# List your three favorite singers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 25, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293 "2009-04-25T04:02:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/61 "2009-04-27T22:28:28Z")

</div>

Howlin’ Wolf  
Gregg Allman  
Chris Cornell

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/62 "2009-04-29T03:10:22Z")

</div>

Impossible task, but here’s three:

Townes Van Zandt  
Jimmie Dale Gilmore  
RL Burnside— my good guide Daddy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/63 "2009-04-29T17:18:31Z")

</div>

Women:

Ella Fitzgerald  
k d lang  
Judy Garland

Men:

Bobby Darin  
Nat “King” Cole  
Mel Torme

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/64 "2009-04-29T19:12:35Z")

</div>

Male and female lists, since the aesthetics of what makes a good voice are different with gender IMO…

Male:  
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull, pre vocal chord damage)  
Harry Nilsson  
Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance)

Female:  
Terri Nunn (Berlin)  
Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde)  
Tanya Donnelly (Belly, et al)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/65 "2009-04-29T20:52:30Z")

</div>

Only three? I’m going to narrow the field, or I’ll never get through this.  
Living singers only.  
No opera singers.  
Okay, here goes. I’m going to list the ones who make me gasp or melt into my shoes. Then I’ll narrow down the list with a machete, weeping with each one I must lop off.

**Men:**

Van Morrison  
Keb’ Mo’  
Elvis Costello

**Women:**

Bonnie Raitt  
Diane Schuur  
Lucinda Williams

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293/66 "2009-04-30T11:09:34Z")

</div>

I’m guessing my choices are in the love 'em or loath 'em category.

Birds:

Stevie Nicks  
Cerys Matthews  
Kate Bush

Blokes:

Jackie Leven (back in the doll by doll days)  
Frank  
Lux Interior\*

\*I’m having a hard time coming up with a third chap, can you tell?

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-singers/494293.md?page=3)