Do you mean Frank BlaCk? He doesn't have much range really, but I love the way he can just shout nonsense with abandon ("Debaser") and it sounds great. Most vocalists would kill to be able to "let go" that convincingly.

From a guitarists perspective, definitely not a singer per se...
Freddie Mercury in terms of range and versatility was huge 3 octaves and a maj6th vocally (on what we have recorded of him) 3 octaves of that not including his falsetto.
Mike Patton- huge range, otherworldly at times in how he applies his voice...
Graham Bonnett (Alcatrazz, MSG, Rainbow) 5 Otcave vocal range, off the top of my head I can't think of anyone listed as having more than that- Mahiah Carey is supposed to have 8 octaves but when you think that is the whole range of a piano she either can sing lower than Barry White or can sing notes so high only dogs and crystal glasses can hear em.

billy corgan from the smashing pumpkins has awesome vocal talent. He can be very soft to growling to screams which all, to me sound great, his voice is truely unique.

i think that bono from u2 has one of the best voices in music,with a great range to his voice.i cant go past meat loaf because of his powerful voice and his ability to drown out even the loudest music

Freddie Mercury, hands down! Listen to the "Live Magic" Cd

Minnie Riperton has unbelievable range regardless of the stuff she sang. Whoops - she was not a rocker.
Mariah Carey. Yes, I know she is pop.
Roy Orbison.
Bobby Hatfield.

quote:

Originally posted by simon_ishtar:
From a guitarists perspective, definitely not a singer per se...
Freddie Mercury in terms of range and versatility was huge 3 octaves and a maj6th vocally (on what we have recorded of him) 3 octaves of that not including his falsetto.

I sincerely doubt this. If we assume that he can sing a low F (bass low F), that would mean that he would be able to do a soprano high F as well. Without falsetto. And also a soprano really high sharp d with falsetto? What I have heard of him, he is not very low, probably not a low F. He is very high though, but a soprano high f without falsetto is unlikely if possible. Soprano high d sharp, even with a falsetto is also very unlikely.

quote:

Mike Patton- huge range, otherworldly at times in how he applies his voice...
Graham Bonnett (Alcatrazz, MSG, Rainbow) 5 Otcave vocal range,

What? No, he won't have 5 octaves. That is not possible. Sorry.

quote:

off the top of my head I can't think of anyone listed as having more than that- Mahiah Carey is supposed to have 8 octaves but when you think that is the whole range of a piano she either can sing lower than Barry White or can sing notes so high only dogs and crystal glasses can hear em.

Yes, that is also just not possible. Singer Yma Sumac is rumored to have the greatest recorded vocla range with 4 octaves. It is really freaky to listen to. More than that is not possible, I would say.

I've seen his name mentioned above, but I think Dylan does deserve some credit in this department. It isn't range so much as the word "alteration" that caught my eye in regards to Bobby.

1962 - Bob Dylan (Self-titled album) - Here Dylan's voice is patterned after his hero Woody Guthrie. It has a raw, folky quality that you won't (quite) hear on any of his subsequent albums.

1966 - Blonde on Blonde - By this point Dylan's voice had morphed into his own trademark sound. Here is the Dylan of "Like a Rolling Stone" (from the previous album) and "Just Like A Woman"...equally equipped to rock or to croon.

1969 - Nashville Skyline - After his motorcycle accident and his longest time away from a recording studio since his career began, Dylan lays down this country-fried gem with an unmistakable nasal twang.
1975 - Blood On The Tracks - After another evolution, Dylan seems to have found himself again during the seventies. His voice and his music has matured and been filtered through personal pain on his most personal album yet.

1983 - Infidels - Dylan arrives at the voice that most comedians will use to imitate him in the decades to come. Nasal, occaisionally difficult to understand, often backed by synthesized music...most consider this decade Dylan's weakest.

1989 - Oh Mercy - Trading his whine for a breathy whisper, Dylan re-invents himself once again with his most innovative album in years.

1997 - Time Out Of Mind - Dylan finally arrives at the voice that will carry him through three amazing albums and into the new millennium. His blues-tinged croak speaks with experience and yet is charged with an enthusiasm we haven't heard in years.


I've often wondered whether Dylan's vocal "alterations" are conscious choices or simply a matter of evolution, but in the end I have to imagine it's a bit of both. I can't think of any other singer whose voice has changed so often over the years.

I imagine if you found someone completely unfamiliar with Dylan and played them one track from Blonde on Blonde another from Nashville Skyline and a third from Oh Mercy, he/she might not have any idea it was the same individual singing all three songs.

I think a lot of Dylan's vocal changes are due to age. If you think about how long he's been peforming (45 years now), it's amazing he can still sing at all. However, I believe on Nashville Skyline he was making a conscious effort to sing differently.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
I think a lot of Dylan's vocal changes are due to age. If you think about how long he's been peforming (45 years now), it's amazing he can still sing at all. However, I believe on Nashville Skyline he was making a conscious effort to sing differently.

I would agree with you if there was any real evidence of that much variation in singer's voices as they age. Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Mick Jagger, B.B. King...while there are some obvious changes in their voices over the years, Dylan's changes seem far too drastic to merely be age. I know really of no other singer whose voice has changed so much over time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ivocaliban,

quote:

Originally posted by the spooked seagull:
i think that bono from u2 has one of the best voices in music,with a great range to his voice.i cant go past meat loaf because of his powerful voice and his ability to drown out even the loudest music

Really? I wouldn't rate him at all. I don't think he does much with his voice other that either loud or quite. He always sings with Bono's voice, the true greats manipulate their voices to sound like the emotions their singing. I don't se much difference between what he does in any song, a better singer could have done more with U2's vocals.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the King. Elvis must be on this list.

And, no one can beat the person Elvis called the greatest rock vocalist - Roy Orbison.

But, here's some other off-beat vocalists that no one has mentioned.

Sammy Hagar - whether or not you prefer Van Halen with David Lee Roth or Sammy, you have to admit that Sammy can wail.

Steve Perry - I grew up in the 80s, so I love Journey. This guy had a strong voice.

Ann Wilson - Take one listen to Barracuda or Crazy on You and tell me that she is not one of the greatest female rock leads of all time.

Ryan Adams - most of you wont consider him rock, but he has a phenominal voice.

Tori Amos - Just amazing.

Steven Page - I may catch crap for this but I like BNL, and this guy's got a great voice.

Ok Serj tankian is excellent but to say he has better range than Chris Cornell is just incorrect. Listen to Jesus Christ Pose and you'll know, he starts in a key that about 99% of men can't reach in head voice.
Other than Chris, obviously Jeff Buckley is astounding (look up 'so real acoustic' on YouTube) and can hold notes for so long. Though it should be noted that his speaking voice is verging on alto anyway, whereas Chris Cornell speaks in baritone.
Robert Plant, Bruce Dickinson. I also think maynard from Tool has an impressive range and can alter the tonality of his voice better than any singer today, bar maybe the awesome Mike Patton.
Though to be honest I think Mike doesnt have a huge range in tha same way Buckley would, but he can go deep (pink cigarette) or high screaming (any random Patton scream).
I think Brandon Boyd is noteworthy as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Smenkharon:
Mike Patton

Totally. Amazing range, incredible versatility. That guy from System of a Down stole everything from him and Jello Biafra - except Patton also does crooning, contemporary, classical, jazz, surf rock, ska, rap etc, etc... hard to think of a more prolific vocalist

I can't believe no one has mentioned k.d. lang. She has an amazing voice with an incredible range.

As far as male voices, I'd have to agree with those who mentioned Roy Orbison.

Not that range is everything. Mariah Carey does have a wide range, but she never lets you forget it. I prefer singers who don't need to embellish all the time and just sing the damn song.

quote:

Originally posted by paxsoprano:
Both McCartney and Lennon had tremendous "rock" voices. Lennon's "Mother" is a good example of his talent.

Lennon blows me away every time. I can't believe I ignored his music for most of my teen years.

And Roy Orbison's voice is probably the greatest ever IMO.

My top three for vocal range:
Captain Beefheart
Tim Buckley (not Jeff)
David Thomas of Pere Ubu

quote:

Originally posted by Geordie2004:
...there's been a distinct lack of love for Maynard James Keenan. I'm not sure how good his range is, but the man has a great "rock voice" and a beautiful singing voice to boot.

Maynard is great, look at his three main projects, TOOL, A Perfect Circle and Pucifer. Three distinctly different styles but all rocking. Mike Patton is also a good example of a singer that has many bands under his belt and each group is unique. That to me that is range. No so much in the classical use of the term but for popular music, i think being able to adapt your voice to multiple projects and sound fresh each time is a type of range.