# Soundalike Singers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077 "2004-01-26T01:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/21 "2004-01-27T13:16:42Z")
Geddy Lee (Rush) and Brian Molko (Placebo) ---
**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/22 "2004-01-27T13:33:42Z")
> [@Art Barber](#): > > You’re thinking of Country/Western singer Ronnie Milsap (not that big a fan, but I like _Older Women_). You mean **Ronnie McDowell**. “Older Women” was a hit for McDowell, not Milsap. I don’t think Ronnie Milsap sounds anything like Elvis. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/23 "2004-01-27T13:36:52Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Bonnie Tyler and Rod Stewart. I remember a DJ once citing these two as members of the “Gargling with Razor Blades” club. They were the first ones to come to mind when I saw the OP… ---
**Author:** ![psychotropic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@psychotropic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychotropic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/24 "2004-01-28T14:43:11Z")
Sarah McLachlan and the chick from Evanescence (especially on “My Immortal”). ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/25 "2004-01-28T14:48:48Z")
How 'bout every. single. female. singer that auditioned for American Idol. They all do that obnoxious “vocal gymnastics” thing that has taken over the airwaves since the early 90s. Boring. They even do it on the Star Spangled Banner fercrissakes! I’m not sure who started it, but…clue to the contestants: just sing the song. You might make the cut. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/26 "2004-01-28T20:05:37Z")
I’ve often thought that Collective Soul sounded similar to Peter Gabriel. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/27 "2004-01-28T20:35:15Z")
> [@Skip](#): > > Geddy Lee (Rush) and Brian Molko (Placebo) Or for that matter, Geddy Lee, Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), and Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon)\* What’s creepy is that they all\* look\* vaguely similar as well. \*In my defense, I don’t actually listen to REO Speedwagon so I had to Google his name. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/28 "2004-01-28T20:50:13Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > How 'bout every. single. female. singer that auditioned for American Idol. They all do that obnoxious “vocal gymnastics” thing that has taken over the airwaves since the early 90s. Boring. They even do it on the Star Spangled Banner fercrissakes! I’m not sure who started it, but…clue to the contestants: just sing the song. You might make the cut. Yes! Please God, smite them all… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/29 "2004-01-28T21:31:15Z")
Brook Benton and Nat King Cole. (That is, when Mr. Benton sings something other than “Rainy Night in Georgia.”) Julie ---
**Author:** ![freewill39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d2c977/32.png) [@freewill39](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freewill39)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/30 "2004-01-28T22:27:23Z")
Thom Yorke (from Radiohead) and Rufus Wainwright (did I spell his last name right?) When I first heard John Mayer, I thought he sounded like Dave Matthews. And for you 80’s rock guys…I was a big Helloween fan at one point, and then got into Queensryche. When I first heard “Empire”, I thought it was a new Helloween tune. (-: ``` - Freewill39. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/31 "2004-01-29T00:14:59Z")
Joe Cocker always got a lot of grief for sounding a mite too much like Ray Charles. Tony Bennett can sometimes pass for Frank Sinatra. One hit wonder Fontella Bass (“Rescue Me”) is often mistaken for Aretha Franklin. This wouldn’t be so surprising–Aretha has a million followers, including all those vocal gymnasts–except for the fact that Bass had her hit two years _before_ Aretha hit it big. Another thread would be, “Singers who _wish_ they could pass for other singers.” A lot of singers out there are trying their darndest to sound like someone else, but just not making it. ---
**Author:** ![Winterwren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Winterwren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winterwren)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/32 "2004-02-07T20:04:39Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **dbygawdcapn** I am amazed that another Doper knows another Taylor besides James. I love Liv’s stuff, and wonder why he wasn’t more famous. Three of us, then. I still think that “Carolina Day” and “In My Reply” are marvelous songs, and his version of “Railroad Bill” is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/33 "2004-02-07T20:52:15Z")
I was sure the singer for Collapsis was the singer for Prime Sth a couple of years later. I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/34 "2004-02-07T21:05:38Z")
> [@](#): > > When I first heard John Mayer, I thought he sounded like Dave Matthews. He sure tries to. Why, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/35 "2004-02-07T21:09:39Z")
When I first heard Planet Telex I thought Thom Yorke sounded a lot like Kurt Cobain. Wayne Coyne sounds a lot like Curt Kirkwood. Duncan Shiek sounds like Glen Phillips. The singer from Tool sounds a lot like the singer from Depeche Mode. The singer from The Stranglers sounds like Syd Barrett sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/36 "2004-02-07T21:14:17Z")
One more addition: On some of the slower songs on White Blood Cells, Jack White sounds like Paul McCartney. On the flip side, Peter Murphy has to have the most distinctive voice I’ve ever heard. I love his voice (I love the other ones I mentioned too) ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/37 "2004-02-08T03:16:51Z")
> [@Live Better Electrically!](#): > > There have been a number of mainstream recording artists who were essentially Elvis impersonators: Ral Donner, **Terry Stafford** , Vince Everett, Orion and Terry Tigre, to name a few. Donner, Stafford and Orion even had national chart hits. > > I agree that Ian McCullough sounds like Neil Diamond. I also think Randy Travis can sound exactly like Lefty Frizzell. Right! Terry Stafford! That’s him. ---
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/38 "2004-02-08T03:21:06Z")
> [@Skip](#): > > Geddy Lee (Rush) and Brian Molko (Placebo) :eek: You take that back! Take it back! While Brian was a complete jerk the one time I met him (what else would you really expect?) I will not stand by and allow people to compare the dude to Geddy Lee. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything about Placebo. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/39 "2004-02-08T05:01:34Z")
My ear is not good at distinguishing singers at times. My list of songs I have misattributed. “Joey” by Concrete Blonde. In 1990 I was sure it was a new Pretenders"song. “Balls to the Wall” by Accept. I thought it was a Bon Scott AC/DC track (he was fond of that subject mater). “Jenny Says” by Cowboy Mouth. I thought it was a Green Day song for a while. “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Steelers’ Wheel. I thought that was Bob Dylan for years. There was a one hit wonder band called the Knickerbockers, that had a song called “Lies”. I would bet most people who were casual Beatles fans would think it was one of their B-sides from the “Help!” period. ---
**Author:** ![kimfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@kimfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimfair)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077/40 "2004-02-09T01:41:56Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > On the flip side, Peter Murphy has to have the most distinctive voice I’ve ever heard. I love his voice (I love the other ones I mentioned too) You need to hear a local Boston band called Holy Cow. Singer Chris Means has nearly the same voice as Peter Murphy. I used to tell him that if Bauhaus wanted to get back together they could use him instead of Peter. Anyone who saw the tribute concert for Freddie Mercury (like myself), was shocked to hear how much George Michael sounded like Freddie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soundalike-singers/226077.md?page=3)