Like a face with an astutely placed mole, or a crooked tooth, or a wicked scar with a
story, the best voices are not always the most perfect. And yes, we're well aware we'll
probably be inundated with threats from all the pedagogists out there, but eh, we think we
can take 'em. Don't forget, threatening pedagogists, Trunkbunker HQ is a virtual fight
club, full of vitriole, spite and a healthy/unhealthy does of envy... so if you're gonna
bring it, bring it strong.
So, easing away from our preemptive preemptivity, this list is not a list of the
most perfect, beautiful, wide-ranging, or acrobatic voices. It's a list of voices that demand
your attention. It's a list of voices that at first you're not so sure about, only to realize
in time that the music wouldn't work without it. It's a list of voices whereupon first
utterance, you know exactly who's behind the mic. So while yes, Mariah Carey is impressive,
and Renee Fleming is astounding, and Andrea Bocelli is magnificent, they don't stand out
from those that came before them. They're an extension of a style that's the coefficient of
an era extrapolated to it's ultimate, obvious conclusion, with very little margin for
variance. Excellent, but boring. Now, there are some students of the "greats" that have
diverged from the equation, consequences be damned, and have come up with something unique
and beautiful and emotional and would still be considered, by the elitist pedegogists out
there, acceptable. There, pesky pedagogististas... olive branch.
Oh, and we should note that when we begun our work on this list, it was another in what we
intend to be a long line of top 50 lists. Then we noticed that fucking Rolling Stone
just released an extremely similar, top 100 list (we think we've figured out who the mole
is within our ranks, and rest assured, they will be dealt with according to the laws and
customs of the Guantanamo detainment facility)... and since we're jealous, petty people who
often hold grudges... ah hell, who are we kidding... always hold grudges, it's time
for a little one-upsmanship. So without further adieu...
Top 101 Vocalists
1. Fiona Apple
Often imitated, never duplicated... Ms. Apple... Fiona...
do you mind if we call her Fiona? We don't technically know
her, but Ms. Apple taught us maths in grade 6 and was a bit
of a bitch, and we'd like to keep that association to a
minimum. Anyway, Fiona came out of the chute with a
deep, sultry sound sculpted by the troubles of her youth...
which, by the way, she was still in the midst of when she
hit the scene at 16! And if you're thinking "Yeah, she's
good, but number 1?"... first off, you're stupid to question
us... second, go listen to her cover of Elvis Costello's
"I Want You"... all the way through. A true, tour de force.
2. Louis Armstrong
We don't know what gave his voice that wonderful rasp...
smoking, living to close to pollution, a childhood virus
of some sort... but man, what a thing it is to hear.
3. Ben Ottewell (Gomez)
So there you are, calmly listening to a jangly pop intro from
Gomez, minding your own business, when this voice, this
unbelievable, almost misplaced voice, comes flowing through
your speakers. "This can't be real" you think to yourself, "from
this small, indie pop group? Nah, it can't be real." But it is, and
yes, it will cause you to question the very nature of reality, and if
you're not careful, you might begin to believe that the glass of
urine that's inexplicably on your counter is actually green tea,
and drinking that, we'll admit, will regrettably snap you back
to reality.
4. Mavis Staples
Criminally underrated soul sister who hit the scene
with her family band, the Staple Singers in the 1950's.
They were so successful, and so gospel-oriented,
that they were dubbed "God's Greatest Hitmakers".
The Gaithers might have something to say about that.
5. Stuart Staples (Tindersticks)
We know what you're thinking, and the answer is no, there's no relation
between Stuart and Mavis. A striking coincidence, you might insinuate,
that two unrelated peoples with the fairly uncommon surname "Staples"
would be ranked so highly and close together on our list... and you'd
be right. We've used our superior intelligence when it comes to
statistic-figuring-out-stuff... to place the percentages of such a thing
happening hovering around .000000000006 %, give or take a few
hundred-millionths of a percentage point. That's learning at work!
6. Bono (U2)
His douchebaggedness doesn't diminish the power and
awesomeness of those bitchin' pipes.
7. Janis Joplin
Everyone knows Janis, so there's no need to describe her
astonishing vocal prowess in detail. Instead, we'll wax poetic
about the inherent greatness a good paella will unleash on your
taste buds. Actually, we'll just leave it at that.
8. Johnny Cash
The truth about the tough, gravelly Man in Black...
hero to America's incarcerated... bastion of southern
strength... is that Johnny Cash died of a broken heart.
9. Antony Hegarty (Antony & The Johnsons)
If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing
Antony Hegarty's warbling pipes, we implore
you to make the effort. It's almost indescribable,
except by us, since we do this for a living. So
here goes... it's the voice of an angelic songbird
casting a sometimes subtle, sometimes brazen
mating call to the lover it longs for. Damn.
You know, sometimes... we impress ourselves.
10. Jimmy Ricks (The Ravens)
1950's America couldn't have been faulted had they mistakenly
thought the voice that burst forth over the doo-wop rhythms
championed by the Ravens was that of God himself. It's so deep,
in fact, that roughly 27% of the population can't even hear it...
so if you're trying to check him out and don't hear anything, don't
blame us... blame your lousy genes.
11. Jeff Buckley
Normally we're not into telling you what to do... oh, who
are we kidding? It's one of our favorite things to do. And
here's more. Go buy, or burn, or "borrow" Buckley's "Live at
Sin-E" album and give it a good listen. Just another in a long
list (this time, yours) of things to thank us for.
12. Otis Redding
Of all the funky, bluesy, gospel-laced soul men out there,
Redding was the blueprint.
13. Dusty Springfield
So Elton John called her the greatest white singer there's
ever been. Close, Elton. She's actually the 9th best white
singer there's ever been... though, to be fair, some weren't
established or even born when Mr. John said that.
14. Leonard Cohen
We don't expect to get much argument here... except maybe
this one: "Why isn't he higher?"... to which we'll respond
first with indignation, then with "have you listened to those
who came before him? This is no slight."
15. Tracy Chapman
Understated but stellar... the breeze on a warm day
that makes everything perfect.
16. Stevie Nicks
Classic Flight of the Conchords scene:
Murray: When you’re in a band, you don’t get with your
bandmate’s girlfriend - past or present.
Jemaine: Yes, well thanks for that.
Murray: You get a love triangle - you know? Fleetwood Mac
situation... well there there was four of them, so more of a
love square. But you know, no one gets on.
Jemaine: Okay, I see.
Murray: Mind you, they did make some of their best music
back then.
Bret: Rumours.
Murray: No, that’s all true.
17. Paolo Conte
In this instance, not even our poetically gifted words can
do more to describe Paolo's voice than this brilliant photo.
18. Jackie Wilson
Mr. Excitement, as he was known, not only had the pipes
to handily vindicate this spot, but his stage persona was
co-opted by none other than Michael Jackson. His early hits
were written by one Berry Gordy Jr., who used his proceeds
from the Wilson train to start a little record label... maybe
you've heard of it... Motown Records.
19. Harry Belafonte
If what our research tells us is true (and it is nearly half the
time), then Harry's one of those rare Jamaican-French-British
Americans. He was born in Harlem, to a Jamaican mother and
an English-French (via Marinique) father. So basically, he's a
true American.
20. Chan Marshall (Cat Power)
To summon her cat powers... she must
merely hold up the Sword of Omens and chant
"Thunder... Thunder... Thunder... Thundercats...
HO!"... at which point her voice immediately
becomes sultry and evocative.
21. John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater
Revival)
Technically one of the greatest singers? Not a chance. But if
it's technical you're looking for, call up the geek squad or the
nerd herd or whatever they're called. You know, the insult
they've turned into a point of pride. No, what you've got
here with Fogerty is an artist, and a damn fine one.
22. Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards)
One of the most unique voices in the biz ("the biz" is what we
insider types call the music industry... don't want anyone getting
lost in the lingo). And did you know (OK, you didn't, but we didn't
want to be rude... until this parenthetical, that is) that they got
their band name from one of those bar-trivia games? The question
was "what is the name of Tom Petty's backing band?", and one
of the options was "Tom Petty & The Heartless Bastards". Brilliant.
23. Eddie Vedder
Inspired a generation's worth of angry youth to ditch their
fashionable clothes, start bands, and attempt his distinctive
howling growl, to mostly disappointing results.
24. Feist
So she used to live with Peaches, and if you don't know
who Peaches is, let's just say she's virtually the exact
opposite, at least as far as public persona goes, to Feist.
25. James Brown
We often boast, and this is in line with that sort of thing.
We were there... in attendance, when the Hardest Working
Man in Show Business asked his band to hit it forty-eight
times. And we'll be damned if they didn't nail it...
26. Lou Rawls
Or, "whoever is the singing voice for Garfield
the cat. That cat can sing!"
27. Van Morrison
Hmmmm... so Van is actually short for Ivan... and he
rose to prominence as a member of the band Them
during the 1960's... which, along with other facts that
can easily be twisted to prove our point, leads us to
believe that "Van", at the very least, was, a Russian
spy. One that could fucking sing. The perfect cover.
28. Frankie Lymon
How a teenage kid could have such amazing pipes, we'll
never know.
29. Louis Jordan
Like Louis Armstrong, Jordan was a jack-of-all-trades (well,
at least two), as well known for his ability with an instrument
(in this case, the saxomophone) as for his stellar vocal jocularity.
30. Roy Orbison
He was the son of Orbie Orbison. Just thought we'd point
that out... no real reason, other than it's FUCKING AWESOME!
31. Bjork
Often lost in the, um, enthusiasm of her persona... is the
radiance of her voice. She has serious, top-30-all-time
level pipes, and she certainly knows how to use them.
32. Sinead O'Connor
Certainly announced herself, and her voice, to the world
with her cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U". Then
promptly announced her beliefs to the world during a
Saturday Night Live performance.
33. Craig Minowa (Cloud Cult)
Certainly not the greatest voice out there from
a technical standpoint... but nobody's voice carries
more emotion than Craig Minowa's. Nobody's.
34. Chrissy Hynde (The Pretenders)
Punk... New Wave... Indie... Alternative... even Blues...
why all the labels? Can't it just be good shit? And really,
all that matters, at least in this case, is that intriguing
voice emanating from the speakers.
35. Long John Baldry
Massively under-appreciated blues man with an
electric voice.
36. Michael Jackson
A musical revolution... harmonically, rhythmically, athletically,
vocally... too bad it retarded him socially.
37. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
The best "scream-singer" there's ever been. And he's not
too shabby when it comes to scatting, either.
38. Adele
A newcomer to the scene, and while the door may have
been opened by Amy Winehouse, Adele stormed through
it like it was a breezeway.
39. Bill Withers
We know we know we know we know we know we know we know
we know we know we know we know we know we know we know
we know we know we know we know we know we know we know
we know we know we know we know we know that if you keep on
using us, you're gonna use us up.
40. Willie Nelson
Almost too nasally, almost too emotionless, almost too talkative,
but not quite. Instead, the perfect mixture of everything. No one
can do what Willie does.
41. Tim Booth (James)
So he asked us to say something, say something,
anything, so here goes: couldn't you have come up
with a better name? We know you put a lot of effort
into it, and we understand your thought process, but
it just seems like there was some overthinking going
on. James is the kind of name you stumble onto by
accident, not through a long, drawn-out process. Hey,
don't get angry. You asked us to say it.
42. Howlin' Wolf
He sounds so much better than an actual, howling wolf, but
it does fit his larger than life character. As music critic
Cub Koda put it: "no one could match [Howlin' Wolf] for the
singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation
while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits."
43. Levon Helm (The Band)
One of those voices that sounds like it's
always amped, the best singing drummer
on our list.
44. Layne Staley (Alice in Chains)
Very few singers carried hopelessness and anger in their voices like
Layne Staley. And to that end, very few singers were better, especially
when it came to exuding a sense of desperation, than Layne Staley.
45. Al Jolson
Al Jolson spent most of his entertaining life wearing black face,
which certainly detracts from his value as a performer. His
voice however, was unique and influenced most of the vocal
stylings of the time.
46. Bonnie Tyler
Sometimes smokers, or at least, those who sound like they've
smoked, benefit from the side effects of their vice. Already,
this list is full of smokers, and here's another... probably.
47. Jim Morrison (The Doors)
You can have your opinions, but disagree with this one and
it's clear that you simply hate music. Oh, and you're a fascist.
48. Max Raabe
German crooner straight out of the 20's, but with a
modern twist. Would be indescribable, except that it's
us doing the describing, so expect to understand exactly
how he sounds after reading the following sentence...
Check this out.
49. Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music)
Mastered the art of the vocal hiccup... the mid-word
thrust, accenting both the volume and often altering
the pitch. Very effective, and though many have tried
to imitate it, few have succeeded.
50. Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees)
Deep and sorrowful, he's gone on to a
successful solo career following the demise
of the Trees.
51. Buddy Holly
You have to admit, it's shocking, these days, that Gary Busey's
big break was depicting Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. Really,
this guy as that guy over there on the right. Hard to fathom.
52. Milton Nascimento
The Brazilian Chameleon we're calling him
(hmmmm.... another list, perhaps?). He can
dance between an angelic alto and a
despondent baritone... a hopeful romantic
and a dejected... romantic.
53. Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse)
Yes, you heard us right. Well, you read us right, at least.
Young Mr. Brock's an excellent example of what we like to
call a "seductive enhancer" (man, we're pretty good at this
nickname stuff... maybe a list is called for). Let us explain.
What? OK, well we're explaining anyway. You see, on first
listen, he doesn't make the greatest impression... usually
ranging from distinct apathy to utter disdain. And then the
seduction begins. You notice the agony and the excitement
and the anger and the staccato fluctuations and before you
realize it, you're hooked. Then it hits you that, in fact, it's
the voice that makes the song and not vice-versa... or,
as we like to say, it's the voice that enhances the music.
Hence, the seductive enhancer. And we believe the proper
term to be applied here is... boo-yeah, yes?
54. Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the
Machine)
One thing you know for sure as soon as you hear the first
note... he's pissed. As a matter of fact, we don't think
anyone's done pissed as well as Zack. And be sure to check
out his new project, One Day as a Lion.
55. Bob Marley
Bob brought it, there's no doubt. All that stuff
he sung about... poverty, racism, hope,
desperation... every bit of it coloured his voice.
56. Patti Smith
She sent the pedagogists to their graves, and for that, we
love her. She took their "traditional" methods and styles of
singing and put a cigarette out in their eyes, and what she
came up with was infinitely more beautiful and interesting.
Take that, establishment... again.
57. Fats Waller
Sexist, rude, crass and decidedly un-P.C., but man, what
a voice.
58. Ray Charles
His version of "America the Beautiful" is
easily the definitive version, and swathed
with all of the emotion and thanks of a man
who clearly believes what he's singing.
59. Elvis Presley
No need to describe Elvis' southern pastoral thing,
instead we'll take you here, so you can avoid Elvis' fate.
60. Aaron Neville
Got to be the buffest of the soul singers out there... why does no
one bring this up? The man's huge... abnormally huge, if you catch
what we're throwing. Coupled with that high, angelic, 60th greatest
voice of all time, and it makes you wonder...
61. Patsy Cline
The voice to which all other female country singers are
compared, and for good reason.
62. Tom Waits
We're aware that opinions on his voice can be divisive, so to
keep your house from falling apart, we suggest that you
anoint yourself dictator, so that dissenting opinions will
be squashed, thus keeping your fearful little minions in
line. Plus, you're right. His voice is awesome. Take solace
in your accuracy.
63. Caleb Followill (Kings of Leon)
Once again, a voice that often isn't understood
on first listen. Give it some time. Leonardo
DiCaprio's doppelganger gets it... the passion,
the fascination in variety, the appeal of the
southern thang... but mostly, he gets the ladies.
64. Aretha Franklin
Too low for your liking? Ours too, but what can we do? She's
brilliant, no doubt, but she borders on being too perfect. And
maybe that's our fault. For so long she's been held up as the
voice to which all others should be measured that maybe, as
the template, she's become a victim of her own awesomeness.
Regardless, there's just enough of her own sound that she
continues to stand apart, just not as much as others...
65. Edith Piaf
The tragic, drug-addled, forlorn life of one of the
world's greatest singers sure makes for good cinema, eh?
66. Florence Welch (Florence & The
Machine)
Brand new to the scene, you have to listen to
her cover of the Cold War Kids "Hospital Beds"
(and when when we say "have to", we damn
well mean it... don't come back until you've
heard it).
67. Bonnie Raitt
So you probably know what Bonnie Raitt sounds like... that
southern blues thing with the wonderful drawl... but did you
know her father was a star on Broadway? Or that she was
raised a Quaker? We didn't think so... and that's what we're
here for.
68. Kim Carnes
Again, another singer who at least sounds like
they've benefitted from the ravages of smoking.
69. Tunde Adebimpe (TV On the Radio)
Not the first (but the first mentioned) of our singers to also
dabble in acting, having starred in the indie film Jump
Tomorrow and more recently, in Jonathan Demme's Rachel
Getting Married with Anne Hathaway.
70. Peter Gabriel
We're not exactly sure how Genesis carried on without him.
Sure, Phil Collins is great, but compared to Pete he might
as well be belching the lyrics... and that's not a dig at Phil...
well, it's not supposed to be. It's just... such was Pete's
greatness...
71. Madeleine Peyroux
So she hit the scene out of Paris, and with that name
you'd assume she's French, right? Well, you'd be wrong.
She was born in Athens, Georgia, and didn't move to Paris
until she was a teenager.
72. Marianne Faithfull
OK, we're willing to admit that she can be an acquired taste...
if you're willing to admit that her appeal is universal and easy
to understand. Ah, we've got ourselves one of them conundrums,
don't we? Oh, and we should mention this is for her post Broken
English work. You know, once her chords had been ravaged by
the pratfalls of living.
73. Jimmie Rodgers
When he sings, he's excellent. When he yodels, he's
transcendant.
74. Ray LaMontagne
Breathy and raspy, bluesy and classy, the perfect voice for
knocking back tequila slammers at noon on a Tuesday.
75. Dwight Yoakam
Another one of our singers to dabble in the thespian arts,
having appeared in Wedding Crashers, Panic Room, and
Sling Blade, among others.
76. Michael McDonald
He was introduced to the world as a backup singer and
all-around instrumentalist for Steely Dan, before being
recruited by the Doobie Brothers to be their lead singer.
Unique in that his rough, husky, bluesy voice is in a higher
than typical range.
77. Rod Stewart
One thing about Rod... when he's behind the mic, everyone
knows it. That's one of the greatest things about his voice...
there's not another one like it. Oh, and for the record... no Rod,
we don't think you're sexy. Not at all. Just wanted to establish
our position on that one.
78. Greg Gilbert (The Delays)
Almost whiny, but not quite. Instead, vulnerable and
virtuous, full of the naivete of youth.
79. Chris de Burgh
It's a shame, really, that all he's remembered for is the
admittedly excellent "Lady in Red", as his entire catalogue
is full of impressive tunes.
80. David Bowie
Receiving transmission from David Bowie's nipple antennae.
Do you read us, Lieutenant Bowie? We've been pulled in by
your groovitational pull.
81. Annie Lennox
Another vocal chameleon who can go deep and sultry or
high and diva, and do it with a touch of class. Sister's
doin' it for herself.
82. Bob Seger
How solid is his voice? You really want to ask us that... cause
you know what's coming, right? It's like a rock. We warned you.
83. Miriam Makeba
Africa's most beautiful voice, carrying both the struggles
and the hope of a continent within it's powerful splendor.
And man, are we good at this or what?
84. Freddie Mercury (Queen)
As powerful a rock and roll voice as you'll ever find, he's
the template for the "rock opera" sound.
85. Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
We know you're a creep and a weirdo, Thommy, but you're here
because you got those sweet, angelic pipes. And you do belong
here.
86. Macy Gray
She's like the female version of Fenster (and for those of you who
don't get that reference, go watch The Usual Suspects now... we're
not gonna wait for you, but you should do it anyway). How that
voice ever became, we'll never know, but we're guessing a decent
mix of all kinds of shit that's not so good for you. 'Atta girl.
87. Joe Strummer (The Clash)
Punk's greatest ever voice, and it's not really close... unless of
course you consider that Strummer became decidedly un-punk
in his later days... Still good though.
88. Billie Holiday
A tragic story, but one of the most interesting voices of the
early 20th century. A standard-bearer who manipulated the
language like no one before her (and hardly since).
89. Nathan Willett (Cold War Kids)
Here's a fascinating story... Cold War Kids drummer Matt
Aveiro is Cristiano Ronaldo's cousin. Which goes a long
way in explaining the Kids' affinity for flopping (OK, we
admit, it would have been a much more appropriate joke
had anything they'd done actually flopped, but damnet,
when we get a joke in our heads we're running with it,
true or no).
90. Nina Simone
Deep, bold, sexy... Nina's voice is standing up to the test of
time better than most.
91. Ane Brun
She has the enviable ability to sound both child-like and
mature, all within the same syllable.
92. John Lennon
Had the rough edge that Paul's smooth voice could never have...
and it put him over the top as a singer.
93. Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say
Yeah)
Bizarre mix of David Byrne, and oh, we don't know... some sort
of whooping sparrow? Whatever it is, it works.
94. Lee Mavers (The La's)
Most well know as the voice behind "There She Goes"...
"there she goes again...", which isn't altogether bad, it's
just that the La's were so much more than that one song.
95. Sam Cooke
We're not denying the awesomeness of his voice (far from it, he
wouldn't be on this list if his voice weren't awesome), he only
comes in this low because it's almost too perfect... there's no
crooked tooth to remind us he's human.
96. Burton Cummings (The Guess Who)
Listen to "These Eyes" or "Undun", or even "American Woman"
and explain to us how he doesn't belong on this list.
97. Joe Cocker
Made his name with brilliant covers (particularly of
Beatles songs) and a spastic, maniacal stage presence.
But there's no denying that wonderful voice.
98. Kelvin Swaby (The Heavy)
Falsetto brilliance. If you haven't had a chance to
hear The Heavy yet, we highly recommend them.
99. Marvin Gaye
Marvin suffers from Sam Cooke Syndrome... that is, his
voice is so perfect, and so emulated that it's lost it's ability
to stand out. Or, stand alone, we should say. Cause it still
stands out.
100. Matt Berninger (The National)
Comes from the same school that brought us
Leonard Cohen and Mark Lanegan. Deep and
morose and fucking beautiful.
101. Jack Black (Tenacious D)
That's right, like his character in High Fidelity,
the man can actually wail.
