Top 5 Vocal Tracks

[I Am Hugh]

These are, right off the top of my head, my top 5 vocal tracks. What are your favorite vocal tracks?

Spoiler: 1. Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven

Spoiler: 2. Judas Priest - The Last Rose of Summer

Spoiler: 3. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Spoiler: 4. Journey - Natural Thing

Spoiler: 5. Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter

 

[jayem]

A few of my favorite vocals:

A great song from 1954. The Platters' lead singer Tony Williams, now deceased, had a tremendous voice. He nails the high note at the very end.

The late Roy Orbison had nearly a 4 octave range. He starts the song as a baritone, and gradually builds up to a high falsetto. BTW, he was a big influence on Chris Isaak.

Despite his weirdness,, Michael Jackson had quite a voice when he chose to use it. This is his best song. The emotion he puts into it is palpable.

 

[I Am Hugh]

A few of my favorite vocals:

A great song from 1954. The Platters' lead singer Tony Williams, now deceased, had a tremendous voice. He nails the high note at the very end.

The late Roy Orbison had nearly a 4 octave range. He starts the song as a baritone, and gradually builds up to a high falsetto. BTW, he was a big influence on Chris Isaak.


Despite his weirdness,, Michael Jackson had quite a voice when he chose to use it. This is his best song. The emotion he puts into it is palpable.

The Platters are one of those groups I've probably heard a hundred awesome tunes from but don't know they are by the Platters. I loved the song of theirs you posted. Roy Orbison is one of my all time favorites. Only the Lonely, Blue Bayou, I was really glad to see him in the Traveling Wilburys and so sad to see him go. You can definitely hear the influence in Chris Isaak's voice. Michael was undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of all time. I like his later stuff, like on the History album. My favorite song of his all time, Stranger In Moscow. Though my list included power vocalists I don't think a voice like that is necessary to be good. My favorite singer of all time is Bob Dylan. Mick Jagger, too, is on the top of that list. So many people I left off the list. Like Emmylou Harris and Frank Sinatra. I wanted to put Emmylou and Sinatra on this list but they didn't fit well with the others.

 

[Richard T]

Here's my five favorite secular. I think most of us are going to rate songs based on our age and geographic areas.

Renaissance (Annie Haslam) - Ashes are burning
Karla Bonoff - Rose in the Garden
Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks) - Songbird
Jackson Brown- Running on Empty
Kate Bush - Oh England My Lionheart.

You guys gave better explanations. I was torn between great vocals Renaissance and great songs, "Running on Empty" so I split the difference. I'm sure there are others that are better but many songs and even genres I had little exposure too. Anyone remember the King Biscuit Flower Hour? I always liked hearing the British songs that were not USA mainstream. It's interesting too that 40s and 50s were probably decades of the singles, the 60s - 80s were mostly geared to albums. Now we are back to singles though there are some "themed" CD's out there.

​

 

[I Am Hugh]

Here's my five favorite secular. I think most of us are going to rate songs based on our age and geographic areas.

Renaissance (Annie Haslam) - Ashes are burning
Karla Bonoff - Rose in the Garden
Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks) - Songbird
Jackson Brown- Running on Empty
Kate Bush - Oh England My Lionheart.

You guys gave better explanations. I was torn between great vocals Renaissance and great songs, "Running on Empty" so I split the difference. I'm sure there are others that are better but many songs and even genres I had little exposure too. Anyone remember the King Biscuit Flower Hour? I always liked hearing the British songs that were not USA mainstream. It's interesting too that 40s and 50s were probably decades of the singles, the 60s - 80s were mostly geared to albums. Now we are back to singles though there are some "themed" CD's out there.

​

I've never heard of Renaissance. They were well known in Britain, apparently, and it's surprising I hadn't heard of them considering their Yardbirds connection. The same with Karla Bonoff, except she was American and all of the songs that were covered by mainstream artists and still I don't recall having heard of her. Those are both artists who were popular during my time, so it must be a genre thing. Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorites, with Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwin, Bob Welch. I never cared for Jackson Brown for some reason, even as a kid. I don't know why. Good singer, songwriter, during my time. Just one of those things. Kate Bush I wouldn't know if it were not for Russell Brand.

 

[jayem]

The Platters are one of those groups I've probably heard a hundred awesome tunes from but don't know they are by the Platters. I loved the song of theirs you posted. Roy Orbison is one of my all time favorites. Only the Lonely, Blue Bayou, I was really glad to see him in the Traveling Wilburys and so sad to see him go. You can definitely hear the influence in Chris Isaak's voice. Michael was undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of all time. I like his later stuff, like on the History album. My favorite song of his all time, Stranger In Moscow. Though my list included power vocalists I don't think a voice like that is necessary to be good. My favorite singer of all time is Bob Dylan. Mick Jagger, too, is on the top of that list. So many people I left off the list. Like Emmylou Harris and Frank Sinatra. I wanted to put Emmylou and Sinatra on this list but they didn't fit well with the others.

All great songs.

Roy Orbison is also one of my favorite singers. In 1980, Don McLean did a cover of "Crying." He slowed the tempo, and added a synthesized orchestral accompaniment. I gotta say, it's one of the best covers of any song I've ever heard. And it ranks right up there with Roy's original.

 

[FenderTL5]

Here's my five favorite secular. I think most of us are going to rate songs based on our age and geographic areas.

Renaissance (Annie Haslam) - Ashes are burning
Karla Bonoff - Rose in the Garden
Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks) - Songbird
Jackson Brown- Running on Empty
Kate Bush - Oh England My Lionheart.

You guys gave better explanations. I was torn between great vocals Renaissance and great songs, "Running on Empty" so I split the difference. I'm sure there are others that are better but many songs and even genres I had little exposure too. Anyone remember the King Biscuit Flower Hour? I always liked hearing the British songs that were not USA mainstream. It's interesting too that 40s and 50s were probably decades of the singles, the 60s - 80s were mostly geared to albums. Now we are back to singles though there are some "themed" CD's out there.

​

Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) is Christine McVie.
I tend to think singles dominated up until Sgt Pepper by the Beatles. Albums were dominate from roughly thereafter until Napster.

pop/rock Vocalists I appreciate:
Freddie Mercury - Queen
Ann Wilson - Heart
Pat Benatar
Daryl Hall - Hall and Oates
Brad Delp - Boston

That's today's list. If I were to check in tomorrow there could be some variation.

As example of my wishy washiness on this topic:

 

[jayem]

The best ever version of this song:

 

[Richard T]

Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) is Christine McVie.
I tend to think singles dominated up until Sgt Pepper by the Beatles. Albums were dominate from roughly thereafter until Napster.

pop/rock Vocalists I appreciate:
Freddie Mercury - Queen
Ann Wilson - Heart
Pat Benatar
Daryl Hall - Hall and Oates
Brad Delp - Boston

That's today's list. If I were to check in tomorrow there could be some variation.

As example of my wishy washiness on this topic:

Thanks for clarifying Songbird's main vocalist. You have a good list of artists.