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The late composer Richard Strauss once said, “The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play.” Strauss was right, but you don’t have to carry a tune perfectly to make an impact with a song. It’s so much more than that.
A great singer can surprise you through a powerful howl or a quiet whisper. An iconic singer can leave you emotional, inspired and changed forever. These music legends shaped our worlds with their exceptional vocal talent and timeless music catalogs. Because of that, they are the greatest singers of all time.
35. There’s no singer in the world like Björk. The Icelandic singer’s elastic soprano can stretch in ways no other singer’s can. Her climactic peaks are primal, joyous shouts that can sometimes come out of nowhere. That’s what makes watching her perform so enjoyable. She’ll always keep you guessing.
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34. Celine Dion shot to stardom in the 1990s after dominating the adult contemporary genre. Her three-octave range and mezzo-soprano voice blend perfectly with her pop/gospel style of music. She has the kind of voice that can fill stadiums and send songs into space with her massive vibrato.
33. Chris Cornell is best known as the lead vocalist for rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. But with a four-octave vocal range and powerful belting technique, he was so much more. He was a fearless artist who loved to experiment with his voice.
32. That five-octave vocal range. That melisma. That whistle register! No one can come for Mariah Carey when it comes to an R&B power ballad. And no one has. Just check the Billboard charts — no other female singer has 18 No. 1 hits.
31. Sam Cooke is universally recognized as the “King of Soul Music” for a reason. His contributions to the genre helped launch the careers of other soul music legends. Without Cooke, there would be no Aretha Franklin, Al Green or Marvin Gaye.
30. Sigur Rós creates magnificent soundscapes using classical and minimal elements. But the band doesn’t come to life without frontman Jónsi’s angelic falsetto. His ethereal style is a rare musical technique that doesn’t even require language. Half the time, he composes lyrics using his own musical language called “Hopelandic.”
29. You can’t talk about opera without mentioning this legendary Italian tenor. Luciano Pavarotti’s operas have sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the most successful singers of all time. His crystal-clear tone separated him from the pack and made him one of the best singers of the 20th century.
28. Cedric Bixler-Zavala is the fiery frontman of progressive rock bands The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In. With a range spanning from D2 to C7, his electrifying voice easily weaves through different vocal styles with precision. Any punk band in training should take notes from his blaring vocals.
27. Jazz wasn’t “cool” until the chiseled trumpeter Chet Baker stepped onto the scene. In the 1950s, the dreamy sighs he finessed catapulted him to stardom. Sadly, his talent also led him down a path of destruction. Baker was introduced to heroin four years after recording his first record.
26. Something wild separated Christina Aguilera from her pop music contemporaries of the late 1990s. None of the other singers sounded like soul dynamos of the ’30s and ’40s. To heighten the drama, she pairs her bombastic, sonic screams with a melisma that can showcase her four-octave range in milliseconds.
25. Prince’s music can compel you to do a lot of things. Choose any song from his 39 studio albums, and his powerful personality will make you dance in your underwear, kiss a stranger or cry in the rain — maybe even in the same song. Go ahead, try it.
24. By blending ’50s doo-wop and ’90s hip hop with her smoky voice, Amy Winehouse explored a musical world in the early 2000s that was uniquely her own. Her anguished contralto made her a fine jazz singer, but Winehouse’s demons elevated her music into timeless storytelling.
23. In her native Portugal, Amalia Rodrigues is known as the Queen of Fado. The genre consists of melancholy songs about the sea or despair, but Rodrigues gave it a new life and a global platform. 120 years after the genre developed, Rodrigues’ voice put fado on the world map.
22. In the early years of his career, Bruce Springsteen relied on passion over technique in his music. His method did the trick, thanks in large part to his talent for sounding earnest, honest and relatable. Blue-collar workers of America found a conductor to help them turn their feelings into dynamic music.
21. Nina Simone, the “High Priestess of Soul,” has a flaming cry that sticks to you like syrup. The piano virtuoso brought outrage, misery and intensity to her songs like no other artist of her time. Later in her career, she refocused her fire to support the civil rights movement.
20. The British legend’s feathery, charismatic baritone was perfectly skillful, but David Bowie was far more than a singer. He was the most talented actor on stage every time he stepped in front of the crowd. Each character he played had a unique, outstanding flair for invading your consciousness.
19. Motown Records defined the sound that dominated the 1960s. The singer that led the flock of songbirds was the velvet crooner Marvin Gaye. The “Prince of Motown” had the smoothest voice to ever dominate the airwaves. He started as a singer with a divine falsetto but evolved into a luxurious romantic.
18. Elvis Presley wasn’t just a pretty face. He could take simple lyrics about a hound dog and turn them into euphoric broadcasts that drove crowds insane. His strong, tall chest gave him a unique set of pipes, custom made to deliver some of the wildest concerts the 20th century had ever seen.
17. A calm, seductive softness came from Billie Holiday when she sang. As a jazz singer with such a twisted past, it’s no surprise she captivated her audiences with wild vocal risks. A true artist can take tragedy and turn it into beauty.
16. There’s a reason Edith Piaf’s legacy will never die. “La Môme Piaf” (The Little Sparrow) was a songbird who specialized in songs about love, loss and sorrow. As the world’s ultimate balladeer, she emoted to the point where her songs transcended language.
15. Whitney Houston will always be America’s ultimate pop star. As a child of gospel choirs and church hymns, Houston quickly learned what to do with such a powerful voice. It came as no surprise that a talent like hers launched her to global superstardom.
14. Otis Redding isn’t known for his vocal range. Low notes were rarely sung in his songs, and high notes were even rarer. Yet, with every song from Redding, you felt an emotional depth incomparable to anyone else. It cemented his legacy as one of soul music’s greatest talents.
13. Janis Joplin had more than a booming rasp in her repertoire. The control of her mezzo-soprano voice was what actually beguiled listeners. By embracing the rough edges of the notes, Joplin rebelled against cultural constraints. No one else could scream and cry on a song so beautifully.
12. Some people play music to unwind; others sing to express their feelings. Stevie Wonder sings to come to life. His singing style is very straightforward, and it paints a perceptible picture. A blind musical prodigy, his other heightened senses could explain why his talent is almost supernatural.
11. Etta James had the strongest set of lungs in R&B music. That power came from years of fighting addictions, abuse and troubles with the law. Her experiences gave her voice layers of sass and resentment, which made her songs about love all the more relatable.
10. Little Richard’s songs are electrifying from the moment he opens his mouth. His ferocious delivery raised the level of energy required to sing rock music. Hell, there wouldn’t even be rock music without Little Richard. He was the first to understand how music could send shivers down your spine.
9. Robert Plant is the charismatic frontman of Led Zeppelin, one of the world’s most innovative and influential rock groups. On “Immigrant Song,” Plant’s high-pitched howls made him sound like he came from another planet. Then, within the same song, he crooned like a mystical fortuneteller.
8. Ella Fitzgerald is often called “The First Lady of Song” for good reason. Her voice was like a fine-tuned jazz instrument, and no one could match Fitzgerald’s silky scatting abilities. She could improvise with the precision of a professional horn player.
7. Country music resonates because its subject matter is so relatable, and no singer told stories quite like Johnny Cash. His voice was calm but deeply layered and pained. “The Man in Black” shared his hardships with a vulnerable honesty you wouldn’t expect to find under such a tough exterior.
6. By combining blues, gospel and R&B, Ray Charles pioneered soul music with his smooth, seasoned voice. He brought new life to radios with his fast, improvised chuckles that let the world know he was having fun — and everyone else was just along for the ride.
5. Producer Phil Spector tried to hide Darlene Love from the world. Her first hit “He’s a Rebel” didn’t even feature her name. But from background singer in 1962 with The Blossoms to celebrated soloist, Love’s voice defined the sound of traditional pop music.
4. The lyrics weren’t important in a James Brown song. What mattered was the moment when Brown released his earth-shaking squeal to jumpstart the band. He was a lively, outrageous performer who gave every song his all, pumping energy out to the crowd from every bone in his body.
3. Frank Sinatra was a vocal chameleon. A song was always just a starting point for him. Instead of singing one way, he became the song, and his baritone expressed whatever mood consumed him the most. He could remove all pretense and give even the most schmaltzy song authentic grit.
2. Aretha Franklin may be the most confident singer to ever record a song. It makes sense when you’re that naturally gifted. She had a knack for bringing out the physical force of every word she sang. It’s like you could see her shout for respect from your radio.
1. Freddie Mercury is the king of showmanship. His four-octave vocal range was impressive enough, but the Queen frontman also had the theatrical stage presence and genre-blending expertise to create bombastic musical experiences no one could ever forget. Who else could seamlessly weave opera into heavy metal with such assurance?
