There are some artists that become the pioneers of their genres and styles, and others who help take it to the next level, breaking paths for the generations to come.
The past 100 years in contemporary music have seen some extraordinary vocally gifted musicians, who have lent their instruments to timeless melodies, creating a space in the musical realm, that put them amongst the Gods.
The likes of James Brown, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Little Richard – have all been referred to as the founders or godfathers of their respective genres and styles and the decades that have followed after their rise to prominence have only witnessed a reflection of what they first taught.
A good singer, isn’t merely someone who is able to showcase a great deal of technicality, be it through their range or vocal agility, but also someone who’s able to interpret a written piece of music and bring out meaning from a lyric, even it wasn’t even penned-down by them.
Similarly, there are singers who have all the might of their interpretive and phrasing skills, yet not much to offer when it comes to using their voice as a musical instrument to create melodies.
Today’s list will attempt to put together 10 such timeless male voices in contemporary music, that reeked of both of these unignorable traits in the world of great vocals.
These are the singers, who have showcased an epitome of vocal command and control, with some of them even surpassing the boundaries of their genres and on many occasions coming off ‘bigger’ than their own songs.
Putting aside all popular notions – and everything else that comes with being a popular artist, it was quite a task to separate ‘great music’ from ‘great voices’ – as the two are often mixed together in lists like these.
Here are our Top Ten Greatest Male singers of all time:
10) Michael Jackson
One of the most unique voices of the past 100 years. MJ was as unconventional as a vocalist as path-breaking he was with his performances. His incorporation of vocal hiccups and a sleek-sounding high-pitched voice, was later seen in the vocal styles of singers like El DeBarge, Usher and even Chris Brown. MJ’s passionate vocal performances in songs like ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Something’, ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ and ‘Billie Jean’ – are as much a part of his artistic legacy, as his ability to set the stage on fire with his moves.
9) B.B. King
One of the most heavily touring artists of his time, who was also referred to as the ‘King Of the Blues’, B.B. King’s voice was both powerful and vulnerable. With his rough-sounding, gritty and passionate tone, King was still able to induce Goosebumps, each time he’d hit a crescendo with his masculine, rich and chesty tone and the way he would finish phrases with an almost breathless exhilaration. B.B. King was one of the greatest interpreters of song and rightfully earned his title as one of the most influential artists to ever do it.
8) Johnny Cash
One of country music’s greatest icons, Johnny Cash’s dark, deep and gut-wrenching tone, gave him a unique sound amongst other high-pitched voices that came in his wake. Cash’s ability to infuse unspeakable grief in his vocal performances and take the listener on a journey of life and his own experiences, was a part of his interpretative genius and gift. His incredibly delicious sounding low register and his phrasing style, put him in a class of his own.
7) Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder was one of those singers, who were easily able to transform between multiple genres, changing their vocal style. The gifted musician, composer and songwriter started off with Rock-infused Soul and Funk music, and went on to reshape what it means to be a vocalist in Rhythm and Blues with equal finesse. When singing RnB, Stevie had his own style of producing vocal runs and riffs, and belting in an incredible high chest voice. Stevie’s voice had soul, groove and a gorgeous timber, that made his a standout vocalist, even among other greats.
6) Freddie Mercury
Perhaps the most popular choice when it comes to picking ‘the best male voice of the past 100 years’, Freddie Mercury was blessed with a broad vocal range of nearly 4 octaves and his theatrical execution of the same. Freddie’s voice was different than all of his contemporaries in Rock music, as he sang with a more effervescent, dramatic and thespian style, than others. His ability to belt out in the fifth octave so effortlessly that it would make you feel as if it was a cakewalk for him, was one of the many things about his vocal legacy that contributed to his legendary status in music. His high F’s and G’s as heard in songs like ‘One Year of Love’ and ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’ can still induce Goosebumps.
5) Little Richard
Referred to as the The Architect of Rock and Roll, Little Richard was naturally and most effortlessly a gift to the genre. His ability to inject maniatic energy into his songs with his raspy shouted vocals, helped laid the foundation of Rock ‘n’ Roll, as we know it, while his charismatic personality and ability to tell a story through his performances, made him a pioneer among popular vocalists. His performance in songs like ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘Long Tall Salli’ is still worshipped by singers that have followed him.
4) Sam Cooke
Also referred to as the King of Soul, Sam Cooke rendered his glorious instrument to classics like ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, ‘Bring It On Home To Me’ and ‘You Send Me’. Despite his life being cut down short at the age of just 33, Sam built a legacy that regarded him as one of the most influential singers of the century. With a voice that was both smooth and gritty at times, Cooke’s vocal gift is something that has been referred to as vocal instrument that could ‘never be surpassed.’
3) Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross was the king of Smooth RnB/Soul. His voice served as a beautiful instrument in the popular tunes he sang, which allowed him to employ his trademarks riffs and inflections. The softness in his voice, when he’d sing in his falsetto and the usage of melisma, would allow him to convey the sense of loss and grief in a song like ‘Dance With My Father’, yet he was someone who could put together a brilliant show, with countless vocal theatrics singing something like ‘A House Is Not a Home’. Either way, his smooth as butter voice, would always melt the toughest of hearts. And that is his legacy.
2) Ray Charles
Everything Ray Charles sang came from the very depth of his soul – whether it was unspeakable sorrow or sheer joy. It was always a sight to see him get completely lost in music, as he would sit in front of his piano and sing like he meant every word that came out of his mouth. And he probably did. Even a patriotic song like ‘America The Beautiful’ would make you choke, when sung by this musical legend. While there have many great voices in soul music in this timespan, Ray’s was one of those that felt the most organic and effortless.
1) James Brown
James Brown had it all as a vocalist. The range, the sass, the soul and charisma and the ability to take the listener on a journey, by living his music on stage. Even though he has been popularly regarded for his impeccable stage presence and the ability to break a leg on-stage, his vocals were always the greatest thing about his complete artistry. With a raspy tone and a powerful punch in his voice, Brown amalgamated several traits of what makes what a great contemporary vocalist. His stellar vocal performances of ‘This Is A Man’s World’ from back in the day, are a proof of his sublime gift.
Apart from these 10 of the greatest vocalists among ‘the greats’, here are a few honourable mentions that have influenced us all with their gigantic vocal gift:
Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Luciano Pavarotti, Marvin Gaye, Franco Corelli, Prince, Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, Al Greene, Kurt Cobain, Sir Tom Jones, Elton John and Otis Redding.