Top 10 Singers with the Best Vibrato (Excluding Opera Singers)
Vibrato is an effect consisting of a pulsating change of pitch. It is perceived as a regular oscillation in the pitch.Vibrato can be characterized by two factors:
- extent of vibrato (amount of pitch variation - wide or narrow)
- rate of vibrato (speed of pitch variation - fast or slow)
In this list I focus on the quality of vibrato, quality of the "attack", and not on whether I prefer one type of vibrato over another.
Opera singing usually includes vibrato whereas pop, metal and jazz - usually don't but there are exceptions. Some rock singers add vibrato to their sound although rock isn't a genre with a lot of vibrato either.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston is one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with an estimated 170–200 million records sold worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums,... read more Prime example - "I Will Always Love You". R.I.P. Whitney, WE Will Always Love You.
I have to agree. She is the voice of generation.
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara, 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Zanzibari-born British singer of Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Before he became a singer he has been in 3 other bands (Ibex, Sour Milk Sea, and The Hectics). He died on November 24, 1991 from bronchopneumonia as a result from HIV/AIDS Professor Christian Herbst, a voice teacher and biophysicist, analysed Freddie voice and found out that Freddie's vibrato differed slightly from that of classically trained singers. "Usually, you can sing a straight tone, but opera singers try to modulate the fundamental frequencies," he says. "So they make the tone, if you like, a bit more vibrant. Typically, an opera singer's vibrato has this frequency of about 5.5-6 Hz. Freddie Mercury's is higher, and it's also more irregular, and that kind of creates a very typical vocal fingerprint."
I much prefer Freddie's vibrato because it's subtle i.e. it's not overpowering. After all, he was primarily a ROCK SINGER!
Same goes to Freddie Mercury since he has one of the greatest voices in music history.
He's my most favorite singer!
Dinmukhamed Kanatuly Kudaibergenov, commonly known as Dimash Kudaibergen (born May 24th, 1994) is a Kazakh singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Dimash is best known as a contestant of Chinese talent show "Singer 2017" where he was declared a runner-up. He is also known for possessing a wide vocal range, measuring up to 5 octaves. He is classically trained and his vibrato is of highest quality. The speed of his vibrato is moderate - not too fast, not too slow, but it's always beautiful and powerful because of his impeccable vocal technique.
Title of the youtube video you can check out: Dimash Performs S.O.S. on The World's Best (HD)
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the former lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Check out Keeper of the Seven Keys by Helloween - after 12:30 there's a lot of impressive vibrato in a section that is about 40 seconds long
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an American heavy metal singer, songwriter and musician. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture and is known for his medieval themed lyrics. Dio possessed a powerful versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads; according to Rainbow/Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore upon hearing him sing, "I felt shivers down my spine." Dio sold over 47 million albums throughout his career.
He died from stomach cancer in 2010 at the age of 67. Very beautiful vibrato
Roy Kelton Orbison, professionally known as Roy Orbison, nicknamed Big O, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and musician, mostly known for his complex voice and for hits such as, "Oh, Pretty Woman".
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he founded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. In 2002, Staley was found dead in his home of a drug overdose. Possibly the vibrato I try to replicate the most, the gritty, somewhat twangy vibrato is excellent here.
Paul Bruce Dickinson, known professionally as Bruce Dickinson, (born 7 August 1958) is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He is most well known for being the lead singer in heavy metal band Iron Maiden and his solo career.Outside his career in music, Dickinson has pursued a number of other activities. He undertook a career as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines, which led to a number of media-reported ventures such as captaining Iron Maiden's converted charter aeroplane, Ed Force One, during their world tours. Following Astraeus' closure, he created his own aircraft maintenance and pilot training company, Cardiff Aviation, in 2012. Dickinson presented his own radio show ...read more. He's got a very wide vibrato and because of that perhaps it's not easy to notice it but he sometimes uses vibrato, for example in the chorus to Run to the Hills (caps) "Run to the hills, run for your LIFE"
The vibrato I tried to replicate but couldn't.
Geoff Tate is a German-born American singer and musician who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band Queensrÿche.
Ian Gillan is an English singer and songwriter. He originally found success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple, and the original singer on the rock opera concept album Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber, where Gillan had the leading role (Jesus Christ). He's got a very wide vibrato; it tends to be slow and not fast
Fantastic bluesy vibrato, perfect for the songs.
Love this guys voice.
Doro Pesch is a German hard rock singer that started her career in native Düsseldorf in the early 80s with the underground bands Snakebite and Beast.
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest and famed for his powerful wide ranging operatic voice.
Fabio Tordiglione is an Italian singer and lyricist who has sung with many music bands including Rhapsody of Fire, Labyrinth, Ayreon, Angra, Vision Divine, Hollow Haze, Kaledon, Ancient Bards, and Athena. He is Italian and because opera is in their blood, I guess that's the reason Italians love vibrato
Mariah Carey, born March 27, 1970, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is one of the biggest best-selling women in the music industry, with 18 number 1 records to her name. She is regarded as a sex symbol through her songs and music videos, and she is "well known" for her over-the-top ...read more.
Todd La Torre is an American singer and drummer. He is the lead singer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, and a former lead vocalist of the bands Crimson Glory and Rising West.
Umm Kulthum was an internationally famous Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s.
Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella.
Barbara Joan Streisand, known professionally as Barbra Streisand, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker.
Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister. ...read more.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. Graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006, Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year. She is best known with her international ...read more.
Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has a quite wide vibrato
Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Grammy ...read more.
Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, often credited as K. S. Chithra or simply Chithra, is an Indian playback singer from Kerala. Chithra also sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music.