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Name Your Favorite Rock and Roll and Pop Singers of All Time ...

That’s fair-
His conviction to the story is crucial to the success

Right ... plus this list is the one YOU like best.

Several people have named Karen Carpenter and she is almost always mentioned among the very best across the board by critics. For me, she's just kinda "meh."
 
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Adam Duritz is a very underrated singer. His version of Big Yellow Taxi is well done. He might be in my top 10 for favorite singers.

Loved his voice from the first album, but after that on every song it just kinda felt like he was mailing it in.
 
A few nobody mentioned...

John Denver (many may feel he was syrupy, but in concert he told great stories, played a wonderful guitar, and could really sing)

Nanci Griffith (she talks in a little squeaky voice, but great voice)

Justin Hayward (with the Moody Blues and in solo tours, hits the right notes)

The Gallagher Brothers (have seen Noel in concert but both he and Liam hit it for me)

Tim Booth (James lead singer...really gets a crowd moving...listen to “Sometimes”—stunning song)

Brian Fallon (strong rock voice, doesn’t hit high notes, but just solid)

Kurt Neumann (another one who doesn’t hit the high notes, but good voice for Americana music...and when he was Sammy Lanas, almost like Simon & Garfunkel...BoDeans are a fun live group)

Michael Franti (can sing rock, pop, reggae, or smooth sound and they all sound good)

Drew Holcomb (solid)

Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce (Jackopierce...stunningly great harmonies)

Kelly Jones (Stereophonics’ lead singer—good rock voice...listen to C’Est la Vie or Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Gary Lightbody (solo or with Snow Patrol...knows his range, and it works)

Scott McCaughey (Minus 5 or other projects, local Portland artist...listen to The Baseball Project, especially Harvey Haddix or The Closer...another voice that knows what it can do)

Michael Bublé (just a great pop voice)

Josh Groban (incredible voice)

Harry Chapin (miss his lyrical, story telling voice)

Jim Croce (another voice missed, and we lost him way too early)

Amy McDonald (infectious voice)

Wow...and too many more to name!

Hail to PITT!
-al-
 
I hate NIN's Hurt. Hate it. It's nothing short of whiny and annoying. But Cash's version often brings me to tears.
NIN's "Hurt" live is completely different than the studio version. Much more haunting. But Johnny Cash's version, I mean he lived it. And that's hard to replicate.
 
A few nobody mentioned...

John Denver (many may feel he was syrupy, but in concert he told great stories, played a wonderful guitar, and could really sing)

Nanci Griffith (she talks in a little squeaky voice, but great voice)

Justin Hayward (with the Moody Blues and in solo tours, hits the right notes)

The Gallagher Brothers (have seen Noel in concert but both he and Liam hit it for me)

Tim Booth (James lead singer...really gets a crowd moving...listen to “Sometimes”—stunning song)

Brian Fallon (strong rock voice, doesn’t hit high notes, but just solid)

Kurt Neumann (another one who doesn’t hit the high notes, but good voice for Americana music...and when he was Sammy Lanas, almost like Simon & Garfunkel...BoDeans are a fun live group)

Michael Franti (can sing rock, pop, reggae, or smooth sound and they all sound good)

Drew Holcomb (solid)

Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce (Jackopierce...stunningly great harmonies)

Kelly Jones (Stereophonics’ lead singer—good rock voice...listen to C’Est la Vie or Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Gary Lightbody (solo or with Snow Patrol...knows his range, and it works)

Scott McCaughey (Minus 5 or other projects, local Portland artist...listen to The Baseball Project, especially Harvey Haddix or The Closer...another voice that knows what it can do)

Michael Bublé (just a great pop voice)

Josh Groban (incredible voice)

Harry Chapin (miss his lyrical, story telling voice)

Jim Croce (another voice missed, and we lost him way too early)

Amy McDonald (infectious voice)

Wow...and too many more to name!

Hail to PITT!
-al-

Neat list!

"Sometimes" is my favorite James song.
 
Neat list!

"Sometimes" is my favorite James song.
I found DT's cassette collection.

EYT21jBX0AEMk-L
 
Unless I missed it how could no one mention Sir Paul McCartney. In his prime he could belt out the melodic songs and the rockers with both the Beatles and solo efforts or with Wings. I agree about those that list Don Henley and Darryl Hall. Both still sound pretty good in their early 70S.
 
Still you may like jimmy buffet -
But I find it hard to believe it’s for his singing


Likewise those who listen Johnny cash . I love the man in black - but it’s not because of his singing -
It’s because of his storytelling in songs
just can't let it go, eh? he just explained his reasoning and he is not alone. Think they are called Parrotheads.. Guess Buffet must have got drunk and pissed in your corn flakes somewhere down the line....
 
Right ... plus this list is the one YOU like best.

Several people have named Karen Carpenter and she is almost always mentioned among the very best across the board by critics. For me, she's just kinda "meh."
Respectfully disagree here. Karen Carpenter probably has one of the best singing voices ever. By the way, I saw their live show at the Syria Mosque in the 1970s. It was an incredible performance.
 
Respectfully disagree here. Karen Carpenter probably has one of the best singing voices ever. By the way, I saw their live show at the Syria Mosque in the 1970s. It was an incredible performance.

Oh ... I totally get that. She's universally considered one of the very, very best. But she just doesn't do it for me personally in any special way.
 
There's so much talent out there that it's hard to come-up with a list without wondering who hasn't been mentioned. Here's a list of some of my personal favorites, but it merely skims the surface:

*Jerry Butler - "The Ice Man"

*David Ruffin - Singer for "The Temptations" - arguably the best of the bunch of great voices in the legendary vocal group.

*Billy Stewart - you might not recognize the name, but if you're older, you certainly know the music.

*Bruno Mars - is there any question?

*Johnny Rzeznik - front man for "The Goo Goo Dolls"

*Mark McGrath - front man for "Sugar Ray" - a personal guilty pleasure

*John Frinzi - I'm probably one of a few on here who knows who he is. He sings "trop rock" (Jimmy Buffett -type music), but he has a voice that JB wishes that he had. I've heard him stand-in with "The Coral Reefer Band" in Buffett's absence, and he made Buffett's music sound even better.

Here's John Frinzi singing one of his own songs:

 
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There's so much talent out there that it's hard to come-up with a list without wondering who hasn't been mentioned. Here's a list of some of my personal favorites, but it merely skims the surface:

*Jerry Butler - "The Ice Man"

*David Ruffin - Singer for "The Temptations" - arguably the best of the bunch of great voices in the legendary vocal group.

*Billy Stewart - you might not recognize the name, but if you're older, you certainly know the music.

*Bruno Mars - is there any question?

*Johnny Rzeznik - front man for "The Goo Goo Dolls"

*Mark McGrath - front man for "Sugar Ray" - a personal guilty pleasure

*John Frinzi - I'm probably one of a few on here who knows who he is. He sings "trop rock" (Jimmy Buffett -type music), but he has a voice that JB wishes that he had. I've heard him stand-in with "The Coral Reefer Band" in Buffett's absence, and he made Buffett's music sound even better.

Here's John Frinzi singing one of his own songs:



Our Pirates in Paradise PA Chapter features Frinzi a lot. We see him each year in Key West at the MOTM week.
95393080_2769121413214288_467908383064719360_n.jpg



Cindy Rindock shared a post.
March 25
Pirates, if you haven’t already seen this it’s well worth your time or see it again . John sounds fantastic , as usual.


89912392_10221852328798534_7058768881141153792_n.jpg

John Frinzi shared a live video.
March 25
 
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Our Pirates in Paradise PA Chapter features Frinzi a lot. We see him each year in Key West at the MOTM week.
95393080_2769121413214288_467908383064719360_n.jpg



Cindy Rindock shared a post.
March 25
Pirates, if you haven’t already seen this it’s well worth your time or see it again . John sounds fantastic , as usual.


89912392_10221852328798534_7058768881141153792_n.jpg

John Frinzi shared a live video.
March 25
Frinzi usually appears at the annual “Meeting of the Minds“ in Key West, and he’s always a treat. It’s a shame that he rarely gets airplay outside of Radio Margaritaville on Sirius.
 
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Frinzi usually appears at the annual “Meeting of the Minds“ in Key West, and he’s always a treat. It’s a shame that he rarely gets airplay outside of Radio Margaritaville on Sirius.

We get emails from a couple who must be very wealthy, they own a lot of property off 476 The blue rte in eastern PA.
They host Buffett like concerts in the summer in their yard. Pirates in Paradise club members get email invites, bring some food for all, a chair, bathing suit ( they have a big pool- hot tubs) and they host groups like Jimmy and the Boat Drunks prior to a John Frinzi appearance.
I think they host 3 or 4 events a year we try to get to atleast one. If I get an invite I'll remind you on this site.
 
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just can't let it go, eh? he just explained his reasoning and he is not alone. Think they are called Parrotheads.. Guess Buffet must have got drunk and pissed in your corn flakes somewhere down the line....
It’s a discussion
If people simply listed their favorites without comment it would be a boring topic

parrotheads enjoy bad music :)
 
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My son and I have been doing our share of "binge-watching" during the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home orders, and one of our treasures has been the glorious comedy “Scrubs.”

Among the other wonderful qualities of Scrubs is the superlative list of songs utilized in episode after episode. In our episodic trek, we are now into season six, within which occurred the song, “Be Yourself” by Audioslave. I annoyed my son by making him rewind three times to listen to the magical voice of Chris Cornell. We then continued the pause of Scrubs to retire to YouTube to continue the magic.

This experience made me realize that this is certainly my most favorite voice in history of rock and pop music. So as we wait for sports to return, sounds like a subject for the PantherLair to deliberate.

Who are your favorite voices in rock and roll and pop history?

This isn’t a list that is trying to define the best of all time my any critical objective measure. This is a list of the ones YOU like best. These are the voices that connect with you the most for whatever criteria you wish to use. Maybe they sound the best. Maybe they touch with you the most emotionally. Maybe these voices impress you the most by the notes they can reach? Doesn’t matter. It’s YOUR criteria.

In the spirit of college sports, I’ll offer my own top 25. Feel free to try to name your own top 25, or top 10, or top 5. Or even just your one favorite. No wrong answers here. Maybe only a few embarrassing ones.

So here goes.

1. Chris Cornell. Soundgarden. Audioslave. Solo. The emotions in his deep expressive baritone are undeniable. If you aren’t convinced, listen to him sing his version of Michael J’s Billie Jean and I dare you not to cry. Listen to: “Be Yourself”

The rest of the top 10, (in no particular order)

* Chrissy Hynde – Her beautiful alto has touched me from the moments when she rocked out until she smoothed with her crooning. Listen to: “It’s a Thin Line Between Love and Hate.”

* Bono – Sure, call him a political blowhard. But his power, influence and emotional impact can’t be denied. Listen to: “One”

* Marvin Gaye – Do I need to explain? Listen to: “What’s Going On?”

* Jeff Buckley – Imagine what we’d say about him had he not died too early. Listen to: “Vancouver”

* Ann Wilson – This exercise need not be difficult. Listen to “Crazy On You.”

* Neil Young – Never a voice anyone would consider a great instrument. Only a perfectly emotional one. Listen to: “Needle and the Damage Done

* Bjork – I always loved Bjork and this appreciation grew over time. As a part of this exercise, I really hope readers will truly listen to the song suggested. Listen to: “Stonemiker:

* Kurt Cobain – He hurt. We all hurt. Listen to: “Rape Me.”

* Sufjan Stevens – A special talent of our time. Listen to: “Mystery of Love”

Rounding out the Top 25, (not in any order)

* Dave Grohl – An extraordinary talent of this millennium. Listen to: “Everlong”

* Gregg Allman – He was never really a redneck. Listen to: “Melissa”

* Annie Lennox – A voice that was never appreciated at the extraordinary level it should have been. Listen to: “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.”

* Jenny Lewis – Another voice sprayed across so many wonderful acts including her own. Listen to: “Acid Tounge”

* Thom Yorke – Radiohead is glorious in so many ways, but only recently did I begin to really appreciate Thom’s voice. Listen to: “The Numbers”

* Anne Previn – It’s a shame that Natalie Imbruglia was famous and Edna Swap was not. Listen to: “Back on the Sun.”

* Lou Reed – I won’t explain. Instead, Listen to: “Pale Blue Eyes”

* Zach Condron – I believe Zach and Beirut are an acquired taste. I acquired it. Listen to: “Port of Call”

* Neko Case – I encourage everyone to listen to the New Pornographers. Listen to “Champions of Red Wine.”

* Paul Weller – Maybe the most underrated artist and singer of the Rock and Roll era, either from the Jam, Style Council or solo. Listen to: “That’s Entertainment.”

* Phil Collins – Yep. THAT Phil Collins. Listen to “Ripples”

* Jon Anderson – Yes. THAT Jon Anderson. Listen to “Starship Trooper”

* Michael Stipe – I Love R.E.M. Listen to: “Find the River”

* Elvis Costello – Some songwriters connect as singers in a bigger way. Listen to “Beyond Belief”

* Johnny Cash – Hundreds of reasons to mention. Listen to: “Hurt”
This is what the Pitt Football board has come down to? Yinzer discussions on you favorite Rock Star? What's next the best mullet?
 
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Still you may like jimmy buffet -
But I find it hard to believe it’s for his singing


Likewise those who listen Johnny cash . I love the man in black - but it’s not because of his singing -
It’s because of his storytelling in songs
Isn’t he singing these stories?

But why would you argue with someone about their own personal preferences?

Answer, because being a jerk is a strong part of your character.
 
Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Natalie Merchant
James Taylor
Roy Orbison
Morrissey

Not really pop / rock, I always loved both Nina Simone and Chet Baker.
 
We get emails from a couple who must be very wealthy, they own a lot of property off 476 The blue rte in eastern PA.
They host Buffett like concerts in the summer in their yard. Pirates in Paradise club members get email invites, bring some food for all, a chair, bathing suit ( they have a big pool- hot tubs) and they host groups like Jimmy and the Boat Drunks prior to a John Frinzi appearance.
I think they host 3 or 4 events a year we try to get to atleast one. If I get an invite I'll remind you on this site.

Does this married couple also post on Pitt message boards under the same handle to brag about ice skating in single digit temps or what bike ride they went on? 🤔
 
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