Impossible to answer, of course. However, I can say my favourite vocalists and they'll be of no surprise to anybody.

Female: Shirley Collins
Male: Robert Wyatt

I also think (in no order) Mary Black, Anne Briggs, Vishti Bunyan, Kate Bush, Mary Capin-Carpenter, Sandy Denny, Peter Hamill, Celia Humphries, Kirsty MacColl, Jacqui McShee, Maddy Prior, Paul Rodgers, Richard Sinclair, Melanie Safka and Dusty Sprinfield are excellent.

Easy!

Maria Callas

Jeff Buckley

G

On the basis of where do I default when I can't think of anything else to listen to, then:

Kathleen Ferrier and The Band (Rick, Levon & Richard)

I think Frank Sinatra deserves an honourable mention

Second Kathleen Ferrier, an absolutely unique voice. But then so were the likes of Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson, Kirsten Flagstad, Fischer-Dieskau, Astrid Varnay, Wolfgang Wingassen and so..... as I suggested in another thread, I really don't think there's such a thing as a single greatest vocalist, I think the idea of a greatest anything is a little silly.

For what it's worth, and this just shows how differently two people can see the same thing, for me I find Jeff Buckley rather too like someone scraping their fingernails down a blackboard.

regards, Tam

Sinatra
Stevie Marriot
Marvin Gaye

Easy really...

Male: Peter Hammill (two ms)
Female Liz Frazer (Cocteau Twins)

Freddie Mercury

Does best vocalist = singer with the best voice?

If so female is easy enough
Ella Fitzgerald, Irma Thomas, Arethra Franklin.

Male: more difficult ( for me) Freddie White. Elvis Presley, Art Garfunkel


However if it best volcalist = the singers we like most for their voices

female : Lucinda Williams, Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega

Male, Bob Dylan, Phil Lynott, Frank Black.

Now, now EW - I'm not convinced you are being 100% sincere.

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:
Easy!

Maria Callas



G

Yep.

I could make a good case for Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Dame Janet Baker.

quote:

Now, now EW - I'm not convinced you are being 100% sincere.

Heehee! There was a man whose sense of style and understatemant, whose fine sense of the meanings of a word, and whose sublime taste and skill with a phrase make him the greatest of all singers... yes, you've guessed it...

Barrrrrcelloooooooona!

Radio googoo...

EW

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
Does best vocalist = singer with the best voice?

.. best volcalist = the singers we like most for their voices

Well either really - I'm not sure I know who has the best voice, but I know who I really like. I would guess Shirley Collins could sing any note she was asked to sing with immaculate clarity, but I'm not sure this has ever been tested.

I always find it interesting to learn what everybody thinks, as I get curious to learn why somebody thinks they are special, which leads me to try to listen to something different.

Jeff Buckley
Nick Drake
Mark E Smith
Morrissey
Ian Brown

Liz Fraser
Nina Simone
Billie Holliday
Natalie Merchant
Kristin Hersh

quote:

Originally posted by Squarepusher:
Jeff Buckley
Nick Drake
Mark E Smith
Morrissey
Ian Brown

Liz Fraser
Nina Simone
Billie Holliday
Natalie Merchant
Kristin Hersh

Oh? Not Freddie Mercury then??

Tom Waits -no brainer.

The greatest? Well I just don't know or even think it can be so easily judged, but my favourite was Flagstad, which is sad because mostly she recorded Wagner, which I don't enjoy! But in other repertoire, where she was more at home on the humaine and psychological level, such as Norwegian Melodie (roughly Art-song), she shows something I love very much. She made a unique Fidelio as well (Salzburg 1950 is a fair example of her extra-ordinary portrayal...), and I have her in other things as well which are all priceless.

Fredrik

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GFFJ,

quote:

Originally posted by Earwicker:
Oh? Not Freddie Mercury then??

You know, if your taste in music was better, I'd swear you were Mick Parry.

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:
Easy!

Maria Callas

Jeff Buckley

G

A truly great performer - she put heart and soul into her music but not a truly great voice - too harsh I would say.

Jussi Bjorling

Aretha Franklin
Cesaria Evora
Tom Waits
John Lee Hooker
and what about Karen Carpenter?

Nic