# Name a singer with an "unusual" voice. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882 "2017-10-03T16:56:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/21 "2017-10-03T18:15:47Z")
> [@](#): > > I always enjoyed Janis Joplin’s whiskey southern comfort infused vocals. Good one. I always thought Robert Plant was influenced by her. Geddy Lee Bonnie Tyler Joe Cocker Dolly Parton ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/22 "2017-10-03T18:16:06Z")
Tom Waits was the first to come to mind; already mentioned. Same with Liz Frazer. But how about Björk? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/23 "2017-10-03T18:17:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [Kongar-ol Ondar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongar-ol_Ondar) Good pick. The voice of Popeye taken to amazing levels of virtuosity. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/24 "2017-10-03T18:18:10Z")
Billy Corgan, too. A thin, nasally voice, instantly recognizable. I couldn’t stand the Pumpkins for several years because of his voice, then I somehow flipped to just loving them, and enjoying his voice in context. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/25 "2017-10-03T18:18:22Z")
[Kate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4) [Bush](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvLeIi6_5Zg), on her first album in particular. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/26 "2017-10-03T18:18:27Z")
Peabo Bryson’s voice always sounded weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/27 "2017-10-03T18:22:19Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > A very unusual (affected) accent given Colin Meloy of _The Decembrists_ a very strange (and instantly recognizable) singing voice. Heh, yeah. The first time I ever heard the Decemberists I was like “WTF kind of accent is that?” and went googling to see where he was from. NOT the answer I was expecting. Natalie Merchant has a weird voice. Not exactly flat, but something has always just sounded… off… about it to me. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/28 "2017-10-03T18:23:05Z")
Keith Moon (you didn’t say it had to be good 🙂 ) [Robert Wyatt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExfewKLuoNc) – reedy and thin, and his lyrics never rhyme, but it’s distinctive, and works nicely. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/29 "2017-10-03T18:23:37Z")
Mark E. Smith, of course! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/v5zav2yrC7M/maxresdefault.jpg "The Fall - Hit The North") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5zav2yrC7M) ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/30 "2017-10-03T18:29:46Z")
I would say VU’s [Nico](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB1yUXBzUjA) qualifies. It is probably more _how_ she sings as opposed to a particular timbre in her voice. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/31 "2017-10-03T18:43:06Z")
[Glenn Danzig](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU63Vha7uuc) [Kim Gordon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebVkCZ0Ei9Q) of Sonic Youth. Not sure she is really singing but I like it [Nick Cave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51IVqf28Hs) [Les Claypool](https://youtu.be/LBQ2305fLeA?t=33) of Primus ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/32 "2017-10-03T19:06:10Z")
Joe Walsh. I read one reviewer describe him as sounding like he’s singing somewhere across the street. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/33 "2017-10-03T19:10:24Z")
[Macy Gray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG6YBhWFd2s). She can make a suicide note sound sexy! ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/34 "2017-10-03T19:21:39Z")
Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees has a very noticeable speech impediment. It sounds like a mild Rhotacism. Not a usual trait for a lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/35 "2017-10-03T19:35:13Z")
No one really sounds like Bono. No one really sounded like Prince, either. Eric Woolfson, the singer of most famous Alan Parsons Project songs, sounds like no one else, really. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/36 "2017-10-03T19:35:51Z")
Antony (now “Anohni,” I think) or Antony & the Johnsons. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ccLW2Jb_lJM/maxresdefault.jpg "Antony and the Johnsons - "Epilepsy Is Dancing" (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccLW2Jb_lJM) ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/37 "2017-10-03T19:44:21Z")
The Swedish singer Miss Li. I first heard her song “I Can’t Get You Off My Mind” in a commercial and was intrigued. Her voice is very distinctive, I think. I really like this song. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LGge0qJFE5o/hqdefault.jpg "~ I Can't Get You Off My Mind~Miss Li ¨¨˜"°º★") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGge0qJFE5o) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/38 "2017-10-03T19:52:02Z")
[Macy Gray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEQ0l_m3Xm0) and [Fantasia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8iqEfje7Aw) both have distinctive voices in the same squeaky way. [Leon Redbone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Qajx8n0gA) was one of a kind. [Charlotte Church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROIBOe1kdsU) certainly had an unusual voice for a 14 year old. This is a terrible video of Charlotte Church but the guy states her age right at the beginning, so I used it. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/39 "2017-10-03T19:52:25Z")
[Darlene Edwards](https://youtu.be/NySAbB2JLII) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882/40 "2017-10-03T19:55:48Z")
Mike Heron and Robin Williamson from the [Incredible String Band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bogz2xZy-bo). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-singer-with-an-unusual-voice/797882.md?page=3)