The Greatest Voices Project: #5-#1

[To read an introduction to The Greatest Voices Project, click here.]

[To read previous portions tot he list, click on these links: #50-#46 … #45-#41 … #40-#36 … #35-#31 … #30-#26 … #25-#21 … #20-#16 … #15-#11 … #10-#6.]

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#5: Aretha Franklin

18 Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone magazines’ “Greatest Singer of All Time.” The first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 20 number one songs.

Those are just some of the accolades that Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul,” has earned in a career that has now spanned some 44 years. Another singer who got her start singing in church and recording a few gospel songs, Franklin has sung everything from powerful soul songs (“Chain of Fools”) to the greatest rock song by a female (“Respect”).

The depth and power of her voice, though, is what has kept other singers simply trying to keep up. Nearly every pop, soul, R&B, Gospel, and rock singer will say that Franklin has been a major influence on their career. At one point in her career, Franklin won the Grammy award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance an incredible 8 consecutive times (1968-1975). She would later win it three more times.

Many thought Franklin was on the downslide of her career in 1998, but all she did was fill in at the Grammy awards, singing the aria “Nessun Dorma” with less than 30 minutes warning. In fact, the orchestra did not have time to change the key in which they played the song, and Aretha had to sing it about three steps below her normal range. The result was a night that proved her dominating voice and earned her even broader acclaim. Enjoy this unforgettable performance.

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#4: Sarah Brightman

The greatest female voice in my opinion, Sarah Brightman also (like #7, Michael Crawford) is best remembered for her role in The Phantom of the Opera. What is interesting about Brightman’s career is that she was not considered either a great opera singer nor a traditional pop singer, but was able to fuse the two together into her own unique style. The result is one of the most amazing voices ever recorded, and the highest ranking female on our list.

When thinking of Sarah Brightman, it is hard not to think of her role as Christine Daae in “Phantom,” since the role was written specifically for her by her husband at the time, Andrew Lloyd Webber. She performed the part both in London and in the United States, after Webber refused to run the show without her as Christine.

Interestingly, Brightman’s range is not as wide as one might think, covering just three octaves. However, her ability to sing both in pop style and show style within that range is what sets her apart. Her career, other than as Christine, is not as well known as many other ladies on this list, but her voice is unmatched.

In my opinion, the song “Think of Me” best showcases Brightman’s voice, but, after listening to it, take the time to look up some of her pop hits, too. You’ll be amazed at her range of ability.

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#3: Placido Domingo

I think it is safe to say that Placido Domingo is the highest ranking person on our list to appear on The Cosby Show (the link is here, just for fun). Domingo has the unique ability to sing opera classics in a voice that is accepted by non-opera fans. To those who like opera, though, Domingo has held more roles than any other tenor in history, an amazing 128 different roles.

The Spaniard has been not only a tireless singer, but also a tireless ambassador for music (which is one reason he would appear on Cosby). Besides singing in operas and holding solo performances, Domingo is also an author, conductor, and philanthropist.

Exhibiting almost unmatched control, Domingo has never been known as a singer with extreme range, but he is able to be extremely expressive in any role. As a solo singer, he has sung all types of music. Here he is singing “O Holy Night.”

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#2: Andrea Bocelli

One of the most listened to artists of all time, Andrea Bocelli’s vocal range has made him a favorite of both classical recordings and adult contemporary music. Bocelli is probably most well known for the fact that he is blind, the result of an accident at age 12, although he had struggled with his sight since birth.

While his voice is not a classic opera voice, some who are in that genre still have seen it as one of the finest voices in the world. Our #1 person on this list (not yet to be named) once stated of Bocelli’s voice, “There is no one finer.” His smooth, relaxed delivery has made his songs heard worldwide by fans of nearly every conceivable style of music.

As I read comments about Bocelli’s voice from other singers, the one attribute they continually praised was his control. Andrea Bocelli will attempt things live that some rarely strive to do even with recording equipment, such as singing high notes in falsetto, but slowly getting softer and softer. Vocally, this is extremely difficult, but he does it with regularity.

Selecting a song for Andrea Bocelli is extremely difficult, considering how many different styles of songs he has recorded. I chose to let you hear a song, though, that has what may be the finest single note I have ever heard. Listen as Bocelli sings “The Lord’s Prayer” with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and notice how perfectly the note at the 3:40 mark is sung. It may not be the highest note of all time, but it is hard to imagine a single note being sung any better.

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#1: Luciano Pavarotti

What I find most amazing about our #1 voice is that Luciano Pavarotti did not start out to be a singer. He had dreams of being a soccer goalie, and then sold insurance while taking some vocal training. Yes, an insurance salesman tops our list.

Pavarotti was known around the world for his amazing voice, and for his stage presence. Each time he finished a song at a solo performance, he would close his eyes and feel the praise of the audience. And then there was always that handkerchief he would hold. Luciano Pavarotti was more than just an opera singer, though, as he embraced artists from every genre of music and was a fan of their work. On more than one occasion, he held benefit concerts for children’s groups and invited singers from all sorts of styles to be part of the work.

But the voice. We almost never got to hear it. At a very early time in his career, Pavarotti developed a nodule on his vocal chords and decided to give up singing. After all, he hadn’t made any money from it anyway. However, the nodule left (he attributed it to the psychological release of giving up singing) and the tenor discovered the voice he had always wanted to have.

Nicknamed “The King of the High C’s,” Pavarotti attacked every note and seemingly used every ounce of energy on each song; that is, until he started the next amazing performance. The greatest voice died in 2007 from pancreatic cancer. He was 71 years old.

Since he tops our list, we will give several videos that showcase the greatest voice of them all.

First, a recording from 1972 of Pavarotti hitting an incredible nine high C’s in the aria “Pour Mon Ame.” The final high C is held for about nine seconds. It is this performance that moved Pavarotti to the forefront of all tenors.

Next, to showcase his love of all types of music, here is Pavarotti, along with several musical guests singing “We are the World.” Notice how the great tenor simply sings a few notes and still outshines all the other singers (if you want, fastforward to the 3:45 mark and see it).

My favorite song to hear Pavarotti comes next, and it is Ave Maria. While it does not show his range as much as other songs, it shows his total control over his voice.

Finally, and as you might expect, the song that is usually associated with Luciano Pavarotti. Probably his most requested song was “Nessun Dorma,” an amazing aria that sounds as if it was written for his powerful voice. As we close The Greatest Voice Project, enjoy this great song.

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Now, you have seen the entire list. What are your thoughts on the project and on the rankings?