It took a while to come up with this list.
I know what you’re thinking. “You must have a lot of balls to claim that you can pick the best male vocalist of all time.” I agree with you. This started as a top five, but it quickly became a top ten when I realized that you just can’t narrow it down to five.
Trying to put this list in order is an impossible task. So with that in mind, I have chosen one vocalist whom I believe to be the best, and the others are listed in no particular order.
Please note that opera singers have been excluded from the list. If they were included, this list would be nothing but opera, and I’ll bet the bulk of ShoutWire users are not opera buffs.
It’s also worth mentioning that I tried to make this about technical abilities rather than personal preference. Many, many people were consulted, both online and IRL. Luckily, it’s the same names that keep popping up, so there shouldn’t be too much dissent here (among people who actually know something about talent, anyways). Here we go.
Freddie MercuryIf I had to pick someone for the top spot, it’d be Freddie. His vocal prowess is on a totally different place of existence. For range and technical skill, Freddie Mercury is king. I hereby declare Freddie Mercury to be the best male vocalist of all time. Don’t take my word for it – see for yourself. Here’s “Who Wants To Live Forever,” a great demonstration of Freddie’s ability. And yes, I know Brian May sings the first verse.
Tom JonesOl’ Tom belts them out like nobody’s business. Great tone, pitch, and deafening volume. Check out “Thunderball,” the title theme from the Bond film of the same name. Listen to that last note!
Marvin GayeYou can’t have a list of best male vocalists without mentioning Marvin Gaye. His is a disciplined, controlled voice (the polar opposite of Tom Jones). Let’s try to forget the fact that they use his songs to hock everything from Viagra to pencil sharpeners. Just listen to “Let’s Get It On” through the ears of a person who is trying to determine who the best male vocalist is. Enjoy it again for the first time!
Steve PerryHe may sound like a woman, but at least he sounds like a vocally talented woman. This Journey front man’s talent extends outside the studio, too. Listen to this live performance of “Wheel In The Sky.” If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was listening to a studio recording. He nails the high notes effortlessly.
Lou GrammForeigner without Lou Gramm is like pie without ice cream, Bert without Ernie, or peanut butter without jam. These guys may be on the casino / hick town circuit right now, but back in the day they were rocking out in coliseums and stadiums. Lou Gramm’s voice is powerful enough to fill even the largest of stadiums. Here’s “I Wanna Know What Love Is.”
Lionel RitchieAnother soft, controlled voice. Lionel’s voice is like a pair of priceless silk boxer shorts rubbing up against your nut sack. Let’s go back to the 1980s for a second with “Hello.” Please try to ignore the crappy eighties fashion in the video and focus on the vocals (it's hard, trust me).
Brad DelpEarlier last week, a ShoutWire article informed us that this man is the devil. A self-declared genius, Brad Delp is the voice behind Boston. Now I’m going to be honest with you – I didn’t pick this video as a demonstration of Brad’s voice. I fucking love Boston, and this is one of my favourite tracks. Still, a great (albeit limited) vocal performance from Brad. Here’s “Smokin’” from their self-titled album.
Frank SinatraBe honest, who among you was going to freak out if Sinatra wasn’t mentioned? Nobody? Never heard of him, you say? Seriously though, Ol’ Blue Eyes needs no further introduction. This video is a beautiful rendition of “Moon River”, straight off of the LP.
Justin HaywardJustin Who? For those of you who are old enough to remember, Justin Hayward fronted the Moody Blues. Still doesn’t ring a bell? Maybe this video will jog your memory. Please note that nobody that I spoke with who was under 30 mentioned this guy. A great many in the 30+ crowd insisted that I add him though. This is the AM radio classic, “Knights In White Satin.”
So who’s going to round out the top ten? A bit of Bono perhaps? A little Rod Stewart? Fuck no. The artist you are about to hear is so unbelievably awful that he actually comes all the way back around to being good. The fact that this individual was able to have a career in the music industry is a testament to how fucked up the world is.
Ol’ Dirty BastardIf you have any fine crystal around, please move it out of range. This artist’s voice has been known to cause spontaneous epileptic seizures, even in people who don’t have epilepsy. So tie up your dog, put on your earmuffs, and dare to fire up “Dog Shit” from the album “Wu Tang Forever.” Don’t get me wrong – I fucking love this “song,” but Ol Dirty would make Freddie Mercury bring himself back to life just so he can kill himself. Again, don’t mind the retarded video.
This editorial was based on the opinions of over 45 people. Naturally, I regrouped the selections to reflect my own knowledge of music, with a sprinkling of my personal taste. Not that I have to ask, but feel free to list people that you feel should have made this list. Regardless of what you think of my selections, I had a blast compiling this. I hope you have as much fun reading and responding as I did compiling.