00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best professional singers
00:13that have proven the width and breadth of their vocal talents.
00:29Number 10.
00:30Freddie Mercury The world probably wasn't ready for Freddie
00:39back when he entered the scene with Queen in 1970.
00:43Love and admiration still pours out for this classic rock frontman today too, both due
00:47to his magnetic stage presence and impressive four-octave vocal range.
00:59Freddie Mercury certainly did a lot with his innate showmanship, while the other members
01:04of Queen, all of whom could also sing, often backed up vocals, including during live performances.
01:11That said, songs like Save Me and The Show Must Go On do a wonderful job at highlighting
01:17all of what made Freddie Mercury one of a kind.
01:25Number 9.
01:26Christina Aguilera This vocal powerhouse is another singer with
01:36a four-octave range, one that's often put to the test via some dizzying, melismatic
01:41runs.
01:42Yep, Christina Aguilera really is that good.
01:46But you didn't need us to tell you that, right?
01:54This NYC native has defined multiple generations at this point with a voice that can balance
01:59tremendous power with range that can bring things down to an almost fragile sense of
02:04personability.
02:05Aguilera, much like Madonna before her, has managed to consistently reinvent herself,
02:11although the actual levels of success of those reinventions has been up for debate.
02:23What isn't up for debate, however, is that Christina Aguilera can sing her butt off.
02:29Number 8.
02:30Prince The man possessed music in his DNA, so it's
02:41not really a surprise to learn that Prince Rogers Nelson had an impressive vocal range.
02:46Fans and musicologists have surmised that he possessed a range of around 5 octaves,
02:51or 4 with some semitones at the lowest.
02:54This track too, since the Purple One historically mixed elements of funk, rock, soul and more
02:59into his works, Prince was able to sing it all.
03:10With a voice that was emotive, strong, and even a little sassy, it would be a huge mistake
03:15to only focus upon the legend's falsetto singing, since this was only one aspect of
03:22his enviable musical arsenal.
03:31Number 7.
03:32Marvin Gaye He was, for many, the voice of a soul generation.
03:45His name was Marvin Gaye, and it was via his music and voice that scores of music fans
03:51were able to feel a true emotional connection.
03:54Gaye's 4 octave range could be a low, tender baritone or a soaring high tenor.
04:07He kept his own unique masculine flavour through it all, influencing many singers in his wake.
04:13Gaye was even able to go between crafting soul classics like Let's Get It On and Sexual
04:18Healing to composing and singing blaxploitation film soundtracks for efforts like Trouble
04:23Man.
04:31The title of his 2019 posthumous solo album just sort of says it all really, you're the
04:36man.
04:41Number 6.
04:42Minnie Riperton When most music fans hear the term whistle
04:55notes, they tend to think of a very short list of singers.
04:59Minnie Riperton, however, is almost always near the top of said list, and with good reason.
05:11This pop soul singer recorded a wealth of quality material during her career, but her
05:15musical legacy will always be associated with her 1975 hit, Lovin' You.
05:20It was here where Riperton astounded audiences not only with her devastating 5 octave range,
05:26but also those aforementioned whistle tones.
05:35It's like a bird call, or a frequency only dogs can hear.
05:39But it also helped make Minnie Riperton a certified star.
05:43Number 5.
05:44David Lee Roth The presence of David Lee Roth within the
05:48ranks of classic rock legends Van Halen was one that brought with it exciting influences
05:53that permeated the music.
06:04This versatility can also be seen within Roth's vocals.
06:08Hence the master showman has a reported 5 octave plus range.
06:17This has allowed Roth to sing hard rocking numbers like On Fire and Atomic Punk with
06:22ease, while also leaving room for more kitschy tunes like Ice Cream Man to shine.
06:32It's honestly rather amusing that a rock frontman with this level of charisma also possesses
06:36the vocal chops to back up all of his bravado.
06:48Number 4.
06:49Tom York It's sort of rare that a band as cerebral
07:03and dare we say progressive as Radiohead earns commercial success to go along with
07:08their cult following.
07:19Of course, the music of crossover hits like Paranoid Android has a lot going for it.
07:24But many Radiohead fans would likely point to the reported 5 octave voice of Tom York
07:29as one of their favorite elements.
07:38And we totally see why.
07:40Since York can easily vacillate between moments of explosive vocal power and softer, almost
07:45reticent sections, Radiohead's embracing of technology has allowed for the music palette
07:50to shift along with York's evolving vocals.
07:53Always surprising and always exciting, often in equal measure.
08:04Number 3.
08:05Axl Rose Ask anybody who's ever seen Guns N' Roses
08:09live and they'll tell you, Axl Rose delivers the goods on stage.
08:13Heck, he can sprint across the stage still singing and remaining in key.
08:24This is no mean feat and is indicative of how much control he still possesses over his
08:305 octave vocal range.
08:32The man can snarl the sleaziest rock song imaginable, then, without blinking an eye,
08:37croon a ballad that'll make you cry.
08:46He's done some amazing work late into GNR's career too, such as on This I Love from the
08:52unfairly maligned comeback album, Chinese Democracy.
09:01Number 2.
09:02Mariah Carey It speaks volumes that both Axl Rose and
09:06Mariah Carey possess 5 octave vocal ranges, yet they couldn't sound more different from
09:11one another.
09:19Carey's approach is more rooted in the pop and soul school of Minnie Riperton, while
09:24also incorporating the same aforementioned melismatic vocal styles as Christina Aguilera.
09:30Make no mistake though, Carey is the master who paved the way for those like Aguilera
09:35who came after her.
09:42There's no denying that Mariah Carey's wide-ranging, entrancing voice led to her breakout success
09:48throughout the 1990s, helping to define her as a generational, timeless talent.
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10:17Number 1.
10:18Celine Dion It didn't take a genius to figure out that
10:28a future star was on the horizon the moment Celine Dion took the stage during the 1988
10:33Eurovision Song Contest.
10:35Dion's astonishing range is often debated, as you can find people claiming it's anywhere
10:40between three to six octaves.
10:45Regardless, we know it's at a talent level usually reserved for the most innately talented,
10:54practiced and accomplished singers.
10:56Granted, this icon doesn't always use the full extent of her range, but her versatility
11:01means that she can sing circles around us, and with a tremendous amount of power.
11:16There will probably only ever be one Celine Dion, and that instantly recognizable voice
11:22is enough to keep her a vocal legend forever.
11:34What singer moves you to tears, or makes you want to raise your fist and yell?
11:38Let us know in the comments!
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