Best Pop Lead Vocalists EVER (Male and Female)

[Green Jets & Ham]

I saw where this topic was broached in the "Best Guitarists" thread, but I think it requires a separate thread.

POP that means all forms of popular music which includes a variety of genres; Standards, Doo Wops, Soul, Rock & Roll, Pop, Country, and, well, you get the idea, just about anything other than Opera which a different art form requiring superior vocals, so you can't list Pavarotti or Julie Andrews who was a four octave soprano but was not a pop music recording artist, she was operatically trained and did show tunes.

So with the ground rules having been established, I'll list my 10 BEST (no particular order) Male and Female Vocalists off the top of my head. I know I'll wind-up omitting some great vocalists, but thats what you guys and your lists will correct.

10 MALES

Elvis Presley
Roy Orbison
Johnny Mathis
Johnny Maestro (Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge)
Jay Black (Jay and the Americans)
Gary Puckett (Gary Puckett and the Union Gap)
Burton Cummings (The Guess Who)
Tony Williams (The Platters)
Freddie Mercury (Queen)
Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)

10 FEMALES

Aretha Franklin
Karen Carpenter
Barbra Streisand
Shirley Bassey
Whitney Houston
Gladys Knight
Mariah Carey
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughan
Adele (Adkins)

 

[Fudbutter]

Betcha this one gets the most diverse answers. I'm going to be interested to follow this, I might learn something.

I noted Janis, Aretha and Billie on the other thread but also wanted to note three amazing performances:

Clare Torry on "Great Gig In the Sky"
Merry Clayton on "Gimme Shelter"
Ursula Dudziak on an improv piece (forgot the name) on one of Michal Urbaniak's early albums

So that's six ladies and no guys. Must be psychological.


BTW: IN the 60's, there was country singer by the name of Robert Hardy. He was still doing records at least as of fairly recently. He's not a big star, but his full name is Robert Hardy Turner. Later he went back to his given surname and his nickname that he had as a boy, Bake. Well he wasn't a great singer but he did have over 1,000 yds receiving for the Jets and played in the Super Bowl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g5_aPlNa0I

 

[Green Jets & Ham]

... but also wanted to note three amazing performances:

Clare Torry on "Great Gig In the Sky"
Merry Clayton on "Gimme Shelter"
Ursula Dudziak on an improv piece (forgot the name) on one of Michal Urbaniak's early albums

I titled the thread "lead vocalists" so these don't really apply, THAT SAID, I see what you did here and you're right, at least on the first two (not familiar with the third), but yes, the female vocals on those records are astounding, as is Patti Russo on a number of Meatloaf tracks, notably (for me) 'Life is a Lemon.'

 

[Green Jets & Ham]

Elvis Presley.

Don't let his status as a cultural icon and matinee idol cloud the fact that he was a GREAT vocalist.

 

[Fudbutter]

I titled the thread "lead vocalists" so these don't really apply, THAT SAID, I see what you did here and you're right, at least on the first two (not familiar with the third), but yes, the female vocals on those records are astounding, as is Patti Russo on a number of Meatloaf tracks, notably (for me) 'Life is a Lemon.'

oops, good point

How about Annie Haslam of Renaissance then? Paul Rodgers? Roger Daltry? David Bowie?

 

[ucrenegade]

i would say meatloaf and johnny cash are two of my all-time favs

for female i really liked mariah carey before she sold out, tanya tucker, and linda ronstandt are up there pretty high and whitney houston had a amazing voice before drugs ruined it.

I also like the girl who sings with meatloaf.

It is so hard to narrow it down.

The chi-lites had some great singers and so did chicago

 

[Fudbutter]

A lot of folks don't know this but the female singer on Paradise by the Dashboard Lights was Ellen Foley. Karla DeVito, who also had the chops to do the part, replaced her. That's Karla lip synching Foley on the video.

You may know Ellen more as an actress, known mostly for her role on Night Court in season one as Billie Young, the public defender (replaced by Markie Post for the rest of the run).

Foley had a bunch of solo albums but never fronted a band so she doesn't make the GJ&H list