When it comes to those who are regarded as the greatest singers of all time, we’re manipulated by those in the music media and their opinions.
For example in Rolling Stone’s “200 Greatest Singers of All Time”, they cited Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Otis Redding and Al Green. I assume their criteria included overall popularity via record sales. Not sure why Michael Jackson, Little Richard, Smokey Robinson or B.B. King weren’t prominent on that list, while including too many with debatable “talent”.
I would look at it using a different metric.
Of all of the record companies back in the day, only one had singers who were unique, could do more than just hit the notes, weren’t signed just for looks and powerful voices with natural vibrato was mandatory: Motown.
Given the important releases over their run, I would ask if singers deemed influential based on popularity and sales would have been signed by Motown?
ABSOLUTELY
Steve Perry, Tina Turner, Elton John, George Michael, Billy Ocean, Bobby Caldwell, Shirley Bassey, Lou Gramm, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, George Benson, Ann Wilson, and Roberta Flack
Singers with power, natural vibrato, a distinctive style and sound.
BTW – Wouldn’t it have been interesting had James Brown and Peter Wolf been able to team up?
DEBATABLE
Freddie Mercury, Dan Hartman, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Mick Hucknall, Roy Orbison, Annie Lennox, Patsy Cline, David Clayton-Thomas, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, Tom Jones, Toni Tennille, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Brad Delp, Richard Marx and Bonnie Tyler
Some of these singers had a distinctive sound and could definitely hit the notes; some had forced vibrato but were they good enough to make it past Motown’s Artist and Repertoire Department just to give Berry Gordy a listen? Debatable.
MAYBE…
Tracy Chapman, Darius Rucker, Kenny Loggins, J.T. Taylor, Melissa Etheridge, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts, Olivia Newton-John, Robert Palmer, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Cat Stevens, Steve Miller, Adele, Gregg Allman, Don Henley, Carole King, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Bob Seger, Michael Bolton, Barbra Streisand, Rick Astley, Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams, Carrie Underwood, Joe Cocker, Peter Cetera, Jackson Browne, Lady Gaga, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison, Chris Isaak, and Huey Lewis
Distinctive sounds but would they be good enough if having to survive a sing-off against Aretha Franklin or Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder? Maybe.
On another note, you think Ozzy Osbourne would have been signed after an audition for Motown…?
PROBABLY NOT
David Bowie, Taylor Swift, Glenn Danzig, Billie Eilish, Lou Reed, John Mellencamp, Gwen Stefani, Karen Carpenter, Roger Daltry, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, Sonny Bono and Cher, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, Fiona Apple, Chris Martin, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, Debbie Harry, David Hasselhoff, Steven Tyler, Willie Nelson, Kurt Cobain, Robert Plant, Nancy Sinatra, Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Billy Idol, Mick Jagger, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Rick Springfield, Belinda Carlisle, Jimi Hendrix, Axl Rose, Pat Benatar, Elvis Costello, George Thorogood, Daryl Hall, Glenn Frey, Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Ric Ocasek, Neil Young, Madonna and Joan Jett
Some of these artists were product aided by MTV visuals. A lack of actual talent was tolerated as long as sales came in to support record company overhead. Some could hit the notes as that’s all that could really be asked for, could scream in pitch, but were they great “singers”? Nope.
And don’t get me started on actors and actresses who “sing” because their agents won’t risk their jobs telling them the ugly truth.
John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon, Johnny Depp, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Val Kilmer, and Christian Bale….
The IMDB post neglected to mention Michelle Pfeiffer also co-starred in “Grease 2”, possibly at the request of Michelle herself.
Today’s soft-singing, breathers probably wouldn’t have even considered a Motown audition for obvious reasons including having fragile egos that would’ve been dashed by restrained laughter as they were leaving the room.
And when it comes to boy, girl and vocal group bands, one could argue The Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, just to name a few, set the standard. Do you think The Backstreet Boys, Osmonds, *NSYNC, Partridge Family, Monkees, Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child or BTS were as unique?
And for those of you who may take this is as a race hit piece, Rare Earth, R. Dean Taylor, Chris Clark, William Goldstein and Charlene were Motown signings.
Again, some had distinctive sounds but good enough to satisfy Motown Records customers who had clear expectations for vocal talent? Probably not.
Finally, any list of greatest singers will not include rap “artists”.
What does that tell ya?
Leave a Reply