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Some voices were just never meant for the microphone... Join us as we count down our picks for the most divisive and technically flawed singers to ever touch a mic! From autotuned social media stars to legendary off-key crooners, no one is safe from scrutiny. Which singer makes your ears bleed the most? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00For the land of the free
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 27 most divisive or technically flawed singers to ever touch
00:16a mic
00:17How many flaws did I have to scrub just to make your pants where I am from?
00:20No, no, no, no money, no feeling
00:24Number 27, Addison Rae
00:32A lot of the criticism that people held for Addison Rae was directed at her earliest live performances
00:39In those shows, glaring fundamental weaknesses were criticized, with her lack of projection and breath control coming under fire
00:51Her debut single, Obsessed, was criticized for heavy reliance on auto-tune and a pretty narrow melodic range
00:58Reviewers described her tone as thin and stylistically generic
01:02In other words, even when all of the technical shortcomings were put to one side
01:07It was a little hard to pick her out from all the others who had a similar style
01:11The world is my oyster, baby come touch the pearl
01:15Number 26, Jessica Simpson
01:18I get kind of crazy in my hair for you
01:22I don't know what to do
01:24There's no denying that Jessica Simpson has some pretty solid power in her voice
01:29The issue that most people point to is how prone she is to off nights on stage
01:35Whether it's a lack of control, a thin-sounding timbre, or just overdoing it in terms of raw power
01:41Simpson certainly has her critics
01:42Let your desperate spell on me, let you feel it too
01:48When it comes to her studio recordings, the contrast is pretty noticeable
01:53The layers upon layers of compression and the smoothing of edges only truly become apparent
01:58When she tries to replicate her album tracks on stage
02:06By no means a terrible singer, but one who is definitely considered to be out of her depth
02:11Number 25, Lil Yachty
02:20Some argue that there is a charming looseness to the way that Lil Yachty sings
02:25However, to most, that looseness is just poor rhythm and vocal mechanics
02:30This was especially clear in his earlier work
02:33Where a heavy dependence on autotune ended up making his singing sound incredibly artificial
02:45Plus, when he does take his material to the stage
02:49The lack of any real strength in the singing department becomes painfully clear
02:53There is such a thing as drifting off the beat and singing in a floating manner
02:58But in the case of Lil Yachty, it just seems like he doesn't have the foundational skills to back it
03:03up
03:1224. Yolandi Visser
03:14Most people will know exactly how they feel about Yolandi Visser and Deontwoord after one listen.
03:24The abrasive style of these South African musicians will likely be enough to turn off a lot of people who
03:29give them a shot.
03:36Right at the center of a lot of the criticism are Yolandi's vocals, which are intentionally quite aggressive and jarring.
03:43Beyond that, though, her limited vocal range causes her to fall back into the same patterns more and more as
03:48the duo's discography grows.
03:50Production tricks can only do so much to embellish her performances, and her detractors are pretty quick to point out
03:57that her voice really isn't anything to write home about.
04:05Number 23. Fergie
04:14Commercial success has never been a problem for the former Black Eyed Peas star Fergie.
04:19For years, she has dominated the charts, both as a solo artist and alongside her old group.
04:32However, her uneven live performances have definitely knocked her reputation down a peg or two.
04:38In fact, she has had some gigs that actually went viral due to her lack of vocal control.
04:43I know that we'll have a ball if we get down and go out and just lose it all.
04:50I feel stressed out, I won't let it go.
04:53Let's go way out, faced out, I'm losing all control.
04:57In the studio, everything comes out sounding golden.
05:00But there is more than enough proof of Fergie's shortcomings on a live mic to earn her a pretty high
05:06spot on most people's worst singer's list.
05:09Who's bright stripes and bright stars?
05:17Number 22. Iggy Azalea
05:20Still stunned how you like that?
05:22Got the whole world asking how I does that?
05:25Sure, Iggy Azalea is primarily considered a rapper, or at this point, a semi-retired rapper.
05:31However, during her heyday in the spotlight, even her rap accent has been criticized for not sounding organic.
05:38My blood works all day, this ridiculous part day.
05:41Swagga, I'm soupin' I can't shoppin' on the phone, but I get my money on top.
05:44That said, it's her singing on her hooks that really earned her a spot in this discussion.
05:50The best way to describe Azalea's voice on record is limited and samey.
05:55Plus, fans have noticed that she has quite a few mishaps when attempting to sing her choruses on stage.
06:00An over-dependence on backing tracks is a big red flag, and in this case, most critics agree she is
06:07trying to hide her vocal frailties.
06:09I've been up all night, tryin' to get there rich.
06:12I've been work, work, work, work, workin' on my shit.
06:16Number 21. Mark E. Smith
06:26Fans of this legendary British band will defend the idiosyncratic vocal stylings of frontman Mark E. Smith.
06:33And, with good reason, Smith is a truly unique performer, and his trademark snarls, shouts, and squeals help to make
06:40the fall what they are.
06:41Additional points must be given for his tendency to end most sentences with an ah sound, like a drunken slur.
06:49The problem?
06:55Well, unless you get it, you're more than likely going to find Smith's voice extremely grating, directionless, toneless, and unpleasing
07:03to the ear.
07:03Put ten people in a room with a fall record playing, and you'll likely get at least seven or eight
07:08complaining that he's the worst singer they've ever heard.
07:12Although, the other two might be new fans for life.
07:23Number 20. Ice J.J. Fish
07:26Think about a parody of bad singing, and you may think of this American YouTube rapper.
07:32It's something about a girl, that just makes my head wanna twirl.
07:38The hallmarks of bad singing are there.
07:41Speak singing, wobbly notes, no breath control, poor articulation, the works.
07:47The comedy of this poor technique is no doubt what made Ice J.J. Fish's first single, On the Floor,
07:54into a viral hit.
07:55Team wants to take you slow.
07:57I'm nothing type of guy, I'll let you know.
08:02Perhaps it was even the point of it all.
08:04Still, bad singing is still bad singing.
08:07Once you get past the novelty of singing, which provokes laughter,
08:11Ice J.J. Fish gets very unpleasant and boring to listen to.
08:16My bae, my bae, my bae, my bae, my bae, my bae.
08:19We appreciate the efforts, or lack of though.
08:23Yeah, you already know what it is.
08:25So, yeah, this is very simple.
08:29Number 19, Jake Paul.
08:31It's everyday, bro, with the Disney Channel flow.
08:35Five mil on YouTube in six months, never done before.
08:38Another YouTube star, Jake Paul started on Vine before landing in a Disney Channel show in 2016.
08:44He has also gone into professional boxing.
08:47While he's certainly putting his eggs in different baskets, his rapping leaves much to be desired.
08:53It's everyday, bro.
08:54It's everyday, bro.
08:56It's everyday, bro.
08:57I said it's everyday, bro.
08:59Maybe that's why one of his videos at one point was number three on YouTube's most disliked list.
09:06His voice is shaky without auto-tune.
09:09He also has a dull, inexpressive style, as if he personally doesn't believe too much in the lyrics and is
09:16reading them by rote.
09:22At least Paul can articulate more or less clearly, which is no small feat, and required when it comes to
09:29rap.
09:30But you can still detect that ever-present auto-tune.
09:34Maybe he should just stick to boxing.
09:36Somebody got me a babbage to cover, I'm maxing the comments, it shook up, they throw in a tantrum, yeah.
09:41Number 18.
09:42Drake.
09:43This Canadian singer and rapper is one of the world's best-selling artists.
09:48I hold back, sometimes I won't.
09:51I feel good, sometimes I don't.
09:54Drake is even tied with Michael Jackson for having the most number one hits by a male solo singer on
09:59the Billboard Hot 100.
10:00So, why does he sound like he's just woke up at 5 a.m. and went into the recording studio
10:07as is?
10:14At least, drink some water.
10:16Drake's flat foghorn voice would make for a good blend with another voice or instrument.
10:22But, by itself, it's not very inspiring.
10:25Ever since I left the city, you got a reputation for yourself now.
10:32He has okay pitch control and diction, but otherwise, we don't see the greatness.
10:37Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but I guess you know now.
10:41Number 17.
10:42Jacob Sartorius.
10:44Speaking of flat voices, check out this Vine creator-turned-singer.
10:49Sartorius began starring in musicals as a child before downgrading to lip-syncing videos.
10:56Selling with airtight.
10:58No makeup with some sweatpants on.
11:00In 2016, he released his debut single, Sweatshirt, about a schoolyard crush.
11:06You can wear my sweatshirt.
11:11And you can tell your friends.
11:13At best, his voice isn't any different from your standard boy band singer.
11:18With that same pop sound, which effectively conveys wholesome young romance.
11:23But Sartorius has a nasal quality to his singing that gets grating after a while.
11:28Even with boatloads of autotune.
11:30Nothing between us could have stood.
11:35At least his songs aren't demanding in range, which makes him seem like a better singer than he is.
11:41We all go, baby.
11:42We all go, baby.
11:43We all go, Friday.
11:45Number 16.
11:46JoJo Siwa.
11:48I'ma come back like a boomerang.
11:51Won't let the haters get their way.
11:54When it comes to JoJo Siwa, everything from the spectacle and music video to the production and instrumentation are all
12:02designed to outshine her vocal performances.
12:05Indeed, as a teen pop star, you can't be too hard on her for having a relatively underwhelming vocal style.
12:18As she aged, though, you can still hear how much studio work is needed to make things sound presentable.
12:24Most people would agree that Siwa is nowhere near being a natural vocalist.
12:29And the fact that she relies on backing tracks so often in live performances doesn't really surprise anyone.
12:35I'm in a crazy mood, and I do what they try, so let me do to you.
12:41Number 15.
12:42Island Boys.
12:44At least Ice J.J. Fish has a comically croaky voice and is almost deliberate in his bad style.
12:50There is nothing funny about the vocal prowess of these twin brothers.
12:59With their hit song, I Am An Island Boy, Fly Soulja and Kodiak Red turn their life around after a
13:07stint in jail.
13:08We love a good redemption story, but it would be so much better if they were actually good rappers.
13:18The Island Boys are more than just a little off pitch.
13:22They're almost unintelligible, both in terms of deciphering their lyrics and making a clear musical message, and they lack flow.
13:34I Am An Island Boy likely went viral not because it's catchy, but because of the bad singing.
13:41It's a pass.
13:42Trying to make it, oh, I'm an island boy.
13:46Number 14.
13:48Kanye West.
13:49I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven.
13:52When I woke, I spent that on a necklace.
13:54This Grammy Award winning and very controversial American hip hop artist needs little introduction.
14:00And we're not here to do so.
14:03Put all of West's personal life baggage aside, and what do we get, musically speaking?
14:08Time for high, la, la, la, la, would you like getting my money right?
14:14Without auto-tune?
14:15A very shaky singing voice.
14:18Even as a rapper, West's style is too straightforward, even cumbersome.
14:23Usually rappers are keen to show off their fast flow and clever rhyme schemes.
14:31West's simplicity in melody and delivery, no doubt, is what led to his success.
14:36But we have heard Broadway performers with better patter song skills and better diction.
14:41Run away from the baby, run away.
14:47Number 13.
14:48Will.i.am
14:50From a lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas to a formidable record producer, this multifaceted
14:55American performer and songwriter has gained massive acclaim.
14:59But as a singer and rapper, he's hopefully mediocre.
15:08Often in that career, he has stuck with performing with other artists after Black Eyed Peas, as
15:14if knowing he can't carry a solo act well.
15:22When he tries to sing, even hitting a high note in the hardest ever, it's inevitably auto-tuned.
15:36No doubt, his fans are there for his clever songwriting, and his rapping is much more interesting
15:41when in tandem with other artists.
15:48Number 12.
15:50Corey Feldman.
15:51If one had to describe Corey Feldman's music, using words like eccentric or bizarre would be
15:57a kind of way to do so.
16:06Overall, though, his critically panned and widely mocked catalog displays some of the
16:11strangest production and creative decisions imaginable.
16:15Feldman's entire presentation is too weird for most people to take seriously.
16:19The choreography, the music videos, and some truly infamous live performances.
16:31On top of it all, it just so happens that his vocals are totally thin and lacking depth.
16:37All things considered, most people would argue that the overall package itself deserves the
16:42critical lampooning it tends to get every time a new single or album drops.
16:54Number 11.
16:56Soulja Boy.
16:57One of the biggest hit singles of the late 2000s, Crank That catapulted its artist to the top of the
17:03charts and into stardom.
17:10But as even the mildest critics will tell you, Soulja Boy is no great artiste.
17:16He has a generic voice and vague lyrical delivery, as if his mouth were stuffed full of marbles.
17:29In his most popular song, redeemable only by the novelty of the steel drum, he sounds flat
17:35and indifferent.
17:37You can't do it like me, though, so don't do it like me, folk.
17:40I seen you try to do it like me, man, that damn was ugly.
17:43When he does sing, it is with the inevitable aid of auto-tune.
17:47Soulja Boy has stuck around making new music, but with obvious diminishing returns.
17:53One-hit wonders are generally rough to listen to.
17:56Girl, you know I miss you, I just wanna kiss you, but I can't right now, so baby kiss me
18:01through the phone.
18:02Number 10.
18:04Nicki Minaj.
18:05Getting crowned the queen of rap and hip-hop is no easy feat.
18:10This one is for the boys with the booming system.
18:12Top-down AC with the coolest system.
18:14When he come up in the club, he be blazing up.
18:16This Trinidadian-born rapper has the advantage of a smooth and fast rap flow with crystal-clear
18:22diction.
18:22Her success in that sense is understandable.
18:26What is not impressive or as successful is her nasal singing.
18:30I'm on the floor, floor, I love to dance.
18:34Listen to it for more than a minute, and it begins to grate pretty quickly.
18:38It even seems more heavily auto-tuned than most artists.
18:41Starships were meant to fly.
18:45Hands up and touch the sky.
18:49Minaj's chew toy squeakiness and vocal fry are also glaring.
18:54Critics have been more impressed by her lyric writing, particularly her verse in Kanye West's
18:59Monster.
19:00Perhaps she should go into songwriting more and leave the singing to others.
19:04I wish that I could have this moment for life.
19:09I wish that I could have this moment for life.
19:11Number 9.
19:13Ashley Simpson
19:14On a Monday, I am waiting.
19:17Tuesday, I am fading.
19:20The younger sister of Jessica Simpson, Ashley's singing career came to a halt when she was caught
19:25lip-syncing on Saturday Night Live.
19:28Our take?
19:29Her career should have ended because of her bad singing rather than because of lip-syncing
19:34on a live broadcast.
19:36Oh, it seems like I guess I'll rest my head on something real.
19:42The generic sound of her songs does her no favors, but Simpson just displays many vocal faults,
19:49singing some notes unexpectedly sharp and others flat.
19:53You make me wanna lie, lie, in the kitchen of the floor, I'll be your wish, babe.
19:59Her singing has a blunt quality to it, attacking the lyrics rather than embodying them.
20:04The fact that she tends to cut her notes short at the end of phrases doesn't help to lessen
20:09that impression.
20:14Number 8.
20:16Pitbull
20:16Reggaeton rappers, much like American ones, can naturally vary in ability.
20:21But Pitbull may just signal a new low in rap quality.
20:30His smoker-rough voice makes Louis Armstrong sound like Andy Williams.
20:35When he does sound even remotely tolerable, it's largely due to studio pitch correction.
20:44He doesn't improve in his Spanish-language rap either, and in any language exhibits a lack
20:50of flow.
20:56Daddy Yankee comes off much better as his fellow rapper.
20:59This is a shame, as Pitbull has had tremendous success, selling 100 million singles worldwide,
21:06and his activism during Hurricane Maria is nothing less than inspiring and worthy of acclaim.
21:12We get the hotel, hotel, holiday here.
21:16Number 7.
21:17Jennifer Lopez
21:25It's not that Jennifer Lopez is a truly awful singer.
21:29It's that her acclaim as a superstar really has very little to do with her abilities as
21:34a vocalist.
21:35There have been a few questions about uncredited backing vocalists and some shaky live performances
21:40that left people with pretty mixed opinions on her singing.
21:48She is by no means a powerhouse on the mic, and to call her range limited would be an understatement.
21:55Lopez's talents for dancing, acting, and her general charisma are far more responsible for
22:00her success than her singing.
22:02It does seem like she leans a little too heavily on studio magic to get her records made.
22:19Number 6.
22:21Lil Wayne
22:22This wildly successful and influential hip-hop artist also has been involved in feuds and
22:28legal actions, but has also attracted some negativity for his rapping ability.
22:32And we must concur.
22:40Lil Wayne's voice is atrocious, rough and craggy, but also paradoxically high-pitched.
22:52He has little to no flow, not that the raps themselves lend themselves to it.
22:58As for his songs, he admitted in 2023 that his poor memory makes it hard for him to remember
23:04them.
23:10We sympathize with Wayne's health struggles, but it is perhaps a blessing that he doesn't
23:15remember his own songs.
23:17We wish we could say the same.
23:19I see the change, I see the message, and no message could have been any clearer.
23:24Number 5.
23:26Paris Hilton
23:26One of the most famous for being famous personalities, Hilton's singing endeavors were always a feature,
23:33not the star of her persona.
23:35I don't mind spending some time
23:41Regardless, her singing voice is indeed generically mediocre at best.
23:46Like many other singers, she has the breathiness and vocal fry, but with less breath control
23:52and a little lyrical expressiveness.
23:54Even though the guys are crazy, even though the stars are blind.
23:58In 2024, she made something of a comeback with ADHD and BBA, the latter with Megan Thee Stallion.
24:06But her vocal prowess hasn't improved much.
24:10In fact, it's even more superficial.
24:12Step one, when you're getting ready, look hot.
24:16Step two, gotta catch a cat to the bar.
24:19The good news is that the limited range of her songs suits her ability just fine.
24:24Her persona and other non-musical projects have far eclipsed her singing career for good reason.
24:36Number four, Rebecca Black
24:44It's not all fair to label a singer bad based on one terrible song.
24:50That's why we feel comfortable labeling YouTube star Rebecca Black a bad singer based on three.
24:56It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday.
25:01Her 2011 hit Friday was panned by both critics and audiences alike.
25:05Not just for the inanity of its lyrics, but for Black's broad vowels and nasal singing.
25:11But since then, Black has made other songs, such as Crumbs and Trust.
25:15The good news is there is definite improvement from her 13-year-old self.
25:19You make a mess, and I'll pick up the crumbs.
25:26Unfortunately, it also put her squarely in the generic pop singer category.
25:30It's not that she sounds particularly terrible.
25:34It's that she sounds like any other performer, if much more polished than her debut.
25:39I can't handle you, get your handle.
25:42Number three, Florence Foster Jenkins.
25:45Of course, no list of bad singers would be complete without this OG.
25:56This 20th century socialite's ambitions as a pianist, and then later an opera singer,
26:02were always far greater than her abilities.
26:04But while many pop stars of today get by because they're singing undemanding material,
26:09you can't fake your way through Mozart, Gno, and De Liebes.
26:18Jenkins' screechy pitch and poor diction made her a cult favorite,
26:23drawing delighted laughter from her audiences.
26:25Jenkins' atrocious singing was most likely due to her health difficulties,
26:30including nerve damage.
26:31It's a much better excuse for terrible singing than most singers, unfortunately.
26:49As a songwriter, Bob Dylan is without a doubt one of the greatest.
26:54His lyrical songs became powerful social anthems for an entire generation.
26:59He even won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, albeit not without major controversy.
27:06As a singer, however, Dylan is one of the worst.
27:15With his shaky nails on chalkboard pitch, this folk performer has been bested vocally by many
27:20others of his genre.
27:22Even his fans freely admit this, ignoring the musical aspect of his work altogether.
27:27How does it feel to be without a wall?
27:34But the cold and brutal fact is, Dylan did not write poetry or even verse, but music and lyrics.
27:41Thus, his vocal performance does matter, and it just ain't pretty.
27:46Like a computer, no.
27:51Like a rolling stone.
27:53Number 1.
27:55Yoko Ono
27:56All the singers on this list so far have had at least one redeeming quality, even if it
28:02doesn't involve their singing.
28:03Unfortunately, many would say there are no redeeming musical qualities about this one.
28:14Famous as John Lennon's second wife, Yoko Ono is an avant-garde artist whose art often includes
28:21musical elements.
28:22As such, her art can be very much an acquired taste, and when it comes to her singing, it's
28:29a taste few acquired.
28:30Ono's singing is often a melody-free caterwaul with incomprehensible lyrics.
28:41She also has a penchant for random screaming and shrieks, giving her songs an animals-are-being-skinned-alive
28:48sound.
28:49To many, she wages war against the very idea of music, including her husband's.
28:58We think we know who won that battle.
29:01But who do you think is the single worst singer to ever take the stage?
29:09Let us know in the comments below.
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