- 11 months ago
Do you have the vocal range to match the pros? Join us as we count down the most challenging songs for vocalists to tackle! From falsetto masterpieces to whistle-tone wonders, these tunes require extraordinary skill. Our countdown includes "Bohemian Rhapsody," "I Will Always Love You," "Take On Me," and more! Can you nail any of these powerhouse performances?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most challenging tunes for the average vocalist to tackle.
00:14Number 50, Welcome to the Black Parade, My Chemical Romance.
00:18When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city.
00:25The Black Parade LP from My Chemical Romance features a number of songs that would be considered challenging to sing from a layperson's perspective.
00:32The ending coda to Famous Last Words comes to mind, as does the album's title track, Welcome to the Black Parade.
00:42Frontman Gerard Way and the band indulge their greatest queen fantasies on this LP,
00:47and this song features layered lead vocals from Way that sound energetic and anthemic.
00:55This is another song that seems to be building up to something,
00:59a race to the finish line where Way takes charge as lead singer,
01:02driving home MCR's Black Parade for all he's worth.
01:11Number 49, Best of You, Foo Fighters.
01:14There was probably nobody out there that was questioning Dave Grohl's skills as a frontman
01:18back when Foo Fighters released their fifth LP, In Your Honor, in 2005.
01:22That said, we still appreciate how Grohl continued to challenge himself on songs like Best of You.
01:38The tune's composition requires the former Nirvana drummer to continually sing at the top of his register,
01:44to the point where it sounds raw and ragged.
01:46This isn't a bad thing, of course, since Grohl's scream singing allows for Best of You
01:54to grab the listener forcefully by the proverbial collar,
01:58shaking out all of their righteous rage and emotion.
02:00Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
02:06Number 48, Life on Mars, David Bowie.
02:10Some songs are known for the entirety of their challenging nature,
02:12while others become closely associated with one particular vocal performance.
02:24Life on Mars from David Bowie is one of the rock legend's most loved tunes,
02:28but it's also one that contains one of the man's most iconic high notes.
02:31It's on America's tortured brow
02:35That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
02:39We're speaking, obviously, of Bowie's emphasis on the word Mars,
02:43but it's the whole song that really highlights Bowie's generational charisma, if we're being honest.
02:47From the look, to the sound, to that warm 70s production,
02:51Life on Mars is an octave-jumping rocket ship to the stars and back.
02:54Number 47, Since You've Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
03:05The American Idol experience has not been the same for every season's winner, that's for sure.
03:17Yet, for every Taylor Hicks, there's a Kelly Clarkson,
03:21who managed to keep her career going strong for years after appearing on that competition show.
03:32Since You've Been Gone incorporates a wide array of influences within its composition,
03:36and it's this everything-goes approach that helped it land with a lot of different fans.
03:41I can't breathe for the first time
03:44Clarkson's enviable talent is clearly on display here,
03:48as she performs with tons of power while also demonstrating her incredible range.
03:53Since You've Been Gone has since become one of Clarkson's defining tunes,
03:56although we'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that can sing it quite like her.
04:09Number 46, Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
04:12Sometimes, it's not about how high you can sing or how much power you can belt out into a tune.
04:28Instead, it's how a performance brings subtlety, texture, and dynamics to a composition,
04:33lifting it up from good, beyond great, and into the territory of perfection.
04:37Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
04:48Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz has been sung by many performers over the years,
04:53often to great effect.
04:54Birds for life over the rainbow.
05:00There will always be something special to Judy Garland's original, however,
05:04to the point where every attempt will always be compared to the actress's tender work on the silver screen.
05:20Number 45, The Phantom of the Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber
05:24Everybody has their favorite version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's title number to The Phantom of the Opera.
05:36Each version requires some serious professionalism in order to properly nail down, however,
05:41since Webber's composition keeps changing keys.
05:44This is done not only for dramatic effect,
05:46but also to emphasize the singer's voices,
05:57particularly the female role of Christine.
05:59The heavy metal band Nightwish even recorded a fan-favorite version
06:02that made the most out of their own trained opera vocalist, Tarja Turunen.
06:09It ultimately doesn't matter which version of The Phantom of the Opera you rock, however,
06:13because they're all gonna sound epic.
06:16The Phantom of the Opera
06:19Number 44, Carrie, Europe
06:25The world of commercial heavy metal back in the 1980s
06:28featured plenty of talented and amazing singers.
06:30When lights go down
06:33I see no reason
06:37Europe may be known for their international hit The Final Countdown,
06:41but they, like every other band during this time,
06:43also recorded their fair share of power ballads.
06:45Joey Tempest had one of those voices that could handle both hard-rocking numbers and more tender songs with ease,
06:58and he certainly gets the job done on Carrie.
07:00It's all about the song's finale, however,
07:02as Tempest goes for broke with some grandiose emoting.
07:05Can't you see it in my eyes?
07:08The lead singer's vocal harmonies are also on point during Carrie,
07:12lifting up cigarette lighters and cell phones all around the world.
07:15Carrie, Carrie, Carrie
07:21Number 43, I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that
07:26Meatloaf. High drama, high art, absolutely zero irony.
07:31These are just some of the sentiments at play here within I'd do anything for love,
07:34but I won't do that by Meatloaf.
07:36Some days it don't come easy
07:38And some days it don't come hard
07:41The music video particularly underlines these points,
07:45but all of the flash in the world could make this song resonate the way it does
07:48were it not for Meatloaf's go-for-broke performance.
07:51I'd do anything for love
07:54Anything you've been dreaming of
07:57This is a long song,
07:59requiring a lot of power and commitment
08:01for anybody attempting to replicate that Meatloaf magic.
08:03Will you make it all a little less cold?
08:07I can do that
08:09The back and forth between Meatloaf and his duet partner Lorraine Crosby is classic stuff,
08:14a slice of cinematic extravagance that's one in a million.
08:17I would do anything for love, but I won't do that
08:25Number 42, Paradise City, Guns N' Roses
08:28It doesn't really matter at this point whether or not Guns N' Roses ever release an LP
08:32that rivals their thunderous 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction.
08:40The band's musical power and glory are safely secured,
08:44as is the vocal prowess of their tempestuous singer, Axl Rose.
08:52Fans who've been lucky enough to witness GNR's straight rock fury in the live arena
08:56can testify to Rose's talent as a singer and frontman.
08:59He hits high notes and screams on the regular,
09:01usually while sprinting across the stage at a breakneck pace.
09:09Songs like Paradise City careen from his mouth like an air horn,
09:13as Rose caterwauls like a madman from first note to last.
09:20Number 41, Always, Bon Jovi
09:23This is Bon Jovi's first appearance on this list,
09:25but spoiler alert, it will not be the last.
09:33Always wasn't taken from the band's 1980s heyday,
09:37but instead as a single from their first greatest hits collection.
09:40This wasn't a throwaway song, however, far from it.
09:43Instead, Always became an international smash,
09:46anchored by Jon Bon Jovi's superbly strong vocal performance.
09:56This is a song that went unapologetically hard,
09:59particularly during its ending section,
10:01as Jon really stretches and breaks free.
10:03The harmonized bridge section is also great,
10:11and we totally see why Always managed to connect with so many people back in 1994.
10:22Number 40, I'll Make Love to You, Boys to Men
10:25The R&B genre is one that usually requires
10:27at least a modicum of upper-level vocal talent to execute properly,
10:31and with the required emotion.
10:37This goes even more so when it comes to vocal groups,
10:40and this is why the music of Boys to Men
10:42so closely echoes the R&B scene of the 1990s.
10:48I'll Make Love to You is a song that makes the most
10:50out of each individual member's vocal strengths,
10:52from resonant lows to soaring highs.
10:55The arrangements lend plenty of places
11:02for all the singers of Boys to Men to shine,
11:04and I'll Make Love to You has managed to live on
11:06in the minds of all those who experienced
11:08this unironic and passionate love song back in the day.
11:21Number 39, Fix You, Coldplay
11:24Sometimes it's not about the intensity of a vocal performance
11:27that makes it affect an audience in an emotional way,
11:30but rather the quieter and more subtle moments.
11:32When you try your best, but you don't succeed
11:36Coldplay's Chris Martin isn't the sort of singer
11:39that earns his paycheck howling for the heavens
11:41or screaming for the back row,
11:43but that hasn't stopped his performance in Fix You
11:45from becoming a favorite for the group's fans.
11:53This is a song where patience and control
11:56are required from the singer,
11:57since the falsetto notes of Fix You
11:59are left intentionally fragile.
12:00It's not as easy as it looks.
12:08And I will try to fix you.
12:15Number 38, Getting Married Today, Stephen Sondheim
12:18Pardon me, is everybody there?
12:19Because if everybody's there,
12:20I want to thank you all for coming to the wedding.
12:22The subject of show tunes can occasionally elicit grumblings,
12:26snickers, or criticism from those unfamiliar
12:28with Broadway vocal performances.
12:30But make no mistake, songs like Getting Married Today
12:33are incredibly difficult to sing.
12:35Listen, everybody, look, I don't know
12:36what you're waiting for, a wedding, what's a wedding?
12:38It's a prehistoric ritual where everybody
12:39promises fidelity forever, which is maybe
12:41the most horrifying word I've ever heard.
12:42This song from Stephen Sondheim's 1970 musical company
12:45requires the performer to sing incredibly fast and clear,
12:49spitting out words a mile a minute
12:50in order to fulfill the song's arrangement.
12:52Listen, everybody, I'm afraid you didn't hear
12:54or do you want to see a crazy lady fall apart in front of you?
12:56Getting Married Today as a result
12:57has definitely earned its reputation
12:59as one of Broadway's most challenging tunes
13:01from any musical era.
13:03It is a rhythmic and tongue-twisting nightmare.
13:13Number 37, Mailman, Soundgarden.
13:16The music of Soundgarden may be primarily associated
13:19with the grunge movement of the 1990s,
13:21but the band's lead vocalist Chris Cornell
13:23clearly possessed a vocal talent born from a different era.
13:27Cornell's screaming upper-level register
13:33felt more indicative of 80s heavy metal
13:35than the brooding and listless sound of Seattle.
13:42And it's this ability to move from low to high
13:45on songs like Mailman that made Soundgarden
13:47special for their fans.
13:53The band's doomy, Sabbath-ian groove
13:55was one that also showcased their 70s hard rock influences.
13:59And this juxtaposition of monolithic heaviness
14:01and Cornell's powerful voice
14:02definitely makes Mailman stand out from the pack.
14:05Number 36, Gethsemane, Andrew Lloyd Webber.
14:13I only want to say
14:16If there is a way
14:21The soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar
14:24is chock-full of memorable moments,
14:26from the high drama of Heaven on Their Minds
14:29to the moodiness of Judas' death.
14:30Yet there's one major musical moment
14:32that will forever be associated
14:34with this 1971 musical,
14:36and that is the iconic high note
14:38hit by Jesus on the song Gethsemane.
14:40Listen,
14:42surely I've exceeded
14:44expectation.
14:47This prototypical rock opera
14:49requires anybody taking on this role
14:51to steady themselves
14:52for a proper belt on the word why.
14:54But Gethsemane isn't only about this magical moment.
14:57It's also about getting in
15:06the properly pensive and frightened mood,
15:09capturing Christ's emotions
15:10as he's readying himself to die on the cross.
15:17Number 35, My Heart Will Go On,
15:22Céline Zion.
15:23She's one of the voices of her generation,
15:25and it's this song that serves
15:27as her musical calling card.
15:35My Heart Will Go On served as the
15:37multi-million selling smash hit single
15:39from the soundtrack to director
15:40James Cameron's Titanic.
15:41It's a song that was basically
15:51impossible to avoid,
15:53since both My Heart Will Go On
15:55and Titanic entered the public zeitgeist
15:57big time back in 1997.
15:59Zion's insane vocal range and power
16:01make just about any of her songs
16:02a challenge to even the most
16:03experienced singers.
16:05My Heart Will Go On is at another level, however,
16:12a litmus test to judge between great vocalists
16:15and exemplary talents.
16:16My Heart Will Go On is at another level, however,
16:26number 34, Cry Me a River,
16:29Michael Bublé.
16:30They call him standards for a reason.
16:32Now you say you're lonely.
16:37Canada's Michael Bublé put his own stamp
16:38upon this jazzy pop song that's been recorded
16:40by multiple other artists over the years.
16:42And now you say you're sorry.
16:46Bublé, Julie London, Joe Cocker, and more
16:49have all lent their vocal skills to Cry Me a River,
16:52a challenging track despite it not being
16:54a particularly stressful or strenuous workout.
16:56Why don't you cry me a river?
17:00Natural storytelling ability and pathos
17:03are required to transport the listeners
17:04to the proper emotional place here
17:06with Cry Me a River.
17:07And Bublé's version followed nicely
17:09in the footsteps of his forebears
17:10back when it was released back in 2009.
17:12Cry Me a River
17:15Number 33, Defying Gravity, Stephen Schwartz.
17:21Cinematic adaptations of hit Broadway shows
17:23can often be a dicey proposition
17:25since the original show tunes are often held
17:27close to the hearts and minds of their fans.
17:30Something has changed within me.
17:35Something is not the same.
17:38Defying Gravity is one of those defining songs.
17:40A major moment from the OG 2003 version of Wicked,
17:44sung by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth.
17:46There's no fight, we cannot win.
17:51The insane high note delivered by Menzel
17:53at the climax of this tune
17:54is one of modern Broadway's most defining
17:56and commercially successful moments.
17:58Flying behind, flying gravity.
18:03Menzel and Chenoweth's performance
18:05set an insanely high bar for the 2024 movie version
18:08of Wicked to hit.
18:09But thankfully, fans seem to like
18:11this new version just fine.
18:12They'll never bring us down.
18:17Number 32, Alone, Heart.
18:20I hear the ticking of the clock.
18:24I'm lying here, the room's pitch dark.
18:28Isn't it funny how some songs take on
18:30different lives of their own
18:31long after their initial composition fades away
18:33into trivia obscurity?
18:35Alone first hit airwaves via a group called I-10
18:38before then being included
18:39on the short-lived television show Dreams.
18:41That version featured John Stamos on co-vocals.
18:44I never really cared until I met you.
18:49But most fans would probably point
18:51to the version recorded by Heart in 1987
18:54as the best take on Alone.
18:56How do I get you alone?
19:01Not only does their version of Alone
19:03feature amazing vocal harmonies,
19:05but Ann Wilson's insane power
19:07recalls the group's classic rock influences
19:09from groups like Led Zeppelin.
19:10It's amazing arena rock AOR
19:12with passion and urgency to spare.
19:21Number 31, The Writings on the Wall.
19:24Sam Smith.
19:25Every James Bond fan has their personal favorite
19:27of the franchise's many, many excellent title themes.
19:30Spectre from 2015 may have been a divisive Bond entry
19:38with regards to its effectiveness as a film,
19:40but we think that Sam Smith's
19:42The Writing on the Wall
19:43is one of the best Bond themes of all time.
19:45How do I live?
19:48How do I breathe?
19:50When you're not here, I'm suffocating.
19:53Smith's falsetto is utilized
19:54throughout much of the writings on the wall,
19:56and the end results feel perfectly in line
19:58with Bond's legacy of glamour, class, and intrigue.
20:09Smith's work doubling the chorus
20:10at the song's climax is emotional stuff to be sure,
20:13bringing audiences closer and closer
20:15to Spectre's identity as pure, unfiltered Bond.
20:18Number 30, Unbreak My Heart, Toni Braxton.
20:38It's not just the high notes that can be difficult to hit.
20:41The opening of Unbreak My Heart
20:43doesn't necessarily make you feel like
20:44the song's gonna be that hard to sing,
20:46but then you hear the incredible range of Toni Braxton.
20:56From that first verse,
20:58Braxton's smoky vocals follow through
21:00the lower notes of her register
21:01with incredible strength and power.
21:03On top of that,
21:04her talent only shines stronger on the second verse,
21:06when she shows us all how low she can go
21:09while still maintaining precise control
21:11over her stellar runs.
21:21Number 29, How Can I Ease the Pain, Lisa Fisher.
21:26Here's one of the most impossible
21:27to nail slow jams of all time.
21:29Seriously, we don't know how Lisa Fisher does it.
21:32She's a goddess.
21:33It was released in 1991,
21:42and remains one of Fisher's biggest hits to this day.
21:45Fisher manages to stretch her notes like no other,
21:48and listening to her attain those high notes
21:50so flawlessly makes us wish she got more opportunities
21:52like this to show off her chops.
21:54How Can I Ease the Pain requires
22:04an incredibly strong belter
22:05to get up into that high register
22:07while still pouring passion into the words.
22:10And once Fisher lets loose on those whistle tones,
22:13please.
22:21Number 28, Imagine.
22:23Imagine, Ariana Grande.
22:25Oh, you wanted more whistle tones in modern pop music?
22:28Well, Ariana Grande heard you, and she delivered.
22:37It's no secret that Grande is an expert singer,
22:40but with her hit Imagine,
22:42she went further than we could have imagined.
22:44The song's chorus requires the singer
22:46to make a large vocal leap on the word imagine,
22:48and necessitates pinpoint precision in its notes.
22:53Imagine a world like that.
22:56But all that aside,
22:58if you wanted to sound like Grande
22:59when you sing this song,
23:00you gotta try and go for those whistle tones at the end.
23:03Definitely not an easy task.
23:14Number 27, Don't Rain on My Parade,
23:17Barbara Streisand.
23:18Notoriously difficult.
23:20Don't Rain on My Parade is from the musical Funny Girl,
23:23which was based on the life of Fanny Bryce.
23:25If someone takes a spill,
23:26it's me and not you
23:28who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade.
23:32Barbara Streisand,
23:33who played the lead role on Broadway in 1964
23:36and won an Oscar for her performance
23:38in the movie adaptation,
23:39makes it sound quite natural.
23:41However,
23:41the song's tricky rhythms,
23:43frequent leaps,
23:44and consistent high energy
23:45have daunted many aspiring vocalists.
23:48One roll for the whole shebang,
23:51one throw that bell will go clang.
23:54Although a few professionals
23:55like Bea Arthur and Idina Menzel
23:57have covered the song,
23:58the musical wasn't revived on Broadway for decades,
24:01possibly because of the challenge
24:03of finding someone for that dynamic leading role.
24:13Number 26,
24:14Go the Distance,
24:15Michael Bolton.
24:16It's widely recognized
24:18as one of Disney's most motivational songs.
24:21Paradoxically,
24:21you may need to listen to the track
24:23just to make yourself believe
24:25that you can actually sing it.
24:26The notes soar higher than Olympus itself,
24:36and the lyrical context
24:37requires the performer
24:38to belt each one
24:39with unwavering vocal competence.
24:42It might take a lifetime,
24:45but somehow I'll see it through.
24:48It was originally tackled by Roger Bart
24:50for the Hercules soundtrack,
24:52followed by Michael Bolton,
24:53Ricky Martin,
24:54and an assortment
24:55of Walt Disney World cast members.
25:02You better have a brave choral range
25:05to conquer it,
25:05as well as the ability
25:07to convey a challenging scope of emotions.
25:09If you can convincingly nail
25:11both the vulnerability of its opening
25:12and the epic crescendo of its finale,
25:15then you might just please the gods.
25:17You Raise Me Up
25:27was originally written
25:28by the duo Secret Garden.
25:30The Norwegian-Irish twosome
25:31released the track back in 2002,
25:33and since then,
25:34it's gone on to be covered
25:35by over 100 different artists,
25:37both male and female.
25:39When I am down
25:41And oh, my soul so weary
25:45One of the most popular covers
25:48is the 2003 version by Josh Groban,
25:51and copying that version
25:52is quite difficult for other male singers.
25:54You raise me up
25:57So I can stand on mountains
26:01Groban's vocal range is wide,
26:05and trying to replicate it
26:06isn't easy or even possible
26:08for many other male vocalists.
26:09You raise me up
26:12To walk on stormy sea
26:16In 2005,
26:18Irish boy band Westlife
26:19released their version of the song.
26:21It's a very nice version of the song,
26:22but as you can hear,
26:24the vocals stay in a much narrower range.
26:26You raise me up
26:29So I can't stand on mountains
26:33Number 24.
26:36Hurt, Christina Aguilera
26:38If my hair just one more day
26:41I would tell you how much
26:44that I missed you
26:45Christina Aguilera
26:46is one of the most prolific singers
26:48in the biz.
26:49Unfortunately,
26:50one of her greatest
26:50and most difficult songs to sing
26:52is not one of her most famous.
26:54Would you tell me I was wrong?
26:57Would you help me understand?
27:00Hurt is a number
27:01from Aguilera's 2006 album
27:03Back to Basics.
27:04It sort of got buried
27:05under the pizzazz
27:06of the rest of the track list,
27:07which includes the likes of
27:09Ain't No Other Man
27:09and Candyman.
27:11However, in Hurt,
27:12Aguilera slows things down
27:13and delivers a masterful performance
27:15with incredible range.
27:17The chorus necessitates
27:18a kind of emotion
27:19and resonance
27:20that is rare to come by.
27:21Chester Bennington
27:32was a phenomenal vocalist
27:33and gave Linkin Park
27:34one of the most unique sounds
27:36of the 2000s.
27:37But the notes Bennington could hit
27:39aren't really what makes
27:40the song Crawling
27:41a difficult song to master.
27:42Crawling in my skin
27:46These wounds
27:48They will not eat all
27:51Rather, it's the range of styles
27:53and techniques he employs
27:54throughout the three-and-a-half-minute track.
27:56This lack of self-control
27:58I fear is never-ending
28:00Controlling
28:02From the softer,
28:03more melodic singing
28:04of the verses
28:05to the loud,
28:06emotional screaming
28:07of the chorus,
28:08it covers a lot of ground.
28:09I've felt this way before
28:11So insecure
28:13You had better prepare your throat
28:21if you plan on attempting this one.
28:22Fear is how I fall
28:26Confusing
28:28Number 22.
28:30Love on Top
28:31Beyonce
28:31It's time to talk about key changes.
28:34Beyonce's 2011 hit
28:35Love on Top
28:36is one of the pop diva's
28:37most fun songs.
28:45From the outset,
28:46it doesn't seem like
28:47it'll be particularly difficult to sing.
28:49Not more difficult than
28:50any other Beyonce song anyway.
28:52But by the end,
28:53we've found ourselves
28:54with so many key changes,
28:55we don't even know
28:56how to begin counting them off.
28:58Baby, you're the one that I love
29:01Baby, you're all I need
29:03You're the only one I see
29:06As Beyonce's voice
29:07keeps getting higher and higher,
29:09our jaws keep dropping
29:10lower to the ground.
29:11It's insanely impressive
29:13how high she can get,
29:14never mind the absolute clarity
29:16with which she does it.
29:17Baby, baby, it's me
29:18You're the one that gives you all
29:20You're the one that always falls
29:23Number 21.
29:25Livin' on a Prayer
29:26Bon Jovi
29:27You could take our hand,
29:28but when it comes to
29:29properly rocking this track,
29:31we can't swear to the fact
29:32that you'll make it.
29:33Tommy used to work on the docks
29:35Union's been on track
29:38He's down on his luck
29:40It's tough
29:41Awesome 80s hairdo aside,
29:44Jon Bon Jovi powers through
29:46Livin' on a Prayer
29:46with some subtly impressive
29:48vocal stylings.
29:49We gotta hold on
29:51to what we've got
29:53It doesn't make a difference
29:55if we make it or not
29:57The song might seem like
29:58a rather simple 80s rock ballad,
30:00but as many karaoke audiences know,
30:02making it through that chorus
30:04ain't as easy
30:04as many think it is.
30:13Most guys should probably
30:15just remember
30:15that it's all for fun
30:16and it doesn't make a difference
30:18if they make it or not.
30:25Number 20.
30:26Don't Stop Believin'
30:27Journey
30:28Do not try to sing
30:37Journey's
30:37Don't Stop Believin'
30:38at your next karaoke party.
30:47Oh sure,
30:48it may sound like
30:49a great idea at the time
30:50and everyone thinks
30:51they're gonna be able
30:52to nail this absolute rock anthem
30:54with Steve Perry's
30:55grace and power,
30:56but it rarely,
30:57if ever,
30:58works out.
30:58That's not only because
31:00Perry is one of
31:00classic rock's finest singers,
31:02but also because
31:03the performance hinges
31:04so strongly
31:05on his combination
31:06of clarity,
31:07power,
31:08and range.
31:10Somewhere
31:10Don't Stop Believin'
31:16may start off slowly
31:17with that iconic
31:18keyboard intro,
31:19but by the time
31:20the chorus finally hits,
31:21we are firmly
31:22on that spaceship
31:23into infinity.
31:25Number 19.
31:26Hello,
31:27Adele
31:28Speaking of power,
31:34is there any
31:35popular female
31:36vocalist in recent memory
31:38that can compete
31:39with Adele in terms
31:39of sheer vocal strength?
31:41Not many.
31:42There's a reason
31:43the English singer-songwriter's
31:44music has sold
31:45millions of albums,
31:46and it's not because
31:47they're easy to sing,
31:49though it's sure fun to try.
31:50Hello from the other side
31:53Fans really seem
31:57to connect with her lyrics,
31:59honesty,
31:59and passion,
32:00and it's the delivery
32:01that really brings
32:02it all together.
32:03Hello is a perfect example.
32:06It's the sort of
32:06heart-rending ballad
32:07that fans adore.
32:09It isn't so much
32:10the brooding intensity
32:11of the verse
32:12that makes Hello challenging,
32:13but rather the vocal control
32:15required to nail
32:16that epic chorus.
32:18Paddle from the other side
32:21There's just no one
32:24who does it quite like Adele.
32:26Paddle from the other side
32:29No. 18.
32:32Take On Me
32:33Ah Ha
32:34Falsetto
32:40Love it or hate it,
32:41many artists and groups
32:43have taken the vocal style
32:44and run with it
32:45all the way to chart success.
32:46Ah Ha was one of those bands,
32:57a Norwegian export
32:58that struck it huge
32:59in the 80s
33:00with their colossal
33:01synth-pop hit
33:01Take On Me.
33:08For our money,
33:09we love Morton Harkett's
33:11falsetto note
33:11that he hits near the end
33:12of Take On Me's
33:13epic chorus,
33:14and it's even more impressive
33:16when you take into account
33:17that Harkett has to climb
33:18two and a half octaves
33:19from his starting point of A.
33:26It's these vocal gymnastics
33:28that make Take On Me
33:29such a challenge
33:30for even the most
33:31seasoned of vocalists.
33:33No. 17.
33:34I'll Never Let You Go
33:35Steelheart
33:36I love to you
33:38I surrender
33:40The world of glam metal
33:44has historically
33:45been one of powerful
33:46and dynamic singers.
33:48Even so,
33:48there are few
33:49who can compete
33:50with the likes of
33:50Steelheart's
33:51Milenko Matyevich,
33:52who absolutely dominates
33:54on the band's
33:55highest-charting single
33:56I'll Never Let You Go.
33:57Again,
33:58this is a song
33:58that starts innocuously enough.
34:00Your dream come true
34:03Now I'm holding you
34:06Matyevich begins
34:08with a clear mid-range verse
34:09before shooting
34:10for the stars
34:11with a crazy high note.
34:20Oh, and it only gets
34:21more stratospheric
34:22from there
34:22as the Croatian-born singer
34:24seems to almost taunt us
34:25with how high
34:26he can actually go.
34:27Seriously,
34:28there's high
34:28and then there's
34:29Steelheart levels of high.
34:31The level's perfected
34:32on songs like this one
34:34or
34:34She's Gone.
34:44Number 16.
34:45I Believe in a Thing
34:46Called Love
34:46The Darkness
34:47The spirit of classic
34:49Thin Lizzy lived on
34:50within the classic rock style
34:52of England's
34:52The Darkness.
34:53Although,
34:54the falsetto singing style
34:56of The Darkness frontman
34:57Justin Hawkins
34:57was probably the furthest thing
34:59from Phil Lennett's
35:00bluesy howl.
35:02I Believe in a Thing
35:09Called Love
35:09was The Darkness's
35:10biggest international hit
35:12and it quickly became
35:13infamous for Hawkins'
35:15trouser-pinching
35:16vocal approach.
35:24Not everyone
35:25can pull off
35:26an ultra-high falsetto
35:27with the sort of conviction
35:28Hawkins musters
35:29throughout the
35:30twin guitar epic,
35:31but Justin nails it
35:32with style
35:33and sleaze
35:34to spare.
35:35Number 15.
35:36Chandelier
35:37Sia
35:38One, two, three
35:39One, two, three
35:40One, two, three
35:40One, two, three
35:41One, two, three
35:42One, two, three
35:43We have two words
35:45to describe Chandelier.
35:46That chorus.
35:48I'm gonna swing
35:52from the chandelier
35:54It's difficult to explain
35:57just how much emotion
35:58and pathos Sia packs
36:00into her performance
36:01She pairs a comparatively
36:09subdued verse
36:10with an explosion
36:12of passion
36:13and cathartic anger.
36:14Sometimes,
36:15a singer just possesses
36:17this nebulous quality
36:18an ability to connect
36:19with an audience
36:20with how they sing a song
36:21not just the mechanics
36:23of how a song is composed.
36:33Sia is an artist
36:34who not only possesses
36:35the knowledge and skill
36:36to get her vocal performance
36:38across,
36:38but also the ability
36:39to make that performance
36:40unique and incredibly
36:42difficult to replicate.
36:44Number 14.
36:45Sherry, Frankie Valli,
36:47and the Four Seasons.
36:54We mentioned falsettos
36:55earlier in our list
36:57and there are few male vocalists
36:59who mastered this style
37:00better than Frankie Valli,
37:02the lead singer
37:03of the Four Seasons.
37:04Valli made himself
37:05a legend off his ability
37:07to control his falsetto
37:08arguably better than
37:09any other male performer
37:11of his era,
37:12showcasing the sort of control
37:13that verges on supernatural.
37:17Falsetto by nature
37:20can sound fragile and thin,
37:22but Valli sounds large
37:24and in charge
37:25throughout his performance
37:26in Sherry,
37:27which is no mean feat.
37:29There's a reason
37:29why they're called classics
37:30after all,
37:31and the Four Seasons
37:32definitely created one of those
37:34when they recorded
37:35this gem back in 1962.
37:37Number 13.
37:38Total Eclipse of the Heart,
37:40Bonnie Tyler.
37:41Turn around.
37:43Every now and then
37:44I get a little bit lonely
37:46and you're never coming around.
37:48You just don't make them
37:49like this anymore.
37:50We're talking about
37:51the pompous,
37:52in the best possible way,
37:54extravagant,
37:55and over-the-top operettas
37:57of Meatloaf collaborator
37:58and songwriter Jim Steinman.
38:00And I need you now tonight
38:02And I need you more than ever
38:06These were the songs
38:07about muscular men
38:09and wild women,
38:10the sort of ferocity
38:11encapsulated by Bonnie Tyler,
38:13and her amazing performance
38:15on Total Eclipse of the Heart.
38:16It's gothic,
38:18sumptuous,
38:18and decadent power balladry
38:20at its best,
38:21amplified by Tyler's
38:23gruff and breathy delivery.
38:24Don't know what to do
38:25when I'm always in the dark
38:27We're living in the powder keg
38:29and giving up
38:30Seriously,
38:32when the near seven-minute album version
38:34reaches its vocal crescendo,
38:36we're right there
38:37with Bonnie on the mountaintop,
38:39shielding our eyes
38:40from the eclipse
38:40as her vocals block out the sun
38:42in an epic show of power.
38:44Number 12
38:51Earth Song
38:52Michael Jackson
38:53What about sunrise?
38:57What about rain?
38:59Okay, so we all know
39:00about Michael Jackson's pedigree
39:02for classic music videos,
39:03but we admit that
39:04sometimes the singer's
39:05actual talent
39:06can get lost
39:07among all the visual spectacle.
39:09Not so with Earth Song,
39:11a track meant for
39:12the King of Pop's
39:13Dangerous album,
39:14but which didn't get released
39:15until the 1995 album
39:17History,
39:18Past, Present,
39:19and Future,
39:20Book One.
39:26The song is a real showcase
39:28for Jackson's ability
39:29to meld and cross-pollinate genres,
39:31from operatic highs
39:33to gospel choral lows.
39:35Michael's legendary soul
39:37and power
39:37also make their presence known,
39:39of course,
39:40making this
39:41something of a forgotten classic
39:42from this iconic talent.
39:44What about us?
39:47What about us?
39:49What about us?
39:51Number 11
39:51The Star-Spangled Banner
39:53Lyrics,
39:54Francis Scott Key
39:55and music,
39:56John Stafford Smith.
39:57Oh, say
39:59that you see
40:03by the dawn's early light.
40:08It's been the honor
40:10and bane
40:11of many a singer's existence,
40:13performing
40:14The Star-Spangled Banner.
40:16The national anthem
40:16of the United States
40:18is infamously difficult
40:19to sing,
40:20even for the most
40:21accomplished performer,
40:22because of how much control
40:24it takes to navigate
40:25its range of key changes.
40:26The key is to start low
40:28and to conserve energy,
40:29saving a big burst of power
40:31for the anthem's climax.
40:32This is easier said than done,
40:41of course,
40:41with many great singers
40:42tripping up at either
40:43the performance side of things
40:44or something as simple
40:46as remembering the lyrics.
40:47We're not going to fault anyone
40:48for failing at The Star-Spangled Banner,
40:50though,
40:50because it's a massive challenge.
40:52And the home
40:57of the brave
41:05Number 10,
41:12Bridge Over Troubled Water,
41:14Simon and Garfunkel.
41:15And friends just can't be found
41:22The world of folk
41:23might not be the first place
41:25you might look
41:25for a stratospheric vocal performance,
41:27but do not sleep
41:28on Simon and Garfunkel.
41:30If you do,
41:31you will be missing out
41:32on one of the all-time
41:33greatest vocal achievements,
41:35the incredible
41:36Bridge Over Troubled Water.
41:38Paul Simon wrote the song
41:39and delivers
41:40some excellent backing harmonies,
41:42but Bridge Over Troubled Water
41:44at its core
41:45is a showcase
41:46for Art Garfunkel.
41:47It's the sort of vocal
42:03that builds from a place
42:04of quiet contemplation
42:05into an emotive explosion,
42:07assisted by a perfect storm
42:09of string arrangements,
42:11incredible production,
42:12and session backing
42:13from drummer Hal Blaine.
42:15We dare you not
42:16to get caught up
42:17as Garfunkel sails away
42:19on that last high note.
42:28Number 9,
42:29Wuthering Heights,
42:30Kate Bush.
42:31Kate Bush possesses
42:32an extraordinary voice
42:34and progressive visual style,
42:36which earned her acclaim
42:37from both fans and critics.
42:38Kiss me,
42:40kiss me,
42:41I come to heaven by.
42:42Wuthering Heights
42:43serves as Bush's biggest hit,
42:45and for good reason,
42:46as it sets on full display
42:48all of the singer's
42:49incredible vocal range.
42:55The song has been recorded
42:57twice by Bush,
42:58and both versions
42:59are melodic masterpieces
43:01that hinge on Bush's
43:02soaring vocals,
43:03from the song's
43:04sparse intro
43:05right on through
43:06to the booming chorus.
43:07Finally,
43:08Bush lets it rip
43:09alongside the song's
43:10lead guitar-accompanied outro.
43:12proving her place
43:13as a member
43:14of art-rock royalty
43:15with a performance
43:16that still evokes chills today.
43:24Number 8,
43:26Unchained Melody,
43:27The Righteous Brothers.
43:28Unchained Melody
43:29was written in 1955
43:30and has been performed
43:32by a number of different
43:33artists over the years.
43:35And time
43:36goes by.
43:40It's the version
43:42recorded a decade later
43:43by the Righteous Brothers
43:44that's since gone on
43:45to become the definitive version,
43:47however,
43:48thanks largely in part
43:49to Bobby Hatfield's
43:50soaring vocal performance.
43:51I'll be coming home,
43:54wait for me.
43:58Unchained Melody
43:59actually starts off
44:00quite slow and somber,
44:02but Hatfield soon
44:03kicks things up
44:03with a level of emotion
44:04that is completely raw
44:06and delivered
44:07with unbelievable passion.
44:18Oh,
44:18and once the drums
44:19kick in around
44:20the two-minute mark,
44:21forget about it.
44:22There isn't a dry eye
44:23in the house.
44:25Number 7,
44:26Dream On,
44:27Aerosmith.
44:27A good power ballad
44:29can be a wonderful thing
44:31and once in a while
44:32it can even define
44:33a band's career.
44:41Proof of this
44:42can be seen
44:42in that of Aerosmiths,
44:43who scored
44:44a massive iconic hit
44:46with this track
44:46from their 1973
44:47self-titled debut.
44:49Dream On is another
44:57slow burn of sorts,
44:58a sensitive song
44:59composed in F minor
45:00that reaches a crescendo
45:02a little past
45:03the halfway mark
45:03as Steven Tyler's
45:04measured vocals
45:05duel with Joe Perry's
45:07lead guitar.
45:16Tyler's powerful scream
45:18serves as the linchpin
45:19of Dream On,
45:20a gold standard
45:21against which
45:22many other classic
45:23rock singers
45:24have been measured.
45:25Number 6,
45:26All By Myself,
45:27Celine Dion.
45:29The next song
45:30on our list
45:30has a long history
45:31of cover versions,
45:32after its original artist,
45:34Eric Carman,
45:35adapted it
45:35from a Rachmaninoff
45:36concerto in 1975.
45:45Carman's
45:45All By Myself
45:46is still remembered
45:47fondly today,
45:48but it's Celine Dion's
45:491996 version
45:51that is even more
45:52vocally impressive.
45:53She hits an immensely
45:54powerful high note
45:55shortly before
45:56the three-minute mark,
45:57turning what was
45:57initially a great
45:58pop song
45:59into a tour de force
46:01for the French-Canadian
46:02singer to shine.
46:02All By Myself
46:07Anymore
46:09Trust us when we say
46:13that you probably
46:14don't want to attempt
46:15this one at karaoke.
46:17Number 5,
46:18Bohemian Rhapsody,
46:19Queen.
46:21There are many reasons
46:22why Queen's
46:22Bohemian Rhapsody
46:23is an incredibly
46:24difficult song
46:25for just about
46:25anyone to sing.
46:26For starters,
46:34it's composed
46:34in multiple keys
46:35and shifts
46:36styles and tempos
46:38from a ballad
46:38arrangement
46:39to operatic
46:40accompaniment
46:40in straight-up
46:41hard rock.
46:42Thunderbolts
46:43and lightning
46:43then there's
46:50the nature
46:50of the vocals
46:51which consists
46:52of all four
46:53members of Queen
46:54layering their tracks
46:55in the studio
46:55to create a larger
46:57than life atmosphere.
46:58There are high
46:59falsettos,
47:00deep basses
47:01and hard rock
47:02screams to tackle
47:03all combined
47:04by lead singer
47:05Freddie Mercury
47:06and company.
47:06Simply stated,
47:16Mercury was an
47:17inimitable vocal
47:18talent
47:18and only the
47:20bravest singer
47:21should even
47:21attempt at laying
47:22their stamp
47:23on this one
47:23or the show
47:24must go on
47:25for that matter.
47:29Number 4,
47:31and I am telling
47:32you I'm not going
47:33Jennifer Holliday,
47:35Power.
47:35This is perhaps
47:37how best to describe
47:38an I am telling
47:39you I'm not going,
47:40a key song
47:41from the Broadway
47:42hit Dreamgirls.
47:51The song earned
47:52Jennifer Holliday
47:53a Tony
47:53and a Grammy Award
47:55in 1982
47:55for her absolutely
47:57inspiring performance,
47:59while Jennifer Hudson
48:00would also score
48:01a hit with her
48:01take on the film
48:02version in 2006.
48:03The tune is
48:11incredibly difficult
48:12for even the most
48:13seasoned singer
48:14to perform,
48:15as it never lets
48:16up for a second,
48:17demanding range,
48:19tone,
48:19and yes,
48:21power to give
48:22and I am telling
48:22you I'm not going
48:23the justice it deserves.
48:25Luckily,
48:34Holliday had all
48:35of these qualities
48:35and more,
48:37delivering the vocal
48:38performance of a lifetime.
48:40Number 3,
48:41Lovin' You,
48:42Minnie Riperton.
48:44Minnie Riperton
48:44was the OG
48:45when it came to
48:46striking gold
48:47with this sort of approach,
48:48as evidenced by
48:49Lovin' You
48:50and its chart-topping
48:51success back in 1975.
49:00The song is backed
49:01by a sunny keyboard
49:02performance from
49:03Stevie Wonder,
49:04while Riperton sings
49:05a sweet ode to love
49:06and sex
49:07that hits the stratosphere
49:08when she hits
49:09those famous whistle notes.
49:17Fun fact,
49:18Minnie Riperton
49:19is actually
49:19Maya Rudolph's mother
49:20and can be heard
49:22singing her daughter's name
49:23during the outro
49:24on unedited
49:25and album versions
49:26of the track.
49:27Number 2,
49:28I Will Always Love You,
49:30Whitney Houston.
49:31We are not taking
49:32anything away
49:33from the absolutely
49:34killer original version
49:35of I Will Always Love You,
49:37recorded by country legend
49:38Dolly Parton
49:39in 1973.
49:40For many, however,
49:42it's the arrangement
49:42Whitney Houston used
49:44for the 1992 film
49:45The Bodyguard
49:46that serves as
49:47the most well-known.
49:57Houston used
49:58Linda Ronstadt's
49:591975 cover
50:00as a basis
50:01for her version,
50:02yet she ultimately
50:03makes it her own,
50:04thanks to
50:04an incredible
50:05vocal performance.
50:09Houston's uncanny ability
50:13to balance vulnerability
50:14and power
50:15not only makes
50:17I Will Always Love You
50:18a stone-cold classic,
50:20it also served
50:21as a defining,
50:22pivotal moment
50:23of Houston's career
50:24as one of the great
50:25all-time singers.
50:26Before we continue,
50:28be sure to subscribe
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50:40It is not an exaggeration
50:48to describe Mariah Carey
50:49as one of the foremost
50:50vocal talents
50:51of her generation.
50:53Her prowess as a singer
50:54has been well-documented
50:55over a career
50:56that has spanned
50:56over 30 years,
50:58including such hits
50:59as Vision of Love,
51:01Honey,
51:01and Hero.
51:02Emotions might be
51:11the ultimate
51:12Mariah Carey jam,
51:13however,
51:13one that showcases
51:15the singer's uncanny ability
51:16to reach glass-shattering
51:18high notes.
51:23The song is also
51:24a great example
51:25of the sort of
51:26light and breezy R&B
51:27that dominated charts
51:28in the 90s,
51:29yet is punctuated
51:30by Carey's charm
51:31and charisma.
51:32Meanwhile,
51:33her vocal histrionics
51:35steal the show
51:36from any pretender
51:37who might lay claim
51:38to her throne.
51:44Can you nail
51:45any of these songs?
51:46Let us know
51:47in the comments.
52:01an example.
52:03Let us know
52:05in the comments.
52:07Bye.
52:08Bye.
52:08Before you go,
52:08let us know
52:09how to do it,
52:09we'll see.
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