Most overrated and underrated singers in terms of vocal

Most overrated: Miss Diane Ross

I would never suggest Mariah is overrated BUT as someone who likes a lot of her music, I find Butterfly (the album) mostly unlistenable. The singing is awful. Compare it to Emotions (which has her best singing) and it sounds bad.

Agree than Lady Gaga is underrated, she is a better singer than Adele.

Overrated: Babs

Underrated: Donna Summer

^Underground: Donna Summer.

Overrated: Adele. Really not that great of a voice at all. Her range is good, not amazing. And her tone is "meh".

Overrated

Adele - has a pleasant tone and considerable power, but her technique is rather poor: she has serious problems negotiating her way through the upper passaggio, which means that her notes above G4 are often strained and have an underlying rasp that is unhealthy. That is why she often modifies the main melodic line to avoid them, or sometimes looks like she's in pain after hitting anything around the A4-C5 range. Her head voice is also quite limited, as she is only comfortable using it up to F5, and has difficulty controlling anything above it.

Demi Lovato - again, she has a pleasant tone and her voice is reasonably powerful. However, he lower range is forced, thin and murky, and she can only manage to add some heft to the notes below G3 by depressing her larynx. She starts straining at C5, and everything above E5 is openly screamed; in fact, it's surprising that she can rasp out G5s as often as she does, given how bad her vocal technique is. Her head voice sounds OK up to around A5, but everything above that is extremely strained and she starts using flageolet / whistle register around D6, which will destroy her vocal chords.

Leona Lewis - I know that she was a flash in the pan, but she was a huge star around 2005 / 2010. Her tone is very beautiful, her voice is agile and the fact that it is smaller and softer than that of most modern pop singers, actually lends a sweet quality to it that is very endearing. Sadly, she's got technical problems: she has never been comfortable singing below F3, and her lowest notes are VERY airy, to the point when they almost disintegrate. Her belts up to D5 are simply gorgeous, but she starts straining at Eb5 and above that, she becomes extremely inconsistent. Her head voice is very beautiful and well managed up to B5, but C6 and above are always thin, opaque and VERY strained. She's better than Adele and Demi, but not great by any stretch of the imagination.

Underrated

Nicole Scherzinger - the tone has a particularly strident quality to it that can make it sound unpleasant, but the voice is very powerful. The lowest note she's ever sung is E3, and she hits is every time with a healthy vibrato and good resonance. Her belts are extremely well controlled and she can go up to an open and resonant B5, but she tends to stay around the C5 - E5 range to preserve her vocal chords. She is classically trained and has proven to be extremely agile with her head voice, singing up to and sustaining a very clear and strong E6. She uses the flageolet register above that, so I won't count those notes as part of her range. Her problem is uneven material and the fact that when she applies much power to her belts, they develop a stridency that can be quite irritating for long periods.

Tamar Braxton - pleasant tone and reasonably powerful voice. The voice is extremely agile and she can execute impressive vocal runs and make beautiful ornamentations. Her lower range is soft and well managed, but she clearly isn't comfortable singing below G3. Her belts are very clean, open and resonant, without any sign of strain up to A5. Still, she tends to remain within the C5 - F5 range, which is where she's comfortable. Her head voice up to C6 is again gorgeous, but she tends to change the way she produces the sound above that, and tends to start whistling above that, even though she has proven that she can sing up to Eb6. In overall, she's a very good singer who is not known to many people as anything other than Toni's sister.

Nicole is very underrated

And speaking of Christina and Demi, I cannot prevent myself from posting this marvel, which showcases La Aguilera's timeless Crack Voice technique. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I remember Adele saying early in her career that she always saw herself as going into A and R (no doubt she didn’t think she had the look for performance) so she probably didn’t put all that much time into technique. I do like her tone and wished she’d been a bit more adventurous with repertoire.

R10 What is "A and R?"

r11 I googled that

OP "In reality the quality of her voice is dubious at best"

Applies to Beyonce, for sure

Underated: Miley Cyrus, though I'm concerned about her obvious nicotine addiction ruining that.

The timbre of Adele's voice always sounds grating. Demi Lovato just screams everything.

Agreed about Gaga being underrated.

Miley's tone is awful. But her speaking voice is even worse.

A&R=Artists & Repertoire

I don’t know that Reba is underrated, at least in the country world, but mainstream pop culture doesn’t give her much credit as a vocalist, probably because of her twang. After her 1st divorce, she went blonde for a hot second and made an almost full pop album in the late 80s, which really pissed off the old country crowd and stopped her from further crossover attempts, but she’s great when she restrains herself. Probably one of the most unique voices in music, you immediately know it’s her - whether you’re a fan or not.

K.D. Lang and Linda Ronstadt are two vocalists that don't get the credit they deserve.

Also, I would place Gladys Knight way ahead of most of her contemporaries. Her voice has a richness that is unique as opposed to screechy Aretha or thin and flat Diana.

Overrated: Beyonce, Taylor Swift (don't come at me bro), Adele

Rated correctly: Celine Dion, Barbra, Linda Ronstadt

Underrated (now): Cher (before autotune), Alison Moyet, Helen Terry, Patricia Kaas

Miley can't sing for shit. the photos she took a while back squatting to piss in a parking garage are the metaphorical sounds of her vocals.

Reba did get mainstream approval when she hit Broadway.

Miley has a unique tone, but she screeches.

Underrated: Madonna... as a balladeer.

Overrated: Janis Joplin

Adele.

Taylor Swift.

R24, there are superior singers that would kill to have the tone Madonna does. She is a very warm singer. What's the point of singing like Christina Aguilera if you have the tone of Christina Aguilera?

Michael Jackson does have a great voice but I find his singing as a kid way better than his adult singing. He had way too many annoying vocal tics as an adult. And it always makes me shake my head when his stans claim he is the greatest singer that ever lived; please! He's not even in the top 20.

Underrated: Layne Staley. Sounds like a fallen angel.

Overrated: Chris Cornell. Probably more range than Layne but way more prone to screeching.

Ethel Merman

R27 the irony that Christina's tone is considered as something special lol.

By the way Christina has very unfortunate name - she can be Whoritina, Cuntina, Floptina, Fattina, Screamtina

R31, one of my friends asked me if I didn't like Aguilera due to her "jazzy" voice. And I have no clue wtf he was talking about because I've listened to a lot of vocal jazz and nobody shrieks like Aguilera does. Or has that ugly tone. BTW, don't forget the best unfortunate name for her, Xtina. That's the one she gave herself.

R32 Floptina just really wanted to sound black and be like Etta James. Etta was also screaming but her voice was naturally dark and big so it was kinda fun. But Screamtina has very small light voice thats why she is the queen of low larynx.

In singing there is belief that if you are belting all the time u are good singer (same with acting if you are screaming and moaning).

Pink sings with much more honest musicianship than Aguilera - and pivoting to rock-edged bangers for millennial wine moms gave her a career extension than Aguilera hasn’t managed.

Celine Dion was the best and most consistent singer of the 90s Big Three (Mariah, Whitney, Celine), but because her English language stuff was terminally uncool adult contemporary, she never really gets her true flowers. Whitney only really connects to what she’s singing when she’s doing gospel music, Celine always “felt the fantasy” even when she was learning songs phonetically. Mariah is (or was) a great studio singer.

R34, agreed with most of what you posted but I think Whitney and Mariah were both better at their peaks than Celine. However, Celine was certainly more consistent than those two, especially Mariah. Whitney stopped being able to sing by the very late 90s (after My Love is Your Love). But Mariah stopped being able to sing as well after Daydream.

R7, pop singers don’t have to adhere to that criteria. If they have a nice sound and can carry a tune, they can be considered good.

Completely underrated: Melissa Manchester (As a singer and a songwriter)

She deserved a bigger mainstream career. I thought she came the closest to Streisand in terms of vocal power out of all of them. Her vocals are sublime, and she's currently touring as Mrs. Brice in Funny Girl.

The one thing I will say about Whitney is that she was adamant against lip-synching. What you got was what you got (good or bad).

Mariah can be a great singer, but she is lazy. She's been lipping heavily since her vocal strain started, and if you believe this poster, she's now lip-synching all but two lines in her new Vegas show. Like one of the comments said, why doesn't she just do a hologram show at this rate?

Underrated: Björk. Those who’ve tried to cover her cannot do what she does. Robyn (overrated) butchered Hyperballad at the Polar Music Prize and Björk was in the audience rolling her eyes.

Continuing with the Nordic evaluation…Overrated: Agnetha; Underrated: Frida

[quote]Like one of the comments said, why doesn't she just do a hologram show at this rate?

LOOOOVVVEEE this idea!

Most underrated: Selena Gomez.

She’s incredible.

R38 Whitney lip-synched her Super Bowl performance.

[quote][R38] Whitney lip-synched her Super Bowl performance.

I think she was forced to by the Super Bowl producers. She would have sung it live if allowed.

I think Gaga's strength is how versatile her voice is.

She's not the very best singer of all time, but she is very, very good AND she can sing in any style. It makes her fun to follow because you never know what you'll get. To my point, she just released a retro Islands In The Stream style duet with Bruno Mars.

I still say her sweet spot is sitting at her piano and slowing down her biggest pop hits. It's always so cool when she does that.

R43 So...she lip synched.

Got it.

I completely agree with you r29.

and r25, shame!

Beyoncé’s superpower is how disciplined and hard working she is. She might not be a “once in a generation”voice, but she’s very very good and has only gotten better. She’s also stunning and a great show pony performer. Sometimes she might feel a tad over-rehearsed, but I’d take that any day over Mariah’s lazy inhibited “live” performances.

R46, big Chris Cornell fan? I like him, don't get me wrong, but I think Layne avoids shrieking whereas Cornell really leans into it.

There is nothing remotely cool about try-hard Gaga

R38 I watched the video and honesty I don't think Maruah can sing better than JLo in real life at this point. All the notes that are any more challanging wherever its belting or whistle or melismas are lipped- the only live parts are the parts that basically anyone can sing lol.

Again I don't know why Whitney or Mariah or Celine are praised as gods. All of them lost their voice in the mid 40s- Celine and Mariah bait with lip syncing and Whitneys final years were even worse than vocals of Rebecca Black.

Patti Labelle, Lisa Fisher, Vivian Reed are all in their 70s or 80s and they still have to problem to sing even better than in their earlier years. Like Patti at 79 still belted resonant Bb5 like nothing.

Dua Lipa - overrated

Overrated: Taylor Swift . She is overrated vocally, musically (uninspired, same song rinse repeat), visually (ugly bangs, weird face & teeth), zero fashion sense, terrible circle of friends (best friend is nasty mean girl Blake Lively), dating an oafish NFL player (conversation must be VERY compelling).

I love when the singing musicologists share their insights. Thanks for the person who shared the link to A&R.

What about Dolly Parton? Rod Stewart? I don’t know anything about music.

I guess not musicologists, vocal teachers.

I’ll second k.d. lang as being underrated. “Trail of Broken Hearts” is my go-to song from her. Sublime.

Taylor Swift is closeted dyke with beards

Sheena Easton is/was underrated. Even when she was popular she was underrated.

Patti LaBelle on Ariana Grande:

"Ariana can sing me under the table—and listen, I can sing.”

“She’s surpassed her peers. And she does everything herself, which is not always the way with the young baby girls. She doesn’t need any machines. She’s a baby who’s able to sing like an older black woman.”

You're joking, right, r19?

Linda Ronstadt is a LEGEND. And K. D. was chosen to sing "Hallelujah" at two Olympics.

Dionne says that Beyonce and Ariana are the best.

Corpse has a proven history of being wrong r60

Madonna, being the Empress if Beyonce is the Queen, is Goldilocks, neither over- or under-rated. She has a perfect Pop voice, doesn't require trills or runs or warbles or WTH those practice-scales are called.

That said, Christina when she won the Grammy over Britney was accurately rated. But she decided to rival Mariah instead of singin' the Blues, a genre to which IMHO Christina is eminently suited. And so sputter, sputter, sputter.

Under-rated as a soloist: Adam Lambert.

r48, you misunderstood me. I completely agree that Layne is a better vocalist than Chris. I was shaming the idea of Janis being overrated.

I've never thought Roger Daltry got the praise he deserved for his incredible vocals.

R29 They were both absurdly talented. Chris Cornell on Jesus Christ Pose is pretty crazy. Layne Staley doing Love Hate Love live is a technical powerhouse. They were both trained in opera by the same vocal coach. Layne had Chris record the lessons on cassette for him before he could afford to pay for the classes.

Eddie Vedder, Joni Mitchell, and Maria Callas. I'll see myself out.

Which category/categories, r66?

Another vote for Alison Moyet.

R51 Dua Lipa is a singer?

What is a Dua Lips??

Dula Peep

Mariah is very overrated as a vocalist. She is a studio singer who has not produced a live vocal that could be duplicated by Ariana Grande or Xtina.

UNDERRATED

Diana Ross is always maligned but she has a beautiful tone and pleasant pitch. I can listen to her voice all day.

Linda Ronstadt

Laura Nyro

Chaka Khan

Phyllis Hyman

[quote] I think she was forced to by the Super Bowl producers. She would have sung it live if allowed.

Whitney sang it live a few weeks after the Superbowl BETTER than the recording.

I don't think a lot of folks on this thread understand what "underrated" means.

It doesn't mean "bad." It means "good, but frequently overlooked, forgotten, or overshadowed."

Beyonce is PEERLESS as a live performer. Her voice is good but undistinguished. Her live show cannot be touched.

Okay, hear me out. No, not a phenomenal singer with range, but I do think Belinda Carlisle is underrated as a vocalist—in terms of what she was singing back in the day. At the least, she had a unique voice that wasn’t like anyone else’s.

Again, NO, I’m not saying she’s the greatest singer of all time or anything.

[quote]Completely underrated: Melissa Manchester

Melissa Manchester is a DREADFUL singer. She knows nothing about breathing. A few excellent songs as a songwriter that are perfectly rated as good. Comparing her voice and singing (not the same thing) to Streisand shows you know very little about the craft.

[quote]Beyoncé’s superpower is how disciplined and hard working she is. She might not be a “once in a generation”voice, but she’s very very good and has only gotten better. She’s also stunning and a great show pony performer. Sometimes she might feel a tad over-rehearsed, but I’d take that any day over Mariah’s lazy inhibited “live” performances.

I feel the problem with Beyonce is that she's almost always over rehearsed. Nothing with her ever feels spontaneous. As a result, she doesn't have moments that really stand out. Everything just blends together.

And I definitely feel that way with her singing. Aside from a couple of songs, I don't feel compelled to listen to her stuff over and over. I bumped that cowboy album once. Same with her dance album. It all comes across as try too hard. There's no grit to most of it.

Maybe If her stans didn't overhype the shit out of her it might be a different story.

R77 fuck off now queeny

Underrated - Melissa Manchester

Underrated - Lynda Carter

I don't think Mariah is overrated, but her vocal prime didn't last that long. When she divorced Tommy Mottola, she lacked the discipline to maintain a functioning voice and perform live consistently. After Daydream, that's when you noticed very hit-or-miss performances. In a recent Black Music Archive video about the whistle register, an opera singer noted that Mariah's overuse of that earlier in her career contributed to her voice becoming what it is today: non-functioning. At this point, she should just retire if she's lipsynching 90% of the time. It's a fucking embarrassment at this point.

Underrated - Cheryl Ladd

[Quote] When she divorced Tommy Mottola

So fucking tired of hearing this line every time her stupid name is mentioned on the DL. Hate her sickening Xmas song no matter how many times it gets foisted upon me.

Underrated - Cybill Shepherd

Underrated - Linda Lavin

Underrated- Selena Gomez

R82 I can't find this video I hope its not behind a paywall.

My favorite is Linda Ronstadt. She's the same age as Dolly Parton but seems a decade younger. I agree that the singers mentioned are good, but listening to some of the songs posted, they make my ears bleed. Linda's voice is the opposite of grating, Smooth and healing.

R63, got it, my bad!

R65, that makes complete sense, those two are the vocal titans of 90s rock. Kurt Cobain could NEVER.

R76, Belinda certainly has more range than Paula Abdul. Not that it means much. But I also love her voice. She sounds incredible on I Get Weak, Circle in the Sand, Summer Rain, etc.

Mariah Carey has always said she considers herself a writer more than anything, and I think she's a seriously overlooked/underrated songwriter. She's very good at it.

I agree about Aguilera. She has a powerful voice but she has no control over it. Just honk honk honk all the time. I can't bear to listen to her. Kelly Clarkson has similar honkability but she has much better judgment over how she uses her voice.

Tori Amos is overlooked and underrated as a vocalist because of her piano prowess and her songwriting and her apparent kookiness. I think she's a great singer for the same reason some would say she's not: she doesn't always sing beautifully, but she can. She chooses to use her voice as an emotive instrument. When she was young, she had an incredible range and a gorgeous voice.

Jewel—somehow, I feel like she was both overrated and underrated as a singer and I can't explain that.

Vanessa Williams is overlooked. The texture of her voice is soooo gorgeous.

R93, one of my favorite Tori performances

And another

R95 This is a kind of odd performance but it demonstrates the dynamism of her voice with no accompaniment.

Who is the reference group for these generally accepted ratings that are too high and too low. In my crowd, k.d. lang is rated a sublime singer. In other words, very highly rated. Which she deserves. So who is "underrating" k.d. lang? The tasteless and crass hoi polloi? Who gives a flying fuck about their ratings?

The irony is that at this point I think Jlo can sing better than Mariah

And... for crissakes, someone has invoked the Belinda Carlisle Stan. Lord help us.

R98 is JLo

Why, Melissa Manchester, it's so nice to hear from you - ALL OVER THIS THREAD!

Cheers!

Appropriately rated, in my crowd: Sinéad O'Connor, David Byrne, Prince, Boy George, George Michael, Alison Moyet, Tracey Thorn, Madonna, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Marc Almond (we all know he can't sing but appreciate what he does, anyway). Etc

I break from my crowd and find Annie Lennox overrated. People tend to highly rate her. Meh.

Recently I've had a change of heart about Gaga and find her underrated by my crowd.

Beyonce's performances are robotic, over-affected, and weird.

[quote] I can't find this video I hope its not behind a paywall.

He took the video down because Mariah's fans dragged the fuck out of the channel owner and the opera singer. Lol.

[quote] [R98] is JLo

Exactly. No one in their right mind would say that JLo is a better singer than Mariah Carey, even at Mariah's lowest vocal state. Mariah's range may be in the trash today, but she still has musicality.

J Lo still hasn't found the right note

I think Ann Wilson is underrated. I think people acknowledge her greatness but I think she's right at the top of female rock vocalists. I think she deserves the title Queen of Rock much more than Joplin who struck me as a very one dimensional singer with a fairly unpleasant tone.

[quote]but she tends to stay around the C5 - E5 range to preserve her vocal chords.

Oh, dear.

Underrated: Doris Day. She was a hugely popular vocalist in her early career, but then she started focusing on movies, and most people now think of her as an actress rather than a singer. She had a lovely warm tone.

R108, popular does not equal good.

[quote]or thin and flat Diana.

Leave my body out of this!

Cindy Wilson. Hard to know how to answer these "polls" sometimes. Everybody --- okay, "everybody" -- loves the B 52's; but did we ever appreciate Cindy Wilson as she should have been appreciated? Doesn't hurt that she was Natalie Woodishly beautiful.

Diana Ross is very underrated. Her jazz chops are impeccable.

The only thing Mary Wilson could nail was every man that came within two feet of her.

All of OP's suggestions are vastly overrated.

r99 Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Quick, before it starts miming to Circles in the Sand....

Voice queens🚨please weigh in on:

Dolly Parton

Fiona Apple

P!nk

[quote] Vanessa Williams is overlooked. The texture of her voice is soooo gorgeous.

She's a Broadway singer. She has a lovely voice but she's not underrated.

[quote] Comparing her voice and singing (not the same thing) to Streisand shows you know very little about the craft.

Meanwhile, Barbra has covered Melissa several times (Just One Lifetime, I'll Never Say Goodbye) and has delivered inferior renditions.

Her rendition of "I'll never say goodbye" in particular stunk.

Amy Winehouse: totally overrated. Tried and failed to rise to the heights of the great black women vocalists.

K.D. Lang: a voice to melt the hardest surface. Just beautiful and underappreciated.

Whitney Houston: a tad overrated.

k.d. lang's early recordings have some of the best tone, pitch and breath control I've ever heard.

I appreciate not everyone loves her material, but her voice was perfection or nearly thus for several decades.

R91, Kurt would be the first to tell you both Layne and Cornell had better voices than he did. By far.

But what he lacked in range, he made up for in raw emotion. No male singer did that better. Certainly not in rock music.

[quote] I think Ann Wilson is underrated.

Huh? Ann gets her due. If she had kept her weight down, she could have been a superstar, though.

Dolly Parton: I'm not a voice expert, but she has got some vocal chops. Her high range is (or was effortless). I'd say she was somewhat underrated for sheer vocal ability and over-appreciated due to the big blonde hair & big tits.

Overrated: Mariah Carey's upper register, e.g., the whistle note. Freakish? Yes. Impressive? Yeah, I guess so. PLEASANT? NO!

Underrated: Mariah Carey's lower register. I like when her voice goes low and she free-styles a bit.

Underrated: Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship & Elvin Bishop. He is now in his 70s and can still sing.

Here he is singing "Jane." It's crazy that Grace Slick was basically a background singer and tambourine player during this era.

R124 Indeed. I'll add Marty Balin to that list!

R93 I100% agree about Tori. (In her prime through 2014) What kills me is how her voice is utterly gone. She lived a pretty healthy life and did not tour that much after 2007.. And I know she often shred her voice- her live performances were spellbinding. 2022 and after - the range and power are gone. its one thing to lose the range, but her voice has no power- she cannot hit ANY note and she her chords sound torn. I cannot even listen to her now-

[quote] Underrated: Mariah Carey's lower register. I like when her voice goes low and she free-styles a bit.

Especially in songs like "I Don't Wanna Cry."

Or Vanishing (Mariah Carey). It doesn't involve any high notes.

Among Most Overrated: Doris Day

Among Most Underrated: Lesley Gore

R126 Agree.

And while I deeply love Kate Bush as well, her range shrunk tremendously, as well.

I know singers age, but some of my other favorites, like Tracey Thorn and Alison Moyet, still have some aspects of their voice. Thorn in particular sounds very good for being 62, and only lost a bit of her high range.

[quote] Whitney Houston: a tad overrated.

Not even a tad. At her peak, one of the 2 or 3 best vocal instruments in popular music.

Overrated: John Legend

Underrated: Erykah Badu

Underrated: Sisqo

Rob Thomas also for underrated

Michael Jackson for the simple fact that he was such a dynamic live performer people forget how great a vocalist he was.

You forgot to mention how underrated meth is, you worthless junkie.

R136 you need help. Serious help.

And I don’t wtf makes you think I use meth. You keep saying that shit. You fkin weirdo.

The junkie is on a jag with multiple posts in a row, on any thread he falls upon.

Teacake, you don't need to respond. Just know everyone here wants you to OD.

I've FFd teacake a couple times and blocked him. I thought this was settled several weeks ago when he was redlined but he returned with identifies that have rotated daily if not hourly.

He has multiple IDs and I am assuming with the crackdown (whoops, I shouldn't have mentioned crack) that he's actually paying for them all. What a fucking loser.

In the words of Whitney Houston, crack is cheap. Plus I saw way too many crackheads around my neighborhood in NW DC to ever go that route.

Oh, so now he's from DC. How many more versions of your childhood are you going to invent for us, Drugsy?

Is Anastacia over or underrated? I never understood why she was famous abroad but not in the US. Did she tell someone off?

[quote] Is Anastacia over or underrated? I never understood why she was famous abroad but not in the US. Did she tell someone off?

Because we already have Taylor Dayne, do we really need another one?

I think Anastacia is for Kamala, and Taylor likes citrus fruit.

Fantasia is underrated

Charlene no rating needed

Tessa is awesome.

Olivia Newton-John was underrated vocally. She sang many difficult songs and could hit upper register notes with control and full vibrato at times. She could also convey a soft and sweet when the song called for it.

R126 I think some kind of trauma affected her voice. I read a voice expert who is a Tori fan suggested she may have had vical paresis and caused permanent harm by "powering through" and doing concert performances despite vocal injury, and that apparently can damage vocal cords permanently.

I also read a rumor somewhere that she had some kind of injury that required vocal surgery and that damaged her throat. I don't know. I do know she has always had major TMJ pain, and that TMJ has caused major jaw and dental problems and that supposedly is why she had to get all her teeth redone in one fell swoop, not just for cosmetic reasons.

She still makes music worth listening to. Her husband/sound engineer has found ways to engineer her voice beautifully in studio productions. But yeah, they can only do so much in live performances. However, that said, even with her vocal injuries, she's still a superior vocal performer live IMO than most pop stars who use pitch correction, backing vocals and sing robotically instead of emotively.

Lou Rawls - underrated and overlooked.

Such a beautiful voice.

Underrated- Macy Gray. Such an aural treat to the ear!

r60 Only that's not what Dionne said

R152- I am a huge fan and have heard all those things too-- I suspect there is some truth to all of it-

It was weird, I actually liked Ocean To Ocean, but once she toured for it- Tori's voice- I was flabbergasted.

i think on Ocean To Ocean, they were able to hide Tori's vocal limitations much better-

It was like the entire Tori dynamic(for me) was reversed.. For years I would tell people (and it was true) Do not judge Tori by the albums- See her LIVE- her voice sounds 300X better and more powerful- and she is just on another level live.. and it was true! and a true testament to her talent-

Now- I would definitely check out future albums, but I will never listen to her live again- It depressed the fuck out of me. I have never seen that kind of deterioration so fast (2017-2021) I thought even losing her mom did a number on her spirit-

2/3 of my music library is Tori live through 2017- She was that damn good.

Not going to lie, I'm a little disturbed by the Neil gaiman connection and wondering if T will subtly acknowledge it

R148, Grammy winner Fantasia has won and/or been nominated for awards in music, theater, and film.

I know the above-mentioned definition of "under-rated," but I wonder at what point all those labeled as such herein really are?

How many awards or nominations are too few? How many years performing and making new music are too few?

How many tabloid articles, appearances on late-night TV shows, guest judge gigs are enough for a singer not to be "under-rated"? Is "Kardashian Level" the only acceptable "not under-rated" level of fame/notoriety?

My example above was Adam Lambert. There is no way Linda Ronstadt would be in the same category.

R126 I think the family has done a great job in finding a way to use her daughter Tash's voice and sometimes her niece Kelsey for background vocals to 'beef up' Tori's resonance on studio recordings and it works really well. They get better with every album, probably in part because Tash used to sound like Peppermint Patty and now she sounds a lot more like Tori.

I can understand how you feel about listening to her live now in a way but in a way, it also sounds like it offends you and you hold it against her that her vocal quality has suffered over time, either through age or illness, and I don't get that. It's not her fault and if you still appreciate her recorded music and her songwriting, why hold her to a standard she is physically incapable of at this point?

It's like suggesting that Stephen Hawking should have given up physics once ALS began to deteriorate his body. No, he kept working with the faculties he had and used technologies to support his creative processes and his ability to express himself.

The only reason to fault someone for their disabilities is if they give up and stop working and contributing to the world because they decide if they can't be perfect, then they shouldn't bother at all.

George Michael - underrated.

Yes, he was a global pop icon, but he was known more for his teen idol persona and great videos than his voice.

He had a really beautiful voice. He had control, tone, and range, and I don't think he gets enough attention for that.

Somewhat underrated is LeAnn Rimes. This is in part to her own choices though when she decided to focus on her overall well being and not just hit songs and awards.

I think Boy George had a really beautiful voice and I don't recall anyone ever giving him due credit for his vocal quality, probably because his appearance was so distracting.

R119, I heard kd lang once breathe between SYLLABLES

R151- YES!!!! ONJ!!!!

And on the more rocked out early 80's stuff- she has this awesome nasally twangy gorgeous vibe- I cannot put it into words.. Sometimes Miley has it- even Halsey-

ONJ was a goddess.

And her version of Don't Cry For Me Argentina is my favorite- I don't give a fuck what anyone says. It is -perfect-.

R158- I agree completely- and I could tell that I am sounding offensive. It's hard to age, It's hard to watch anyone struggle. It pained me to listen to Tori (2022 and after) I don't know why. It made me sad. That lady gave me YEARS of artistry and owes me nothing. I owe her... I just will not be attending shows or listening to live boots. Your last 2 paragraphs show that you are a great person - When I say I find her unlistenable- that is just ME. She will always have my respect and her music will always be in my life. But your last 2 paragraphs got me. And you are right.

in the not mentioned 'forgotten' category, I offer Mabel Mercer. Hey, I was a young teenaged gayling who hung around the old gays back in the 1970s.

The QUEEN of being overrated is that awful "give me another Grammy" Beyonce.

MURIEL, EXTERMINATE TEACAKE

Overrated: Liza Minelli.

She had a range of about two notes.

Drag Race edition: How were Adore Delano and Courtney Act celebrated as great singers while Jinkx Monsoon was known primarily as a comedy queen and her singing ability generally overlooked? She's by far the best vocalist the show has had IMO.

The pig Linda Ronstadt is so over rated.

Dionne Warwick is underrated. Beautiful voice, amazing breath control (before the nicotine robbed her), perfect diction, great pitch and capable of big long vocal sustains.

No one has mentioned Toni Tennille or Maureen McGovern. Both really good underrated singers.

R144 I’ve always asserted I grew up in Washington DC and NYC you maniac.

[quote]Liza Minelli.

Oh, dear.

Not yet mentioned: Jane Monheit

Already mentioned but needs greater emphasis: Phyllis Hyman. She was greatly underrated. And hamstrung by her record company and representatives.

And like R172, I think both Toni Tennille and Maureen McGovern are underrated. Try Toni Tennille's Big Band albums. All sung with a full orchestra, not a backing track. Amazing work. And surprising, for some.

Toni Tennille isn't underrated. Perhaps her choice in material is looked down upon. She's had number ones, a couple of TV shows, Grammys, just about every major act of all genres wanting her as a studio backup singer. The only one considered a "Beach Girl".

R171 I'll give credit to Dionne for "Alfie."

That is one helluva difficult song to sing. There are few vocalists who can master it and make it seem effortless like Dionne did.

R176

I. understand that she's been successful. But success isn't always based on a great voice. They were fun and a novelty and she had a good voice with catchy tunes.

I'm just saying she was capable of more, and unfortunately the material most people are familiar with didn't represent her vocal power and expertise.

But you make a good point with her in demand as a backup singer with all sorts of artists and genres. In that community, she was highly rated. Not so much the public.

[quote] Drag Race edition: How were Adore Delano and Courtney Act celebrated as great singers while Jinkx Monsoon was known primarily as a comedy queen and her singing ability generally overlooked? She's by far the best vocalist the show has had IMO.

You're in the wrong thread. We're discussing singers, not clown acts.

NOBODY could compare to Mariah when she in her prime.

Darlene Love was always amazing. Letterman always did her right when she was on his show.

Wannabe by The Spice Girls…IMO an absolutely stupid song.

R171 is Corpse

Karen Carpenter was underrated. Her voice was sublime.

Overrated: Elvis.

If hundreds of morbidly obese imitators can throw on a gold lamé jumpsuit and sound exactly like him, how good could he have been?

R184 NOT UNDERRATED

Just nuke this thread already. It's clear the majority still have no idea what the words mean.

Karen Carpenter underrated? She's just about the most acclaimed female singer in the modern era.

Yeah, I'm sorry, but the terms "overrated" and "underrated" shouldn't be that difficult to understand.

Beyoncé is wayyyyyyyy overrated as a singer.

R190 Beyonce's not a singer. She's a screecher.

^ HI MOM!

[quote] Karen Carpenter underrated? She's just about the most acclaimed female singer in the modern era.

Only at Datalounge (and deservedly). In the real world she is hardly remembered by the general population as a singer. The Carpenters are unfairly regarded as vanilla soft-rock. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Adele ranked higher than her on the Rolling Stone list of singers.

Lana Del Rey is more acclaimed than Karen Carpenter...she is absolutely underrated.

[quote] The Carpenters are unfairly regarded as vanilla soft-rock.

I can see why but it does seem limiting. I wouldn't risk a description beyond pop. How would you regard them?

R193 Right. Preach my friend. It be like an alternate universe on here about matters such as these.

Lalah Hathaway is underrated

Adele is overrated

Oh yeah, I second Adele. Her singing is fine but it doesn't do a whole lot for me. But her song lyrics are so bland and generic and they just don't hold my interest.

I also agree Amy Winehouse is overrated.

[quote] But what he lacked in range, he made up for in raw emotion. No male singer did that better. Certainly not in rock music.

I think Layne was better at raw emotion on songs like "Down in A Hole", "Would", "Nutshell" and "Don't Follow". But to each their own.

[quote] Underrated: Mariah Carey's lower register

Her best use of her lower register, by far, is "Without You". She owns that cover.

[quote] Michael Jackson for the simple fact that he was such a dynamic live performer people forget how great a vocalist he was

Delusional; among the general public, he was always regarded as one of the greatest voices ever. People haven't "forgotten" anything.

Phoebe Legere is underrated and forgotten

John Sex, overrated and mostly forgotten.

Klaus Nomi correctly rated or perhaps slightly underrated

Joey Arias - correctly rated

RuPaul - does anyone thing he can sing? Correctly rated

[quote] Preach my friend.

No one is your friend, Teacunt.

Underrated: Ashley Simpson

Overrated: Connie Francis

[quote] Her best use of her lower register, by far, is "Without You". She owns that cover.

I think not!

Susan Olsen for Frosty The Snowman lead.

R205, sorry Shirley, but Mariah did it much better.

She sold MILLIONS but Olivia's voice was never appreciated during it's time by the critics. It seems to be going through a reevaluation and finally getting its due.

ONJ could sing those really high notes and did have a nice voice.

Amy Winehouse is overrated. On what planet. This woman is top 7 greatest female vocalists of all time. RIP my dear.

R2004 I don't think so!

[quote] Amy Winehouse is overrated. On what planet. This woman is top 7 greatest female vocalists of all time.

Only if "all time" is limited to the years between 2003 and 2011.

Connie Francis had a beautiful tone, an even vibrato, and very versatile. However, like many female singers, she lost her voice quote young. At times, her voice blended so well with the orchestra.

Underrated Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Tyra Banks

Overrated Marlee Matlin

Underrated: Randy Crawford

[quote] Only if "all time" is limited to the years between 2003 and 2011.

Why are you listening to the insane ramblings of a junkie? Of course he loves Amy Winehouse. She's his hero.

R109 How is this not good?

Underrated: Jeffre Star, Black Porcelain

Overrated: Ariana, Taylor, Whitney

Dolly Parton is underrated vocally

Jennifer Warnes could never be appreciated enough. She's everything that people think that fat Linda girl is.

FINALLY! 220 replies and someone gets it right.

Patti Austin (a fine vocalist herself) ragged on Adele and her singing style. It’s on YouTube somewhere. I just ate dinner and I am feeling very lazy.

Jennifer Warnes (much as I love her) cannot hold a candle to Linda.

Might be an odd one, but Claire Richards from Steps is a much better (and more emotive) singer than any manufactured band member has the right to be.

I dislike Floptina for her cuntiness but I must say that she had potencial to be such powerful vocalist and how strong their vocal folds are. Her range basically is the same as 20+ ago. She demonstrated that she can sing up to G6 as easily as in 2000. Her belts are lower than in 00s where she had no problem with high E,F and sometimes F# since now she rarely sing above D but overall Her voice is nicely preserved.

As Her belting technique and use of falsetto should have killed her cords for good. The fact that she barely sang anything between 2012 and 2018 probably saved her. But overall she could be at the level of Lisa Fisher if she gave a fuck about technique.

Debbie Harry - underrated

R204- get off the Meth.

Did someone say meth?

Why gays have obsession over singing

Gays have always had an obsession with dames with loud voices.

Gays have always had an obsession with proclaiming girls with nice hair as "gay icons".

There was a popular "lite theory" book in the 90s about this R229

Cyndi Lauper is underrated

[quote]I'd say she was somewhat underrated for sheer vocal ability

She's also a very prolific (and quite good) songwriter. Her voice certainly isn't what it once was, but she's well into her 70s. Nearly all singers lose a lot of their vocal power by that age.

Trisha Yearwood has a terrific voice, but I don't think she gets much respect outside of the country community. I enjoyed her album of Sinatra standards.

Trisha Yearwood a terrible voice? I'm not even a big country fan but you're fucking nuts.

overrated: Aretha Fucking Franklin. Probably the most overrated singer ever. Underrated: Anita Baker

Underrated old lady Jennifer Warnes. Some how filling the arenas in Europe

Anita Baker must have so many issues. There's a live version of Sweet Love that always gives me a strong visceral reaction. I miss her.

Aretha Underrated? Hardly.

R238, dummy, Jennifer Warnes is NOT filling any venue anywhere in 2024. If you see butts in seats while she’s on stage it’s at a festival with several other artists who collectively accumulate ticket sales.

all that fat bitch did was shriek

R241 equals Linda Roundstat. Too bad her fat fingers still work.

She isn't really "overrated" but I don't like Billie Holiday. I get why she's revered though.

I think Eddie Vedder is underrated. He has really amazing range and power - but he was widely mocked for his quirky enunciation. People usually say this is his best performance. He's incredibly fucking sexy in this video too like wow. His natural speaking voice is ridiculously low and husky with poor enuncitation, he often sounds wasted drunk when just talking normally. Actually reminds me of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs when he talks.

R240, Please re-read r237. Your response of "Hardly" still works, though.

Ronstadt had sex appeal in addition to a great voice.

Warnes looked and moved around on stage like a female banker.

r236 has reading comprehension issues.

Hint: TERRIFIC is not the same word as TERRIBLE.

R237 The thing Anita Baker be sounding like yawning sometimes on the track. She is a very very good soul singer but sometimes her particular interpretation and style make the lyrics inaudible.

Jesus Christ, you clod- Anita Baker is NOT underrated. Nor is Cyndi Lauper.

Fucking retards on this thread.

I think Anita’s cover of Carly Simon’s (or Michael McDonald’s.) YOU BELONG TO ME is so awful. That is not a song meant to be drawn out and over enunciated.

Aretha was extremely overrated- especially among other singers. When Celine Dion started kicking her saggy ass by belting like powerhouse during Divas Life Mariah (whose hoarse voice was terrible during that time) threw shade on Celine for simply being too extra in the presence of Aretha.

Maruah could never spot licking Fatretha clit.

Overrated: Hilary Duff.

Underrated: Haylie Duff.

r253 Underrated: Duff Beer

Overrated: Roslyn Kind

Underrate: Mrs. Miller

Overated by a Landslide: Lara Trump

The Obamas sure don’t think the Queen is overrated. They had her sing at both inaugurations.

[quote] I think Eddie Vedder is underrated.

Oh, God, how? The worst thing about the 90s was the bleating of grunge rock singers. In a world with Robert Plant and Steve Perry, I am not even sure what Vedder does can be called singing.

R258 Get your ears checked. Eddie Vedder is one of the best male vocalists ever. He is sexy as fuck too.

Eddie Vedder is the best of the 90s grunge vocalists by virtue of being the only one who is still alive.

I have never seen another vocalist, male or female, outshine the Queen. Nor have I ever seen her somewhat star struck. He must have some crazy stage energy. They sounded great. And he actually pronounced her name the correct way like the French.

Brandy is a very underrated singer.

R262 She is. Black Millenials call her the vocal Bible.

I really do think Madge is often underrated or written off as a pop singer. I mean, she’s a pop singer, but it’s obvious she puts work into her vocals.

This may be unpopular but someone I think people forget is an incredible singer. She was very successful in the 90s- Toni Braxton. She is a better singer to me than Anita Baker and Mariah Carey. Her voice is soulful and haunting.

[quote] Black Millenials call her the vocal Bible.

Which makes no sense to me. Monica was a better singer than her. Chante Moore and Tamia were also better singers.

R266 Monica is not a better singer than Brandy. If you mean she can hold a longer note singing a ballad in the vein of a low rent Whitney Houston than yes. Brandy’s vocals are brilliant. There so many good singers in the world. Shit go to any black church you will find a good singer. Uniqueness has to come into play. Tamia’s voice is pretty but thin just like Ashanti and Mya. Chante Moore yes can really blow. Too bad JLo stole her single first If you had my love.

Speaking of Chante Moore during Babyface’s Tiny Desk she sung Take a bow. Let’s just say, Madge better not ever sing that song again live after that lol.

Brandy can't sing for shit.

This is the song JLo and Puffy stole from Chante Moore. Re-recorded with revised with lyrics and slightly altered production. Then rushed released the song to Hot 97 and eventually top 40 everywhere. Jlo’s karma is finally catching up to her. Btw Jlo tried to steal Amerie’s 1 thing too.

Btw the song is trash and the Jlo version much better but they steal stole her shit 😆. She has spoken on this many times.

R268, I like Madonna's version much better. Chante's vocal tone sounds wrong for the song. Madonna's is warmer.

R272 yea Madonna’s recorded version is awesome but she cannot replicate it live.

R273, that's probably true, I don't think she's ever sang it on tour? Just at the AMA awards.

Wow, speaking of Trisha Yearwood, she does an amazing job of covering Take a Bow here.

Trisha's voice still sounds great, you can tell she's put a lot of work into her technique over the years. Her belting becomes less harsh around the "Thinkin' About You"/"Everybody Knows" era. (Unlike, say, Wynonna, who had similar power but was lazy with technique - she sounds terrible now.)

Criminally underrated: Patty Loveless.

Brandy is brilliant. She’s the queen of vocal stacking. She can turn her voice into a choir.

Most of her music is continuous vocals. On “Full Moon” for example, there’s really no vocal gaps. You can listen to the acapellas and the entire track aside from the intros are filled with harmonies if it’s not the lead vocal.

She even played on it with the song “Acapella”. There’s no instruments on the song, the guitar vocal is just a special effect but that’s her voice. This is from 2008 way before people started doing it on YouTube.

R266 No way!

Brandy’s voice is truly an instrument.

Monica and Tamia are great singers but Brandy’s voice can truly enhance a beat through her harmonies.

Just listen to this song.

Start at 0:48 for the harmonies in that bridge.

It’s gorgeous.

Put it this way. Monica and Tamia needed background vocalists to harmonize on a lot of their songs. Brandy needs no one.

Mike Reno of Loverboy is underated.

I hate Aretha Franklin with a 1000 hot sunsl Fat, shrieking and a tude don't do it for me.

Annie Lennox is underated.

Also what someone posted about Patty Loveless. She is great, so much better than Reba whose appeal was lost on me.

Elliott Smith is woefully underrated.

Not only did he write some of the most beautifully melancholic songs ever, his soft, ethereal voice is absolutely magical.

R278, that is impressive.

Sam Smith’s theatrics have made people forget that boy can sang.

Agree about Annie Lennox being underrated as well. I think some people forget how truly brilliant Aretha was because she sung during their era before pitch perfect correction and you can hear minor flaws on the track. I actually prefer that sound quality better during the 60s and early 70s. Her version of I say a little prayer is my favorite.

R282, yes, I cannot stand Sam Smith. Sure, he's a good singer but he's not amazing. He sounds like a pale imitation of Whitney, Sylvester and Luther.

Bilal is underrated to me. At some point I thought he would become the new Maxwell but it never happened.

At 3:45, Whitney to Brandy: "Why are you down there?" (Brandy's voice so low.)

R286 You can tell Whitney was truly confident in her own star power and singing abilities. She wasn’t jealous of some rising young star and really wanted to uplift Brandy and make her an even bigger star. It’s really tragic that she never overcame her addictions. That woman is the best female singer of all time. RIP Nippy.

One of the many proofs of Whitney’s vocal genius which that clip highlights is that she was never afraid to let someone else sing the the top because she could make an alto harmony line more thrilling than the lead’s big money notes.

Also, LOL to Brandy tactfully describing getting the news that Whitney Houston wanted her to play Cinderella via a middle of the night phone called from a “hyped up” Whitney herself.

[quote]Black Millenials

Oh, dear.

R258 Listen to Black or Better Man

R288 😆 You and I are on the same page. I thought that too. Whitney was wired as fuck when she called Brandy. Probably just had two lines before she grabbed the cordless phone lol.

R290, my reference songs for Eddie Vedder's vocal talent are those two songs, exactly. Black is a mood piece.

for overrated i'd say josh groban - his voice is the definition of bland to me, it has no character. i'm sure he's technically sound and everything but to me he makes michael buble look like axl rose.

R293, dear god, there's a name I was hoping to forget.

R293 I agree.

^ overrated

Lol.

Lana Del Rey is underrated.

This is the only place I've heard anyone call Trisha Yearwood overrated. I wish she'd get out of the kitchen and get back in the studio again. A shitty quality but she did a mesmerizing version of Purple Rain when she heard Prince died.

I would definitely say post-Evita Madonna is underrated. Her early stuff is bad cause she was too high a singer but as time went on she went into lower registers that really showed her ability to sell a good ballad.

You'll See, Power of Goodbye, etc... really display her warmth. That David Foster song, too.

Even some pre-Evita songs but those were more hit-and-miss. Though I'll say I was shocked the first time I heard Rescue Me. That was not how you normally heard Madonna sing a song.

Rain is perfection. The way she blends those lower tones...

And there is a reason Bad Girl was so received as a stand-out on this last tour.

I was never a country music fan, but some lesbian friends took me to see Mary Chapin Carpenter in mid 90's, and I fell in love with her music and her voice was terrific. No twang lol. She was an East Coast Brown grad whose lyrics made the country divas of the day look dated when compared. I think she's pretty much out of country, though I know she still tours.

R264, her performance of Lament is excellent. I think Madonna is considered a "bad" singer because of her early helium voice and the fact that she does have quite a few bad live performances. She struggles with breath control. But when she's good, she is GOOD. I think Janet has better breath control but Madonna has more range and power.

I also like the "warmth" (great description) of Madonna's voice- No idea what all of the terminology is- but I always liked her mid range voice(which is really all she has) Its very easy to listen to.. Her pinnacle is Live To Tell- and that really showcases the warmth and "timber" of her voice. Its nothing special or over the top- but its just very easy on the ears.

I think Madge was a good singer. She just hit the peak of her fame during the melisma era with all them show off balladry singers, it made her look like chopped liver.

R304, on record, I think her best song performance may be Ray of Light. Really shows off the range she gained from the opera lessons.

Susan Boyle covered You'll See. She is technically the far superior singer but her version lacked whatever it was Madonna provided. Madonna really knew how to sell a song in a way that none of her peers did.

Yeah. I was absolutely fascinated by the technical perfection of Susan Boyle's voice for about a year. Then I realized it was almost inhuman and had not emotion behind any of it.

R304, I think Niles Rodgers said that her voice on Live To Tell is what she sounds like when she sings "naturally". Versus songs like "Material Girl", "Like a Virgin", etc.

*Nile Rodgers, not Niles

Oh, Madonna...

R311. Who cares. The record will be broken again a year from now. That’s how pedestrian the industry has become.

I like the old days. Streams aren't purchases. Back in the day ONJ sold 100 million records the hard way. Concerts, talk show, fan shows, DJ visits.. ....anything you could do to get your music out there. Now you put it on YouTube and shake your as on the tiktocks.

In the 70s I hate the high-voiced English heavy metal singers. They were all overrated.

Underrated: Elton John. From baritone to falsetto, from ballads to Disco to blues...

Overrated: Tony Bennett. Italian wedding singer.

Overrated: Frank Sinatra

Underrated: Mel Torme

[quote]In the 70s I hate the high-voiced English heavy metal singers. They were all overrated.

Fuck you, you fucking pole smoking cunt-faced poofter!

Haha

Underrated: ME

Overrated: everybody else

Selena Gomez is underrated.

ONJ did not sell 100 million copies, that is insane.

[quote] Underrated: Elton John. From baritone to falsetto, from ballads to Disco to blues...

Who is underrating Elton John? Nobody.

R321, that's wiki and worldwide. I think that's very possible.

Underrated: Mary Wells

Underrated: Beverly Kenney

Oops. Hit "Post: too soon.

Shriley Horn is also underrated. Nobody but nobody can sing a ballad like Shirley.

All of these ones are underrated due to the genre they sing but I promise, some of the best vocals you've heard (or more likely, not heard).

Brent Smith from Shinedown has one of the most versatile, beautiful voices I have ever heard. Everything is so rich. Having seen them in concert I can say he somehow sounds even better live.

Corey Taylor, the lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour has a remarkably beautiful voice with a ridiculous octave range hidden behind the loud. People think metal vocalists have terrible voices but they're almost always really underrated

Finally, David Draiman from Disturbed has a unique and traditional voice. Most people just know him as the AHHH AHHH AHH guy from Down with the Sickness. This version brought me to tears the first time I heard it, very Johnny Cash reminiscent.

R326, I DO think Shirley deserves more love from Jazz fans even though she was acclaimed. This song still gives me chills. Her use of air and space is unrivaled.

Barbara Lewis

Chris Daughtry- underrated-

Overrated: Debby Boone

Underrated: Charlene

We cant have you do that my dear