Reply With QuoteCheryl Cole or whatever she's called now proved this beyond any shadow of a doubt live with Gary Barlow a while ago.
She's eye candy, but definitely not ear candy.
Following on from the actors... thread and by popular (OK, some) demand, let's be having your thoughts.
I will start with Katy Perry. She just wails, but she does have a couple of other 'talents'.
Cheryl Cole or whatever she's called now proved this beyond any shadow of a doubt live with Gary Barlow a while ago.
She's eye candy, but definitely not ear candy.
Florence and the machine.. Her live set at Glastonbury a few years ago was absolutely dire... Her chart stuff must be tweaked to buggery.
Cheers..
Jase
Ian Brown live
It's not all about singing.
I wouldn't say that Jagger had anything going for him voicewise. But what an act!
Gerri Halliwell. Got a range of about an octave. The female Morrissey.
And Morrissey.
Cheers,
Plug
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Oh, and add Bob Dylan to that as well. The wife's favourite, unfortunately.
Cheers,
Plug
Surely Ozzy belongs here.
That'll be that Adele then.
Definitely Adele.
Milli Vanilli
Kris Kristofferson, he wrote good music, but could not carry a tune to save his life. The more you drank, he still didn't sound any better.
I'll put in Lily Allen (talent less in every way!) and Cee Lo Green
Who was the dude who dueted with Kylie a few years ago, something about a rose, Nick Cave? That was rotten.
Cheers..
Jase
Deadwood, otherwise known as Jedwood!
But that's a given really.
Anything from the old Stock Aitken and Waterman Stable - Rick Ghastly
Why single Gerri out; any of the Spice Girls including that one that sounds like a fog-horn.Originally Posted by Plug
More talent in his little finger than that soap actress who excels at looking pretty, dancing and warbling a bit.
I'd beg to differ on Katy Perry (used to be a gospel choir singer) and CeeLo Green (sounded great live to me and also started in the church choir).
Little Mix on the other hand...
Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, oh................. don't get me started!
Agree with Adele. Also Macy Gray, to me the vocal equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard...
Florence Foster Jenkins
Michael Bublé
He virtually talks the lyrics, absolutely zero singing skill IMO
Paul McCartney
Boy George, his voice has disappeared with the booze & fags!
Whoever it was on The Voice who murdered Fleetwood Macs The Chain.I was in the shower so only heard the crime but I can only imagine the judges use the same dealer.
Adam Duritz from Counting Crows is a prime example of an extremely gifted songwriter and wordsmith who creates brilliant albums with his band in a studio scenario but can't really sing live...
Agree, totally let down when I saw them live after being a huge fan of them on disc.
My top five would be:
1 Ellie Goulding
2 Ellie Goulding
3 Ellie Goulding
4 Ellie Goulding
5 Ellie Goulding
HOW THE HELL DID THIS TALENTLESS THING GET A RECORD DEAL!?!?!?!?!?!
Sorry I'm done now.
There's a bonus track live cover called "Blues Run The Game" on Films About Ghosts (I think) and it's probably the only time I've heard him sing well live.
I know the one, I think he sings Hazy well on that one too.
I have the Amsterdam live CD and the August and everything after live bluray and he's just annoying.
He seems to want to mime out the lyrics as he sings them.
Indeed. Club singing for the masses.
F.T.F.A.
Can't believe nobody has mentioned Bjork!
Mmmm - I saw her live at Ally Pally last year and she was excellent.
I think live performances are very hit and miss - I always hear how great Madness are/were live, but I went out and had a drink for a lot of their performance back in their heyday - Not something I've ever done for anyone else.
I'd have to give you Maria Carey - That horrible catawalling, warbling she does instead of holding notes (which I guess she can't actually do...) drives me up the wall.
Interesting, though, that a lot of my favourite performers are showing up here - I don't know enough about 'singing' to know a good singer (I suspect I'm not alone here in that), but I know what my ears like - As someone else said, popular music of any ilk is only partly (sometime slightly) about the ability to sing well.
M.
Last edited by snowman; 6th April 2016 at 09:25.
Are people actually suggesting Adele can't sing ? Not a massive fan but her voice is incredible and exactly the same live as well.
Chris Martin from Coldplay. Every time I hear him live these days, I cringe. He's awful.
There must be some tone deaf people on this forum, not liking an artist's style is one thing but then saying they cannot sing is just plain daft. Mariah Carey, for example, is not my cup of tea but she has a 5 octave range, can reach notes in the 7th octave and is pitch perfect - she can definitely sing!
Agree 100%. Also, if you are expecting a live performance to be a note for note facsimile of a studio recording you're totally missing the point!
I saw Wolf Alice last week, Ellie might have been a bit off key on the odd occasion but boy can that band put on a live show!
Mmmm - I don't know about range, but I hate the sound she makes.
Technically, she may be brilliant, but I can't stand the WAY she sings. It's like saying a car is brilliant if it has 700 BHP but if can't put the power down it's useless!
Most people here will judge on what they hear, not having the technical understanding you have - I've never heard anything I could stand from her....
As a matter of interest, how would I judge that she has a 5 octave range, can reach notes in the 7th octave and is pitch perfect from her material?
M
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
No, you're saying you don't like her therefore she cannot sing; to use your metaphor what you are saying is you don't like a car with 700 bhp therefore it is not very powerful.
OK, back to my question then, how do I assess whether she can 'sing' or not?
A list of technically impressive stats mean nothing if I can't make a judgement on whether it's good or not.
It seems to me that most people can't make that distinction.
I can think of lots of performers who I don't really like much, but who I believe are good singers, but she's absolutely NOT in the list.
You're saying she's technically good, but does that mean she can 'sing' or that she can make a series of specific sounds? I'm happy to concede her warbling is an affectation that, perhaps, impresses some and that maybe she can hold a note if she wants.
Back to the 700 BHP car - If it just sits there meaninglessly spinning its wheels in clouds of smoke it's useless. It doesn't mean it's not powerful...
I guess what we (and many others) are not going to agree on is what constitutes someone who can sing... To me, it's not just hitting this or that note, it's the whole way you convey and deliver a song.
I'm not qualified to judge technical ability, maybe you are (or you may just be repeating stated stats with as much knowledge as me, I don't know), but that, to me, is not the be all of 'singing'.
M
Last edited by snowman; 6th April 2016 at 11:05.
Then that just comes down to a subjective decision of whether you like the delivery or not. My point was that Mariah Carey can sing well technically, you don't like her 'warbling that is an affectation', fair enough -but many millions of her fans do, neither your opinion nor theirs alters whether she can sing or not, and I didn't think this thread was 'Singers whose delivery you don't like'.
I don't like Opera, I can't listen to it for more than 5 minutes, although Lord knows I've tried; I don't like the style of music or indeed anything about it, a soprano is like fingernails on a blackboard for me and I'll take Paloma Faith or Elkie Brooks or Gladys Knight or Stevie Nicks or Norah Jones over Kiri Te Kanawa any day of the week, but it doesn't mean the latter can't sing.
I would consider myself a huge fan of Eric Clapton - over the last 45 years I've bought dozens of LPs, CDs, DVDs and been to many concerts - but that is for his obvious musical skills, he is not a bad lyricist and I don't mind his delivery but he cannot sing, he has been doing his best since his first attempts on Crossroads, but the bloke simply cannot sing.
The Youtube film Eddie posted shows that, although not perfect, Peter Andre can sing a bit and Jordan simply cannot. This is neither technical knowledge nor a matter of opinion, it is just blatantly obvious, for me at least.
Definitely Florence and not just live. Call it obscure harmonies but it is not pleasing to the ear.
OK, well if "Can't sing for toffee" means is as bad as Jordan, I'll concede Mariah Carey CAN sing for toffee...
But equally I'd argue 90% of the people mentioned in this thread are better than Peter Andre!
I guess we need a 'singometer' to determine who can sing, because I'm not sure what being able to sing means any more...
I think we've just proved that that's irrelevant...
M
Last edited by snowman; 6th April 2016 at 11:41.
Vince Neil - Motley Crue & Joe Elliott of Def Leppard are both sadly woeful when it comes to live 'singing'. Last few times I saw Vince he only just managed to squeal about every third word of most of the songs and spent a long time with his mike held out towards the audience for them to sing it for him.
Those two I'd claim are well beyond subjective - they just can't cut it any more.
On a more subjective side though there's people like Roddy Stone who 'sings' for Viking Skull. His voice is definitely an acquired taste, but for me he is very very good at what he does. Live he comes very close to replicating what he sounds like on the albums.
There is a definite difference between having a pleasing tone and being capable of hitting the notes you're going for - but then even a 'good' singer who is pitch perfect within their range will sound awful if they stray outside that range.
Personally I can't stand Mariah Carey but no doubt she's technically accomplished.
Stone Roses on the other hand I love their music but Ian Brown seriously cannot sing whatsoever. In the case of rock music I think one needs to accept that the singers aren't necessarily technically perfect as that's not really what the music is about but in Ian Brown's case he's so bad it's painful!
OK - What about Phil Oakey of the Human League?
I think he's as flat as a pancake and yet I love the sound of his voice!
Am I wrong (again)? Is he actually a great singer?
What about Whitney Houston? Is she rubbish?
M.
Liam Gallagher - i'd like Oasis more if it wasn't for him - and then his myriad imitators.
Tony Mcphee - then as now the guys a phenomenal guitarist, one of the best - but his voice is terrible. That said, i'd happily listen to much more of it if the poor guy got his speech back, he lost it after a stroke a few years back and now his missus does the singing.
Must admit to a soft spot for Lily Allen, her lyrics are often very sharp and funny with it.
Craig David - ok he can sing, but i still want to punch him until my knuckles shatter.
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, used to have a distinctive and instersting voice but it's gone totally now sadly.
Last edited by ktmog6uk; 6th April 2016 at 11:59.
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
She's the worst thing in years, even the Mrs. agrees.... so bad we turn the radio off. She sounds like a heavy smoker would. Now Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Eva Cassidy..... different ball game... they are singers.
I quite liked Adele initially, but she's becoming a bit of a caricature of herself and all her latest songs sound like remakes of older ones...
Going a bit JK Rowling - Everyone around her's a bit afraid to question anything she does as it's all been so successful before.
Given I've been forced to admit Mariah Carey can sing because she's not as bad as Jordan, I think you'd have to admit that Adele isn't that bad.
I believe she was (maybe still is) a pretty heavy smoker.
M.
Indescribable feelings
Honestly, those are what I have after listening to Jordan in that clip Eddie posted.
Madonna can't sing well.
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