575-551-Great Vocals
575. LOVIN’ YOU (1975)
Vocalist: Minnie Riperton
Writer/Composer: Minnie Riperton / Richard Rudolph (1975)
She was a colossal surprise of the late 1960s and 1970s. Her Jaw-dropping way of moving through 5 octaves became legendary, especially with her ability to sing in the highest whistle register. This beautiful R&B / Soul / Pop entry went to #1 in 24 countries and sending her fame and record sales soaring. She started her career in music singing backup for numerous artists including Stevie Wonder, Fontella Bass and Chuck Berry. Minnie was considered a colotura soprano and her solo career had just begun when she died of cancer at age 31. Reactions to this song selection is astounding—she sings like a bird!…Awesome, Beyond Compare!
Link for Official music video.
574. SOMEBODY LIKE YOU (2002)
Vocalist: Keith Urban
Writer/Composer: Keith Urban / John Shanks (2002)
Australian singer / musician / songwriter and TV star, Keith Urban has been one of the most popular vocalists in Country / Folk / Rock since the early 1990s. When this Country star grabs a banjo or guitar, and when the singing starts, something amazing and miraculous happens—one of the happiest, well-crafted, high-spirited love songs in Country / Rock / Bluegrass history! His talent spills over into all kinds of music, pushing his energetic, over-the top delivery to embraceable heights. When he sings, “Now I wanna love somebody, love somebody like you,” you know he really means it!…An Absoslute Celebration!
573. SMOKE ON THE WATER (1972) (album version)
Vocalist: Deep Purple (lead Ian Gillan)
Writer/Composer: Ritchie Blackmore / Ian Gillan / Roger Glover / Jon Lord / Ian Pace (1971)
With one of the most identifiable guitar riffs in music history, we're introduced to what is considered a landmark in Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. The influence of this 5-piece English Rock band is monumental, and the hard-edged grit of lead vocalist Ian Gillan is evident in this classic Rock masterpiece, based on a true event. Ritchie Blackmore’s stellar guitar work, Jon Lord’s in-synch Hammond organ work and Ian Gillan’s astounding vocals make this a MUST for those interested in Rock culture. It’s impossible to ignore, “Dum dum dum / dum dum da dum / dum dum dum / dum dum.” Yes, an integral part of Rock’s landscape…Electrifying!
Link # 1 Official music video 1971. Link # 2 Live performance 1971.
572. TWISTED (1974)
Vocalist: Joni Mitchell
(featuring Chuck Findley trumpet / Cheech Marin / Tommy Chong spoken voices)
Writer/Composer: Annie Ross / Wardell Gray (1949 /1952)
Canadian Singer / Songwriter Joni Mitchell does another master stroke here with her 4th vocal on the list, taking us to institutionalized mental treatment, with one of the funniest recordings ever for a Jazz / Folk / excursion from her album, Court and Spark. She delivers on a platter, with every nuance, every clearly spoken lyric, (it’s a wordy song to come in at under 2 min and 16 seconds) and it is an absolute delight. She is so creative with her amazing acrobatic voice, and Findley’s trumpet is perfect for Jazz. She proves that she can branch into any phase or category of music and, as the song says, she’s a geenniiuusss!…A Sparkling Work of Art!
571. GLORIA (1982)
Vocalist: Laura Branigan
Writer/Composer: Giancarlo Bigazzi / Umberto Tozzi (1982)
She was an American singer / songwriter / actress who ruled the radio airwaves in the 1980s, placing this song on the charts for 36 straight weeks. She was known by having one of the strongest, full-throated Pop / Rock / Blues voices in her era, and she clearly demonstrates it here with this Rock / Pop classic, taking it to the upper stratosphere with her power-packed near 4-octave voice. She could tear into the lyrics with growling, vociferous vocalizing, putting her ability to hold long, strong, notes with great endurance. She didn’t hold back, giving in to power instead of vibrato—You can’t believe your ears!…Absolutely Magnificent and Mercurial!
Link # 1 Official music video, partially live. Link # 2 Live performance 1982.
570. FAST CAR (1988)
Vocalist: Tracy Chapman
Writer/Composer: Tracy Chapman (1988)
This remarkable award-winning song proved that a Folk song in a simple acoustic Rock / Blues format could take away all the honors. Tracy Chapman proved that a person didn’t have to depend on glamour or showmanship to cut a great record, she could still amass a great following as an American singer / songwriter. She seemed to strike a chord for people imprisoned in a hard life, and the fast car is the vehicle to hopefully take them to a better life and future. Still performing, her career was at its peak from 1988 -1995. Country star Luke Combs recorded a new version of the song and took it even higher…A Timeless and Exceptional Performance!
569. CHEEK TO CHEEK (1956)
Vocalist: Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong
Writer/Composer: Irving Berlin (1934)
Our Lady of Song gives us her 5th song on our list, and Satchmo’s presents his 2nd entry. It’s the 2nd time this song has made the list, this time as a duet, and it is a perfectly juxtaposed rendition of a Jazz standard from the American Songbook. It’s surely amazing how these two artists have affected, influenced and remodeled American music with their contrasting styles of Jazz, Blues and Pop music. He, with his gravelly rough voice and extraordinary coronet playing, she with her vocalizing at both ends of the spectrum, interpreting many of the greatest songs ever written. It’s so much pleasure to go back to their time…Just Heavenly!
Link - Louie and Ella’s official music video.
568. CHIQUITITA (Little Girl, Spanish) (1979)
Vocalist: Abba (lead Agnetha Faltskog, backing vocals Anni-Frid Lyngstad))
Writer/Composer: Benny Andersson / Bjorn Ulvaeus (1979)
If ever an example of split-second perfect harmony was used in a Pop song, this would surely be on everyone’s list. Abba’s 2nd entry listed was an international hit, also recorded in Spanish, and produced and played in the studio by Benny and Bjorn. Agnetha’s soprano sound with Anni-Frid’s contralto harmony is a wonder to behold, with the two male singers coming in perfectly in the chorus. This Swedish group was one of the best-selling acts of the 1970s & 80s, assuring their place on a much-praised pedestal in the musical landscape. Embraced by Rock & Dance / Pop, it’s hard to believe their creativity…Jaw-Dropping in Beauty!
Link # 1 Official music video 1979. Link # 2 Abba in concert 1980.
567. SO RARE (1957)
Vocalist: Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra & Chorus / Neil Hefti arranger / Artie Malvin singers (4 men & 4 women)
Writer/Composer: Jerry Herst / Jack Sharpe (1937)
The vocals in this instrumental make a perfect call and response to the horns that introduce it, setting up the magnificent alto sax solos by Jimmy Dorsey, split reed and all! Simply stated, it’s one of the greatest modern Jazz / Pop experiments in history. It really comes as a farewell to the end of the Big Band era of the 1940s. The Song stayed over 9 months on the charts, becoming the 4th biggest selling record of that stellar year, 1957, never making #1. Everyone who loved music embraced it, Rock, R&B and especially Pop. Sad to say, Jimmy Dorsey didn’t get to see how big of a hit it was—he died of lung cancer at 53, in June, 1957…Time-Capsule Worthy!
566. DESPERADO (1975)
Vocalist: Linda Ronstadt
Writer/Composer: Don Henley / Glenn Frey (1975)
Linda’s heart wrenching cover of this Eagle song is without doubt, one of the most splendid vocal performances of all time. With her 6th entry on our list, we begin to experience a Soft-Rock song as it transcends to reach a Country / Folk / Pop plateau, and it’s delivered by one of the most-gifted singers of the 20th century. This, not a massive hit, it has grown in popularity with each passing year. As she conquers this selection, it rises to an almost spiritual level, even inspirational. She carries it through the final verse, “You better let somebody love you (let somebody love you) Let somebody love you / before it’s too late.”…A Stunning Performance!
Link # 1 Official music video 1975. Link # 2 Live in concert 1975.
565. LOVESICK BLUES (1949)
Vocalist: Hank Williams
Writer/Composer: Cliff Friend / Irving Mills / arranged by Hank Williams (1922)
This incredible recording became the signature song for Hank, and it made him a star. Now considered a Hillbilly, Honky-Tonk, Country Blues classic, his 4th song on our list captures all the imperfections, all the yodeling, and his shifting gears on words and phrases into a lazy falsetto delivery. This is real primitive Country music, and a joy to listen to. It’s understandable why many believe this may be the most influential Country recording of all time, with the light tapping to keep time, and the steel guitar improvising after every verse. It was on almost every juke box in the country…Wow!…High-Spirited and Ground-Breaking!
Link # 1 Original recording 1949. Link # 2 Live from the Grand Ole Opry 1949.
564. STAY (2006)
Vocalist: Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush guitar)
Writer/Composer: Jennifer Nettles (2006)
This is certainly one of the most emotional songs ever delivered by a Country female artist! With Jennifer’s 2nd entry on our list, this award-winning Country song reeks with Soul and Blues. She’s one of the few artists who can sing acapella, as she does with just a distant guitar near the beginning of this piece, but she also sings with power, perfect Country phrasing, and sings with a sensitivity from the lover’s point of view, as she does in this song, with real tears! It’s heartbreaking when she begs, “There is one thing you should know / I don’t have to live this way / Baby why don’t you stay / Yeah, yeah, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.”…Simply Shattering!
Link # 1 Official music video 2006. Link # 2 Live performance 2010.
563. BEING ALIVE “Company” (1992))
Vocalist: Patti Lupone (Live from Carnegie Hall)
Writer/Composer: George Furth / Stephen Sondheim (1970)
One of Broadway’s finest actress / singers really shines hear with an extraordinary vocal performance that has become legendary. Her 2nd offering on our list is an exercise of how truly great singers can sing with power, showmanship and charisma, without emoting too much, giving one or two syllable words four or five syllables to disguise what a lack of confidence they have in their own voice. This Tour-de-Force is nothing short of miraculous, and she brings the Carnegie house down. This song is not for the faint-hearted, and many artists, man and woman, have done it justice, but this is one of the very, very best…Absolutely Spectacular!
Link shows Patti Lupone at Carnegire Hall.
562. ONE (1968-69)
Vocalist: Three Dog Night (lead Chuck Negron)
Writer/Composer: Harry Nilsen (1968)
Can a Rock band have 3 lead singers, Chuck Negron, Cory Wells and Danny Hutton? Absolutely! This influential American Rock band had skilled players and the talented lead singers to be a constant hit machine from 1968 through 1975. They were one of the leading best-selling groups after the breakup of the Beatles. This unique song is now a Nilsen classic, with a Blues definition of loneliness, and its aftermath. With their 2nd song on our list, we are amazed at the production, Chuck Negron’s vocal presence, and the results—selling millions of records! The opening lines after the keyboard intro, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” A Magnum Opus!
Link # 1 Original recording in 1968. Link # 2 Live performance 1969.
561. TEMPTATION “Going Hollywood” (1933)
Vocalist: Bing Crosby (Lannie Hayton Orch.)
Writer/Composer: Nacio Herb Brown /. Arthur Freed (1933)
In the latter days of Crosby’s Pop / Jazz career most people thought he eased his way through the standards he made popular by his charming, easy-going delivery—But NO! They never got to hear how he sounded early in his career! This song, straight from a musical film, his 5th entry on our list, shows how great his voice really was. He shows precisely why he had more hit recordings than anyone in music history—his beautiful, golden-throated baritone, really comes through, with power, emotion and feeling. In spite of being a smoker, he owned the 1930s— everyone wanted to record with him…Absolutely Magnificent and Stunning!
560. SOME DAY MY PRINCE WILL COME “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
Vocalist: Adriana Caselotti
Writer/Composer: Frank Churchill / Larry Morey (1937)
One of the most unforgettable vocal characters ever to grace the film industry was this American vocal actress—the voice of Snow White, also the singer who gave us this iconic, never to be forgotten song. With a high soprano and control that was nearly operatic, the movie came across as perfect, introducing animated films to the whole world. She sings it to the seven dwarves, and to natures critters. Walt Disney heard at least 148 other female voices behind a screen before her—he instantly chose Adriana. The rest is history. “Someday when spring is here / We’ll find our love anew / And the birds will sing / And wedding bells will ring / Someday when my dreams come true.” …Purely Enchanting!
559. (Your Love Keeps Taking Me) HIGHER & HIGHER (1967)
Vocalist: Jackie Wilson & Chorus (the Andantes)
Writer/Composer: Gary Jackson / Raynard Miner / Carl Smith (1967)
“Mr. Excitement” come through again with his 2nd entry on our list, a Soul / R&B / Pop classic that gets better with age. This dynamic song is an amazing example of his incredible 4-octave vocal range and the sheer joy it brought to the American music scene. His heyday was the late 1950s, through the 1960s—he was still a knockout with his charisma, delivery and vocal control. Backed by a wonderful supporting cast, we’re magnetically caught from the very beginning. “Your love, lifting me higher / Than I’ve ever been lifted before / So keep it up / Quench my desire / And I’ll be at your side, forever more.” …Rhythmically Electrifying!
Link # 1 Original recording 1967. Link # 2 Live TV performance 1969.
558. PERFECT SYMPHONY (2017)
Vocalist: Ed Sheeran / Andrei Bocelli
Writer/Composer: Ed Sheeran (2017)
This surprising, unusual duet from Ed Sheeran, one of the most successful singer / songwriters if the 21st century, is quite captivating. While it’s Bocelli’s 4th entry on our chart, this duet is amazingly pleasing and well done, especially from the two artists who sing in completely different musical genres. With Bocelli’s gifted full-bodied tenor to Sheeran’s world-famous Pop / Rock crooning voice, we consider this selection as World or Classical Music—Bocelli’s sings some of it in Italian. It is a beautifully written song composed by Sheeran, and it takes a delightful turn as they contribute the vocals equally…Romantic and Wondrous!
Link - Original music video of Ed Sheran and Andrei Bocelli 2017.
557. IN DREAMS (1963)
Vocalist: Roy Orbison (Joe Tanner Orch & Chorus)
Writer/Composer: Roy Orbison (1963)
A strange thing happened in 1963 England. When Roy opened for the Beatles, the audience ranted for a 15th encore, despite the beginning of what would become Beatlemania. This song, his 3rd on our list as a singer, is his beloved Pop, Soft-Rock piece that endures with each generation. One writer stated, “A recurring musical theme in many of Orbison’s songs is a climax represented by a raw, emotionally vulnerable confession, sung in an eerily high falsetto.” In any case it was a unique, each verse a little higher, a stand-alone performance, going through his 3 octaves, stunning, as if he was on the precipice, about to fall…Simply Haunting and Mesmerizing!
Link # 1 Original recording in 1963. Link # 2 Sensational live performance with chorus & Orch.
556. YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND (1971)
Vocalist: James Taylor
Writer/Composer: Carol KIng (1971,
This Carol King song is a treasure, and even her version deserves accolades, and it’s been a Pop. Soft Rock, Blues classic ever since. This American singer / songwriter / guitarist became a mainstay in music from the early 1970s on. He played with a relaxed style and essy-going persona and with his blues-inspired voice, it allowed him to make multiple hit records that included Folk and Pop. His baritone / tenor delivery is always expressive and he’s in complete control of his appealing vocals, in the recording studio or in concert. He is a master of sincere delivery, and he wins the fans over with his touching phrasing—this song…Flawlessly Reassuring!
Link # 1 Original recording 1971. Link # 2 Live performance with Carol King 1971.
555. LET’S STAY TOGETHER (1971)
Vocalist: Al Green
Writer/Composer: Al Green / Willie Mitchell / Al Jackson Jr.
This signature song of R&B / Soul singer / songwriter and preacher, made a huge impression in the 1970s. This selection actually went to number 1 on the Pop charts as well, and was widely imitated but it seemed no one could quite master it like Al himself. Don’t you love how a noted critic said, “Green’s voice is something to marvel at. He can croon, shout, scat, rise to the smoothest falsetto, and throw in the funkiest growls.” With lines like, “Cause you make me feel so brand new / And I want to spend my life with you.” Stirring and refining, this is a great example of when Soul music was at its best in the 1970s…Amazingly Endearing!
Link # 1 Original recording 1971. Link # 2 Live performance 1971.
554. UN BEL DI, VEDREMO “Madame Butterfly” (1955)
Vocalist: Maria Callas / (La Scala Milan Orch. / Herbert von Karajan conductor)
Writer/Composer: Giacomo Puccini - Librettists; Luigi Illica / Giuseppi Giacoma (1904)
This is still considered one of the greatest of female Opera arias—we turn to the great, legendary Greek soprano, Maria Callas, her 2nd entry. There are few artists who gained the stature and world-renowned popularity than this iconic diva and in the 1950s and 60s, her recordings brought more accolades and attention that any female vocalist in the world. In retrospect, many now believe she was much too theatrical, while others believed she hung the moon! This marvelous piece is considered by many as one the greatest female Classical recordings of all time, as she brings the house down…A Monumental, Magnificent Performance!
553. LANDSLIDE (1976)
Vocalist: Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks) / Acoustic guitar Lindsey Buckingham
Writer/Composer: Stevie Nicks (1974)
This Pop, Soft Rocks, Folk, Blues delivery by one of America’s most iconic artists is their 4th entry on our list, from their debut album, Fleetwood Mac. This is a masterpiece, (1) because of her low contralto delivery, and (2) Lindsey’s sparce acoustic playing with minimal backing—just perfect. Stevie’s unique presence and mystic persona could always captivate her audience. Her husky vocals signify special vulnerability and yet, also a resilience in her delivery. “Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’ / Cause I’ve built my life around you / But time makes you bolder / Even children get older / And I’m getting older too.” Whew!…What a Self-Examination! Legendary!
Link is official music video - Live!
552. FOREFATHERS (1990)
Vocalist: Dan Fogelberg
Writer/Composer: Dan Fogelberg (1990)
This beautiful Folk offering could be a National Treasure—it’s beautifully crafted, elegantly sung, and soulfully delivered as one of the most ignored, least recognized masterpieces in American music. His 3rd song on our list is a poignant piece that gets better with each listening, telling the true story of immigration from Europe and the laborious tasks that await them in America. “And the sons become the fathers / And their daughters will be wives, / As the torch is passed from hand to hand / As we struggle through our lives,” It’s okay to be emotional when we remember those who sacrificed before us. Whew! What an experience!…Impeccably Stirring!
Link # 1 Original recording from album The Wild Places. 1990. Link # 2 Photos of Fogelberg’s ancestral immigration. 1991.
551. SINGING IN THE RAIN “Singing in the Rain” (1950)
Vocalist: Gene Kelly
Writer/Composer: Arthur Freed / Nacio Herb Brown (1929)
One of motion picture’s greatest gifts to the world was the musical Singing in the Rain! Not only has it endured the test of time, but we would be hard-pressed to find any other movie or title song that ever made us feel as happy or gave us more joy than this number by this American dancer / singer and director. It’s a joy to listen to, to sing and to watch, with all the childish fantasies we may feel, see and express. The number is priceless, it transcends all generations and is embraced by all cultures. Gene Kelly conveys all the emotions of a young man in love and sings with such Exuberance and Style—we forget he’s in the RAIN!…Gleefully Unparalleled!
Link takes you to wonderful movie clip - Singing in the Rain 1950.
