# Male rock singers with the highest or most feminine voices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2009, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452 "2009-05-24T09:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 24, 2009, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/1 "2009-05-24T09:03:23Z")
I just found out that the song [Hot Child In The City](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFMlvUyBq-0) was sung by a man, Nick Gilder. This is like a mind blowing revelation to me. My whole life I’ve heard this song, since I was 5, and I always assumed it was a woman singing it. This guy wins the award for THE most feminine sounding male voice in rock and roll, EVER. Even more so than Michael Jackson. I would guess that if you played this song to someone who had never heard or heard of it before, and asked them what gender the singer was, 99 percent of them would say female. What other male rock singers have outrageously high-pitched and feminine voices? Besides Rush and Coheed and Cambria (who have high, but not feminine sounding, voices IMO.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/2 "2009-05-24T09:37:19Z")
I’ll suggest [Matt Bellamy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzpGk44UXKQ&feature=PlayList&p=35C8E102F8B405B1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1). And also [Brian Aubert](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twL3ms4bjZk). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/3 "2009-05-24T10:22:53Z")
Rik Emmett from Triumph. I can’t say it is feminine but he does get up there. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/4 "2009-05-24T10:27:54Z")
I remember “Hot Child in the City”, I never thought it was a female vocalist. Michael Quercio from the Three O’Clock has the highest male voice I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/5 "2009-05-24T10:43:34Z")
James Blunt? Though I really think if anyone can call an ex-army officer feminine is kidding themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/6 "2009-05-24T10:50:47Z")
[Jeff Buckley](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WolmjxD4hn4) ---
**Author:** ![AqualungBats5th](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@AqualungBats5th](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AqualungBats5th)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/7 "2009-05-24T11:16:39Z")
Larry Lee of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils - [Jackie Blue](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz4tMKErcZw) Timothy B Schmit of the Eagles - [Love Will Keep Us Alive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rafEFSXVtuw) On the opposite end of the spectrum for the longest time I thought Alison Moyet of Yazoo was a man. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2009, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/8 "2009-05-24T11:24:29Z")
Yeah I thought for a few years that Tracee Chapman was a guy, also. I didn’t know who she was, I just knew her songs, and I was sure it was a dude singing. Jackie Blue - there is a GREAT song. Always loved that one. That dude has an amazing voice. I really like male singers with extremely high voices that are also not gravelly or screechy. Jackie Blue is a great example. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/9 "2009-05-24T11:25:59Z")
I thought for the longest time that the singer of **Stories** “[Brother Louie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl5mcWf5Qws)” (a Hot Chocolate cover) was a broad, but it was a dude (Ian Lloyd). Same thing with the singer of the **Spiral Starecase** ’s [More Today Than Yesterday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j45ezAAeMDw) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/10 "2009-05-24T11:26:59Z")
Geddy Lee ---
**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:** [May 24, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/11 "2009-05-24T11:28:06Z")
Todd Rundgren often pushed his voice to the upper limit. That, combined with the style of his pop songs, makes a lot of his work sound like Carole King. The first time I heard “I Saw The Light” I thought it was Carole King. I don’t think I’m the first to say this, and if I’m not mistaken, Rundgren has acknowledged this comparison and finds it flattering. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/12 "2009-05-24T11:34:35Z")
Andy Bell of Erasure. Boy George. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/13 "2009-05-24T11:52:09Z")
[Wayne Newton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyCQ6vKqgnU) wins ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/14 "2009-05-24T11:56:42Z")
I find that male rock singers who sing at high registers don’t necessarily sound feminine, but rather… Androgynous, if anything. Morrissey (has a normal register, but hits high notes occasionally) Russel Mael (singer of the Sparks, at least sang in a high register in the 70’s) _e_ Holy crap @ Wayne Newton. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/15 "2009-05-24T12:16:00Z")
Jimmy Sommerville had a great high voice. Dunno if I’d mistake him for a woman, though. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/16 "2009-05-24T12:28:56Z")
Both **Christopher Cross** and **Neil Sedaka** sing in the alto range -I think. Also I’m sure plenty of people could listen to the entire anthology of \*\*Bread \*\*and not realize that the lead singer is a dude named **David Gates**. The doo-wop singers of the 50’s featured guys who sang in the falsetto register with \*\*Frankie Valli \*\*being probably the most successful and who never saw the irony of belting out “Walk Like a Man” while singing like a girl. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/17 "2009-05-24T12:44:31Z")
The guy from Mr. Big, Eric Martin. In the days before things were easily looked up on the Web, we had a pretty sincere denate over whether that guy was in fact a guy, a chick, or a eunuch. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/18 "2009-05-24T13:45:09Z")
**Christopher Cross** fooled me for quite awhile, especially since he went by Chris Cross. The Egyptian singer who does vocals for \*\*Sting’\*\*s _Desert Rose_ is a guy. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/19 "2009-05-24T13:53:17Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > The doo-wop singers of the 50’s featured guys who sang in the falsetto register with \*\*Frankie Valli \*\*being probably the most successful and who never saw the irony of belting out “Walk Like a Man” while singing like a girl. I know when I saw the title of this thread, I definitely thought of **Frankie Valli**. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452/20 "2009-05-24T13:55:52Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > I know when I saw the title of this thread, I definitely thought of **Frankie Valli**. Me too. And I never thought Nick Gilder sounded like a woman. He doesn’t sound remotely feminine to me. Frankie Lymon got pretty high, too. But as someone else noted, I don’t think most of these male singers, despite being able to sing high pitches, sound like women. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-rock-singers-with-the-highest-or-most-feminine-voices/497452.md?page=2)