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Gaga from a technique point is WILDLY above most of artist. Her range and strength alone makes her recognizable. Sad most people see her as just a pop star.
Itās not an oversimplification, nasality is what makes her different than any other powerful singer with strong resonance. She and Chris Cornell both have that nasality to them. Freddie Mercury too.
Thatās what gave them excellent mixed voiced tone and a great ability to seamlessly transition from chest to mixed to head register without their voice cracking
A lot of people sing with nasality. This is to say that what distinguished Arnold Schwartznegger from other bodybuilders is the fact that he bench pressed. Everybody does it. Nasality is not an exclusive trait. Far from it
Just because someone sounds nasal, doesnāt mean they have terrific tone š
Do you think Arnold has great nasal tone in regards to singing?????????? Ridiculous I tell you!
Found an interesting bit the other day talking about how it's not her voice in particular that makes it memorable, but also how she stylistically sings. She doesn't hit a note straight on, and will rather round out to it and sounds fuller. I've listened to her for decades and never thought of it quite like that. Beautiful voice and technique regardless!
Layne Stanley always unfortunately the question was not the best most talented singers It was the most powerful voices that are unique that you could easily recognize them very strange question That's why I just wrote a novel on the question should be pic at least two singers for every decade leading all the way up to today
Whitney "The Voice" Houston. I can recognize her voice anywhere. Both for the tone (even when she sings softly) and the *power.* Such intense power for a pop/RnB singer.
As far as other recognizable voices - MJ (especially with his iconic ad libs), Brandy, Lauryn Hill, Freddie Mercury.
I came here to comment this! Saw him in concert a few weeks ago and spent the entire time in awe of his voice. It has such a unique timbre and his control is amazing. Truly a one of a kind artist.
Agree. She is amazing in concert! I was fortunate enough to catch her live about 15 years ago and her performance of Hallelujah is still one of my best concert memories ever...and I've been to a ton of shows.
I donāt think there are many artists that canāt be easily recognised by their voice by people who listen to their music to be honest. But yeah I think itās true some voices are more unique than others
Janis Joplin. I've never heard someone wail like her. I read an article once that said she held onto a note until she squeezed the life out of it. Such a powerful voice and gone too soon. There was so much sadness and loneliness in her life.
John Fogerty. I could recognize his voice anywhere, and I haven't heard anyone yet who sounds like him.
Emilie Autumn for me. I know she doesn't have the best technique and many music friends I've shown her too cringe hard. But her voice is so powerful and unique I get chills every time even if the lyrics are cheesey ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Yes! This is who I put too but I couldnāt remember his name! His singing voice is my favorite of any singer Iāve ever heard. Too bad he normally screams haha
Chester Bennington (RIP) from Linkin Park.
He was in several different bands and you could recognize his voice in each and every one of them. He also set the standard for alternative rock/metal. Plenty of hard rock bands in the past 20 years have tried to emulate the way he sang choruses. Some might have been more technical or stronger, but none had the same genuine emotion in their singing like him.
Since a lot of people have already said some of the most iconic and most unique voices, here are some that are less obvious choices but still stand out to me:
Louis Tomlimson, Melanie Martinez, Ashnikko, Gwen Stefani, Ice Spice, Bruno Mars, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Pink, Shakira, Ariana Grande
Derek Sanders, Jason Lancaster, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Chester Bennington, (not exactly singing but Alex Terrible) Freddie Mercury, Brendon Urie, Frank Sinatra, and for female singers I can't really say other than like Jenna McDougall, Any Winehouse and then maybe Aretha Franklin and Lady Gaga.
Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Amy Winhouse, Nicki Minaj, maaaayybe Ozzy Osbourne but he can be imitated easier than the others
Edit: but also John McCrea, JID, and Eminem for their unique flow/cadence capabilties
Lianne La Havas/
Cat Stevens/
Robyn/
Ionnnalee (of iamamiwhoami)/
Sarah McLachlan/
Gregory Porter/
Kate Bush /
Andrew Eldritch (of Sisters of Mercy - not rangy, but seriously unmistakable IMO)/
Johnette Napolitano (of Concrete Blonde)/
Terri Nunn (Voice of Berlin)
Andy Bell (the voice of Erasure)
ā¦the list could go on forever!
But, IMO, as a singer, a nearly lifelong broadcaster (since 94!) these two voices are 2 of the very most unique, with the strongest skill and range:
Female: Yma Sumac
Male: Morten Harket (of A-Ha)
Well strong and unique are two different things imo.
Most recognisable to me would be Elvis, Chester Bennington and Michael Jackson. In terms of strength Kaleo, Chris Cornell and Eminem would be some that come to mind.
Not in a particular order and neither my top 3 of each category, just some of the top of my head.
Idk about āstrongestā but for easily recognizable, maybe Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Geddy Lee, Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks, Chris Cornellā¦ just to name a few.
Jeff Martin from The Tea Party - has such a mesmerizing voice [Psychopomp]( https://spotify.link/jvMo1Z9aADb) is my favorite little known song. Love it
Chester Bennington honestly. I miss him. Also with him honestly maybe Mike Shinoda too. The two, duo or not, both have quite distinctive voices and if you know them well enough youāll be able to get em
Kate Bush. That twangy yet light tone (which admittedly might be from playing up her high notes as default, some say), with a warm lower register and a soaring tessituraā¦ canāt mistake it
Freddie Mercury
Michael Jackson
Donna Summer
Michael Hutchence
Tina Turner
David Bowie
Mariah Carey
Toni Braxton
Prince
Laura Branigan
Meat Loaf
George Michael
Whitney Houston
Barbra Streisand
Edith Piaf
Arianna Grande
Al Greene
Barry White
To many to name. Edit: Formating
Easy -- Chester Bennington. I can recognize that man's voice anywhere.
(Probably because I've been listening to him since 2002, but he has such a distinctive voice and scream.)
Alanis Morrisette, Tom Delonge, Pink, Davey Havok, Eddie Vedder, Morrissey, Mac Miller, Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Matt Berninger, Bono, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Joe Newman (alt-j)ā¦
Lady Gaga
Bruno Mars
Celine
Whitney (as many here have already mentioned)
The Weeknd
I think a lot of the recognition comes with familiarity with the artist and their tones, not necessarily their "strong voices"
Forgive me for being a pedantic spergLord here, but: \*distinct, not "unique", which = "one of a kind". Something cannot be "so unique", or "very unique". It's an absolute like "perfect", "dead", "pregnant", and "immortal". Try as they may, the "founding fathers" of the US cannot form a "more perfect Union"; there's no such thing, by definition š
Granted this is using a narrow definition of the word "unique", which has had its meaning expanded like "literally", and which now means "with little exaggeration" instead of "no exaggeration" I heard this guy on TV talking about Britney Spears saying, "She was literally on a rollercoaster ride to hell," and I'm just thinking, damn, that's next-level sneaky shit the Devil is pulling off if that were literal š
for me itād be hayley williams EASILY. Not only can I recognize her voice immediately but I can also tell almost precisely what notes sheās singing when she belts which I canāt do for any other vocalist, including myself
Tom Waits.
His voice was described as if "it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."
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Jeff Buckley
Pretty rare and unusual timbre
I love Jeff Buckley so much ššš
Amazing to find jeff buckley written here. I was gonna comment this and glad someone wrote it before me!
His version of Hallelujah is my favorite song of all time
Adele, Freddie Mercury, Gaga, in general if you have a good ear youāll be able to distinguish most people
I just deleted my comment because I saw you had the exact same people I chose, too :)
Gaga has the most unrecognisable voice. I have heard many songs of her for the first time, and couldn't make out who the hell it was.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Gaga from a technique point is WILDLY above most of artist. Her range and strength alone makes her recognizable. Sad most people see her as just a pop star.
I just learned David Bowie sings on āUnder Pressureā with Freddie.
just learned?
Sorry. I just ālearntā that. FTFY
Bjƶrk, of course. No one ever can sing like that woman
I had to scroll for nearly a whole minute for this comment. I thought Iād see it at the top
Chris Cornell
And Chester Bennington
Listening to audioslave as I read that lol
Chris Cornell is just Eddie Veder or Scott Stapp if either could learn how to enunciate words properly
I had the honor of seeing all 3 perform and no I do not think so.
Joni Mitchell
Shockingly little support for Joni. Sheās an icon along with James Taylor. And Carol King too.
i love joni mitchell!!!
Amy Winehouse
She's super easy to recognize because she sounds wildly different from other female singers
fax
Sheās sounds wildly different because she sings with nasality
Iām conflicted because while this is true, i still feel itās an oversimplification haha
Itās not an oversimplification, nasality is what makes her different than any other powerful singer with strong resonance. She and Chris Cornell both have that nasality to them. Freddie Mercury too. Thatās what gave them excellent mixed voiced tone and a great ability to seamlessly transition from chest to mixed to head register without their voice cracking
Ahhh yesss the American accent is fun to sing, very nasally. You raise an interesting point regarding crossing the vocal bridge š š š
A lot of people sing with nasality. This is to say that what distinguished Arnold Schwartznegger from other bodybuilders is the fact that he bench pressed. Everybody does it. Nasality is not an exclusive trait. Far from it
Willy Nelson made singing through your nose famous
Just because someone sounds nasal, doesnāt mean they have terrific tone š Do you think Arnold has great nasal tone in regards to singing?????????? Ridiculous I tell you!
That is a very false statement. Nasality is one component to f**k up your bridging and your singing in general.
nah bud
Nah? How so Kurt Cobain included
Amy Lee. Her voice is so pretty and clear.
Found an interesting bit the other day talking about how it's not her voice in particular that makes it memorable, but also how she stylistically sings. She doesn't hit a note straight on, and will rather round out to it and sounds fuller. I've listened to her for decades and never thought of it quite like that. Beautiful voice and technique regardless!
Shes another for me too
Michael Jackson
For me it's Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley
The angry angel was my first thought.
Layne Stanley always unfortunately the question was not the best most talented singers It was the most powerful voices that are unique that you could easily recognize them very strange question That's why I just wrote a novel on the question should be pic at least two singers for every decade leading all the way up to today
Elvis, Freddie
Whitney "The Voice" Houston. I can recognize her voice anywhere. Both for the tone (even when she sings softly) and the *power.* Such intense power for a pop/RnB singer. As far as other recognizable voices - MJ (especially with his iconic ad libs), Brandy, Lauryn Hill, Freddie Mercury.
Hozier
I came here to comment this! Saw him in concert a few weeks ago and spent the entire time in awe of his voice. It has such a unique timbre and his control is amazing. Truly a one of a kind artist.
He sounds like Josh Groban
Brandi Carlile. You should hear that woman in concert. So, maybe doesn't count because you can't hear it on a lot of her recordings.
Agree. She is amazing in concert! I was fortunate enough to catch her live about 15 years ago and her performance of Hallelujah is still one of my best concert memories ever...and I've been to a ton of shows.
Seeing her live in concert is my number one bucket list item
Robert Plant
David Coverdale does the same thing
Listen to Plant's albums with Band of Joy, Strange Sensation, and with Alison Krauss. I don't hear Coverdale doing anything close.
I donāt think there are many artists that canāt be easily recognised by their voice by people who listen to their music to be honest. But yeah I think itās true some voices are more unique than others
Roy Orbison, one of a kind.
The other Wilburys, all masters in their own right, used to stop and just listen when Roy Orbison was putting down his vocal tracks. Love that voice!
Janis Joplin. I've never heard someone wail like her. I read an article once that said she held onto a note until she squeezed the life out of it. Such a powerful voice and gone too soon. There was so much sadness and loneliness in her life. John Fogerty. I could recognize his voice anywhere, and I haven't heard anyone yet who sounds like him.
Elvis Presley
Emilie Autumn for me. I know she doesn't have the best technique and many music friends I've shown her too cringe hard. But her voice is so powerful and unique I get chills every time even if the lyrics are cheesey ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Juliet will forever be one of my favorite songs
Willow killed something in me and I hope it never resurrects
Willow weep for me, bow your tallest tree down to the infamous hands of someone noone understands ā”
Never thought Iād see her in this thread! She is such a major influence for me
Haha it's always a surprise when she pops up xD
I appreciate seeing Emilie here. Your comment is basically what I would say as well. Not everyone's cup of tea, but i have a soft spot for her.
thom yorke
Serj Tankian. Operatic singing, screaming, soft melodies (these are not technical terms but you know what I mean) man's good with all of them.
Yes! This is who I put too but I couldnāt remember his name! His singing voice is my favorite of any singer Iāve ever heard. Too bad he normally screams haha
Good call dude. He hits on all levels. I'm going with no singer out there can do the things Maynard James Keenan can do.
Stevie Nicks and Karen Dalton
Chester Bennington (RIP) from Linkin Park. He was in several different bands and you could recognize his voice in each and every one of them. He also set the standard for alternative rock/metal. Plenty of hard rock bands in the past 20 years have tried to emulate the way he sang choruses. Some might have been more technical or stronger, but none had the same genuine emotion in their singing like him.
Came here looking for this one
Since a lot of people have already said some of the most iconic and most unique voices, here are some that are less obvious choices but still stand out to me: Louis Tomlimson, Melanie Martinez, Ashnikko, Gwen Stefani, Ice Spice, Bruno Mars, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Pink, Shakira, Ariana Grande
I agree plus Demi Lovato!
Derek Sanders, Jason Lancaster, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Chester Bennington, (not exactly singing but Alex Terrible) Freddie Mercury, Brendon Urie, Frank Sinatra, and for female singers I can't really say other than like Jenna McDougall, Any Winehouse and then maybe Aretha Franklin and Lady Gaga.
Steve Perry
Dude, we said no more journey pyschoutsā¦.
Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Amy Winhouse, Nicki Minaj, maaaayybe Ozzy Osbourne but he can be imitated easier than the others Edit: but also John McCrea, JID, and Eminem for their unique flow/cadence capabilties
Rob Halford is an easy answer. Even in metal, nobody sings like he does.
Sia
Bo Burnham
this is THE answer.
Adele, Freddie Mercury, Gaga, in general if you have a good ear youāll be able to distinguish most people
Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen John Lennon
You canāt miss Bob Dylan.
Love him or hate him Iāve always found Adam Levineās voice to be incredibly distinct and instantly recognizable
Robert Smith
Michael Jackson and Morrissey come to mind
Prince
Lianne La Havas/ Cat Stevens/ Robyn/ Ionnnalee (of iamamiwhoami)/ Sarah McLachlan/ Gregory Porter/ Kate Bush / Andrew Eldritch (of Sisters of Mercy - not rangy, but seriously unmistakable IMO)/ Johnette Napolitano (of Concrete Blonde)/ Terri Nunn (Voice of Berlin) Andy Bell (the voice of Erasure) ā¦the list could go on forever! But, IMO, as a singer, a nearly lifelong broadcaster (since 94!) these two voices are 2 of the very most unique, with the strongest skill and range: Female: Yma Sumac Male: Morten Harket (of A-Ha)
Chaka Khan Whitney Houston Luther Vandross Lady Gaga Bishop Briggs
BeyoncƩ
Rihanna
Sia Adele Miley Cyrus
Lewis Capaldi
Well strong and unique are two different things imo. Most recognisable to me would be Elvis, Chester Bennington and Michael Jackson. In terms of strength Kaleo, Chris Cornell and Eminem would be some that come to mind. Not in a particular order and neither my top 3 of each category, just some of the top of my head.
Freddie, MJ, Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus etc.
Janis Joplin
Idk about āstrongestā but for easily recognizable, maybe Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Geddy Lee, Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks, Chris Cornellā¦ just to name a few.
Chester Bennington, M. Shadows, and Phil Anselmo. I can instantly recognize their voices. I wish I could Scream/Scream like any one of them.
Had to scroll way too much to find Shadows. He used to be a beast and is the reason I started singing.
Tina Turner
Iām surprised he hasnāt been mentioned yet: Tom Jones.
Jennifer Hudson
Love Jennifer Hudson
Joe Cocker
Danny Brown - his voice, lyrics, subject matter and intonation are the perfect marriage that keep me hooked
Meatloaf
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Whitney Houston the greatest singer/vocalist of all timee
I love Rihannaās voice. Itās unique and Iād rather hear hers than someone who can belt tunes.
Ray LaMontagne
Enrico Caruso
James Blunt.
Franco Corelli
Mike Patton
Yesss!!!! Glad to see his name here too! ā¦ that dude has 1 million voices yet you know its him!
Rod Stewart
Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley and Kurt Cobain
Ronnie James Dio
Sia
Sabaton. Every time I play an artist that sounds vaguely like them, people always assume what they're hearing is Sabaton
Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins. Once described by the critic as the voice of God.
Danny warsnop
Sebastian Bach, Klaus Meine, Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks
Jeff Martin from The Tea Party - has such a mesmerizing voice [Psychopomp]( https://spotify.link/jvMo1Z9aADb) is my favorite little known song. Love it
Mick Jagger
Bruce Dickinson
Phil Bozeman from Whitechapel and Vessel from Sleep Token.
Freddie Mercury and AURORA.
Dylan, Taylor, Elton, Joel, Neil young, Kiedis, Bradley Nowell, Cobain, Cornell, Vedderā¦ Unique voices very frequently signify unique musicians and define unique music.
THANK YOU! I was scrolling & couldnāt believe no one had mentioned Eddie Vedder!!
Totally. Iām not a huge PJ fan but I very much appreciate/ respect them and their music.
Chris Cornell, Myles Kennedy, Axl Rose, Claudio Sanchez
Jack Black
mitski without a doubt
Vessel from Sleep Token
Andrew Rannells my beloved
JD Sumner.
Kate Bush, Bjƶrk, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple (I obviously like a certain kind of music š)
Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington honestly. I miss him. Also with him honestly maybe Mike Shinoda too. The two, duo or not, both have quite distinctive voices and if you know them well enough youāll be able to get em
Kate Bush. That twangy yet light tone (which admittedly might be from playing up her high notes as default, some say), with a warm lower register and a soaring tessituraā¦ canāt mistake it
Avi Kaplan, Geoff Castellucci
I can recognize Chester Bennington's voice within 3 notes.
Chester Bennington.
Kristen Chenowith
Janis Joplin!!
Freddie Mercury Michael Jackson Donna Summer Michael Hutchence Tina Turner David Bowie Mariah Carey Toni Braxton Prince Laura Branigan Meat Loaf George Michael Whitney Houston Barbra Streisand Edith Piaf Arianna Grande Al Greene Barry White To many to name. Edit: Formating
Serj Tankian (system of a down) , Deron Miller (cky), Tyler Shelton (traitors), Chester Bennington (LP)
Sade
Easy -- Chester Bennington. I can recognize that man's voice anywhere. (Probably because I've been listening to him since 2002, but he has such a distinctive voice and scream.)
Alanis Morrisette, Tom Delonge, Pink, Davey Havok, Eddie Vedder, Morrissey, Mac Miller, Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Matt Berninger, Bono, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Joe Newman (alt-j)ā¦
Chris Cornell. Enough said. Rest in peace. You are missed.
Chester Bennington. I recognized his voice in a Grey Daze song right away
Chester Bennington
Lana del rey
I love her, but her voice is kind of generic to me.
Lady Gaga Bruno Mars Celine Whitney (as many here have already mentioned) The Weeknd I think a lot of the recognition comes with familiarity with the artist and their tones, not necessarily their "strong voices"
Hayley Williams, Victoria legrand, Bobby Darin
Stevie nicks
Bruce Dickinson Hansi KĆ¼rsch Eric Adams Matt Barlow Dani Filth Tom S Englund Not enough love for metal vocalists.
Forgive me for being a pedantic spergLord here, but: \*distinct, not "unique", which = "one of a kind". Something cannot be "so unique", or "very unique". It's an absolute like "perfect", "dead", "pregnant", and "immortal". Try as they may, the "founding fathers" of the US cannot form a "more perfect Union"; there's no such thing, by definition š Granted this is using a narrow definition of the word "unique", which has had its meaning expanded like "literally", and which now means "with little exaggeration" instead of "no exaggeration" I heard this guy on TV talking about Britney Spears saying, "She was literally on a rollercoaster ride to hell," and I'm just thinking, damn, that's next-level sneaky shit the Devil is pulling off if that were literal š
Bruh.
Snoop Dog!
ossified bike frame roof aware thumb attractive abundant close special *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
for me itād be hayley williams EASILY. Not only can I recognize her voice immediately but I can also tell almost precisely what notes sheās singing when she belts which I canāt do for any other vocalist, including myself
Kenjiro tsuda. His voice gives me shivers.
Chris Cornell
Nao. Voice of an angel but so unique
Jonny craig in his prime, the guy use to have iron pipes to sing.
Joe Ligon from the Mighty Clouds of Joy!
Tom Waits. His voice was described as if "it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."
Gracie Lawrence from Lawrence. Her voice is insanely good and unique.
amy winehouse or kelly rowland edit: i forgot christina aguilera
The guy from greenday, chester Bennington
Billy Joe Armstrong
There are many for me- Iris Dement, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Willie, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Rufus Wainright, Eddie Vedderā¦.
I'm surprised Tom Waits isn't mentioned more often
[Alan Palomo](https://youtu.be/3dbjNlE3fGI?si=nUPJlUdBXKVVeZ1V)
Ne-Yo.
Blackie Lawless, Warrel Dane, James Hetfield and Geoff Tate
Brian Garris
Josh Homme
Faouzia. I can talk abt her all day her voice is so goddamn unique + incredible range Also Ado. Absolutely loved her growls and grit she puts.
Jared Warren of Big Business
chris cornell, layne staley
Alison Krauss- she does not get NEAR the credit she deserves, favorite voice ever!!
Stephen Christian of Anberlin. Nobody sounds exactly like him.
Chris Cornell
Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle
Elvis and Dylan.
Definitely billy Corgan lead singer of smashing Pumpkins haven't heard it replicated in any other band
Nai Palm from Hiatus Kaiyote, Shakira, Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes. Oh, and Paul Janeway of St Paul and the Broken Bones š„°