# Has there ever been a worse very successful singer than Mick Jagger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428 "2009-11-30T03:51:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/1 "2009-11-30T03:51:01Z")
He has a range of maybe 2 notes. He varies loudness . Yet, I have liked a lot of the Stones songs. Every now and then the mono would kick on and all I could hear was his voice. I would be shocked how bad he was. Yet he has been a huge success for 50 years. How? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/2 "2009-11-30T03:54:09Z")
You must be watching the Hall of Fame show. I just made that exact comment to my wife. Mick, I’d like you to meet harmony…harmony, this is Mick Jagger. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/3 "2009-11-30T03:57:01Z")
I was watching that PBS show about the highlights of Ed Sullivan, and thinking of how really bad Mick was. When I was younger, I used to buy their albums (younger as in the late 90s) and would think he was so hot and…yeah. Now that I’m older it’s just so horrid. Well, the songs are well written, but you’d think he’d have picked up a LITTLE bit of the vocal nuances in all his years of singing. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/4 "2009-11-30T03:58:31Z")
It seems like every song Frank Sinatra sings has the same music. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/5 "2009-11-30T04:00:27Z")
Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/6 "2009-11-30T04:14:11Z")
Mick = bad singer? Maybe, but The Stones wouldn’t have been The Stones with a different front man. Easy enough to dis him now–but if he sucked so bad, who would have ever called them the Greatest Rock And Roll Band in the World? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Cleveland\_Steamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Cleveland\_Steamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Cleveland_Steamer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/7 "2009-11-30T04:19:19Z")
Not really a bad singer, but Fred Astaire’s place in the Great American Songbook vastly outstrips his talent. Look at these songs: > **[List of songs introduced by Fred Astaire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_introduced_by_Fred_Astaire)** > > This is a complete list of the songs introduced by Fred Astaire beginning with his first Broadway show Over the Top in 1917 (his childhood and teenage period in vaudeville is not covered). Those who co-introduced a song with him are indicated in the co-singer column. The year refers to the year of introduction, not necessarily the year the song was written. The "Date of First Commercial Recording" refers to songs for which Astaire's recording was the first release of the song to the record-buying... ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/8 "2009-11-30T04:19:51Z")
Bad singer is completely a matter of taste. Some genres of music really benefit from a smooth, melodic voice; others are better suited to a harsh or gravelly one. Most people wouldn’t consider any punk rock singer to have a conventionally “good” voice but millions of people love punk rock. And Mick Jagger would sound awful with a swingin’ big band behind him, playing jazz standards, as I’m sure Frank Sinatra would with Black Flag backing him up. Certain voices fit with certain instrumental styles and they just “work.” It can’t really be explained any better than that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/9 "2009-11-30T04:40:57Z")
His sound is not a specialty sound. he has been recording for a century. He has a huge body of work, mostly bad. Yet many of his songs are well written and interesting. Hell .I like Cocker, Dylan. Leon Russel, and other not so melodic singers. But if you ever isolate his voice in a recording, it will shock you. I have felt this way for many years. Today just brought it back. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/10 "2009-11-30T04:51:34Z")
Fabian. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/11 "2009-11-30T05:51:26Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Bad singer is completely a matter of taste. Some genres of music really benefit from a smooth, melodic voice; others are better suited to a harsh or gravelly one. Most people wouldn’t consider any punk rock singer to have a conventionally “good” voice but millions of people love punk rock. And Mick Jagger would sound awful with a swingin’ big band behind him, playing jazz standards, as I’m sure Frank Sinatra would with Black Flag backing him up. Certain voices fit with certain instrumental styles and they just “work.” It can’t really be explained any better than that. On Saturday Night Live, long ago, Tim Curry did a wonderful imagination of Jagger’s first “network special”, with various “special guest stars”, including Joe Piscopo’s wonderful Frank Sinatra. They traded lines from each other’s song, Jagger singing “Strangers In The Night”, Sinatra singing “Get Off My Cloud”. I wish I could find it, but Saturday Night Live has been diabolically efficient at removing clips from YouTube, and equally _in_efficient at putting clips back up on Hulu. Jagger is a brilliant singer compared to Lou Reed. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/12 "2009-11-30T05:52:29Z")
Mick Jagger is not a singer, he’s a rock star. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/13 "2009-11-30T05:53:05Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I wish I could find it, but Saturday Night Live has been diabolically efficient at removing clips from YouTube, and equally _in_efficient at putting clips back up on Hulu. Ugh, ain’t that the truth. There are so many awesome SNL skits I just want to see, without the entire episode, but they’re never on youtube. And I was just about to try to find this one on youtube because it sounds funny, when I read your warning. Jagger is a brilliant singer compared to Lou Reed. [/QUOTE] I don’t think Lou Reed’s all that great but really? I’d rate him higher than Jagger. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/14 "2009-11-30T05:54:09Z")
I really like Mick Jagger’s voice. I guess I’m in a minority here. (I also like _The Postman_.) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/15 "2009-11-30T06:55:39Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Mick Jagger is not a singer, he’s a rock star. Period. Not unlike Peter O’Toole’s line from _My Favorite Year_ (a mediocre film with some great lines): **Alan Swann:** \*Damn you! I’m not an actor, I’m a movie star! \* ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/16 "2009-11-30T07:18:00Z")
Jagger began by vocally imitating [Howlin’ Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howling_Wolf) as did Van Morrison. However, Morrison has departed stylistically farther than Jagger has. Still, it doesn’t really matter that much (_see_ **Lissener’s** post). Lou Reed has been mentioned as someone whose voice is worse than Jagger’s. Reed’s tolerable but his voice is weak. YMMV but Tom Waits is someone whose voice many people may find more cacophonous than Jagger’s. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/17 "2009-11-30T07:28:46Z")
Joe Cocker. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/18 "2009-11-30T07:36:18Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Jagger began by vocally imitating [Howlin’ Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howling_Wolf) as did Van Morrison. However, Morrison has departed stylistically farther than Jagger has. Still, it doesn’t really matter that much (_see_ **Lissener’s** post). I think it’s fairly inarguable that the Wolf could sing well. That may have been Jagger’s target, but I wouldn’t say he ever hit it, let alone being able to diverge stylistically. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/19 "2009-11-30T08:57:52Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > He has a range of maybe 2 notes. He varies loudness . Yet, I have liked a lot of the Stones songs. Every now and then the mono would kick on and all I could hear was his voice. I would be shocked how bad he was. Yet he has been a huge success for 50 years. How? Have you ever seen any footage of a Beach Boys concert? Mike Love sounds nothing like he does in the studio. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428/20 "2009-11-30T09:09:50Z")
Can you imagine any other singer doing “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” or “Gimme Shelter” better than Mick Jagger? I don’t think you can. And no one has since Mick sang those songs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-worse-very-successful-singer-than-mick-jagger/519428.md?page=2)