The Greatest Rock Vocalists Of All Time

[burnspbesq]

Was messing with my CD collection...and found someone who should never have been forgotten. Top Tenner, IMO: Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien--OK, Dusty Springfield. Mezzo soprano. Wonderful range, complemented by an almost tenor lower register. Guessing four octaves, but nobody ever tested it. Amazing voice control. Changed registers at will. And a song book that is second to no one: folk, country, rock, R&B, ballads. She could do it all. And did. Can't shut Dusty out either.

How Can I Be Sure? Listen to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uap5xO5oMHY See what i did there? Anyway, check her at about 1:30 and again about 2:10. She died too soon. Breast cancer.

Somewhere there is a stage musical trying to bring her back. But I don't think anyone can quite match her voice.

Shelby Lynne did a tremendous album of Dusty covers a number of years ago.

https://youtu.be/fwf844beG5E

[burnspbesq]

They are both known primarily as country artists, but the Moorer sisters surely can rock out.

https://youtu.be/bbaGWRBTrXk

[Jim3k]

Shelby Lynne did a tremendous album of Dusty covers a number of years ago.

https://youtu.be/fwf844beG5E

Of course covers don't have to replicate the original (or even the best) version. Different artist, different interpretation. Certainly Shelby Lynne is a fine singer. Still, IMO, her voice does not demonstrate the brightness or power Dusty provides. One review of that album, while positive, accurately called Lynne's versions "sleepy." Whether that's fair or not, for me, there is no "grab" effect. Of course, she is without orchestra and that reduces the overall power of the songs, though plenty of outstanding soloists can overcome that. Heck, maybe one can say that Dusty's flaws could have been hidden in the orchestra. Anyway, Lynne's voice has some of Dusty's smoky quality, but in that album she makes no attempt to stretch her voice out. We don't really learn what Lynne is capable of. Mostly it is "head", not "chest", singing. So, while Lynne's versions are quite good in their own right, IMO, they really don't measure up to Dusty's versions. Dusty, of course, uses whatever technique she thinks "makes" the song. As I said, Dusty has range and easy voice control. Her colors are unique and she can invoke them all at will. I think all truly great singers have that.

Nevertheless, I think pointing to Lynne's covers was a useful comparison. Thanks for that.

[BTW, no one has mentioned Bobby Hatfield.]

[camion]

I don't know that she's classified as a rock vocalist, but K.D. Lang can do justice to some Roy Orbison songs.

[CameronBlue]

More balladeer than rock icon Don McLean was very highly respected by those whose audiences were far more expansive. Orbison called McLean "the voice of the century" and according to wiki Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, stated “McLean’s voice could cut through steel - he is a very pure singer and he's up there with the best of them." Lori Lieberman's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" was also inspired by McLean, she penned the song after attending one of his concerts. There's more on wiki describing how Orbison's performance of "Crying" was refined after McLean's cover reached #1.

I always liked "Castles in the Air" the title inspired by the mansions that overlook the Hudson River. Here's a rendition McLean recorded on a D-45 for VH-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-JGZT79kM