Top 10 Best Singers Of All Time

Latest News

If you want to start a fiery debate among passionate musicians and fans, all you need to do is ask them, “who are your top ten best singers?” We are pretty sure at least 50 different names would come up for only ten positions. This is because much of this decision depends on preference and taste, which are both subjective.

In this manner, it seems impossible to come up with a list of the top 10 best vocalists of all time, but fortunately, in the era of the internet, we have a lot of vocal fans, and their voices can be found easily. Keeping all of those opinions in mind, we will be listing the best vocalists of all time today.

#10 – James Brown

GENRE: FUNK & SOUL

If there is one artist on this list that we would say has one of the most high-energy vocals, it would be James Brown. He was a real artist and was awarded tons of Hall of Fame honors and awards. We would go as far as saying that James Brown is also a true contender for the top 10 greatest artists ever.

He is also one of the most sampled artists of all time and was named the “Godfather of Soul.”

#9 – Steve Perry

GENRE: ROCK & ROLL

Lead singer of the band “Journey” Steve Perry has truly had a fulfilling solo career as well. When it comes to the rock and roll genre, it is safe to say that Steve Perry is in the rock and roll Hall of Fame. He is also easily spotted as one of the singers in the list of top 10 greatest singers ever when it comes to this genre. Steve Perry was also considered the sound of Rock in the 80s.

#8 – Paul McCartney

GENRE: POP & SOFT ROCK

Paul McCartney rose to Fame when he was the songwriter for “The Beatles.” He has written and co-written 32 songs that have peaked at the number one position on the Billboard hot 100 chart. Moreover, his illustrious career includes his solo career, his collaborations with Michael Jackson, and his band wings. He has also been in recognized as the most successful songwriter of all time in the Guinness Book of World Records.

#7 – Aretha Franklin

GENRE: GOSPEL, R&B, DOO-WOP, BLUES, JAZZ, & SOUL

After her song “Respect” in 1967, Aretha Franklin became a household name. It was not all luck, though. Her vocal talent was really raw and unique, which helped her throughout her journey. It was not long until she was recognized as the “Queen of the soul” by the general public.

Just to give you a hint of her overall success, she has to date won 18 Grammy awards, has had 112 charted singles at the billboard music charts, and is easily one of the bestselling vocal artists ever with over 75 million record sales globally.

#6 – Frank Sinatra

GENRE: POP, EASY, LISTENING, SWING & JAZZ

Everyone who clicked on this article must have already been expecting Frank Sinatra to be on this list. He is easily the most famous and influential artist of the 1990s. He has won almost all there was to win during his time, including music awards, achievement awards, lifetime, and even government awards.

To this date, he is considered one of the most influential people by Time magazine. Including all of his other endeavors, he was one of the most-rich singers of all time.

#5 – Ella Fitzgerald

GENRE: BLUES, JAZZ, POP, BEBOP & SWING

Ella Fitzgerald was recognized as the first lady of soul, and this accolade was given to her not only because of her entertainment value but also because of her vocal range. She was an incredibly talented singer who was highly respected by her peers due to her improvisation, phrasing, timing, intonation and the purity of tone. She was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, the national medal of arts, and a record 14 Grammys.

#4 – Marvin Gaye

GENRE: JAZZ, POP, FUNK, R&B & SOUL

Marvin Gaye was also known as the “prince of soul” and the “prince of Motown” because he influenced the sound of future R&B and its sub-genres. He was also the inspiration for the sound of Motown. He had an in-famous four-Octave vocal range, which is more than enough for him to land at this position on this list.

#3 – Stevie Wonder

GENRE: JAZZ, FUNK, R&B, POP & SOUL

Stevie wonder is indeed one of the most recognized musicians and songwriters ever. He truly is an icon in genres like soul, pop, rock, funk, and R&B. He is so influential and respected because of his inclusion of electronic instruments in his music, even before the current EDM Saga. He has won 125 Grammys and sold over 100 million records.

#2 – Freddie Mercury

GENRE: HARD ROCK, MUSIC HALL, GLITTER, & PROG ROCK

One of the most popular singers of all time is the lead singer of the band “Queen,” Freddie Mercury. We are pretty certain that Freddie Mercury is the best lead singer in rock music ever. He was incredibly popular for having a four Octave vocal range that left shivers on listeners’ bodies.

You may also have seen his struggles and recognition on a recent movie based on his life and the band Queen. Freddy is one of the best singers of all time, along with being one of the best-selling artists of all time with the band Queen.

#1 – Michael Jackson

GENRE: DANCE, POP, DISCO ROCK, R&B, FUNK & SOUL

In our opinion, the best singer of all time can be none other than Michael Jackson. We are all aware of how he was cited as the “King of pop,” and the reality is there are no other singers that can match the absolute brilliantness and subtleness of Michael Jackson and his vocal range, recognition, and popularity.

Conclusion

There have been a lot of great vocalists in the history of Music. It is only natural to ask ourselves who are the greatest top 10 singers of all time. The answer to this question is not as easy as it is to ask this question, but today, we have taken it upon ourselves to list the top 10 greatest vocalists of all time in our opinion, and we have also listed out the criteria we have used to come at this conclusion.

If you do not agree with the list, you are more than welcome to use the comment section below to share your thoughts.