# Most beautiful/perfect voices in popular music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727 "2011-02-17T18:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/1 "2011-02-17T18:11:47Z")
At the risk of this being a completely subjective topic, my short list (in random order): Art Garfunkel Josh Groban Joan Baez Freddie Mercury Karen Carpender Roy Orbison ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/2 "2011-02-17T18:24:15Z")
I’m not a fan but it’s hard to question the beauty and quality of [Babs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNEcQS4tXgQ) and the height of her powers. For pure velvet brilliance I’d go for [Nat King Cole](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHBHH0BK5ys&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/3 "2011-02-17T18:28:28Z")
Sarah McLachlan’s voice can send shivers down my spine. Chris Cornell, whose music I don’t always like, has the perfect rock singer’s voice and range. ---
**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 17, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/4 "2011-02-17T18:44:10Z")
Sandy Denny. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/5 "2011-02-17T18:51:58Z")
James Taylor. Alison Krauss. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/6 "2011-02-17T18:53:27Z")
Steve Perry and Pat Benetar spring to mind. Why yes, I did come of age in the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/7 "2011-02-17T18:57:46Z")
Karen Carpenter. They gave her a lot of insubstantial crap to sing, but my God, her voice was magnificent. ETA: sorry, I see she’s mentioned in the OP. Okay, then, Aretha Franklin and Steve Winwood. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/8 "2011-02-17T19:02:26Z")
Elvis. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/9 "2011-02-17T19:04:48Z")
Sam Cooke Smokey Robinson Aretha Franklin Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/10 "2011-02-17T19:06:07Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Sandy Denny. And Annie Haslam. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/11 "2011-02-17T19:24:10Z")
Olivia Newton John Barry Manilow ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/12 "2011-02-17T19:29:00Z")
Elvis Presely. Could pretty much sing anything. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/13 "2011-02-17T19:34:10Z")
My votes…(yes, also a little 80’s-ish, and bending the definition of popular) Harry Nilsson Peter Murphy Terri Nunn Nena Deborah Harry David Bowie Brendan Perry Johnette Napolitano ---
**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 17, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/14 "2011-02-17T19:40:37Z")
Anyone who has ever had the life-altering experience of hearing Van Morrison perform live, on a night when he was “on” knows the answer to this question… (on the nights where he is simply going thru the motions, it’s a bit of a different story) ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/15 "2011-02-17T19:41:01Z")
Judy Garland Frank Sinatra Mario Lanza Mama Cass ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/16 "2011-02-17T19:46:30Z")
This is a tough one – for females, I would go with Olivia Newton-John, Sarah McLachlan, and Karen Carpenter. Hopefully, I can think of more singers later! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/17 "2011-02-17T19:54:12Z")
Lots of good ones mentioned already. Allow me to add: Roger Daltrey Petra Haden ([this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kXbHf1SwGk) video made the rounds a while ago) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/18 "2011-02-17T20:09:57Z")
I think Judy Collins deserves mention. Greg Lake had a wonderful voice before he started declaiming instead of singing. Tim Buckley had chill-inducing vocal power. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/19 "2011-02-17T20:13:21Z")
Neko Case ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727/20 "2011-02-17T20:18:06Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Tim Buckley had chill-inducing vocal power. So did his kid, Jeff. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-perfect-voices-in-popular-music/571727.md?page=2)