I used to be able to nail that. Orbison’s range and mine were pretty similar.
I scrolled through this entire thread and I am almost disbelieving that nobody appears to have mentioned “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers.
Not sure I’d characterize the beginning as anything like “happy” – it’s tense and driving. But, yeah, I do love the build on that one when it gets to the freakout section.
So could I, and not so long ago. I used to love singing along with that if it came on the radio when I was in my car. No more I’m afraid. I could also hit most of the high notes on “Ooh Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson.
I have a voice somewhere between tenor and bass, but I haven’t much range. Can’t sing worth a darn!
“Perdido” from the Ellington Uptown album has a wild, discordant climax
“The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha. Not so much the first time it is sung, but in the finale when Don Quixote is on his deathbed and Aldonza starts singing it to him. He rises and joins her in singing before dying.
I guess mine is kinda quirky. I could go from baritone to falsetto, so could sing along with everyone from Johnny Cash to Freddy Mercury. Couldn’t quite hit Brad Delp’s high end, though.
Remembered another: The Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun by Julie Brown
Somehow I missed this. I’ve been getting this wrong for my whole life, and no one corrected me until now!
Don’t worry, that’s just another glitch in the matrix and you have entered some parallel universe. Happens to the best of us.
“Running Scared” by Roy Orbison. At the end Roy hits a long, G above high C in natural voice that is awe inspiring. I read the story once about the recording session where the producer describes his feelings when he first heard that sound.
Oh yes, great example!
I think “Who Are You” has a pretty strong ending.
Another good one!
Late Canadian singer Michael Burgess’ A Place in the Sun - from his eponymous 1997 easy listening album. A favorite memory of being 18.
Darkly beautiful “Sometime Around Midnight” by the The Airborne Toxic Event, 199something
“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.
“Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” seems to be about the thoughts of a man right on the edge of ecstasy, it’s worth considering.
Here’s one that’s probably very obscure, although it can be argued that it shouldn’t be.
Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed, written in 1944. According to Wikipedia (and other sources) “It is one of the most frequently performed pieces of concert band literature.” For a long time, though, the only recording I knew of was the one our own high school band had made of it. I looked through music collections and catalogs without finding another.
Now, with the internet, you can easily find recordings of it, including on YouTube. Nevertheless, I’ll bet it’s still pretty obscure, unless you’ve performed in one of those symphonic bands yourself.
It really does try to duplicate the sound of Russian seasonal music from some Orthodox church. And it builds to a significant climax, represented by a single chord, about a minute before the end, that I’ve always found stirring.
Hardly a “song” but the finale to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite moves me to tears.
Songs:
Won’t Get Fooled Again (Who)
Twist And Shout (Beatles; Paul’s closing “Yeah!” seals the deal)
Yes indeed!