Bono's voice was the first thing that attracted me to U2

[annie_vox]

I am totally in love with Bono's voice. Even if - maybe because - it is not "perfect".

I agree completely with this... Perfect things (if they exist) are boring and predictable... Bono is just a human being with a great voice and great personality, he has several flows but that's what makes me feel so close to him when I listen to his songs. Sometimes I have that feeling that he is singing to me, and I know how to chose a U2 song that I need to hear at a certain moment of my life.
I got into U2 mostly because of Edge's guitar, at the begining, and the lyrics too... But Bono's voice is truly amzing, and I never get tired of it... I may stay a couple of weeks without listening to U2, but I always go back "home".

 

[U2democrat]

Edge's guitar work is what got me into U2, Bono's voice second.

As much as I love Bono, I absolutely love songs that really focus on Edge, i.e. Bass Trap, Boomerang, any of the UF era songs really.

 

[blm]

No doubt, 1st thing for me, was hearing Bono's voice, but ALSO Edge's playing. Even though Bono has said he felt he sounded like a girl in the earlier years, there was the raw, intense, passion that poured (and continues to do so) out of every note. Just watching him, you can see all of his energy coming out thru his voice. He is incredible to watch- a showman, never knowing exactly how he will sing the lines, or what he will do. That, coupled with the emotion that one feels when listening to the Edge play- it is transcendance. I get butterflies when hearing those parts that many of you have mentioned... They give you a high, a party for your mind and soul. Bono's voice was young and fresh in Out of Control, rebellious and raw in Sunday Bloody Sunday. He oozes pain and desire in WOWY and relectiveness, tenderness and loss of innocence in Kite. Edge's guitar playing always backs up the emotion to the lyric and Bono's voice. They are incredible together. just a few examples here. I could go on and on - you guys know what i am talking about.

 

[forbonou2]

Ditto, just about everyone's comment! Except one! hee...lol! I don't think Bono TRIEs to copy anyone! And I'd know that voice anywhere! Whew.......I have been listening to it for years....and can go on for more&more! Sing on bono!

 

[Jeannieco]

No doubt, 1st thing for me, was hearing Bono's voice, but ALSO Edge's playing. Even though Bono has said he felt he sounded like a girl in the earlier years, there was the raw, intense, passion that poured (and continues to do so) out of every note. Just watching him, you can see all of his energy coming out thru his voice. He is incredible to watch- a showman, never knowing exactly how he will sing the lines, or what he will do. That, coupled with the emotion that one feels when listening to the Edge play- it is transcendance. I get butterflies when hearing those parts that many of you have mentioned... They give you a high, a party for your mind and soul. Bono's voice was young and fresh in Out of Control, rebellious and raw in Sunday Bloody Sunday. He oozes pain and desire in WOWY and relectiveness, tenderness and loss of innocence in Kite. Edge's guitar playing always backs up the emotion to the lyric and Bono's voice. They are incredible together. just a few examples here. I could go on and on - you guys know what i am talking about.

Yes indeed! Nice post!
Bono and Edge together is just I have no words. It's just a spiritual thing, hard to explain.

 

[rihannsu]

Don't remember seeing this posted before but April 2007 issue of Q lists the 100 Greatest Singers. Bono is # 26.

1. Elvis Presley
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Otis Redding
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Kurt Cobain
8. Robert Plant
9. Mick Jagger
10. Jeff Buckley
11. Liam Gallagher
12. Billie Holiday
13. Thom Yorke
14. Johnny Cash
15. Sam Cooke
16. John Lydon
17. Janis Joplin
18. Bob Dylan
19. Kate Bush
20. Carl Wilson
21. Nina Simone
22. Van Morrison
23. Roy Orbison
24. Ray Charles
25. Ella Fitzgerald
26. Bono
27. Roger Daltrey
28. David Bowie
29. Dusty Springfield
30. Morrissey
31. Bob Marley
32. Paul McCartney
33. Rod Stewart
34. Stevie Wonder
35. Bjork
36. Joni Mitchell
37. James Brown
38. Barry Gibb
39. Scott Walker
40. Jim Morrison
41. Al Green
42. Michael Stipe
43. Bon Scott
44. Joe Strummer
45. Elton John
46. Howlin' Wolf
47. Freddie Mercury
48. Karen Carpenter
49. Patti Smith
50. Jack White
51. Michael Jackson
52. Levi Stubbs
53. Emmylou Harris
54. Leonard Cohen
55. Little Richard
56. Nusrat Fateh
57. PJ Harvey
58. Tim Buckley
59. Hank Williams
60. Bryan Ferry
61. Prince
62. Bruce Springsteen
63. Iggy Pop
64. Dolly Parton
65. Neil Young
66. Elisabeth Fraser
67. Frank Black
68. Antony Hegarty
69. Sly Stone
70. Beth Gibbons
71. Tom Jones
72. Lou Reed
73. Dave Gahan
74. George Michael
75. Tom Waits
76. Paul Weller
77. Norah Jones
78. Mary J. Blige
79. Dionne Warwick
80. Nico
81. Ray LaMontagne
82. Nick Cave
83. Ian McCulloch
84. Lauryn Hill
85. Don Henley
86. Horace Andy
87. Axl Rose
88. Ian Curtis
89. Richard Ashcroft
90. Meat Loaf
91. Harry Nilsson
92. Jimmy Scott
93. Chris Cornell
94. Laura Nyro
95. Smokey Robinson
96. Rufus Wainright
97. Stevie Nicks
98. Whitney Houston
99. David Crosby
100. Jon Por Birgisson

 

[rihannsu]

And here's the write up they gave him.

Bono
Leader of the Free World

While Bono often seems to conduct his career as a force of nature, U2's multitasking frontman is also an underrated singer. Think of the way he wrings out every last nuance of One, mourns his dead father on Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own, or convincingly lassoes the Sturm und Drang of Vertigo and New Year's Day. He is, too, a good advertisement for taking up smoking in one's 30's, for his voice is getting deeper and more intriguing with each passing year.

Key Songs
1. Two Hearts Beat As One
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
4. Red Hill Mining Town
5. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
6. One
7. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
8. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
9. All Because Of You
10. Vertigo

 

[Peterrrrr]

Don't remember seeing this posted before but April 2007 issue of Q lists the 100 Greatest Singers. Bono is # 26.

1. Elvis Presley
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Otis Redding
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Kurt Cobain
8. Robert Plant
9. Mick Jagger
10. Jeff Buckley
11. Liam Gallagher
12. Billie Holiday
13. Thom Yorke
14. Johnny Cash
15. Sam Cooke
16. John Lydon
17. Janis Joplin
18. Bob Dylan
19. Kate Bush
20. Carl Wilson
21. Nina Simone
22. Van Morrison
23. Roy Orbison
24. Ray Charles
25. Ella Fitzgerald
26. Bono
27. Roger Daltrey
28. David Bowie
29. Dusty Springfield
30. Morrissey
31. Bob Marley
32. Paul McCartney
33. Rod Stewart
34. Stevie Wonder
35. Bjork
36. Joni Mitchell
37. James Brown
38. Barry Gibb
39. Scott Walker
40. Jim Morrison
41. Al Green
42. Michael Stipe
43. Bon Scott
44. Joe Strummer
45. Elton John
46. Howlin' Wolf
47. Freddie Mercury
48. Karen Carpenter
49. Patti Smith
50. Jack White
51. Michael Jackson
52. Levi Stubbs
53. Emmylou Harris
54. Leonard Cohen
55. Little Richard
56. Nusrat Fateh
57. PJ Harvey
58. Tim Buckley
59. Hank Williams
60. Bryan Ferry
61. Prince
62. Bruce Springsteen
63. Iggy Pop
64. Dolly Parton
65. Neil Young
66. Elisabeth Fraser
67. Frank Black
68. Antony Hegarty
69. Sly Stone
70. Beth Gibbons
71. Tom Jones
72. Lou Reed
73. Dave Gahan
74. George Michael
75. Tom Waits
76. Paul Weller
77. Norah Jones
78. Mary J. Blige
79. Dionne Warwick
80. Nico
81. Ray LaMontagne
82. Nick Cave
83. Ian McCulloch
84. Lauryn Hill
85. Don Henley
86. Horace Andy
87. Axl Rose
88. Ian Curtis
89. Richard Ashcroft
90. Meat Loaf
91. Harry Nilsson
92. Jimmy Scott
93. Chris Cornell
94. Laura Nyro
95. Smokey Robinson
96. Rufus Wainright
97. Stevie Nicks
98. Whitney Houston
99. David Crosby
100. Jon Por Birgisson

That list was funny

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Don't remember seeing this posted before but April 2007 issue of Q lists the 100 Greatest Singers. Bono is # 26.


7. Kurt Cobain

11. Liam Gallagher

13. Thom Yorke

16. John Lydon

These 4 stand out like sore thumbs...

I have never understood the worship that Cobain recieves...

Liam Gallagher? John Lydon?

Thom has his moments I will admit (and I don't want to start that argument again ) but I don't think he should be so high up the list...

This was Q magazine though so whatever

 

[JCOSTER]

At 14, hearing the wail of Bono on the beginning of New Years Day drew me in. From that moment on I fell like a ton of bricks.

Please forgive me if I said this already, but my mind is fading in my old age.

 

[doctorwho]

These 4 stand out like sore thumbs...

I have never understood the worship that Cobain recieves...

Liam Gallagher? John Lydon?

Thom has his moments I will admit (and I don't want to start that argument again ) but I don't think he should be so high up the list...

This was Q magazine though so whatever

There are so many "mistakes" there that it's clear the poll is biased. I adore John Lennon, but he is not that great of a singer. His range is very limited and his voice is gravelly. Yet, he's #5. When Bono even tries to sound like Lennon, the boards here light up with posts on how Bono's voice is "dead" - yet for Lennon, this makes him the fifth best singer? LOL!

It's nice to see Bono on that list, but I feel a far better list was presented on VH-1, where I think Bono was #4 and those above him truly deserved it.

 

[Saracene]

That Q list IMO is too much of mix between the people who are genuinely great singers like Aretha Franklin or Frank Sinatra and people like Liam Gallagher who is a fantastic rock vocalist but not exactly a good singer let alone no.11 out of 100.

And oh yeah, I love love love Bono's voice. I especially love the fact that he sounds so different on different U2 albums and grew and changed so much as singer. Although I have to admit that it took me some time to get used to Bono's mid-to-late 80-s era singing which I found too overblown and histrionic at times; I couldn't get into WAR for ages because I just couldn't stomach his banshee wail for more than a couple of songs in a row. Generally speaking it always takes me ages to get used to this sort of high, uber-melodramatic vocals from male singers.