# Your Favorite Singer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 26, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063 "2026-01-26T22:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/1 "2026-01-26T22:46:19Z")
Who’s your favorite singer? I’m defining “favorite” as the person whose voice and phrasing most reliably provides you with pleasure. My own favorite is Willie Nelson. I’m not a huge fan, but — more than anyone else — he could sing a news article and keep me fascinated with the starts, stops, hints of emotion, etc. I can’t explain the fascination, but I recognize and appreciate it. Musically I prefer Van Morrison, or the Beatles, or Steely Dan, and while I like their vocals, there is rarely any active pleasure. I love the skill and beauty of Eva Cassidy and Mel Torme when I’m listening, but don’t have the same emotional connection (unless I’m thinking about Cassidy’s life and death.) I don’t attach importance to Willie being my favorite singer – I’m not a student of vocal technique and have no interest in trying to convince anyone that he’s special. I think Willie’s own favorite singer is Frank Sinatra, who leaves me cold. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/2 "2026-01-26T23:06:47Z")
Linda Ronstadt, for breadth of expression and highly flexiility in genres. Followed by Louis Armstrong, 'cause my dad had a great many of his records. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/3 "2026-01-26T23:17:23Z")
K.D. Lang Followed by Patsy Cline. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/4 "2026-01-26T23:25:41Z")
George Jones Merle Haggard Dwight Yoakum The sound of those guys’ voices gives me chills Also Marty Balin Steve Marriott And for unbelievable conviction - Tammy Wynette I saw George Jones live in a small dinner theater once and his voice was even richer than it was on vinyl. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/5 "2026-01-26T23:29:55Z")
Very favorite: Freddy Mercury. Runners-Up: Bill Withers Roy Orbison Pat Benatar ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/6 "2026-01-26T23:31:28Z")
I only know this one song of hers, I think, but for me, it doesn’t get any better than Etta James singing “At Last”. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/7 "2026-01-26T23:33:41Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Roy Orbison I’ll take your Roy Orbison (excellent) with my K.D. Lang as a mix: 🙂 ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-8Q9xK1My6k/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/-8Q9xK1My6k?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/8 "2026-01-26T23:37:28Z")
Judith Durham, of the Seekers. Favourite living singer is Emmylou Harris. Male singer? Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/9 "2026-01-26T23:37:43Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I’ll take your Roy Orbison (excellent) with my K.D. Lang as a mix: 🙂 Absolutely. That was a devastatingly powerful duet. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/10 "2026-01-26T23:39:12Z")
Elton John, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart. Take your pick. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/11 "2026-01-26T23:45:37Z")
Inspired by the David Bowie thread going on, Bowie is my choice for male singer. Great range and tone, many styles, and it aged gracefully into its own rather than just being a lesser shadow of his you the (as opposed to for example Elton John or Billy Joel who simply burned out their voices). For female, PJ Harvey for me. For many of the same reasons above. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/12 "2026-01-26T23:53:24Z")
Another vote for Bowie. Also, some women, for some reason mainly focusing on “A” first names: Lori Carson Abbe May Adia Victoria Annie Haslam ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/13 "2026-01-26T23:58:35Z")
Justin Hayward ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/14 "2026-01-27T00:06:03Z")
Kesha Second favorite: Tom Petty ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/15 "2026-01-27T00:12:30Z")
Annie Haslam Sandy Denny Cleo Laine Emmylou Harris ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/16 "2026-01-27T00:13:10Z")
Susan Tedeschi Layne Staley ---
**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 27, 2026, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/17 "2026-01-27T00:21:20Z")
I’ve always loved Christine McVie’s voice. Stevie Wonder and Michael Stipe come to mind. All three are very expressive, for lack of a better term. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/18 "2026-01-27T00:29:04Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Linda Ronstadt, for breadth of expression and highly flexiility in genres. Gotta second this. But a few additional: Beth Hart Neko Case Imelda May ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/19 "2026-01-27T00:31:56Z")
I guess it’s Madonna. Her vocals are very closely matched to mine, and I love the vulnerability in her voice. Especially those slow burn ballads. I also relate to a lot of her music so it magnifies the emotional impact. For dudes, it would be the lead singer of _Chevelle_, Pete Loeffler. Oh and Maynard from _Tool._ They melt me. I could list a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063/20 "2026-01-27T00:33:54Z")
Can’t pick just one: Kate Bush Mylène Farmer Sia Lana Del Rey Aimee Mann Taeyeon Marina Pat Benatar Robyn Tori Amos Tove Styrke Victoria Song [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-singer/1027063.md?page=2)