The range these singers have is crazy impressive! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best professional singers who have proven the width and breadth of their vocal talents.
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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!