# Who are the five worst singers of pop music in the second half of the 20th century? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2017, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037 "2017-01-01T11:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/21 "2017-01-02T07:35:34Z")
Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/22 "2017-01-02T08:48:31Z")
Surprised that no one mentioned Sonny Bono yet, who was inspired by the fact that Bob Dylan’s voice was considered to be adequate. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/23 "2017-01-02T09:25:15Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > You old misirlouable fuck! Actually my favorite song by him is [Esperanza](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xse34IZbCPk), one of his newer songs. (Note: No singing!) ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/24 "2017-01-02T10:40:27Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Yes Leon is horrible. And Neil and Bob are great. Neil and Bob. . .is that their names, or what they do? /Bad Face! Bad! Sorry. How can you not spike a set-up like that? //“Everyone Knows this is Nowhere” is one of my Desert Island albums, and I am very fond of several of Dylan’s songs. ///“Lady Blue” and “Tight Rope” are great tunes. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/25 "2017-01-02T12:06:40Z")
With these threads, I usually think something along the lines of ,“ehh, it’s always a matter of taste, and mine sometimes change back and forth.” But then I read this: > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Dick Dale is pretty awful. (Though possibly not Pop Music.) Who has two thumbs and doesn’t have the stomach to listen to “Mr. Peppermint Man” again? – This guy! ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/26 "2017-01-02T12:54:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Gatopescado** > Billy Corgan has got to get a mention in here somewhere. That is the weird thing about Billy, he has an objectively awful voice and yet somehow in his band it works, but don’t ask me how. I was listening to the radio one day and heard his cover of Stevie Nick’s Landslide, awful just awful he destroyed a beautiful song, I had to quickly change the station. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/27 "2017-01-02T13:30:17Z")
If we widen the definition of pop music -and singing- then **Yoko Ono** deserves mention. As a wee lad, I was really into KISS and **Ace Frehley** was my favorite. When it was made known that he was going to sing lead vocals for the first time, I was duly worked up. I tried my best to like his song, _Shock Me_ but even to my kid ears, I grasped pretty quickly that this guy couldn’t sing for squat. [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iauaDVVPGW8) if you want to hear for yourself. (He got a little better over time. In his bio, he acknowledges his limited vocal capacity but says screw it, it’s rock and roll not opera at the Met.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/28 "2017-01-02T16:25:46Z")
> [@pool](#): > > That is the weird thing about Billy, he has an objectively awful voice and yet somehow in his band it works, but don’t ask me how. Indeed. It took me a little while to get used to his voice (I hated the Pumpkins for awhile because of him), but I now love it in the context of the Smashing Pumpkins (one of my favorite bands). I can’t see that band with any other singer. Same thing with Liz Phair. I _love_ her voice for her music, especially the early records. There’s just something sneering and sincere and hurt and angry and honest about it. I can feel the bite of her lyrics because of that voice. Once she got into the more middle-of-the-road pop by her later records and her voice started changing towards that generic female pop star voice, I lost pretty much all interest. Love Cohen’s distinctive, deep, dark, gravelly voice, too. Gives me chills. As to the OP? I dunno. Paula Abdul? I mean, I loved her music in the 80s (and still listen to it from time to time), but she has a very mediocre thin voice. Same era, I’d nominate Janet Jackson, and I’d probably agree with Madonna, but I enjoy all these artists’ music. I also can’t imagine those are “the worst.” They’re just adequate enough. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/29 "2017-01-02T16:44:53Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I love Neil Young’s vocals. Dylan’s too. > > But I cannot listen to any number of current pop singers, male and female, who think think the goal is to sing the loudest and hold the note the longest. It is increasingly noticeable on any of the singing competition programs. > > I call it the Big Finish Phenomenon. You can see the performer mustering their lung power for the Big Finish. And the audience cheers as though cancer was being cured on that stage. > > mmm Tom Reynolds in “I Hate Myself and Want to Die; The 52 Most Depressing Songs You Ever Heard” calls this a Brain Concussion Modulation. He names the big three as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celene Dion. Three singers I cannot abide. I was listening to Sun Radio (100.1 locally and they have an app- solar powered, non-profit, I HIGHLY recommend) Saturday and they played Willie Nelson’s “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”. Snoop can rap. Snoop is NOT a singer. It was kind of painful. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/30 "2017-01-02T17:19:16Z")
We are not singers. We are Devo. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/31 "2017-01-02T19:59:35Z")
I don’t really get the Liz Phair ire. I judge her on the first LP, and there is no way to make an album that great without a lot of vocal soul. I remember it was a lot more mature sounding than other females singers at the time. She might be getting away with it on the singing front because of her original material, but that’s what Dylan and a lot of others did. I mean “passable” meaning a major label backed pro singer who should not be doing it. I am not talking about modern pop and rock artists who are too numerous and horrible to put on lists. I mean the ones who had a good song or were of interest in a real musical way. Good suggestions I’m watching: Yoko Sonny Bono Leonard Cohen Tiny Tim ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/32 "2017-01-02T20:16:23Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > If we widen the definition of pop music -and singing- then **Yoko Ono** deserves mention. > > As a wee lad, I was really into KISS and **Ace Frehley** was my favorite. > > When it was made known that he was going to sing lead vocals for the first time, I was duly worked up. > > I tried my best to like his song, _Shock Me_ but even to my kid ears, I grasped pretty quickly that this guy couldn’t sing for squat. [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iauaDVVPGW8) if you want to hear for yourself. > > (He got a little better over time. In his bio, he acknowledges his limited vocal capacity but says screw it, it’s rock and roll not opera at the Met.) Peter Criss sang lead on “Beth”. He can’t carry a tune in a bucket either. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/33 "2017-01-02T22:25:41Z")
Nobody’s mentioned Michael Bolton yet? Also Johnny Cash ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/34 "2017-01-02T23:05:21Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Nick Cave. [Release The Bats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8Ygt_t69A) has one of the all-time great vocal performances, and only Nick Cave could have pulled it off. SEX VAMPIRE HORROR BITE SEX VAMPIRE COOL MACHINE! ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/35 "2017-01-03T00:59:48Z")
I don’t know if these folks deserve the “worst” designation, but clearly many of the aforementioned merit “highly fucking annoying”. Journey - “When the lights… go down… in the sit-tay…” George Harrison - deserves a category all by hisself, as he wasn’t much of a guitarist either. But the high falsettos and nasal scouse accent, good lord. Bob Dylan - voice has been described as “gargled broken glass, with a draino chaser”, not too far off the mark. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!” (yes, he really did this too) is one of my favorites because of this. But I’ve loved Bobby Ds catalog as much as any. Well, I haven’t shelled out $600 for the entire set of track 12 outtakes of Rainy Day Women, but I’ve an extensive appreciation of especially, pre-crash Bob. He has a great voice, sense of melody and tunefulness. John Lennon - just about anything after he started believing his own BS, popping acid like candy, etc. Just an insufferable ass by all accounts. His early straight ahead rockers - “Leave My Kitten Alone”, were perhaps unsurpassed. Watching him crack up in just a couple short years is textbook insanity. Yoko was of course (and is) considered a form of torture by many. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/36 "2017-01-03T02:48:24Z")
Alice Cooper. Seen him twice, about 40 years apart. Still can’t hold a note. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/37 "2017-01-03T02:54:11Z")
Adam Duritz (It’s an endless December) Madonna (So famous, so awful) Mark Knopfler (Why not hire a singer?) Tom Waits (born with a noose around his neck?) Billy Corgan (it takes dedication to be _that_ bad) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/38 "2017-01-03T02:54:13Z")
No one’s mentioned Meat Loaf yet? I had a friend that wanted to get into the music business and changed his mind when Mr. Loaf hit it big. He said, “This obviously isn’t about actual talent.” ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/39 "2017-01-03T03:10:24Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Bob Dylan > Neil Young > Bruce Springsteen > Tom Petty > Keith Richards ^ Nailed it ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037/40 "2017-01-03T05:28:10Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Journey - “When the lights… go down… in the sit-tay…” Gregg Rolie may not have the pipes Steve Perry does (or did, before his health failed) but he can definitely sing. And “Lights” is one of my all-time favorite songs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-five-worst-singers-of-pop-music-in-the-second-half-of-the-20th-century/776037.md?page=3)