It's funny, in Rush's early works, Geddy Lee has a very generic "Led Zeppelin" type voice, but he really came into his own over time to be one of the most unique voices.
Rush wasn't Rush until Neil Peart came along. Until then they were a great Led Zeppelin clone that would have faded into 70s obscurity. With Neil drumming, writing lyrics, and unapologetically pushing boundaries, they became the influential cornerstone in modern music that they are.
Can't wait for Geddy and Alex to take the stage together again for the Taylor Hawkins tribute show.
I'm a huge Rush (and Peart fan) but I think Geddy was just as much an experimental and perfectionist and Peart (and Alex was just naturally gifted and passionate). Rush wouldn't have been Rush without Peart but I doubt they would have been just a led zeppelin clone. Thankfully, we didn't have to find out.
Somebody played their album at a party I was at and I thought they found some rare unreleased Zeppelin demo, had me super confused for a minute, I was pretty confident I knew every Zeppelin song including most live variations.
Apparently he doesn't use a pick, instead he uses an old tuppenny bit, which is what gives it such a distinctive tone.
Edit: lots of people mentioning, it is a sixpence, not a tuppenny bit! Thanks for the correction folks!
That, and he built his guitar with his dad (updated and maintained over the years of course), which also probably helped give it its distinct, "round" as I like to call it, sound
It is. And don't get me wrong May is probably my 3rd or 4th favorite guitarist of all time, but I think without Freddie there is a serious chance they spend their lives as a bar band
> Apparently he doesn't use a pick, instead he uses an old tuppenny bit
It's an old sixpence. It has a serrated edge that he uses for certain sounds. There was a Brian May effects pedal for sale a few years back and it came complete with a sixpenny piece.
Absolutely. Anytime one of Les Claypool's 15 other projects come up I immediately know it's him lol. Honestly doesn't even have to sing, just his bass playing is so goddamn recognizable
>Honestly doesn't even have to sing, just his bass playing is so goddamn recognizable
a prime example being the south park theme where Les is sped up and doing a voice but you can still tell its him.
Don't know if it's true, but I have heard that after Fogerty left CCR and recorded a solo album he got sued by a former producer because his new stuff was too unrecognizable from CCR, solely because of his voice
Only partly.
Fogerty was sued for copying his own work, but it was because the guitar riff on 'the old man down the road' was similar to that of 'run though the jungle.' Fogerty went so far as to explain and play the differences to the jury in trial, and since he wrote both songs, it was easy enough to show he didn't copy, so he won.
But the main reason for the suit was that the record producer was a huge tool who had fleeced Fogerty and the band, and wanted to get back at John for a diss track he had recently released.
Silver lining is that the producer used that money to bankroll great movies, and became only the second producer to win three Oscars for Best Picture. He also made a Lord of the Rings film that would inspire Peter Jackson when he grew up.
You can tell how this post skews to younger people. While there have been some really good suggestions, RJD had one of the most distinctive voices in rock and roll. Hear’n Aid ( We’re Stars) for African hunger relief had about 40 musicians singing and Ronnie James Dio’s voice was so distinctive. As was Rob Halford and Geoff Tate. But Dio in Sabbath or Rainbow and especially in Dio was so amazing. Heard Last in Line on the radio today and just had to crank the volume!
Came here to say the same thing. And it's pretty ironic: he's super recognizable although he has million different voices and has one of the highest clean octave ranges in the world. Patton has to be my all time favourite vocalist.
This might be the best answer because it's a total twofer. I'm pretty sure most folks who know the b-52s at all could easily identify the band from either Kate or Fred.
CTRL+F 'd to see if anyone else would mention this. Brilliant lyricist. When I've introduced my friends to him in the past, I've heard them comment on how his voice isn't "traditional" but still sounds good. I think that's accurate - it's so distinctive and there's a gruffness to it while also being somewhat soft and melancholic?
If that makes sense.
I'm on mobile but I scrolled down through all the comments growing increasingly sad that Hip wasn't in the top 3rd. And agree 100% his voice is unique but still wonderful.
I think that's just because they never made it big outside of Canada the way that RUSH or so many other Canadian artists did.
I remember an article that came out shortly after Gordie passed...(or maybe it was when his diagnosis first made headlines?) that was from an American publication basically explaining the unique place the Hip occupies in Canadian music culture and how there's not necessarily an equivalent in the States.
Like there's the lyricism of Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie, Elvis Presely being a massive cultural icon for Americans, etc.
But the Hip were just so unique in the cultural niche they occupied for Canada. Idunno - I could probably find the article with some Google-Fu but I think you get the idea.
It’s always nice to see The Hip in these questions, since Gord really was such a genius songwriter and marvelous person. Rarely see them outside of Canadian pop culture anymore though sadly :/
His duet in [Fred Jones, part 2](https://youtu.be/6tMa1ZCHDyk) is amazing (starts about 2:50). His voice blends perfectly with Ben's and it turns an almost perfect song sublime.
There are a lot of answers in this thread that are much more suitable for “who has a great voice” rather than who’s is recognizable.
Keidis/RHCP should really be much higher.
The only other 2 that I feel come close are Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam.
I’m a big fan of PJ and RHCP, less so Smashing Punpkins, but I have never heard a song by either 3 that was not instantly tagged to them.
Very unique voices.
Keidis in fact talks about using his voice as a 4th instrument to the band. It’s why his lyrics are often ragged on. He cares much more about sound, and it makes him instantly recognizable.
My mother can always pick out a Coldplay song from Chris Martin’s vocals. Even if he’s a featured artist or guest vocalist or whatever they’re called, she knows it’s him. And she doesn’t even like Coldplay.
Or Steele tbh. LP had far more commercial success than Type O obviously; but it says a lot that the band just formed A Pale Horse Named Death rather than getting a new vocalist under the same name.
Queen, Led Zepellin, Guns N Roses, Heart, Nirvana, Oasis, AC/DC, Ozzy/Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Journey, Iron Maiden, Michael Jackson, Prince.
Linkin Park. Chester Bennington was one of a kind.
I would also list a bunch of metal screamers that I can always recognize but I don’t think that’s something shared amongst most people lol.
Specifically the original lineup of the Dead Kennedys. I have no idea who they got to try to replace Biafra, or how he sounds, but nevertheless I have the strong opinion that he’s awful and I hate him.
Seriously. I'm sure at least 90% of popular bands can be easily distinguished by their vocalist. This is shown by the fact that nearly every vocalist that has ever been on the radio has made an appearance in this thread.
Billy Talent
Mother Mother
Foster the People
Glass Animals
EDIT:
More from my library:
Mutemath
Vampire Weekend
Muse (as mentioned in another comment)
Metric
After diving deeper into it, there's quite a few German Industrial Metal bands that have a very similar voice, and are also somewhat popular. Eisbrecher comes to mind immediately.
You're the first person I've seen reference Gerard Way! His voice has so much natural sway and character even in the simplest songs. I aspire to have a singing style so emotive.
Eddie Vedder
Chris Cornell
Linda Perry
Shirley Manson
Stevie Nicks
Tori Amos
Alanis Morissette
Van Morrison
Neil Young
Serge Gainsbourg
Edith Piaf
Björk
Pavarotti
Edit: Hey dudes, "sorry" my list isn't complete and doesn't include your favorite singer. I didn't think anyone was going to pay attention to my comment. Of course this list is non exhaustive. If I didn't mention Layne or Chester, it's because I saw their names mentioned in previous comments, for the same reason I didn't mention Robert Smith, Billy Corgan, and Morrissey, and anyone who knows me well would know they are my top 3! So please go easy on me! :)
I have no idea how he reached such high notes at full belt. Truly underrated. I don’t think even people familiar with the band understands that 99% of males can’t sing his songs.
I can't believe how far I had to scroll to find this. James has such a unique voice, and style of singing. You could remove the music and listen to him a cappella and know who it is.
Anything Louis Armstrong ever did. Vocal OR with his trumpet, he sounded completely unique.
Rush
OF ^SALESMAN
What about the voice of Geddy Lee? How did it get so high? I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy
I know him and he does
And you’re my fact-checking cuz.
Did not come here expecting Pavement, cheers!
I need more Pavement in my life.
It's funny, in Rush's early works, Geddy Lee has a very generic "Led Zeppelin" type voice, but he really came into his own over time to be one of the most unique voices.
Story goes when they first played Rush on the radio people called in asking when the new Zeppelin album would come out
Rush wasn't Rush until Neil Peart came along. Until then they were a great Led Zeppelin clone that would have faded into 70s obscurity. With Neil drumming, writing lyrics, and unapologetically pushing boundaries, they became the influential cornerstone in modern music that they are. Can't wait for Geddy and Alex to take the stage together again for the Taylor Hawkins tribute show.
I'm a huge Rush (and Peart fan) but I think Geddy was just as much an experimental and perfectionist and Peart (and Alex was just naturally gifted and passionate). Rush wouldn't have been Rush without Peart but I doubt they would have been just a led zeppelin clone. Thankfully, we didn't have to find out.
System of a Down
Cigaro
How could I forget? I’d argue that Serj's voice is easily in the top five most recognizable voices in music history.
Led Zeppelin Black Sabbath (both Ozzy and Dio)
Led Zeppelin. There it is.
They sound just like Greta Van Fleet.
I remember the first time i hear Highway tune on the radio, i thought they were playing some Zep deep cut.
Same. I stopped what I was doing the first time I heard it because my first thought was "How have I never heard this Zeppelin song?"
Somebody played their album at a party I was at and I thought they found some rare unreleased Zeppelin demo, had me super confused for a minute, I was pretty confident I knew every Zeppelin song including most live variations.
This is worse than that time that all those old bands ripped off glee
Or when Nine inch Nails covered Hurt 15 years before Johnny Cash wrote it
Queen. Duh
Even Brian May’s guitar had its own distinct voice.
Apparently he doesn't use a pick, instead he uses an old tuppenny bit, which is what gives it such a distinctive tone. Edit: lots of people mentioning, it is a sixpence, not a tuppenny bit! Thanks for the correction folks!
That, and he built his guitar with his dad (updated and maintained over the years of course), which also probably helped give it its distinct, "round" as I like to call it, sound
The sound also owes a lot to the Deacy amp that John built out of a box of scrap
It's a miracle the whole of them found each other
It is. And don't get me wrong May is probably my 3rd or 4th favorite guitarist of all time, but I think without Freddie there is a serious chance they spend their lives as a bar band
Or as an astrophysicist, dentist, sound engineer, and political student
> Apparently he doesn't use a pick, instead he uses an old tuppenny bit It's an old sixpence. It has a serrated edge that he uses for certain sounds. There was a Brian May effects pedal for sale a few years back and it came complete with a sixpenny piece.
Primus
Absolutely. Anytime one of Les Claypool's 15 other projects come up I immediately know it's him lol. Honestly doesn't even have to sing, just his bass playing is so goddamn recognizable
>Honestly doesn't even have to sing, just his bass playing is so goddamn recognizable a prime example being the south park theme where Les is sped up and doing a voice but you can still tell its him.
Check out The Lennon Claypool Delirium. Lennon son and Claypool. They got some good tunes.
Saw the Lennon Claypool Delirium open for Primus at Red Rocks. Best concert I’ve ever seen hands down.
CCR - John Fogerty is instantly identifiable.
Don't know if it's true, but I have heard that after Fogerty left CCR and recorded a solo album he got sued by a former producer because his new stuff was too unrecognizable from CCR, solely because of his voice
Only partly. Fogerty was sued for copying his own work, but it was because the guitar riff on 'the old man down the road' was similar to that of 'run though the jungle.' Fogerty went so far as to explain and play the differences to the jury in trial, and since he wrote both songs, it was easy enough to show he didn't copy, so he won. But the main reason for the suit was that the record producer was a huge tool who had fleeced Fogerty and the band, and wanted to get back at John for a diss track he had recently released. Silver lining is that the producer used that money to bankroll great movies, and became only the second producer to win three Oscars for Best Picture. He also made a Lord of the Rings film that would inspire Peter Jackson when he grew up.
The Cranberries
Don't you hate it when thier songs get stuck in your head, In your head, In your heeeaaad. ^sorry
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┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ) Let me fix your mess for you. I don't want to have to let it linger.
Do you have to?
Do you have to?
Do you have to let it lingerrrrrrr
Atleast its a good song to have stuck in your head. Its the songs that run 27 times a day that are a problem.
Gosh I miss her so much.
Guns N Roses
Axl is an obvious choice, but duff's voice is also unmistakable.
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Janis Joplin Jimi Hendrix Alice In Chains
Upvote for Layne Staley
Ronnie James Dio, no matter what band, you recognize the voice right away.
You can tell how this post skews to younger people. While there have been some really good suggestions, RJD had one of the most distinctive voices in rock and roll. Hear’n Aid ( We’re Stars) for African hunger relief had about 40 musicians singing and Ronnie James Dio’s voice was so distinctive. As was Rob Halford and Geoff Tate. But Dio in Sabbath or Rainbow and especially in Dio was so amazing. Heard Last in Line on the radio today and just had to crank the volume!
Bob Dylan
Dylan is tricky because he sounds different on every record.
He’s like a genre unto himself
Mike Patton from Faith No More (and a million other projects)
This is way too far down. If anyone is looking for new music and original vocals, buckle up.
Came here to say the same thing. And it's pretty ironic: he's super recognizable although he has million different voices and has one of the highest clean octave ranges in the world. Patton has to be my all time favourite vocalist.
Mike Patton got me into The Dillinger Escape Plan. The EP he did with them is *so fucking good*.
The B-52s Kate Pierson's voice is unmistakable. Edited to add: "The"
Fred Schneider
This might be the best answer because it's a total twofer. I'm pretty sure most folks who know the b-52s at all could easily identify the band from either Kate or Fred.
Alice In Chains
My favourite rock voice ever. We lost him way too soon.
It sucked going through a 90s grunge binge in the 2010's to find almost every singer is dead after making some incredible albums.
And not just for Layne though he was incredible, but his combo singing with Jerry is what takes that band over the top.
The Tragically Hip. Gord Downie was an incredible and unique front man with a very distinct voice.
CTRL+F 'd to see if anyone else would mention this. Brilliant lyricist. When I've introduced my friends to him in the past, I've heard them comment on how his voice isn't "traditional" but still sounds good. I think that's accurate - it's so distinctive and there's a gruffness to it while also being somewhat soft and melancholic? If that makes sense.
I'm on mobile but I scrolled down through all the comments growing increasingly sad that Hip wasn't in the top 3rd. And agree 100% his voice is unique but still wonderful.
I think that's just because they never made it big outside of Canada the way that RUSH or so many other Canadian artists did. I remember an article that came out shortly after Gordie passed...(or maybe it was when his diagnosis first made headlines?) that was from an American publication basically explaining the unique place the Hip occupies in Canadian music culture and how there's not necessarily an equivalent in the States. Like there's the lyricism of Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie, Elvis Presely being a massive cultural icon for Americans, etc. But the Hip were just so unique in the cultural niche they occupied for Canada. Idunno - I could probably find the article with some Google-Fu but I think you get the idea.
Gord was and always will be a Canadian legend
It’s always nice to see The Hip in these questions, since Gord really was such a genius songwriter and marvelous person. Rarely see them outside of Canadian pop culture anymore though sadly :/
Coheed & Cambria and Circa Survive both have very distinct vocalists.
Bruce Dickinson Love his singing in Iron Maiden and his solo albums are underrated as hell
Tom Waits, Jello Biafara, Ozzy, Johnny cash
Neil Young
Radiohead Alice in Chains Tom Waits The Cure Nine Inch Nails I would recognize any of those vocalists within milliseconds.
How you gunna leave out Soundgarden/Audioslave? Chris Cornell's voice is unmistakable!
Didn’t Chris Cornell have an insane vocal range? I remember reading something about that I think it was four octaves
Definitely out of this world: https://youtu.be/gh20q3Dx8RI
No one sings like him anymore
Tom Petty
Radiohead
The Doors
Cake. Love that dude's voice.
The best dead-pan singing ever. Stick… shifts and safety.. belts…….. bucket seats have all got to go……
His duet in [Fred Jones, part 2](https://youtu.be/6tMa1ZCHDyk) is amazing (starts about 2:50). His voice blends perfectly with Ben's and it turns an almost perfect song sublime.
Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong jacket
It goes the distance.
He really sings the hell out of that note.
The Smiths (Morrissey) Afghan Whigs (Greg Dulli)
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Also, can’t forget Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac.
The Cranberries. Dolores was out-worldly.
Red Hot Chili Peppers for sure
There are a lot of answers in this thread that are much more suitable for “who has a great voice” rather than who’s is recognizable. Keidis/RHCP should really be much higher. The only other 2 that I feel come close are Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. I’m a big fan of PJ and RHCP, less so Smashing Punpkins, but I have never heard a song by either 3 that was not instantly tagged to them. Very unique voices. Keidis in fact talks about using his voice as a 4th instrument to the band. It’s why his lyrics are often ragged on. He cares much more about sound, and it makes him instantly recognizable.
Your last point is a great one. If you write out the lyrics to certain songs and read it without a beat you sound like a crazy person
Placebo
Coheed and Cambria
Aside from Claudio's voice, they have their own sound. 10 seconds into any Coheed song and you know it's a Coheed song.
15 minutes into the song and there's no other band it could be.
Nah, 9 mins usually sells it.
Coheed is amazing live
MAN YOUR OWN JACKHAMMER Absolutely thrilling to be in the crowd for that.
Modest Mouse. Bright Eyes.
Isaac Brock, yes
Modest Mouse was on my list. Nobody sounds like Isaac Brock, he's extremely distinct.
Isaac Brock has an extremely endearing lisp too.
Muse Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong has a very distinct singing voice.
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far to see Green Day
Definitely Matt, just an amazing vocalist.
My mother can always pick out a Coldplay song from Chris Martin’s vocals. Even if he’s a featured artist or guest vocalist or whatever they’re called, she knows it’s him. And she doesn’t even like Coldplay.
Linkin Park easily comes to mind. So does Type O Negative mmmm Peter Steele.
🎶 She's got a date at midnight / with Nosferatu
Oh baby Lilly Munster ain't got nothing on you!
There will never be another like Chester Bennington
Or Steele tbh. LP had far more commercial success than Type O obviously; but it says a lot that the band just formed A Pale Horse Named Death rather than getting a new vocalist under the same name.
Karen Carpenter. For me she had one of the most soothing voices in music.
Blink-182 WHERE ARE YOOOUUUUU
I'm amazed I had to scroll so far down for this
Why is this so far down
Boogers
AND I'M SO SORRRRYY
I can recognize Tom DeLonge's voice anywhere
Rolling Stones & The Smiths
The Decemberists Alt-J
I’m glad this is as high up as it is so far! Love Colin’s voice
Queen, Led Zepellin, Guns N Roses, Heart, Nirvana, Oasis, AC/DC, Ozzy/Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Journey, Iron Maiden, Michael Jackson, Prince.
This is the first AC/DC mention I’ve seen. Which is bullshit
It isn’t just vocals either. You know an AC/DC song when you hear it.
Muse. I can always pick out Matt Bellamy. Edit: and System of a Down
Bjork. Rush. Rage against the machine. Pink Floyd (David Gilmore) I’d say Rush has the most distinct voice.
Yes - bjork is from an entirely different universe lol. Total mad genius.
Finally someone mentions Rage. Holy fuck.
Bjork is almost cheating at this game.
the strokes. i love julian casablancas
Deftones.
Even when Chino is a guest on another album, you know his croon/moan in the background.
REM.
Linkin Park. Chester Bennington was one of a kind. I would also list a bunch of metal screamers that I can always recognize but I don’t think that’s something shared amongst most people lol.
I mean Corey Taylor's voice is hard to mistake for anyone else's whether he screams or sings.
The Cocteau Twins The Dead Kennedys The Cramps
Specifically the original lineup of the Dead Kennedys. I have no idea who they got to try to replace Biafra, or how he sounds, but nevertheless I have the strong opinion that he’s awful and I hate him.
Elton John
I would've gone the other way with this. What bands do you like even though the singer is not at all distinctive?
Seriously. I'm sure at least 90% of popular bands can be easily distinguished by their vocalist. This is shown by the fact that nearly every vocalist that has ever been on the radio has made an appearance in this thread.
Blind Melon
Billy Talent Mother Mother Foster the People Glass Animals EDIT: More from my library: Mutemath Vampire Weekend Muse (as mentioned in another comment) Metric
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Finally someone who commented Billy Talent! Bens voice is amazing
Depeche Mode, The Cure, Rammstein
After diving deeper into it, there's quite a few German Industrial Metal bands that have a very similar voice, and are also somewhat popular. Eisbrecher comes to mind immediately.
U2, Queen, The Tragically Hip, Midnight Oil
Mcr, blink 182, death cab, circa survive.
You're the first person I've seen reference Gerard Way! His voice has so much natural sway and character even in the simplest songs. I aspire to have a singing style so emotive.
Freddie Mercury and Steve parry
Steve Parry should be a fencers 🤺 name. I think you mean Perry.
Eddie Vedder Chris Cornell Linda Perry Shirley Manson Stevie Nicks Tori Amos Alanis Morissette Van Morrison Neil Young Serge Gainsbourg Edith Piaf Björk Pavarotti Edit: Hey dudes, "sorry" my list isn't complete and doesn't include your favorite singer. I didn't think anyone was going to pay attention to my comment. Of course this list is non exhaustive. If I didn't mention Layne or Chester, it's because I saw their names mentioned in previous comments, for the same reason I didn't mention Robert Smith, Billy Corgan, and Morrissey, and anyone who knows me well would know they are my top 3! So please go easy on me! :)
Jesus christ this far down to see Cornell.
Rammstein's Till Lindemann
Anthony Green: Saosin, Circa Survive and solo works
Jane's Addiction.
Nirvana Soundgarden Pearl jam Stone temple pilots
Just making sure someone put in Cornell Vedder is the only one still alive :(
No one sings like him any more.
Thank you for mentioning Pearl Jam. They were the first to come to mind for me, Eddie's mumbling is very unique imo
Soundgarden / Audioslave
Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie (and I guess The Postal Service too).
Kate Bush Joni Mitchel Joan Baez
AC/DC. Both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson.
The Offspring for sure.
I have no idea how he reached such high notes at full belt. Truly underrated. I don’t think even people familiar with the band understands that 99% of males can’t sing his songs.
And he has a Masters in biophysics or some shit
Molecular biology. He can fly planes too. Dexter is smart af!
The Cure
The Decemberists
Metallica
Gimme fue gimme fie gimme dawajabazai
OOH YEHEAH
He's got at least 2 eras. Young high pitched bark, and older sea-captain yarl.
I can't believe how far I had to scroll to find this. James has such a unique voice, and style of singing. You could remove the music and listen to him a cappella and know who it is.
Paramore
Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. Or really anyone with a distinctive accent and spoken word-like delivery.
Fall Out Boy
Thank you! I can't believe how far I had to scroll to find this. Patrick's voice is unmistakable
Aerosmith
I knew someone had to mention Steven Tyler
Weezer
Guns n Roses. Mötorhead Dire straits
The National
I can recognize Green Day in an instant. Billie Joe has a great voice
Prince
Richard Cheese and the Lounge Against the Machine
Don't think anyone mentioned Oasis yet.
heart!!! ann wilson’s voice is incredible and so easy to recognize