Singers throughout time have managed to sing to our souls with rich harmonies and lyrics that let us express ourselves in ways spoken text can’t comprehend.
From the Elvis craze, to Beatlemania, to the godfather of a capella, male vocalists have had such an impact throughout our lives. Check out this list of ten of the greatest male vocalists of our time!
1. Bobby McFerrin
McFerrin dominated the charts in the 1980s with his Grammy-award winning hit Don’t Worry, Be Happy. McFerrin himself would soon go on to win 10 Grammy awards for his many accomplishments and collaborations in the music industry.
Bobby McFerrin will be performing live at Wharton Center on February 6th. Tickets can purchased online at whartoncenter.com, by calling 1-800-WHARTON, or visiting the box office.
2. David Bowie
This London-born singer became known for his unique brand of pop music and constantly reinventing himself. Bowie released 25 albums in his career. In a survey conducted by Huffington Post, Bowie ranked #8 in their list of popular artists’ vocal range, just behind Christina Aguilera. His final album, Blackstar, was just released on January 8th as a parting gift to his fans before his death. The album became his first to top the Billboard 200 chart.
3.Stevie Wonder
The 25 Grammy-winning artist is perhaps best known for his song “Superstition” and album Songs in the Key of Life, started his career as a child prodigy. After being signed to the iconic Motown label at age 11, Wonder would record hit songs which would award him 30 U.S. top ten hits and over 100 million sold records, making him one of the 60 best-selling music artists of all time.
From March 15th through the 20th Wharton Center will be bringing Motown the Musical to the Cobb Great Hall stage! The musical follows the lives of many Motown superstars on their road to fame. Tickets can purchased online at whartoncenter.com, by calling 1-800-WHARTON, or visiting the box office.
4. John Lennon
The late Beatles frontrunner was no stranger to fame. His unique voice alongside Paul McCartney (an honorable mention to this list) catapulted the Beatles to almost an overnight sensation. Following the band’s breakup, Lennon would have a successful solo career releasing iconic songs such as “Imagine” and “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” with his then-wife Yoko Ono.
5. Freddie Mercury
The late front man of Queen created a legacy for himself through his unique and powerful vocal range. Mercury released fourteen albums with Queen before his passing, and remains one of the most legendary singers of all time. He would go on to be inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside other Queen band members.
6. Prince
While his music may not be available to stream outside Tidal, music fans can rejoice in listening to Prince through their vinyl and CD collections. The universally talented singer/songwriter/producer/instrumentalist/etc. has proven himself to be one of the greatest contemporary geniuses in the music industry. His album Purple Rain would go on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling over 22 million copies worldwide.
7. Axl Rose
Lead singer of Guns and Roses, Axl Rose got his starts in music in a band called Hollywood Rose, which would later form into Guns & Roses. Rose has released 8 studio albums in his career. In a study conducted by HuffingtonPost, Rose was found to have the highest vocal range of any popular musician. Rose would go on to be named one of the greatest performers of all time by Rolling Stone and NME publications.
8. Frank Sinatra
Jazz legend Frank Sinatra released hundreds of albums in his career, topped the chart dozens of times, and has gone on to become the most recognizable names in Jazz music history. In his long career, Sinatra explored primarily Jazz music, collaborating with hundreds of different artists and even had time to kick-start his own acting career.
9. Marvin Gaye
A pioneer in the Motown record label, Gaye would record a string of hits and become an instant breakout star of the label. His unique recordings would influence several contemporary R&B subgenres. His concept albums What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On are considered to be two of the greatest albums of all time by various publications. In 1987, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and continues to have a rich legacy within the music industry.
From March 15th through the 20th Wharton Center will be bringing Motown the Musical to the Cobb Great Hall stage! The musical follows the lives of many Motown superstars on their road to fame. Jarran Muse will play the role of Marvin Gaye. Tickets can purchased online at whartoncenter.com, by calling 1-800-WHARTON, or visiting the box office.
10. Elvis Presley
Sometimes being cited as one of the world’s first famous rock artists, Elvis was no stranger to exploring different genres. He had commercial and critical success exploring rock, pop, blues, and gospel music in his career. At age 36, he became the 6th person to ever be awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Grammy committee.
