Prepare to be blown away by the most vocally challenging ballads that push singers to their absolute limits! We're diving into the tracks that require superhuman vocal skills, incredible range, and emotional depth that only the most talented performers can master.
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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