00:00I give my all
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for ballads with the most challenging vocals.
00:09Play myself anymore
00:16Number 10, Dream On, Aerosmith
00:19This was Aerosmith's first big hit. Released in 1973, it was written and performed by frontman
00:25Steven Tyler, who penned it when he was 14 years old.
00:29Out of things, come back to you
00:34Nailing it requires a humongous range. The verses are sung in a lower tone,
00:39but the chorus and climactic high notes demand a mighty falsetto.
00:43Also, it demands a seamless transition between the registers,
00:47a notoriously challenging singing technique.
00:50Sing we now, sing for the year, sing for the loud, sing for the tear
00:56And even then, hitting the high notes is only half the battle.
00:59Tyler put so much emotion into every line. To do it justice,
01:03you need to put your heart and soul into the performance every single time.
01:17Number 9, Hurt, Christina Aguilera
01:20Released in 2006, this track was written by Aguilera, Linda Perry,
01:25and music giant Mark Ronson. Aguilera is a phenomenal vocalist,
01:29having a four octave range and considered by some to be the voice of a generation.
01:40But few songs highlight her talents better than Hurt.
01:43Its chorus and bridge feature some mind-blowing high notes,
01:46which require years of practice to even attempt to replicate.
01:58Its lengthy and intense vocals, combined with sustained notes and Christina's intricate
02:02embellishments, make it a complex performance. Even Aguilera herself reportedly struggles
02:08to perform it live, once going 15 years without singing it at all.
02:17That streak ended in 2023, but she had to lower the song's key to make the performance achievable.
02:25Number 8, You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban
02:29For our first cover on the list, this tune was first recorded by Secret Garden in the early
02:342000s, but it acquired major success when both Josh Groban and Westlife covered it.
02:47Groban did it first in 2003 for what is perhaps now the song's most iconic version.
02:52Its fragile opening verse is in stark contrast to the concluding booming vocals.
03:05Groban can hold his notes for an impressive length of time,
03:09requiring a mastery of breath control. Also, Groban puts a lot of his emotion into the song.
03:15Even the most experienced singers can struggle to replicate
03:18that rawness while simultaneously nailing the notes.
03:29Number 7, Gethsemane, I Only Want to Say, Jesus Christ Superstar
03:34Now for our first Broadway performance, Gethsemane features in Jesus Christ Superstar,
03:40and is easily the show's hardest song.
03:46It has an incredible range, going from low chest notes to high octaves.
03:58Since it should be sung by a male vocalist, hitting these high notes is an extraordinary feat.
04:09It also strays from traditional musical theatre, requiring a rock tenor performance.
04:14Finally, it being from a musical adds another layer of difficulty.
04:19Mastering the vocals is one momentous challenge, but singing it while simultaneously acting,
04:24it all combines to become one of musical theatre's ultimate tests.
04:44Number 6, Lovin' You, Minnie Riperton
04:52This track's most memorable feature is Riperton's extremely high notes.
05:04They sound deceptively simple. In actuality, Riperton is using the whistle register,
05:10the highest register possible for humans. The verses are sung in a comfortable range,
05:16but the soft, breathy quality makes mistakes unforgiving.
05:20Even the slightest wavering is immediately apparent.
05:28Riperton is a master at transitioning between her chest voice, head voice,
05:33and whistle register, something she can even do in the same phrase. Fascinatingly,
05:38bird chirping can be heard, which was recorded by accident but left in, since it complemented the
05:43track. Number 5, Defying Gravity, Wicked
05:53Inspired by The Wizard of Oz, this is undoubtedly the toughest track in the musical Wicked.
06:08It happens at the end of Act 1, requiring a performer to be vocally fresh,
06:15despite having already sung multiple intense numbers. Additionally, it gradually increases
06:21in intensity, culminating with an extremely, extremely tough high note. Only a minority
06:27of people can pull it off to the full, with it being straight up impossible for most performers.
06:32Even its mostly spoken word intro is deceptively difficult to nail. A lot of the timings are
06:38seriously syncopated, and there are almost constant key changes to navigate.
06:53Number 4, My All, Mariah Carey Mariah Carey has an extensive catalog of
06:59next-level vocal performances, but perhaps the best example of her extraordinary singing is My All.
07:08Featuring strong Latin influences, it's one of Carey's most challenging songs,
07:18not least because she uses a unique whisper tone technique,
07:21which needs to be strong enough to be heard but simultaneously delicate.
07:25While it sounds amazing, it can actually be harmful for your voice,
07:38and her older self reportedly struggles to replicate it. Mariah is constantly switching
07:43between her chest voice, head voice, and mixed voice for this track as well.
07:47Achieving such a seamless transition is only possible after extensive training.
07:55Number 3, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, Dreamgirls Coming from the 80s musical Dreamgirls,
08:08this belter ultimately earned its legendary performer Jennifer Holliday a Grammy.
08:13Her performance is relentless, with almost no room for rest. Many reviewers considered it the
08:27original show's highlight near the end of Act 1. It's got some incredibly drawn-out notes,
08:32requiring tremendous lungs to nail. It shifts between softer, tender moments,
08:50and powerful, roaring vocals, channeling the character's emotions.
08:54Holliday set an impossibly high standard for others to follow, particularly at the song's
08:59conclusion, which features an absurdly tremendous closing line. We also have to mention Jennifer
09:16Hudson though, for her amazing cover in the 2006 Dreamgirls motion picture.
09:21Number 2, All By Myself, Celine Dion This song could easily rank in the top 10,
09:36even if we cut out everything except its conclusion.
09:40It's just that good. It was originally performed by Eric Carman, but it's Celine Dion's version
09:53that has become most famous. All By Myself requires an astounding range,
09:57keeping with that iconic sustained high note. To many music theorists,
10:08it features one of history's greatest ever key changes. Initially, she's begging for an end to
10:14her loneliness, but at the song's conclusion, the key shifts and her sadness becomes strength,
10:20making her calls suddenly feel optimistic. Its status is legendary, putting immense
10:25pressure on anyone who wants to cover it. Before we unveil our top pick,
10:43here are a few honorable mentions. Memory, Cats,
10:47Grizabella has the most challenging song in this iconic musical.
10:58Bring Him Home, Les Miserables, Jean Valjean really gave his lungs a run for their money.
11:18The Earth Song, Michael Jackson, Earth Song was Jackson's most challenging ballad.
11:28Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler, amazing vocals that everyone tries to imitate,
11:34but very few can. Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland,
11:45the hardest ballad from The Wizard of Oz, and one of the most iconic movie songs ever.
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12:25Originally performed in the 1970s by Dolly Parton,
12:28Whitney Houston recorded her version almost 20 years later and it broke chart records.
12:34It sold more than 24 million copies, making it the best-selling single performed by a woman.
12:48Houston's take demands flawless control over dynamics, pitch, and phrasing. The
12:54tiniest errors would be obvious, so it requires maximum precision, even perfection, to nail.
13:04Of course, the range is phenomenal, with its climactic notes being the singer's
13:11hardest challenge of all. Whitney combines technical mastery with immense emotion.
13:16If singing were a video game, then Whitney Houston would be the final boss.
13:29Which ballad do you personally find the toughest to replicate?
13:33Let us know in the comments!
14:03you
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