The late, great Barry White.
Israel’s Dudu Fisher. Nobody else is that good.
Good call on MJ, Treviathan. Seems so obvious now!
Macy Gray popped into my head as soon as I saw the thread title.
How could we forget Chrissie Hynde?
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Iggy Pop or David Bowie yet (unless somehow I missed it). With the possible exception of Edwyn “A Girl Like You” Collins, who unintentionally managed to sound a bit like both of them at once, I don’t think there’s any mistaking either of their voices.
I see Equipoise got Nico already, and she’s a good one. I was well-read enough in rock history that I was familiar with descriptions of Nico’s voice before I ever actually heard it, but when I finally did I knew exactly who it was without being told!
Art Garfunkle has slipped through the cracks. He is easily recognized when you hear one of his songs.
Richard Thompson and Gordon Lightfoot are kind of similar vocally so I would have to strike Thompson from consideration, as much as I adore his work.
Since I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far and no mention of him, I’ll offer up the distinctive and unusual voice of the late great Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Whether playing it low in ballads and pleading songs like “Portrait Of A Man” and “Darling Please Forgive Me”, going wild with songs like “Constipation Blues” or “I Hear Voices”, or making a song his own with a cover version of “I Love Paris” or “Orange Colored Sky” - the man stood out vocally. His beautiful pure voice also able to grunt, groan, howl, wail, snort, and cackle like a one man madhouse.
He must be heard to be believed. Seek him out.
Tom Waits is the first one to come to mind, but he’s been mentioned many times.
Mel Torme?
You just don’t find too many bass singers these days. (I know Barry White was bass, but he always seemed to me to be more of a melodic speaking style, rather than actual singing.)
With that in mind, I nominate the lead from Crash Test Dummies (Got the albums at home, but don’t know his name offhand.)
I don’t know if anyone already mentioned them but it doesn’t matter. Kate Bush and David Bowie, 'nuff said!
Chet Baker
Ella Fitzgerald
Lady Day
Nat King Cole
Kathleen Battle
Luciano Pavarotti
Placido Domingo
Frank Sinatra
Slim Gaillard
Mary Coughlan
Vera Lynn
Andreas Scholl, Countertenor
For some reason, I immediately thought of Lee Marvin and ‘Wandering Star’. That is frightening.
I always thought that both Barry Gibb (especially in falsetto) and Robin Gibb (with his trembling vibrato) possessed very distinctive voices. I think someone has already mentioned Michael McDonald, who also has a very distinctive voice.
what i dont get is nobody has mentioned James Hetfield (Metallica) yet. i mean, that guy like redefined the heavy metal grrrrrrowwwwwllll!!!
Another one would have to be Zach De la Rocha (RATM). I also find Dexter Holland (The Offspring) and Jimi Hendrix quite distinctive as well…
There’s a jazz singer named Blossom Dearie that has one of the most distinctive voices around. She is well known for singing the song “Figure Eight” for the SchoolHouse Rock clips from the 1970s.
I must have been skimming this list too quickly. Surely we can’t have gotten this far without one person mentioning Robert Smith of the Cure. Also, someone mentioned John Lennon, but I think Ringo Starr has the most distinctive singing voice of all the Beatles, for better or worse.
Eartha Kitt.
This should be at the top of the list:
Florence Foster Jenkins.
If you’ve never heard her, you have no idea what you’re missing, and how lucky you are.
Leonard Cohen
Ville Valo of HIM