# Any particular vocalists who annoy you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540 "2026-04-24T22:31:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/81 "2026-04-26T02:31:24Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > …Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. Sure, that quivering goat vocalizing was like a serrated table knife sawing against a fork\*. RIP, though. \*which, for me, was the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard for many people (which, in turn, never bothered me) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/82 "2026-04-26T06:01:20Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > To a lesser extent, Lady Gaga Lady Gaga can actually sing. In the TV version of The Sound of Music, she did a great job. If you didn’t know you weren’t listening to Julie Andrews, you might not have noticed. [Here she is channeling Julie Andrews at the Oscars.](https://youtu.be/-4XOT14Ku94?si=2VSBm9QMOy_qot7F) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/83 "2026-04-26T07:17:41Z")
It’s an interesting thread to read. I get some of the dislike for Billie Holiday’s nasal sound but she had great vocal control. I don’t get the dislike for Robert Plant. He wasn’t just singing notes for Led Zeppelin his voice was an integral part of their songs. It’s rare for a band to have such such a strong musical relationship with it’s members. the Stevie Nicks comparison to goats made me laugh. But I still like her even if she’s channeling goats. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/84 "2026-04-26T07:34:10Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Totally agree. It’s like a breath of fresh air when Pete takes over the vocals (like in the bridge of “Goin’ Mobile”). > > Correction: Pete sings that whole song (still a breath of fresh air in the context of the album). It’s some other Who song where he just takes over for the bridge. Of course, then at some point in the mid-'80s Pete’s balls dropped and he started sounding like a Tom Waits impersonator. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/85 "2026-04-26T12:51:12Z")
My daughter and I disagree about what a singing cockroach would sound like. I say Rod Stewart, she says Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/86 "2026-04-26T13:04:52Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Nina Simone is another in the jazz genre that I have a problem with. Same. (I like Holiday’s voice and style, though). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/87 "2026-04-26T15:53:19Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Same. I will say, though, that Simone’s rendition of [“Feelin’ Good”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRNrgDIJfo&list=RDoHRNrgDIJfo&start_radio=1) is killer. A blues song with an orchestra playing stripper music. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/88 "2026-04-26T16:24:30Z")
…from a quasi-Brechtian British-music-hall-style musical. > **[The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roar_of_the_Greasepaint_%E2%80%93_The_Smell_of_the_Crowd)** > > The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The musical is best known for introducing the standards "Look at That Face", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Who Can I Turn To?", "Feeling Good", and "The Joker". The show title is a transposition of the phrase "the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd," referring to the experience of theatre performers. > Resembling a music hall production more than ... ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/89 "2026-04-26T16:40:36Z")
I like a lot of the voices mentioned above. Dylan, Cocker, King, Gaga, to name a few. I understand how tastes differ, and I get the hate on Dylan. But IMHO, Lady Gaga has an amazing voice I’ll put forth Roberta Flack. I greatly appreciate _Killing Me Softly WIth HIs Song_. I think it’s a materpiece. So, I started listening to her other work, including her cover album of Beatles songs. I just don’t enjoy her voice. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/90 "2026-04-26T16:42:53Z")
I can take maybe one song’s worth of Dave Frishberg at a time before his voice starts to grate on me. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/91 "2026-04-26T19:48:58Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Lady Gaga can actually sing. In the TV version of The Sound of Music, she did a great job. If you didn’t know you weren’t listening to Julie Andrews, you might not have noticed. Yes, for me it’s more about her persona. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/92 "2026-04-26T21:26:42Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > Lady Gaga can actually sing. In the TV version of The Sound of Music, she did a great job. If you didn’t know you weren’t listening to Julie Andrews, you might not have noticed. > > Yes, for me it’s more about her persona. Which persona? It’s getting close to 20 years since she broke and her act is much different now. I’m not a fan but after seeing her win Tony Bennett I couldn’t help but like her. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/93 "2026-04-26T21:27:06Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’ll put forth Roberta Flack. Ugh. Couldn’t stand her. _The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_ and _Killing Me Softly WIth HIs Song_ were horribly overplayed in my area when they were hits. I heard them constantly. I do think it was the songs and their style I hated more than her voice, though. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/94 "2026-04-26T21:27:47Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Which persona? It’s getting close to 20 years since she broke and her act is much different now. I’m not a fan but after seeing her win Tony Bennett I couldn’t help but like her. Maybe I’m behind on how she’s been coming along. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/95 "2026-04-27T03:05:22Z")
The only singer I dislike immediately upon hearing him is Joe Cocker. Bob Dylan I dislike after a few songs (my mom is a big fan). Otherwise, everyone mentioned is fine. Many of them I particularly enjoy (like Florence and Eddie (not Flo & Eddie, but they’re fine too)). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/96 "2026-04-27T06:00:52Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > …not Flo & Eddie, but they’re fine too. Mark Volman and (especially) Howard Kaylan have been my two favorite rock/pop vocalists since the 60’s. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/97 "2026-04-27T11:33:36Z")
She tried so hard with the meat dress to be edgy, but it didn’t work. Kinda like Cyrus trying hard to be naughty to put that stupid TV show behind her. ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/98 "2026-04-27T14:31:35Z")
Maybe I missed it but nobody has mentioned Janis Joplin. I couldn’t stand her voice when I first became aware of her. Just hearing her rasp caused sympathetic pain in my own throat. And that horse-whinny thing she does was like fingernails on a chalkboard. But over time I came to appreciate her vocal styling and now she’s one of my favorite artists of that era. Tastes can change. I had a similar experience with Louis Armstrong. He could no doubt blow a horn but he sang like he was gargling with rocks. Eventually I figured out that his style and feel were far more important than technical singing ability. Some voices are an acquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/99 "2026-04-27T14:38:35Z")
> [@Mortimus](#): > > Maybe I missed it but nobody has mentioned Janis Joplin. > [@Any particular vocalists who annoy you?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/46): > > Just remembered another one that some will probably consider blasphemy - can’t handle Janis Joplin’s screaming into a microphone after her vocal cords have had sandpaper applied. At all. Also very inclined to change channels very quickly if Joe Cocker puts in an appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540/100 "2026-04-27T14:42:55Z")
> [@Mortimus](#): > > Eventually I figured out that his style and feel were far more important than technical singing ability. Some voices are an acquired taste. And some voices are suited for certain styles of music. I can’t stand Rod Stewart singing pop disco but I think he’s a great blues rock singer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-particular-vocalists-who-annoy-you/1029540.md?page=6)