# Singers with really small ranges?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 10, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653 "2012-12-10T23:54:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/61 "2017-06-27T04:56:35Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Not from what I can tell (unless his range has severely diminished recently, and you’re referring to his current state). Average range, that just happens to be centered at a higher-pitched place than most male voices.
Yeah i’m not seeing it. He goes near falsetto on [A Man Needs A Maid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOuQywiRUJo)
And still holds the notes. Granted barely.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2017, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/62 "2017-06-27T05:48:33Z")
I love Jim Croce. He created wonderful characters in his songs. I have two songbooks of his music. It stays within an octave. It’s more of a speaking style.
Alan Jackson is a baritone. He stays within an octave. But he’s far more versitile than Croce. I like singing Alan’s material. It’s in my comfort song of singing.
As others point out. You don’t need a large vocal range to make music that people love.
A large range does give more flexibility in the songs an artist sings.
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### Author:  [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/63 "2017-06-27T05:56:56Z")
Drake. Two notes. Flat and slightly flatter.
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### Author:  [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/64 "2017-06-28T02:11:23Z")
Considering that he was one of the best popular singers ever, Nat King Cole had a pretty limited range.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/65 "2017-06-28T02:17:01Z")
Judging from “Strong Enough”, Cher has a range of 3 notes.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/66 "2017-06-28T02:39:51Z")
> [@TYphoonSignal8](#):
>
> Drake. Two notes. Flat and slightly flatter.
O god yes. I can’t stand him. Every track sounds the same with those one-and-a-half notes.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/67 "2017-06-28T13:34:52Z")
> [@AHunter3](#):
>
> Judging from “Strong Enough”, Cher has a range of 3 notes.
Her vocoder tho has a 6 octave range.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/68 "2017-06-29T13:57:59Z")
> [@Seanette](#):
>
> I don’t get the impression of very many different vocal notes by Neil Diamond, just changes of volume.
He used to have more range, but he’s now at a point where he shouts a lot of the words instead of singing them, because he can’t hit high notes OR (more importantly) the low notes that used to define him.
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### Author:  [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/69 "2017-06-29T21:12:49Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#):
>
> ISTR hearing that Ringo Starr has a very limited singing range.
What?
Are you daft? or deaf
Just listen to the wonderful vocal ranges presented in WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS or YELLOW SUBMARINE, he must be spanning…
…ummm
…yea nevermind, i got nuthin:D
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### Author:  [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/70 "2017-06-29T22:04:20Z")
Yoko.
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### Author:  [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/71 "2017-06-29T23:51:46Z")
Madonna.
Her voice is pretty average with limited range. F3-C5 which is about 1.5 octaves
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### Author:  [@Debillw3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debillw3)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/72 "2017-06-30T02:49:06Z")
Both of the ones I was thinking were already covered: William Shatner & Neil Diamond (today, anyway).
In fact, both “sing” in pretty much the same style…
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### Author:  [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2017, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-with-really-small-ranges/643653/73 "2017-06-30T10:31:25Z")
I’m not sure what the intent of the original OP was, but if it was that vocal range equated to ‘good singing’, then Yma Sumac must be the best singer of all time…
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