# Which male singer has the most beautiful and/or sexiest voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648 "2004-12-26T05:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dancefan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dancefan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dancefan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/41 "2004-12-26T19:40:59Z")
[ Pavoroti (sp) Early Frank Sinatra ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/42 "2004-12-26T19:51:54Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > [Crosby](http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3754/bing.html), [Columbo](http://www.feralhouse.com/russcolumbo.html) and [Vallee](http://www.rudyvallee.com/)! You’re dating yourself, _Eve_…:)…I’d agree with Crosby, in so far as you mean the early, high-baritone, two-tone-shoes Crosby, not the later, bass-baritone, pipe and slippers Crosby. Being a str8 d00d, I have no dog in the “sexy” race, but one of the most handsome and virile voices ever must have been that of [Dick Haymes](http://www.parabrisas.com/d_haymesd.html). And, for sheer feeling and musicianship, it would be hard to top [Al Bowlly](http://www.btinternet.com/~I.Rogers/main.html). ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/43 "2004-12-26T20:03:37Z")
Leonard Cohen, hands down. IMO, no one else even comes close. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/44 "2004-12-26T20:13:09Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Adam Cohen. I’ve never heard anything recorded when his father (Leonard) was a young man, so I don’t know if they sound(ed) alike. No, they sound nothing alike. I think Adam is an interesting singer and I like his current single, but for me, he will forever be in the shadow of his father. I bet he wishes he got some of that Leonard voice, mmm. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/45 "2004-12-26T22:02:45Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > I think Josh Groban has a beautiful voice. Oh my yes. Lots of others, too, but give me Josh Groban and leave the room;) (bisexual guy, for anyone keeping that informal poll) ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/46 "2004-12-27T00:47:32Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Freddie Mercury - best vocal range in the history of rock music. Nobody else comes close. I second this - his voice was (IMO) both beautiful and sexy. My all time favourite for the beautiful category is Mandy Patinkin. I own all of his albums and he can make me weep (he also has a pretty decent range) with certain songs. For straight sexy: Peter Gabriel. I don’t know what it is about him, but he does it for me. Chris Isaak is also very good, but for some reason I don’t own a single album by him. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/47 "2004-12-27T01:32:04Z")
Hetero female I think Frankie is way overrated. I’ll third Josh Groban for most beautiful voice. For sexy I’ll throw in Damien Rice, his voice is not perfect but it’s real and passionate - you can feel what he’s singing about - that makes it sexy to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/48 "2004-12-27T02:46:53Z")
Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen.) In fact, his voice transforms a band with otherwise mediocre music and spotty lyrics (sometimes excellent, sometimes cheesy,) into a very listenable group. He’s right up there with Emiliana Torrini and Bjork in the list of people who could sing a phone book and I’d still listen. Altho in the case of the two females, I seriously might faint if I actually heard them in concert. Other singers can _do_ great things with their voice, such as the aforementioned Gilmour, and Ian’s contemporary Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs et al., but they don’t have as inherently beautiful a voice (whether that inherence is trained or natural, if you follow me.) ---
**Author:** ![NajaSong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@NajaSong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaSong)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/49 "2004-12-27T03:14:29Z")
There are a few singers that don’t necessarily have the greatest voices, but they have that sexy, scratchy, slightly-hoarse sound that really gets me going. For example, Jim Morrison and Brad Nowell of Sublime. Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) also falls in this category. Or maybe I just have a thing for tragic drug abusers. Others: John Popper Robbie Williams Harry Connick Jr. Josh Groban Michael Crawford Duncan Sheik Peter Gabriel I have odd tastes, though. Hetero female. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/50 "2004-12-27T03:23:03Z")
Listen to [John Mayer](http://www.rollingstone.com/artist/_/id/39520) sing _Daughters_. Wish I sang like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/51 "2004-12-27T03:35:20Z")
It’s funny that so many of you have mentioned Freddie Mercury, as I’ve often said IRL that I think his talent has been woefully underrated. Maybe I’m wrong and he is properly rated after all! But although Mercury was one of the truly great rock vocalists of all time, and one of the few who I think could have made it as a “serious” (as opposed to “popular”) singer, I personally wouldn’t say he has a _sexy_ voice. YMMV. I must give that crown to Eddie Vedder…which I believe dates me even more clearly, if a bit more recently, than **Eve** ’s choices. 😉 A lot of vocalists I’d consider for runner up have already been mentioned, but I’d like to second Peter Murphy as beautiful/sexy, Nick Cave as sexy, and Iggy Pop as…scary/sexy. A friend of mine once described him “the one who sounds like the Devil”. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/52 "2004-12-27T04:51:57Z")
I’ll be pretty much repeating my nominations from the last thread that was similar to this, but here goes: Sexiest: Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. I feel dirty just thinking about his voice. No competition, but first runner up would be Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Beautiful: Jason Molina of Songs:Ohia/Magnolia Electric Company - sad, tremulous. Dean Wareham - can be either eerie and wistful [Galaxie 500] or cool and laidback [Luna]. Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields - dry, deep and miserable. Lou Barlow - thoughtful. Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel - expressive. Of course, these don’t even cover many of my favorite male singers, as we don’t have a category for “Friggin Awesome.” These would be people like David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven), Britt Daniel (Spoon), Calvin Johnson and Elvis Costello. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/53 "2004-12-27T05:23:16Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > I think Josh Groban has a beautiful voice. Andrea Bocelli also sings beautifully, even if I can’t understand a word he says. For Christmas, I’ve been showering my mom with musical CDs. She has, I think, a beautiful voice and a very discerning ear, but she’s let herself get out of the loop (as far as “what’s out there”) lately. She had heard _the MOST_ (as she put it) beautiful male voice singing “O Holy Night” on the radio the other day, and she didn’t know the singer’s name. It was tormenting her, and she kept on talking about it. I helped her find the singer (we’re pretty sure) by scouring through all the versions of the song available at the iTunes music store. Verdict: Josh Groban. She is entranced with his voice. I also played her some samples of Andrea Bocelli, and she was entranced with him too—but wanted to hear something that she understood. As for my vote for most beautiful male voice, I’d say Groban, Bocelli, and an honorable mention to Hakan Hagagard. Sexiest voice—hm—I don’t know, maybe Robbie Robertson, but he’s got basically only one song that I know him by (_Somewhere Down the Crazy River_). But he’s great in that. ---
**Author:** ![Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b38774/32.png) [@Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hot_Buttered_Toast)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/54 "2004-12-27T05:59:46Z")
Nick Cave or Tom Waits. According to my mum, Nick Cave makes brutal murder sound sexy. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/55 "2004-12-27T06:27:08Z")
Nick Rivers, of course. (Shop at Macy’s) ---
**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:** [December 27, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/56 "2004-12-27T06:35:03Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen.) > > In fact, his voice transforms a band with otherwise mediocre music and spotty lyrics (sometimes excellent, sometimes cheesy,) into a very listenable group. > > He’s right up there with Emiliana Torrini and Bjork in the list of people who could sing a phone book and I’d still listen. Altho in the case of the two females, I seriously might faint if I actually heard them in concert. > > Other singers can _do_ great things with their voice, such as the aforementioned Gilmour, and Ian’s contemporary Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs et al., but they don’t have as inherently beautiful a voice (whether that inherence is trained or natural, if you follow me.) 'Scuse me? I had almost thought about including Ian, but I don’t think their music is otherwise mediocre. They have a great guitarist and rhythm section. I agree with you about the lyrics though. I’ve heard Richard Butler’s voice described as John Lydon’s without the sneer. That sounds accurate to me. I’ll have to agree with those who said Tom Waits, but only sometimes. His voice is often very ugly (and I love it that way), but it also is beautiful in songs like Alice, Hold On, and Downtown Train. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/57 "2004-12-27T08:13:29Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > Nick Rivers, of course. How silly can you get? (Actually, his voice is surprisingly good in that movie.) My votes (gay male here): Eddie Nichols from Royal Crown Revue Frank Sinatra Tony Bennett Liam O’Maonlai from Hothouse Flowers Dave Matthews (yeah, I said it!) Marvin Gaye Van Morrison ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/58 "2004-12-27T08:17:21Z")
Oh man, how could I forget Bowie? He’s at the top of my list. I get a little hot and bothered just thinking about him. > [@](#): > > Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields - dry, deep and miserable. I would have mentioned him too, but I didn’t know his name. You perfectly described his sound too. It’s just wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/59 "2004-12-27T11:31:33Z")
Another vote from a straight male for **Jeff Buckley** Nothing comes even close to the magic from this guy. It is a damn shame that he was lost so young in his life. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648/60 "2004-12-27T14:11:10Z")
Israel’s **Dudu Fisher** has long been my choice. His voice is so good it’s unbelievable. A straight male preacher I played a CD for described it as “liquid butter.” Fisher played Jean Valjean in London & New York, and they created a Hebrew version of the show for him. When you meet anyone from Israel, ask them if they’ve heard of Dudu Fisher. They will be amazed that you know of him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-male-singer-has-the-most-beautiful-and-or-sexiest-voice/281648.md?page=4)