Who is the worst vocalist?

Doctor J

Worst - Post 1991 James Hetfield - a poor man's Glenn Danzig bringing shame to a formerly great band.

X-Dawg

John2 wrote:

The first post made no mention of discussing a worst vocalist from a purely "technical" standpoint. Your view seems to be that if you can hit notes outside of a normal singer's range you are automatically god among vocalists. Axl may be able to hit notes but he sounds awful when he does, he's shrill and whiny and his transitions between notes is far from smooth. Compare him to Jonsi from Sigur Rós, Diamanda Galas or Blixa Bargeld and he sounds as flat as a pancake.

Not only that but come on, the guy hardly did melodies and vocal harmonies that rewrote singing, he was just Meatloaf for a new generation. Boring and uninspired stadium rock. Even within that category he stumbles as on several live performances I've heard, he just can't keep the pace, unlike say Bruce Dickonson. And the artists I mentioned above can repeat (and surpass) their studio performances on a nightly basis.

You haven't got a clue have you?
You're now trying to compare him to your 3 FAVOURITE singers. But how can you possibly say he is the WORST in the WORLD - out of every single singer in the world, Axl Rose is the absolute worst? lol
What about Scooter? Is he better than Axl
Or Eiffel65? Bald guy from Aqua? such ignorance....

John

I'm not wasting my time on this anymore, just accept the fact that I disagree with you. I think Axl is about as special as dog ****. You're obviously unable to accept the fact that people have different opinions to you. Ignorance is no part of it, I'd be ignorant if I hadn't heard Axl Rose sing.

Oh and I don't consider the "artists" you mentioned vocalists, what they do is not art, it is throwaway crap. That's me done with this thread, maybe after X-Dawg finishes puberty I'll come back.

nadir

On the wole axl thing. Well I just put on some gnr now to listen to it. I think live is besides the point, all singers have their off days, and axl would be so tanked up on cocktails of smack, crack and alcohol that I think it wouldn't be fair to judge him on some live performances.

He has like quite a few voices, from It's so Easy to Nightrain to some of the other high pitch stuff. Man I dont know how many octaves hes covering, but its a damn lot. And he goes so high without resorting to falsetto.
But i think whats really amazing, is that he can cover all these ranges, and still keep his voice (timbre) constant. I mean he can cover these ranges while growling or in clean tone. It's really something else. If you cant hear it John2, well too bad, I can understand how you might find his style irritaing. But I think its fact that he is a good singer, he's hitting all the notes spot on. You obviously dont like his voice, but this thread isn't called 'The singer I least like'

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

well maybe it should be, the man sounds like a donkey being interfered with.

but um.. the rasmus singer..

just pathetic

nadir

maybe

Corruptedmorals

SYL wrote:

Bruce fukking Dickenson....every time I hear Iron Maiden on Kerrang TV, I have to cringe.

oh no ima kick your ass bruce dickenson is the best thing to happen to rock ya **** wit

Dr. Loon

nadir wrote:

On the wole axl thing. Well I just put on some gnr now to listen to it. I think live is besides the point, all singers have their off days, and axl would be so tanked up on cocktails of smack, crack and alcohol that I think it wouldn't be fair to judge him on some live performances.

Axl Rose's voice used to be amazing live. Better than on the records. People are of course entitled their own opinion, but you've gotta recognise the ability he had, even if not to your style. Thing about these sort of threads is people don't try to judge the topic objectively they just name off their favourite singers/most hated singers and that's the end of discussion as far as they're concerned. I hate the style of an awful lot of singers but recognise their vocal ability as being special. i.e. Bruce Dickinson - great voice, but not my cup of tea, or coffee, or whiskey. That's cos I'm a genius though, so don't feel too bad about yourselves.

X-Dawg

nadir wrote:

On the wole axl thing. Well I just put on some gnr now to listen to it. I think live is besides the point, all singers have their off days, and axl would be so tanked up on cocktails of smack, crack and alcohol that I think it wouldn't be fair to judge him on some live performances.

He has like quite a few voices, from It's so Easy to Nightrain to some of the other high pitch stuff. Man I dont know how many octaves hes covering, but its a damn lot. And he goes so high without resorting to falsetto.
But i think whats really amazing, is that he can cover all these ranges, and still keep his voice (timbre) constant. I mean he can cover these ranges while growling or in clean tone. It's really something else. If you cant hear it John2, well too bad, I can understand how you might find his style irritaing. But I think its fact that he is a good singer, he's hitting all the notes spot on. You obviously dont like his voice, but this thread isn't called 'The singer I least like'

Spot on.
I already tried explaining that to him, but he just doesn't get it. He doesn't realise that we're talking ABILITY here, and not taste.

Pet

Okay, if we're talking ability then I guess Axl Rose isn't so bad after all. (And your negative rep bounced off me as a little grey apple, X-Dawg..)

This also reinforces my choice of the lead singers from the Strokes and the Libertines though. Crap, crap, crap.

Ardent

Dr Alban, remember him? Heard him doing "It's My Life" live once, sweet jesus that was 10 on the cringe-o-meter.

Doctor J

Ardent wrote:

Dr Alban, remember him? Heard him doing "It's My Life" live once, sweet jesus that was 10 on the cringe-o-meter.

Yeah, wasn't that damn tune used on a tampon ad?

Welcome to the Big Time, Dr. Alban!

LightofDarkness

Ok now you are showing your ignorance again X-Dawg. In case you hadn't noticed, John2 made a lucid, intelligent argument where he picked out the outstanding flaws(there are many) in Axl's vocals. You have yet to back up your claims from a truly critical standpoint.
Octaves? Wow, he's got 3. Woop-dee-do. Does he move between octaves smoothly or without an obvious hit? No. Bruce Dickinson does. So do most vocalists described as having talent or ability. It's usually a benchmark melodic vocalists must hit before they are even going to be considered for having talent.
Another thing about talent is having a GOOD voice. Axl's is far from what we would call good. He sounds like a mangey cat being slowly gutted for the purposes of gambling. His voice makes me shudder, it interferes with my thought patterns. He's shrill and whiny. Even when he "sings" low. Then he sounds like a caterwaul.
Damn I'm so sick of this "But he's a legend. He's untouchable by opinion. All who oppose him know nothing."

Pyr0

I have to say.....well said Lightofdarkness

Hannibal_12

LightofDarkness wrote:

Ok now you are showing your ignorance again X-Dawg. In case you hadn't noticed, John2 made a lucid, intelligent argument where he picked out the outstanding flaws(there are many) in Axl's vocals. You have yet to back up your claims from a truly critical standpoint.
Octaves? Wow, he's got 3. Woop-dee-do. Does he move between octaves smoothly or without an obvious hit? No. Bruce Dickinson does. So do most vocalists described as having talent or ability. It's usually a benchmark melodic vocalists must hit before they are even going to be considered for having talent.
Another thing about talent is having a GOOD voice. Axl's is far from what we would call good. He sounds like a mangey cat being slowly gutted for the purposes of gambling. His voice makes me shudder, it interferes with my thought patterns. He's shrill and whiny. Even when he "sings" low. Then he sounds like a caterwaul.
Damn I'm so sick of this "But he's a legend. He's untouchable by opinion. All who oppose him know nothing."

Well that's your opinion and while you are entitled to it I fervently disagree with it. Axl is without doubt one of the greatest vocalists I have heard for not only his range but the depth of emotion he can express.
Appetite for Destruction is without doubt one of the single greatest rock albums ever made, perhaps the greatest. While the reasons for that are many, including Slash’s amazing riffs, I would submit it is Axl that puts it over top and makes it truly great.
You can dislike his style, that’s your prerogative, but saying he lacks ability and "sounds like a mangey cat" is juvenile and highlights an inability to appreciate what most people agree is an amazing vocalist and incidentally lyricist.

Giblet

LightofDarkness wrote:

.
Octaves? Wow, he's got 3. Woop-dee-do. Does he move between octaves smoothly or without an obvious hit? No. Bruce Dickinson does. So do most vocalists described as having talent or ability.

I'm sorry, but this must be a different Axl Rose you are talking about, because that comment seems to be pulled from your ass.

tony 2 tone

That gimp from Coal Chamber,

And just cos ya dont like Axl dont make him a bad singer, although he sounded rough when Der Roses played on the MTV awards.

nadir

LightofDarkness wrote:

Ok now you are showing your ignorance again X-Dawg. In case you hadn't noticed, John2 made a lucid, intelligent argument where he picked out the outstanding flaws(there are many) in Axl's vocals. You have yet to back up your claims from a truly critical standpoint.

so do you, the following doesn't exatly make a convincing point either

LightofDarkness wrote:

Another thing about talent is having a GOOD voice. Axl's is far from what we would call good. He sounds like a mangey cat being slowly gutted for the purposes of gambling. His voice makes me shudder, it interferes with my thought patterns. He's shrill and whiny. Even when he "sings" low. Then he sounds like a caterwaul.
Damn I'm so sick of this "But he's a legend. He's untouchable by opinion. All who oppose him know nothing."

It's just tripe, we know you dont like him, but I dont know how you can substanciate he is a bad vocalist. I mean im not into finbar wright, I think that kind of singing is like wierd, and it just doesn't do it for me. But im not going to go ranting on about how he's a bad singer, because he clearly isn't. The guy can sing , so can axl.

edit:

and let me just address john2's points which you are referencing

The first post made no mention of discussing a worst vocalist from a purely "technical" standpoint. Your view seems to be that if you can hit notes outside of a normal singer's range you are automatically god among vocalists. Axl may be able to hit notes but he sounds awful when he does, he's shrill and whiny and his transitions between notes is far from smooth. Compare him to Jonsi from Sigur Rós, Diamanda Galas or Blixa Bargeld and he sounds as flat as a pancake.

i think his transitions are pulled off well, I'm not saying he is the greatest vocalist, but a damn good one, and sounding awful , shrill whiny, is just opinion. I can't see how you can come to some objective point of view that axl is a poor singer, it's individual opinion. I maintain he can sing well, again, whether you like his style or not is another matter.

Not only that but come on, the guy hardly did melodies and vocal harmonies that rewrote singing, he was just Meatloaf for a new generation. Boring and uninspired stadium rock. Even within that category he stumbles as on several live performances I've heard, he just can't keep the pace, unlike say Bruce Dickonson. And the artists I mentioned above can repeat (and surpass) their studio performances on a nightly basis

calling axl's voice unmelodial, uninspired is just nonsence.

LightofDarkness

Alright Nadir, where's your argument from the technical standpoint? Hmm? I know what makes a good vocalist/singer. People find it so hard to separate Axl the singer from Axl the frontman. Again, I am shown countless examples of people who tell me I'm wrong even though I backed up my argument with valid points which others agree with, and they have shown none. Why am I wrong? "B3c@u53 @xl 15 t3h gr3@7357!!!!1111111l337haxorz" is about all I have gotten so far.
Damn. People get so hung up on the fact that he can sing. ****, I can sing. I'd wager that 75% of the world can sing. Doesn't mean we all have talent, now does it? People need to separate the ability to hit the right note most of the time and actually having talent, something that makes the singer stand out, but in a good way, not like axl's way of "i'm being anally interfered with and hitting the right notes."

FX Meister

I can't see how anyone could call Axl the worlds worst singer. As for who is I would like to nominate Ronan Keating

Hannibal_12

FX Meister wrote:

I can't see how anyone could call Axl the worlds worst singer. As for who is I would like to nominate Ronan Keating

Simply because it's always been that way with Guns N' Roses. You see some people have difficulty resolving what appears to be a group or a person that doesn’t seem to fit into any pre defined category.
For Guns N' Roses some dismissed them as "just another hair band" but now 20 years later it is patently clear that is not true with Appetite for Destruction regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time and the Illusions, despite not matching Appetite song for song, displaying a band capable of so much more than their numerous critics cynically claim.
The very name of Axl Rose has sparked huge debate here, this from a man who has not released a new album in 10 or so years or is allegedly “a terrible vocalist".
People who claim they are nothing more than "stadium rockers" in the vein of Aerosmith etc are simply wrong and slightly ignorant of musical diversity. Case in point I do not like Christina Aguilera or Pavarotti but they are gifted vocalists with real talent, its just their STYLE I don't appreciate.

tony 2 tone

mp3guy wrote:

technically, probably the guy from NapalmDeath, and personally, any punk singer..

Thats a bit of a generalisation about punk singers.... seeing as punk could be anything from The Clash, Blondie, The Stranglers, Devo to Runnin Riot, The Exploited, The Steam Pig, to Stuff like Dead Kenedeys, Anti-Flag, Sublime Propagandi......
You are probably going for the sterotype of a punk singer, all shouty shouty like....

Spalk0

Well the singer i find quite headwrecking has gotta be your man out of the offspring!.....just goes through my head and me damn sis has the feckers blaring all the time!.....her stereo just might have a little accident soon enough!

begbie

Ian Watkins - Lostprophets

tony 2 tone

I ****ing hate yer mans voice outta the Thrills, God damn it he is really bad.......

begbie

tony 2 tone wrote:

I ****ing hate yer mans voice outta the Thrills, God damn it he is really bad.......

Damn! How did i forgot him! His voice is awful. I don't know how people listen to that band.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Whovever said morrissey a few pages ago what the hell is wrong with you?

As for the Axl issue thats going, he is is an amazing singer technically, me and countless others like the sound of his voice and no amount of arguing is going to change that

I'm not gonna add to the thread because I think it's ridiculously ambiguous(which has been proved by the variation of replies)

Unit00

The lead singer of H.I.M

Saw him on MTV2 (I think) butchering Wicked Game by Chris Isaac.
I dont advocate murder but with him I will make an exception.

BolBill

Ian Brown - noooooooooooo competition, the worst live singer I've ever heard.

Sonic Titan

Hey Peter, Joey Belladona ain't that bad.
I think i'd have to go with Jonathan Davis or Fred Durst.