# Who Told Them They Could Sing? But they Can! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800 "2005-09-09T12:28:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/1 "2005-09-09T12:28:04Z")
Okay - who is a singer who you wonder how they EVER got the notion they could sing - but they actually do a great job. NOTE - I am NOT looking for folks who have genuine problems holding a tune or are notoriously known for not being all that great - so obvious nominees like Dylan, Neil Young and even Courtney Love don’t need to be mentioned. These are folks who can hit the notes, but the tone (the _timbre_ to get musical about it) is weird, off or really distinct. Here’s some examples: **Richard Butler** of the Psychedelic Furs - he hits the notes; he CAN sing, but his voice sounds like an old, dusty floor. **Robert Smith** of the Cure - again, the guy hits the notes, but his warbly tone is just…weird **Macy Gray** - again, actually a solid vocalist, but she sounds like a little kid who has been smoking cigarettes. Yours? ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/2 "2005-09-09T12:33:21Z")
Macy Gray is the worst excuse for a singer I’ve ever heard. Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan and Frank Black can’t sing well either, but at least they found a way to make their poor singing abilities WORK. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/3 "2005-09-09T12:41:55Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Macy Gray is the worst excuse for a singer I’ve ever heard. Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan and Frank Black can’t sing well either, but at least they found a way to make their poor singing abilities WORK. I appreciate the fact that you don’t like her, but actually - as a musician I think I can speak to this - technically, she is a solid vocalist technically, with obvious R&B/Gospel roots. She hits the notes, has a great vibrato, etc. You are welcome to not like her, obviously - everyone’s MMV. But to call her “the worst excuse for a singer” is simply inaccurate. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/4 "2005-09-09T12:46:18Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **Macy Gray** - again, actually a solid vocalist, but she sounds like a little kid who has been smoking cigarettes. She’s got a neat voice. Okay, mine is the male singer for Crash Test Dummies. I don’t know his name, but he has that incredibly distinctive, weird, deep voice. Sometimes I think he sounds like Neil Diamond on downers. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/5 "2005-09-09T12:47:17Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > technically, she is a solid vocalist technically :smack: ---
**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:** [September 9, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/6 "2005-09-09T12:55:27Z")
**Tom Petty** can hit the notes just fine, but he kind of mangles the enunciation ala Bob Dylan and makes himself sound not-as-good. I still like him, though. Loads of great songs. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/7 "2005-09-09T13:28:03Z")
Adam Duritz, Counting Crows. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/8 "2005-09-09T13:31:33Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > She’s got a neat voice. > > Okay, mine is the male singer for Crash Test Dummies. I don’t know his name, but he has that incredibly distinctive, weird, deep voice. Sometimes I think he sounds like Neil Diamond on downers. Brad Roberts. What’s truly remarkable about him is that he sounds exactly the same live as he does on a studio album. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-told-them-they-could-sing-but-they-can/320800/9 "2005-09-09T14:14:00Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Brad Roberts. What’s truly remarkable about him is that he sounds exactly the same live as he does on a studio album. I’d love to hear him sing live. I simply dig that voice.