# Dope Idol - Lead Singers Who Can't Sing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609 "2011-09-08T13:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/1 "2011-09-08T13:34:20Z")
The 'Toob is blocked at worked, so I can’t provide example links, but Nick Cave Lou Reed Ian Dury Leonard Cohen Bob Dylan (progressively worse, though passable at one time) Sure, they’re all songwriters, so it’s somewhat excusable. I know I took the easy ones…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/2 "2011-09-08T13:45:43Z")
Sting. I bought a solo CD of his. God, he is terrible. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/3 "2011-09-08T13:51:21Z")
Keith Relf- I loved a lot of the Yardbirds’ songs, but he was a pitiful vocalist. When a guy with a wimpy, whiny, pipsqueak voice like his tries to sing a macho blues song, the results are comical! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JAdCePtwoW4/hqdefault.jpg "The yardbirds - I'm A Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAdCePtwoW4) “Meck luv tuh yuh, behbeh… yuh kent ruhsist…” ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/4 "2011-09-08T14:02:13Z")
Billy Corgan- I guess it fit the music of the Pumpkins but it’s really a pretty nasty nasaly drawl. ---
**Author:** ![charmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@charmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/5 "2011-09-08T14:20:59Z")
The wonderful and evocative song stylings of Tom Waits. ---
**Author:** ![Biffer\_Spice\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Biffer\_Spice\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffer_Spice_1)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/6 "2011-09-08T14:24:46Z")
Sting and Tom Waits are both excellent singers :-/ definitely second Lou Reed. I would add Axl Rose ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/7 "2011-09-08T14:28:48Z")
John Darnielle, from the Mountain Goats Dave Davison, from Maps & Atlases ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/8 "2011-09-08T14:51:08Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Sting. I bought a solo CD of his. God, he is terrible. Is this a joke? Sting is highly regarded even within the music industry as a vocalist and has picked up a swag of awards for his vocal performances. 😕 He frequently gets into the top 10 lists for people who have good voices who sing crap songs: exactly the opposite of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/9 "2011-09-08T15:41:19Z")
In my view, the gentleman who sings for the Rolling Stones has a voice that is iconic, that IS the Rolling Stones, and that may be a lot of other things, but is not actually, you know, good. I very much agree with an assessment I’ve seen posted in other threads here, namely, that Mick Jagger may be a bad singer but a terrific rock star, hence his lasting success. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/10 "2011-09-08T15:43:37Z")
Courtney Love ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/11 "2011-09-08T16:07:21Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Keith Relf- I loved a lot of the Yardbirds’ songs, but he was a pitiful vocalist. When a guy with a wimpy, whiny, pipsqueak voice like his tries to sing a macho blues song, the results are comical! This is what I was going to say. He got a decent snarl going on “Heart Full of Soul”, but a lot of his other efforts are cringeworthy. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/12 "2011-09-08T16:12:50Z")
Yeah - while I don’t like them, Sting and Axl Rose can both definitely sing. Weird choices. My vote goes to David Lee Roth. Like Jagger, he was all attitude, no real vocal skill. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/13 "2011-09-08T16:40:25Z")
How 'bout Kevin Cronin? His singing is awful. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/14 "2011-09-08T16:43:26Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > Courtney Love And Kurt Cobain. I guess it fits the whole punk thing, but his voice is just awful. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/15 "2011-09-08T16:43:29Z")
It would be nice if, for the rest of the thread, posters list the bands/acts of the singers when it isn’t obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/16 "2011-09-08T17:07:43Z")
A bit of a third rail with some people, but Julian Casablancas of _The Strokes_. I like _The Strokes_, but his voice is a bit whiny/nasally. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/17 "2011-09-08T17:15:27Z")
I have to admit, I can’t appreciate the vocal stylings of Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/18 "2011-09-08T17:25:39Z")
Taylor Swift Justin Bieber Kings of Leon (all of them) ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/19 "2011-09-08T17:38:03Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Sure, they’re all songwriters, so it’s somewhat excusable. Richard Thompson ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609/20 "2011-09-08T18:27:31Z")
I have different categories for people who can’t sing. There’s those that \*I feel \* objectively can’t sing (a contradiction in terms, I know. Humor me). Neil Young Kings of Leon dude (dear god, that braying ass of a voice) Billy Corgin (homicide inducing) Joe Cocker Roger Daltry Then there’s those that I _think_ probably technically suck but I like them anyway. Tom Petty Madonna Van Morrison And finally, those that I can’t stand but imagine are probably talented and just not my cup o’ tea Stevie Nicks (haaaaaaate) Geddy Lee Tina Turner [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-idol-lead-singers-who-cant-sing/595609.md?page=2)