# Singers that make you reach for the dial **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 12, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480 "2024-02-12T16:46:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/101 "2024-02-16T05:22:49Z")
He’s not a singer, but I lunge for the dial whenever Peter Sagal comes on public radio. I absolutely cannot stand his smarmy voice, mugging for a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/102 "2024-02-16T12:38:22Z")
I’m not a big fan of Bruce “Mumbly Joe” Springsteen’s voice. ---
**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 16, 2024, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/103 "2024-02-16T12:53:32Z")
Nor I. He sounds like he has a speech impediment. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/104 "2024-02-17T06:06:34Z")
I’d rather chew aluminum foil than listen to Michael Stipe. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/105 "2024-02-17T12:00:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > doesn’t have to be a sledgehammer, but also if you’re well off pitch, even autotune (as far as I know) won’t be able to completely hide it. (Snip) Years ago, I interviewed a record producer who said exactly that. First time Id ever heard the aphorism “You can’t polish a turd”. Add me to the list of those who can’t stand Neil Young. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/106 "2024-02-17T13:42:18Z")
According to Rick Beato, Lenny Kravitz relies heavily on Autotune … and you can tell, his voice has that **“50% human, 50% vocoder/synth.”** texture when you listen to it … ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/107 "2024-02-17T14:50:01Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > I’d rather chew aluminum foil than listen to Michael Stipe. It’s his lyrics which bug me, tho after being at his most incoherent on Murmur he got a bit better. Try to figure these out: _We ankled up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows_ _Scratch the scandals in the twilight_ _She was laughing like a Horae_ _Put that knee into our landslide_ _Take the steps to dash a roving eye_ _Got to punch, right on target_ _Twisting tongue, got a stripe_ _Down your back, all nine yards_ _Down her back_ ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/108 "2024-02-17T19:31:57Z")
Aluminum? I heard it tastes like fear. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/109 "2024-02-18T02:14:15Z")
roving eye… So much more attractive, inside the moral kiosk… Down her back… La la la la la la conversation fear! ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/110 "2024-02-18T02:42:43Z")
I know he has a wonderful voice, but Steve Perry? Ack! It just grates on me. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/111 "2024-02-18T04:39:37Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > He’s got this weird tremor or vibrato that just drives me up the wall. For “weird vibrato that just drives me up the wall”, I have to nominate Phoebe Snow. Her vibrato has such a slow oscillation… I always have this urge to say to her “Hey, why are you doing that? Just sing! Pick a note and stay on it, willya?” ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/112 "2024-02-18T05:06:43Z")
Sadly, Janis Joplin barely made it into the '70s, so she’s barely '70s classic rock. But you must know that if the classic rock stations played her, it would always be Me & Bobby McGee. I’ve always liked Big Brother and The Holding Company, and I’ve read that towards the time when Janis left, they were getting widely slammed for poor chops and just generally being not good enough. They sound fine to me on numbers like Take Another Piece Of My Heart, though. Maybe their work in the last year or so slipped due to chemical and other factors? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/113 "2024-02-18T05:08:18Z")
The first one off the top of my head: that guy in Supertramp. They did some fine songs, but that high, high voice just grates on me after awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/114 "2024-02-18T05:15:16Z")
I know it’s practically an article of faith in some circles that Carole King is a musical deity. Quite good songwriter, IMO, but I loathe her singing voice. I’m not sure how to describe the objectionable element, but it grates on my eardrums. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/115 "2024-02-18T14:23:15Z")
Whenever we have threads like this, I’m always amused that people complain about Geddy Lee of Rush but nobody ever complains about singers like Roger Hodgson of Supertramp or Jon Anderson of Yes who are just as high-pitched and shrill. So thanks for that. 🙂 (Personally, I have no problem with any of them.) ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/116 "2024-02-18T14:38:49Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > They sound fine to me on numbers like Take Another Piece Of My Heart, though. They were not real tight on that song, but it’s what I’d call “sloppy good.” Passionate, a solid groove. It works! ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/117 "2024-02-19T14:44:20Z")
The one that makes me reach for the dial at lightspeed is ‘Zombie’ by the Cranberries. Dolores O’Riordan COULD sing perfectly well, but the hideous little vocal hiccup thing she did on that song is just… ugh. How any producer let them get away with that is beyond me…? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/118 "2024-02-19T14:53:04Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Whenever we have threads like this, I’m always amused that people complain about Geddy Lee of Rush but nobody ever complains about singers like Roger Hodgson of Supertramp or Jon Anderson of Yes who are just as high-pitched and shrill. So thanks for that. 🙂 > > (Personally, I have no problem with any of them.) Two posts above yours: > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > first one off the top of my head: that guy in Supertramp. They did some fine songs, but that high, high voice just grates on me after awhile ---
**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:** [February 19, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/119 "2024-02-19T14:55:29Z")
That’s what I was responding to. It was good to see someone mention another high pitched rock singer other than Geddy Lee. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480/120 "2024-02-19T15:03:27Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > That’s what I was responding to It was good to see someone mention another high pitched rock singer other than Geddy Lee. Ah, I misunderstood. _Mea culpa._ Apologies for the snark. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-that-make-you-reach-for-the-dial/997480.md?page=7)