# Great falsettos in modern rock **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796 "2010-02-13T00:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/1 "2010-02-13T00:24:34Z")
It occurred to me while rocking out listening to my iPod earlier today that some of my favorite songs of the past few years involve guys singing in falsetto. To wit: [The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYNYb30nxU) [Mika – Grace Kelly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlEsBaAFPoo) [Your Vegas – In My Head](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF83rNnh-gA) (sorry, this is one of those annoying Vevo videos, but the singer does an awesome transition from falsetto to his normal register in the chorus) [Scissor Sisters – Take Your Mama](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEKLtwb150) (even more annoying fan-vid) Any other examples of good falsetto in modern alt-rock songs? I need to freshen up my iPod a bit. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/2 "2010-02-13T00:49:58Z")
I like TV on the Radio. There isn’t a ton of falsetto, but they are the first modern band that springs to mind. Not the two most representative songs for their sound, but here are two examples of the falsetto. [Golden Age](http://www.last.fm/music/TV+on+the+Radio/+videos/38027847) [I was a Lover](http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627043558890932) It’s used on and off in a lot of their songs, usually as harmony doubling for the lead singer. Like in [Dancing Choose](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWfwTm6pys)chorus ---
**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:** [February 13, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/3 "2010-02-13T00:53:28Z")
Morton Harkett (of A-ha). Roger Taylor (of Queen). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/4 "2010-02-13T01:42:06Z")
Anything by Antony Hegarty/Antony & the Johnsons. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/5 "2010-02-13T01:49:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Roger Taylor (of Queen). Yup ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/6 "2010-02-13T01:52:29Z")
David Lindley’s solo on “Stay” by Jackson Browne. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/7 "2010-02-13T02:04:26Z")
[Everybody here wants you](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrMwgTc69y4) [Lilac Wine](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DqZAXQqoag) [Corpus Christi Carol](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxOqq_CThf8), all by the spectacular Jeff Buckley, may he rest in peace. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/8 "2010-02-13T02:13:30Z")
Mercyful Fate is practically all falsetto. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/9 "2010-02-13T03:35:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Morton Harkett (of A-ha). Roger Taylor (of Queen). I was going to say Harkett. I mean, honestly. But I was also thinking Freddy Mercury. I think rock falsetto and immediately I hear “for MEEE!!!” (followed by thunderous drums and rocking baseline). ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/10 "2010-02-13T03:49:28Z")
Darkness! And the way that Les Paul custom falls from the overhead is putting George Lucas to shame. Six string light saber! ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/11 "2010-02-13T04:12:50Z")
Beaker ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/12 "2010-02-13T04:49:57Z")
Not my favorite song by them by a long shot, but I give you the late Richard Manuel of The Band and [I Shall Be Released](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ore6K3ESTLc). ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/13 "2010-02-13T05:14:36Z")
The Band’s beautiful ballad “It Makes No Difference” also has some absolutely soaring falsetto vocal work by both Rick Danko and Richard Manuel… ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/14 "2010-02-13T05:19:06Z")
Well, there’s Brian Wilson. Is he modern? ---
**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:** [February 13, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/15 "2010-02-13T05:19:58Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > I was going to say Harkett. I mean, honestly. > > But I was also thinking Freddy Mercury. I think rock falsetto and immediately I hear “for MEEE!!!” (followed by thunderous drums and rocking baseline). Mercury could get up there, but the sustained falsetto backgrounds were pretty much Taylor. And it seemed so effortless. ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/16 "2010-02-13T05:57:16Z")
They broke up several years ago, but Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think had an amazing voice. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0eLnhDzf6p8/maxresdefault.jpg "Shudder To Think - X-French Tee Shirt") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eLnhDzf6p8) kind of a post-hardcore band. Also Thom Yorke of Radiohead does the falsetto thing, but his voice is not the strongest aspect of that band ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/17 "2010-02-13T06:04:23Z")
Ooh, ooh, another one: [BW Stevenson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdBvTvxHy7E) ---
**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:** [February 13, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/18 "2010-02-13T06:10:37Z")
**The Eagles** have a lot of really nice falsetto work in their songs. [I Can’t Tell You Why](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZesMa7idQ8A) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/19 "2010-02-13T06:33:47Z")
Not everyone likes Coldplay, and Chris Martin has been moving away from falsetto, but he uses it very well. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796/20 "2010-02-13T13:42:42Z")
Prince? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-falsettos-in-modern-rock/528796.md?page=2)