of your soul, and take you on an emotional journey you didn't even know you needed. You know the feeling: that spine-tingling moment when a singer hits that impossible high note, or the soulful tone that resonates with your very core. The best singers are not just performers. They're alchemists, turning raw emotion into pure auditory gold.How could you not vote for Freddie Mercury? Just imagine his lovely, bright character, his sweet sense of humor, and his adorable, unique voice. He is the idol of a whole bunch of now-beloved musicians like Lady Gaga. So come on, darlings!
Freddie Mercury is the greatest vocalist and singer of all time. Why? That is because he has a unique voice that simply cannot be replicated. The most unique and beautiful voice that has ever graced this earth. There is no vocalist before or after him, that I could think of, who can sing the songs The Show Must Go On or Who Wants to Live Forever.
What makes him so special is beyond my understanding. Maybe it's his tone, or maybe it's his accent. Whatever it is, it is the most amazing thing ever recorded, and nobody will ever be able to pull it off.
No one is giving MJ a sympathy vote. Are you crazy? Anyone saying something like that does not know what an amazing range he had, how he could control his voice, or what he could do with it. His vocal range was a four-octave tenor. He had an amazing vibrato and sang across just about every genre of music. It is one of the things he is known for.
It's sad that some just don't know enough yet to comment or merely dismiss him because he was a fantastic dancer as well. Somehow they forget what he was originally known for, which was singing from a very young age with the soul of an experienced adult. The emotion and passion he sang with were so authentic and palpable. I am tired of seeing some people discount him when he was both a fantastic singer and dancer. He was the complete package as an artist.
Just because your favorite is someone else doesn't mean that it's right to belittle an artist who clearly was an amazing singer or ignore facts that have been in evidence for decades, as is the case with Michael Jackson. I don't even know who some of these singers are, but that doesn't mean I am going to belittle them.
I love both Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. They both, to me, have insane vocal range and could do so much with their God-given talent as vocalists. But if I have to choose, it is Michael for me.
I was a teen when Elvis Presley began singing, but very few of his songs appealed to me. I grew up in a family of classical music lovers. Last year, I found a station that played nothing but Mr. Presley's music, including the several takes required to make a master that satisfied him, his live concerts, and informal recordings of his in-studio and at-home jam sessions.
I'm 64 years old, and I've never heard anything like Mr. Presley's voice. I still don't like everything he sang, but he has no equal among recorded singers. He could, and did, sing anything. When I read that the great tenor Placido Domingo said, "He had the voice I wish I had gotten," I listened a little harder. Musicians themselves still place Mr. Presley at the top of their lists of excellent singers. If you don't, you haven't listened to the whole body of his work.
Frank Sinatra sang for 60 years and recorded three times as many songs as Mr. Presley did in his scant 23-year career, but even his magnificent voice pales beside Mr. Presley's. We lost him too soon, to overwork, to the damage his grueling schedule did to his body, and to the emotional damage caused by the isolation that was the price of his fame and of the ardent devotion of his legion of fans. We are the poorer for his loss, and music was deprived of the chance to grow from whatever his next inspiration would have been. I repeat, if you don't agree, do some listening. There are more than 800 pieces of Mr. Presley's music to hear several times, to study, before you put his name anywhere but at the top of the list of outstanding singers of recorded music.
Robert Anthony Plant, where do I begin with this legend? Well, first of all, he is the lead singer for the smashing, outstanding band Led Zeppelin. Second, his screams and perfect soprano vocals amaze me and fit so well with the beat and rhythm in his songs. Led Zeppelin or solo career, third, he can reach high notes, but he can also reach those low notes. Don't believe me? Listen to When the Levee Breaks, my favorite vocals in a Led Zeppelin song. Also, he's a fantastic writer, and he sure can be amusing to watch on stage.
Freddie Mercury is a legend as well, and he is in Queen. Queen is my favorite band, but Plant's vocals are just outrageous. He easily wins the title of best singer of all time. It doesn't matter that he couldn't play guitar, it doesn't matter that he didn't have a stylish appeal, it doesn't matter that he didn't dance on stage but only moved his hips. No, what matters is his beautiful singing talent. I believe he easily wins the title of the best singer of all time. Robert, you rock!
I was going to vote for Taylor Swift, but when I saw Whitney Houston, I just had to vote for her. She was a legend and still is. When you hear her voice, it sounds like she is expressing her emotions so much that it makes us feel intrigued. And the songs she sang are so phenomenal that they're iconic and memorable. Not to mention, she was a very loyal person and a great person.
I wish I could meet a legend like her someday. But ever since I found out she's dead, I was so sad. She lived a life filled with talent and fame, and we will never forget about the legend herself, Whitney Houston. R.I.P. Whitney Houston. You will always be in our hearts.
Ever daydream about which voice you would choose if you could have any? I was always torn between Paul McCartney and Elvis. In the end, I went with McCartney.
So, the best singer should be measured by pure voice tonality and other criteria related to voice. Based on this, I would not pick Paul McCartney to be number one (but I would definitely not pick Michael Jackson either). Paul has definitely had a greater influence on music than anyone on this list... anyone! At the same time, his voice is well suited to the songs he sang.
Anyone who has heard "Maybe I'm Amazed" and has at least one living cell in their body must recognize he does not deserve to be at number 60. Justin Bieber is rated higher. In five years, Justin will be another "whatever happened to", while Paul... Huh... Why am I even comparing the two? I'm an idiot! ;)
Aretha Franklin is easily top-ten material. No offense to people ranked higher, such as Elvis, who had a more profound impact on the music industry than Aretha Franklin, but she is a much better singer than Elvis. It is also completely ludicrous that people such as Justin Bieber and Eminem are ranked higher than Aretha Franklin simply because of popularity. Those two have barely any singing talent whatsoever.
People need to vote on these lists based on criteria and not popularity.
Eminem is a rapper, not a singer. He also has a grating voice, and his lyrics are about wanting to kill women. He also uses homophobic slurs. And somehow, these idiots voted him above the Queen of Soul? If the list "Worst Users of TheTopTens" was deleted, this list should be too, so that an idiot like Eminem isn't above the greatest female singer ever. If Whitney Houston were still alive, she would probably say that Aretha is the best female singer ever.
I barely even know the singers up on the Top 10. This singer has gotten more Grammys than anyone except for Whitney Houston, who tied with her. How are Katy Perry and Lady Gaga ahead of Adele? She made soul more popular than ever.
All her songs sound beautiful and true. She can pump you up. You can dance to her songs, cry to her songs, jam to her songs, and ponder the meaning of life with these songs. They make great talent show songs, and what makes Adele the best is that she writes all her songs except for a few that she doesn't help with at all.
Have Katy Perry or One Direction written practically all their songs? Nope. Adele is the new sensation. Sure, she comes out with an album every two to three years, but that just shows how real she is and not rushing out with a terrible album. Learn from her.
What can I say about this personality? If I ever met God, the first question I would ask is, "Was John Lennon really a person?" Then I know God would say, "I do not know about him because I never made him."
John Lennon… still, I cannot believe that there can be a human whose appearance tells a story, a story which cannot be read or understood. You can only feel it. Whenever I saw him in his interviews and his song videos, he made me feel relaxed. I cannot believe that he is dead - a person who leaves behind his legacy and his influence on music. I have only one dream in my life: that one day I will meet him and tell him that he was not just something I feel, but he is something. Oh, I do not have words to complete the sentence because he cannot be described.
Listen to his range that sings true both in the studio and live. There are lots of good singers and screamers, especially in metal, but very few can dig as deep and have such a broad repertoire.
One of my favorite albums is "Piece of Mind", which is pretty good for showing off his range. The Dune-inspired one, "To Tame a Land", is not the best song but gives you an idea. Or "Monsegur", which is very hard for a singer to sing.
"Alive at the Marquee" has a really good selection of his solo songs without Iron Maiden and is really well sung.
I like Judas Priest when he can be bothered to sing properly. Geoff Tate had a great voice that didn't get used to its potential in mostly weak songs. Ian Gillan was good in Deep Purple. Dickinson is by far the best.
Most of this list is a bad joke. Best singer doesn't mean popular or good tune. It's about the singing. Elvis and Freddie Mercury are great singers and deserve to be near the top, but the rest... Come on, guys... You're having a laugh.
The Newcomers
He is, in my opinion, one of the best singers of all time, if not the best (I can't say the best since I haven't heard all the singers in the world). We live in a world of Justin Bieber, One Direction, and about a hundred other popular yet near-talentless bands when compared to Sinatra.
Even those who are exceptional singers, such as Adele, for example, are rarely as good at songwriting as Sinatra was. And those who are good at songwriting, such as Springsteen and, let's say, Bob Dylan, are not exactly known for their beautiful voices. Frank had the best of both worlds, and he is, in my opinion, fully deserving of the title of the best singer of all time.
Chester should be number one! He has great vocals and can cover a wide variety of pitches. Whether he's singing for Linkin Park or Dead By Sunrise, this man has real talent! Not only that, but he's been singing for more than 15 years and still sounds amazing!
You think Bruno Mars and all those pop singers are good? No. This is actual, real-life talent. Sure, his voice is probably edited in the albums, but listen to him live. He's obviously not lip-syncing. He's actually singing. He has the perfect edge of gruffness or softness whenever he chooses and literally sounds like five different people when he sings! He is the best. How is Eminem higher?!
The difference between Chester and Eminem, singing-wise, is that Chester actually sings and has real talent. Eminem doesn't even qualify as a singer. He's a rapper! He just raps to music. Chester's voice is timelessly amazing.
Whoa, he's such a good singer. Actually, he's not good... he's the best! I don't see how in this world he is at 30, and how in this damn world are Mariah Carey and Madonna higher than him? He has just recorded his first album and holds four No. 1 singles.
He is such a good singer; each of his songs is so good and so different from his other songs. He is the most versatile singer, winner of this year's BRIT Awards International, and has 6 Grammy nominations. He should be in the top ten. I don't know how, but in my eyes, he is even better than Michael Jackson! He is the rising star of our era, guys. Vote for him, or it's a shame on music!
Boy, why the hell is she below Taylor Swift? Taylor Swift has a limited vocal range, and her voice is too soft, innocent, and weak. Taylor Swift is fake as hell too. No wonder why Amy doesn't like pop stars that much.
I swear, Amy Lee is so underrated. She's the outcast in music, being overshadowed by most of the singers who have barely any talent. Amy Lee has been doing her thing since 1995. I wasn't even born until six years later! I found out about Amy Lee in 2016, and I was 14 going on 15 at that time. I wish I had found out about her sooner. Amy is my inspiration, along with Demi Lovato. If I become famous, I'll sing both of their songs all the time because they are both equally talented and equally beautiful to me.
She's amazing! Madonna has been an inspiration to a lot of people over the years, including, and especially, famous and well-known singers, songwriters, and even actors! She has a great voice and she makes a difference in the world using her voice, using the lyrics of her music to send a message to others.
For example, her song "Hey You" is telling you not to give up. It doesn't have to be about a specific topic, but about everything in general. If you have any problems, keep trying, and maybe you'll succeed. That's why Madonna really deserves to be on the list of 'Top 10 American Singers of All Time'.
What? 19? Axl should at least be in the top three, although he is my number one. Trust me, I've been a heavy metal freak for 15 years, and I have never heard a voice so powerful, beautiful, and skilled, nor have I seen a presence so out of this world. The way he moves on stage is kick-ass!
And Myles Kennedy is above Axl? I'm a huge Myles and Alter Bridge fan, but I just heard the recent Myles covers of Guns N' Roses songs, and he worked his butt off to hit the high notes. However, when he did hit them, it still sounded quite bad. Axl made the songs, and he sang them effortlessly while jumping on and off the stage. Myles is extraordinary, but they're just not in the same league.
He is a god because he is immortal. Even if death took him so early, he will live forever in the hearts of true music fans and in the small underground record shops that have shouldered the responsibility to preserve a huge part of our civilization, rock music.
Rock was so much more than just music. It was a movement, a statement of young people against oppression and discrimination. They said, "Enjoy your life because you only have one, and don't believe in the BS the church tries to pass off as morality. Jesus never said that you should always live in abstinence and away from pleasure."
Songs of that time were pure poetry. Take Pink Floyd, for example. And now, most of the modern songs talk about butts, and Britney Spears is believed to be better than Dio. Long live Ronnie!
A lot of people say she can't sing live. The media portrays her as not being able to sing, when in reality she has a pretty amazing voice. She can hit high notes, low notes, etc. She is a very talented, successful singer.
She is the first female singer to get five number-one hits off of one album, an achievement only accomplished by Michael Jackson himself. She is also the only artist in the world with three Diamond songs: Roar, Firework, and Dark Horse. Additionally, there are only 14 Diamond songs in the world, and Katy owns three of them. She is just very successful, and her albums are amazing. She deserves to be higher on this list. She is amazing and has an amazing persona.
"My heart will go on!" Just that line shows how she was a staple singer of the '90s. She sang a song for Titanic! Her voice is incredible - she can really hit those notes!
Celine Dion, the best-selling female artist in the world, is the greatest singer, to me! She has an incredible ability to sing among legends before her time. She is capable of singing with any other artists, and she gives you more than your money's worth. She's devoted to many foundations and supports many positive events.
She is unlike any other. I adore her as my all-time favorite. She has goals, and she accomplishes every single desire! I see her doing well all the way! She's come this far by faith, and she keeps pressing onward! A mother and family-oriented, a lady of many standards. Celine Dion is simply blessed and highly favored! Love her!
The lead singer of one of the best bands of the '90s (and arguably of all time) and the curator of the most defining song of that era, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," not being in the top 10 is just a joke. That song alone basically told the music industry, "Alright, we're done with the '80s now. This is how music should sound from here on out." He put grunge on the map, and it pretty much died with him.
His voice and the raspiness of his screams were so unique that many singers, especially grunge singers, have tried and failed to imitate them. As he said in his note, he wanted to burn out rather than fade away. That's what he wanted, and he went out in a blaze of glory. His mark on music is indelible. Gone far too soon.
He's the King of Grunge for a damn good reason. There will never be another singer like him.
RIP Kurt
Late 70s, he delivered high notes, somehow amalgamating with the 70s Jazz/Blues instrumental-heavy group, transforming them into something new altogether. You can't stop his voice from crawling over your skin during the high notes of Any Way You Want It, and others.
Then, the unforgettable melodies of the 80s. They delivered classic after classic. In the late 80s and especially in the 90s when his voice got raspier, he brought an altogether different element to the group's direction vocally, and they all gelled musically, delivering us a masterpiece like Trial By Fire. That's called improvisation at its best and converting it into an art.
Hail Steve Perry, the VOICE!
Layne Staley had the dramatic quality in his voice that reached out and held everyone in their darkness. His vocal opera is something that isn't easy to forget.
Layne Staley saved many people by giving them a voice to relate to. He went beyond addiction and became the icon of a pained human being. The beautiful thing is that it's not just the fans who have been touched, but even giants like Black Label Society, Phil Anselmo, or Staind pay tribute to Layne because in their own unique situations they've been touched in their dark hours when only Layne could relate to the depth of how painful it can be to be human.
Alice In Chains wasn't trying to be pop. Popularity wasn't their aim, yet they managed to reach such a massive fan base by being honest, humble, and vulnerable in everything they did. It's admirable, and it's not something that is likely to be duplicated ever again. But Layne Staley lived a life where there was only pain. He was blessed to have an amazing range and vibrato, which helped convey the message so fans could have an icon to relate to.
RIP Layne Staley - It didn't rain when you died, but many tears were shed instead.
Ozzy, while maybe not owning an operatic voice, is very unique in his sound and knows the limits within which he can sing. Sabotage and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath show that he can hit those high notes and sing very well. Lots of his solo work demonstrates this as well.
He has a personality and uniqueness that sound good, and for me, that's why he surpasses singers like Bruce Dickinson and others.
As they said about Freddie Mercury, this guy doesn't need a microphone so everyone can hear him! This man was more successful than Paul McCartney, and Black Sabbath was more successful than The Beatles! The only people that don't think he can sing are deaf people! Listen to the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath CD, and I think you'll change your mind about this list and put him at #1.
Not my favorite singer. In fact, I'm not a big fan of his music. However, this is a list of the best singers in the world, and Stevie is without a doubt worthy of the top five. In my opinion, I would put Elvis first, John Lennon second, Stevie Wonder third, Robert Plant fourth, and Freddie Mercury fifth. But that's just my opinion. Peace and love.
This is a joke. How can Stevie Wonder be this low? The list is about singing talent, not songwriting talent or screamo talent or if they were with a band that you like the sound of the most. It's a list about singing talent and only singing talent. Stevie Wonder had perfect pitch and insane control over his whole range and could outdo 99% of this list.
Ariana Grande's song "One Last Time" is really good and amazing, but it's also so emotional and sad. The song is largely a reference to the Manchester Bombing that happened a few years ago, and it pays tribute to every single victim involved.
Ariana is a strong, confident, brave, and kind woman. It's impressive enough that she has an incredible voice, but her actions also speak volumes. She showed compassion for all the victims by visiting them and even organized a One Love Manchester concert. I seriously wish I could meet her to tell her how touching her actions are and what an amazing, confident woman she is. She was visibly emotional, shedding many tears. If I had been there, I would have been crying too.
Even though the Manchester Bombing happened a few years ago, I still feel emotional whenever I hear "One Last Time." The lyrics are so poignant that they bring me to tears. I'm listening to the song right now, and it's making me emotional. The reason I'm posting this is because the song also reminds me of the pandemic and all the people who have been affected, who have suffered and passed away. It's devastating to think about how much everyone is suffering, and seeing Ariana crying onstage just adds to the emotional weight.
It's disheartening to hear that someone actually wished Ariana had died in the bombing. That's just wrong.
Seeing Ariana cry onstage after everything she's been through over the years makes me feel so bad for her. But despite it all, her fans continue to support her and cheer her on. Ariana, you are strong and beautiful. Keep singing because you are an incredibly talented woman!
All of this makes me realize how God works through people in tough times, even when it's not immediately apparent.
To everyone suffering and to those who have passed away from the pandemic, I just want to say, God bless you and rest in peace.