Best Male Singers of the 20th Century

Franky the boy and Van the Man (Morrison)

Well, since I started this thread I suppose I should participate. Among the "greats" I would include, by category: Opera: Feyodor Chaliapin (Russian basso), Lauritz Melchior, Paul Roberson, Enrico Caruso, Ezio Pinza, Richard Tucker, Jon Vickers, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, etc. (there are probably another dozen that deserve to be on this list). Popular: Frank Sinatra (absolutely no doubt on this one - not one of the "spectacular" voices, but without question one of the 2-3 best song stylists), Mario Lanza, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Stevie Wonder. Jazz: Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks, and my personal favorite, Mark Murphy (if you don't know his work, and like vocal jazz, you have missed one of the true greats). Blues: Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Willy McTell, BB King, Albert King, Luther Allison, etc. Rock: There are a few I like, but I'm not sure any of them belong in the "best singers" category. My short list might include David Clayton Thomas, John Fogerty, Jim Morrison, etc., but rock singing is more a matter of style, I think, than "voice" (think of Joe Cocker, for example). Folk: Paul Simon, Glen Yarborough, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan (I personally never liked his singing, but as hugely popular as he was, he probably deserves to be on this list). This list should prime the pump - now let's hear from others and see who they include!

Here's a short list: Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Hartman, (Not Johnny Hammond, John Hammond is a blues singer and son of CBS executive of the same name), Dion, Bobby Darin, Donny Hathaway, Elvis, James Taylor, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Tony Bennett, Michael Stipe, Eddie Vetter, The Byrds--just to name a few.

Gino Vanelli? Elton John? Bobby Darin? Michael Stipe? By what standards are any of these guys worthy of the honor of "Greatest Singers of the 20th Century?" Let's try to be a little more objective! Unless you want the category to be "Popular Singers of the 20th Century" or "Not Very Good Singers of the 20th Century Whom I Like Anyway."

Now, now, Michael, I deliberately did not place any categories on singers. What floats one person's boat may sink another's. I think you could make a fair disinction between great VOICES and great SINGERS. The best SINGERS are those who have the ability touch the listener emotionally, intellectually, or both. Therefore, I think it is fair to include people like Sinatra, Elton John, Steveland Morris (aka Stevie Wonder), etc. My favorite male jazz singer, Mark Murphy, is certainly no Pavarotti, but he gets inside a song and does absolutely wonderful things with the phrasing, using his voice like an instrument (something Louis Armstrong did - listen to the similarity between his vocal phrasing and the way he played his trumpet). For the rest of this thread, I'd like to see some names of lesser-known singers who deserve to be in the "great" category.