# Are there any great singers these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 29, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860 "2023-09-29T12:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/81 "2023-09-30T19:52:12Z")
Kristin Chenoweth. Holy shit. Also, Cheyenne Jackson. Haven’t seen anything about him in several years, though… ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/82 "2023-09-30T20:20:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > “Ripped off”? No more than _she’s_ “ripped off” Tori Amos… Gosh, there’s a name from the past! I haven’t listened to Tori Amos in ages. And you’re probably correct. Sometimes, it’s ripping off; sometimes, it’s an homage. I like Spektor, but nearly all the others (of the last ten to fifteen years) of that style leave me cold. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/83 "2023-09-30T20:23:10Z")
Who are you thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/84 "2023-09-30T20:24:16Z")
I don’t know any names. I just hear them in passing and cringe. It doesn’t appeal to me, so I don’t investigate any further. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/85 "2023-09-30T20:37:11Z")
Ones I can think of include maybe early Kate Nash, Amanda Palmer, some Feist, A Fine Frenzy… none of those make me cringe, even when I don’t like them (Palmer) but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/86 "2023-09-30T20:43:18Z")
Devon Townsend. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2jZjziohaPc/maxresdefault.jpg "DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - Kingdom (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jZjziohaPc) ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/87 "2023-09-30T20:50:29Z")
Found one of my favorite clips: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/w02xPH5uUtI/hqdefault.jpg "Xanadu Tony Award Performance HQ") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w02xPH5uUtI) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/88 "2023-09-30T20:59:32Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > Not exactly “these days” though… We lost Chris Cornell not too long ago. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/89 "2023-09-30T22:33:29Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Gosh, there’s a name from the past! I haven’t listened to Tori Amos in ages. She’s still around and making music. I just saw her live in concert in July this year! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/90 "2023-09-30T22:34:02Z")
Cool! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/91 "2023-10-01T00:31:15Z")
We should define what makes a ‘great singer’. I’m not impressed by vocal pyrotechnics or insane range. I care much more about the singer being able to display emotion and capture the feel and meaning of a song. I’m tired of singers who get kudos just because they can belt out a song, but who have no clue how to actually deliver an emotional, moving performance. With that in mind who are the best ‘worst’ singers? For example, Bob Dylan or John Prine, neither of whom have any real range and somewhat nasal voices, but can move me to tears with the right song. Then there are singers whose main ‘great’ characteristic is tone. There are a lot of wide-ranged belters out there who just sound generic. But some have real character i their voices. Sinatra, Neko Case, Karen Carpenter… None of whom have especially wide ranges or hit particularly high or low notes, but have voices that are beautiful and memorable. I would put Miley Cyrus in that category when she sings roots music. Sinatra might be in his own category because his real skill was timing and phrasing. He learned to sing better by listening to Tommy Dorsey play his trombone, and took lessons in phrasing and articulation from his playing. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/92 "2023-10-01T00:42:31Z")
The often-overlooked K.D. Lang ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P\_NpxTWbovE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE)) ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/93 "2023-10-01T00:53:21Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > We should define what makes a ‘great singer’. It’s subjective, but go ahead and make your own rubric. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/94 "2023-10-01T03:12:26Z")
Thought I’d drop a couple of amazing, but obscure voices in the thread before retiring for the evening, including the lead singer for a _Norwegian_ bluegrass band! Kassie Valezza [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TOQUxfT6-Kk/maxresdefault.jpg "Kassi Valazza | "The Rapture" | Western AF") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOQUxfT6-Kk) Rebekka Nilsson [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XWIaeQFcbYg/maxresdefault.jpg "Hayde - Wayfaring Stranger") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWIaeQFcbYg) ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/95 "2023-10-03T21:15:02Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > With that in mind who are the best ‘worst’ singers? For example, Bob Dylan or John Prine, neither of whom have any real range and somewhat nasal voices, but can move me to tears with the right song. Kris Kristofferson. Man has a voice like a belt sander soaked in cheap whiskey, but I defy anyone to listen to “Casey’s Last Ride” or “For The Good Times” and not get a quiver in your eye. Helps that he’s a brilliant lyricist and poet. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860/96 "2023-10-03T21:18:29Z")
Yeah, Krisfofferson can’t even sing in tune sometimes, yet his performances can be moving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-great-singers-these-days/990860.md?page=4)