Top 25 Soul Singers of All Time

[Temptitious]

smooth said:

I got:

Louis Price - extraordinary, his version of Beauty's Only Skin Deep, remains my favorite version, he did the best job to me covering both David's and Dennis' songs.

I know that's right. It gets no better. Once you hear him, he has to own the top spot of your list. For me, it isn't about range. I've heard some singers with great range and vocal dexterity that simply don't move me (Mariah Carey chief among them). I see my list earlier in this thread but when that list was compiled, I hadn't yet heard Louis' voice. Now that I have, my list becomes:

1. Louis Price - There's never been a more infectious singer than Louis. No matter where I am, if I hear his voice, I have to pay attention. I also have to sing along. His vocal on "Think For Yourself" is just so completely fun. He's having a great time and when you hear it, you are too. He can also hurt you. His co-lead on "I See My Child" is pain personified. His best vocal, though, is the PBS Soundstage version of "A Song For You". Just breathtaking...

2. Paul Williams - Simply put, he moves me. He takes the listener wherever he wants them to go. He can make you hurt. I remember hearing the "TCB" version of "For Once In My Life" for the first time driving in my car. When he started the first verse, I had to pull the car over and listen. When it was over, I was truly exhausted. That is the mark of a truly great singer.

3. Glenn Leonard - his falsetto is nearly perfect and he has a very nice full-voice tenor that I wish I'd heard more of. He's my second-favorite Temptations tenor.

4. Daryl Hall - The '70's and '80's version of him. At that point, he was the most melodic singer I'd ever heard. When he got older, his voice deepened and the sweetness went out of his voice. He started going too far with the ad-libs to compensate.

3. Lou Rawls - Again, relentlessly melodic ("Lady Love" - chief example). He also had a pretty decent upper range as well.

4. Chante Moore - She's got all the range Mariah has but she can move me. She does that "whistle" thing that Mariah does but she only does it when it suits the song. Her version of Stephanie Mills' "Free" is just spine-tingling.

5. George Benson - It's all about feel and George is full of it. He possesses a very nice tenor and, when used at the service of a good song, he just feels good.

6. Glenn Jones - Great shouter. He's also a very good writer. In fact, he wrote his most successful song - "Here I Go Again".

7. Levi Stubbs - A plant has never sung more sweetly. He was the voice of "Audrey II" in the film, "Little Shop Of Horrors". His performances in that movie rank as some of my favorite Levi vocals. Ain't that a trip? Yet another vocalist that can move you - even in green leaves.

8. Eddie Kendricks - He takes songs with lyrics that are a little clunky ("This Used To Be...") and still makes you hurt. His ad-libs at the end of that song are just incredible. You cry with him because it's all you can do.

9. Peabo Bryson - The very essence of polish. Never a note out of place with this guy. He can even sing soap opera themes and make them memorable (the '86 theme for "Once Life To Live"). His voice is just as good today as it was 30 years ago.

10. Eric Benet - Think what you will of him personally but he can get it done. He wrote a song about his first wife who died in a car accident called "While You Were Here" that will just take your breath away. His lyric is perfect and he wrings every bit of emotion out of it. It doesn't get any better.

Ed

[maria]

I have been thinking all night on this one (a Little exaggeration)....I can only come up with about 8 so far of my top 25 soul singers....I will modify as days go by..LOL

1. Eddie Kendricks (of course)
2. Avante
3. Miles Jaye (Myles)
4. Phil Perry
5. Linda Jones
6. Paul Williams
7. David Ruffian
8. Luther Vandross
9. LeRoy Hutson
10. Willie Hutchison
11. Gil Scott (Herron).."Be Know Rain"

[Beej]

01. David Ruffin
02. Marvin Gaye
03. Sam Cooke
04. Nate Nelson
05. Gladys Knight
06. Tyrone Davis
07. Ali-Ollie Woodson
08. Otis Redding
09. Lou Rawls
10. Dennis Edwards
11. Tammi Terrell
12. Eddie Kendricks
13. Ben E. Nelson (a.k.a, Ben E. King)
14. Paul Williams
15. William Hart
16. Phillipé Wynne
17. Al Green
18. Sam Moore
19. Ron Isley
20. Barbara Lewis
21. Archie Bell
22. Bill Medley
23. Martha Reeves
24. King Floyd
25. Daryl Hall



EDIT:

Had to reshuffle the order...somehow, I left Gladys Knight and Ali-Ollie Woodson off the original list. I feel shame.

[MissTara]

beej said:

25. Daryl Hall

You can't be serious right.

[Beej]

Why, certainly, Boo-Boo.

A little "blue-eyed soul" every now and then doesn't hurt. ;D


You know who Nate Nelson is, right?

[smooth]

stringslady22 said:

smooth said:

I got:


Finally-me ;D

LOL! ;D What about Marvin Gaye?!

Forgive me, I can't believe I forgot to put Marvin Gaye, I guess I'm not perfect after all, damn, and after all these years I thought I was.

[smooth]

beej said:

01. David Ruffin
02. Marvin Gaye
03. Sam Cooke
04. Nate Nelson
05. Gladys Knight
06. Tyrone Davis
07. Ali-Ollie Woodson
08. Otis Redding
09. Lou Rawls
10. Dennis Edwards
11. Tammi Terrell
12. Eddie Kendricks
13. Ben E. Nelson (a.k.a, Ben E. King)
14. Paul Williams
15. William Hart
16. Phillipé Wynne
17. Al Green
18. Sam Moore
19. Ron Isley
20. Barbara Lewis
21. Archie Bell
22. Bill Medley
23. Martha Reeves
24. King Floyd
25. Daryl Hall



EDIT:

Had to reshuffle the order...somehow, I left Gladys Knight and Ali-Ollie Woodson off the original list. I feel shame.

You put David Ruffin number 1, who would've guessed.LOL

[MissTara]

beej said:

You know who Nate Nelson is, right?

I looked him up, and I can say no I'm not familiar with him. But at least you put him ahead of Daryl Hall ;D

[eyehearttempts]

smooth said:

stringslady22 said:

LOL! ;D What about Marvin Gaye?!

Forgive me, I can't believe I forgot to put Marvin Gaye, I guess I'm not perfect after all, damn, and after all these years I thought I was.

LOL! ;D You ain't right!!!!

[Beej]

misstara said:

I looked him up, and I can say no I'm not familiar with him.

Oh, I think you are, little missy!

Perhaps, his lead vocals on these classics ring a bell...

"I'm Yours"
"The Vow"
"I Only Have Eyes For You"
"Mio Amore"
"My Foolish Heart"

misstara said:

But at least you put him ahead of Daryl Hall ;D

And Daryl Hall is ahead of John Kay...way, way ahead.

[smooth]

I forgot to put Luther Vandross, my bad.

[ramzy]

What do you consider as a soul singer, someone who sings whats classified as soul music or someone who's vocal stylings are considered soulful?

[smooth]

I think that's the same thing. Are you drinking again? I'm just playing, about the drinking part, but seriously it is the same thing. I don't think you can be classified as a singer of soul music without having the vocal styling of a soul singer, unless, you're Celion Dion who is covering a soul tune, then that is something totally different.

[ramzy]

smooth said:

I think that's the same thing. Are you drinking again? I'm just playing, about the drinking part, but seriously it is the same thing. I don't think you can be classified as a singer of soul music without having the vocal styling of a soul singer, unless, you're Celion Dion who is covering a soul tune, then that is something totally different.

Ount drank!!!!!!! Seriously though not exactly the same thing. This won't be your favorite example but Terry Weeks is a balladeer thats why he stinks at the Dennis Edwards stuff. Sam Cooke was a crooner Ali Woodson is a soul singer. Its always been my position that a serious soul singer brings that grit and gut. Ali, GC Dennis Louis they could all take the same song and give you a performance that would be typified as soulful. Luther Vandross did what could be called a masterful cover of Since I lost my baby excellent I loved it!!! But he did it in his balladeers style no way in this lifetime he could have brought the soulful expressions David did. Ali doing Cloud nine works, Dennis doing Lady Soul works Terry doing either sucks. You see something more than the song makes a singer a soul singer.

[stilltempting21]

i don't know Terry's performance of Since I lost my Baby is very soulful to me