In a recent issue of Q that I was reading, there was an article where they counted down the 100 best singers, and for each one they listed the 10 songs that best displayed their vocal talents and versatility. Bono was number26 and the songs they listed for him were Two Hearts Beat as One, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Still Haven't Found, Red Hill Mining Town, Tryin To Throw Your Arms, One, Stuck in a Moment, Sometimes You Can't Make It, All Because of You, and Vertigo. What does everyone think are the songs that best show off his vocal abilities? Do you guys agree with Q or have other opinions?
Q magazine 100 best singers
- Thread starter tabela
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LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Best examples vocally are:
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (album version)
Bad (Wide Awake In America/Live Aid version)
Still Haven't Found
Red Hill Mining Town
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Miss Sarajevo (Vertigo live version)
Native Son
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (album version)
Bad (Wide Awake In America/Live Aid version)
Still Haven't Found
Red Hill Mining Town
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Miss Sarajevo (Vertigo live version)
Native Son
LMP
Blue Crack Supplier
Where did Q rank the Gallagher brothers?
Better yet, were they still kissing their asses when they wrote the article?
Better yet, were they still kissing their asses when they wrote the article?
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
tabela said:
MrPryck2U
ONE love, blood, life
Bad and Pride are two that really stand out.
Some weird choices to represent Bono there. TTTYAATW and Stuck in particular are horrifically bland.
It's a bit hard to say whether Bono deserves a position. Based on his career up to the early nineties, he probably should be a bit higher, especially if you go by the late eighties when his range was at its greatest and he had such strong, commanding vocal power.
But if you go by pretty much anything from Popmart onwards, he barely deserves to make the list at all. Things sure improved on the Vertigo Tour, but 1997-2001 was a complete vocal trainwreck and I somewhat wonder why he even bothered. Most of the songs on the Elevation Tour probably wouldn't have sounded half-bad if they'd had a decent voice to carry them. As it was, songs like WOWY, Pride, and - as much as I don't want to say it - 11OTT were a waste of time.
It's a bit hard to say whether Bono deserves a position. Based on his career up to the early nineties, he probably should be a bit higher, especially if you go by the late eighties when his range was at its greatest and he had such strong, commanding vocal power.
But if you go by pretty much anything from Popmart onwards, he barely deserves to make the list at all. Things sure improved on the Vertigo Tour, but 1997-2001 was a complete vocal trainwreck and I somewhat wonder why he even bothered. Most of the songs on the Elevation Tour probably wouldn't have sounded half-bad if they'd had a decent voice to carry them. As it was, songs like WOWY, Pride, and - as much as I don't want to say it - 11OTT were a waste of time.
MrBrau1
ONE love, blood, life
Axver said:
yeah, but that's completely wrong. You judge voice on a "highest note hit" type of scale. Measure it with a ruler. Which is silly. There's so much more to vocal quality than range. I submit his voice has been very good on the last 2 records and tours. "In A little While" being a prime example. The live intro to "Streets" on the Elevation Tour is unmatched. He couldn't and wouldn't have done that in 1989. He'd have screamed it.
Screaming is not singing.
Screwtape2
Blue Crack Addict
This is the list if anyone is interested:
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. Björk
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 Ali Khan
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 [Antony & the Johnsons]
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 Wainwright
97. Stevie Nicks
98. Whitney Houston
99. David Crosby
100. Jón Thor Birgisson [Sigur Rós]
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. Björk
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 Ali Khan
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 [Antony & the Johnsons]
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 Wainwright
97. Stevie Nicks
98. Whitney Houston
99. David Crosby
100. Jón Thor Birgisson [Sigur Rós]
MrBrau1
ONE love, blood, life
Freddie Mercury @ 47.
Tom York @ 13.
Ha ha hahaha Ha Hahaha
Tom York @ 13.
Ha ha hahaha Ha Hahaha
xaviMF22
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Screwtape2 said:
kurt cobain at 7
t8thgr8
War Child
wheres lemon? dumb.
Slapnutz
Refugee
That list is fucking terrible. It's like Q aren''t even trying anymore. I can remember when it was a half decent mag, long before they started filling it with bland pop acts and kissing Oasis/U2's arse every month.
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coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Kurt Cobain, ROFL
MrBrau1 said:
Note how I not only mentioned his range but also his commanding vocal power. Just compare Bad from 1987 to Bad from 2001. Bono's ability to carry the song in 1987 is far superior to 2001.
And range is pretty fucking important. There's no point in bothering if he can't hit the notes. That's why WOWY has stunk royally since 1993.
Did you say that deliberately? IALW is one of the worst vocal tracks recorded by anyone. Ever. In the history of music.
Fuck, I can sing that song better than Bono.
You fail.
26 December 1989's intro slays absolutely everything Bono did on Elevation combined.
QED.
Which is why Pride has normally sucked live. I agree with you on that point.
Peterrrrr
New Yorker
Well I think a list like this says it all abotu Bono 
NYD(Live versions)
Pride
Bad
Unforgettable Fire
Wire
In A Lifetime
SBS(1986-06-15 - East Rutherford)
WOWY
ISHFWILF
RHMT
GPII
Spanish Eyes
Unchained Melody
One
Night And Day
Wild Irish Rose
Lemon
TSOHOSOS
Acrobat
The Cross
Kite
Vertigo
SYCMIOYO
Electrical Storm
Native Son
Miss Sarajevo
Don't Give Up(with Alica Keys)
Kids(with Kylie)
BD(Vertigo versions)
MW(live, come on love, falsettos)
WGRYWH(don't you look back)
Amazing Grace(live snippets)
Mercy
DWTTIME
ICHFIL
NYD(Live versions)
Pride
Bad
Unforgettable Fire
Wire
In A Lifetime
SBS(1986-06-15 - East Rutherford)
WOWY
ISHFWILF
RHMT
GPII
Spanish Eyes
Unchained Melody
One
Night And Day
Wild Irish Rose
Lemon
TSOHOSOS
Acrobat
The Cross
Kite
Vertigo
SYCMIOYO
Electrical Storm
Native Son
Miss Sarajevo
Don't Give Up(with Alica Keys)
Kids(with Kylie)
BD(Vertigo versions)
MW(live, come on love, falsettos)
WGRYWH(don't you look back)
Amazing Grace(live snippets)
Mercy
DWTTIME
ICHFIL
Screwtape2
Blue Crack Addict
The best example of why Bono is a great singer: Elvis Presley & America. A sign of a true singer is the ability to become part of the soundscape and duet with the other instruments. In Elvis Presley & America, Bono becomes another instrument rising and falling in the unstable soundscape.
That's what makes a great singer
That's what makes a great singer
gman
New Yorker
No 7. Kurt Cobain? Get him to fuck!
No 9. Mick Jagger? I like the stones but this guy is not a singer and has produced some of the worst live "singing" av ever heard!
No 11. Liam TWAT Gallagher? This guy approaches the mike, puts his hands behind his back, sticks his neck out, purses his lips then shouts on each and every song.....and its called singing?
And then theres Thom Yorke. Apart from that, i think the list above Bono is fair enuff!
No 9. Mick Jagger? I like the stones but this guy is not a singer and has produced some of the worst live "singing" av ever heard!
No 11. Liam TWAT Gallagher? This guy approaches the mike, puts his hands behind his back, sticks his neck out, purses his lips then shouts on each and every song.....and its called singing?
And then theres Thom Yorke. Apart from that, i think the list above Bono is fair enuff!
gman
New Yorker
Axver said:
have to say I agree totally with you on this Axver. As I see it, any song performed live from albums pre AB reached their peak in that period and have NEVER been surpassed since. |I too often feel these songs are plodded thro by Bono at times these days and the result is they sound flat and lifeless.
However, have to disagree about yer statement slating IALW. For me, the song sums up what u2 is all about. I cant think of many other bands which could produce this song as well as something along the lines of Elevation on the same record.
At the same time tho, i respect everyones right to have(and express) their own opinion!
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gman
New Yorker
akann said:
Are you on drugs???
vaz02
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Crap list.
DevilsShoes
War Child
gman said:
Sadly there is some truth in this. The band have been performing the 80's songs for so long it would be impossible for them not to be going through the motions some nights. Most of the best songs from that decade are absolute belters and are now difficult for Bono to sing with quite the same conviction he displayed in his youth, essentially though he's still fine at everything post AB.
I suppose it comes down to whether you feel some of the those songs should be rotated or at least played sporadically so that they don't feel so tired and the band have more enthusiasm for them, or whether they should be dropped altogether for the set list.
gman
New Yorker
akann said:
A less politically correct person you will not find!! And to prove it...I THINK A LOT OF THE BEATLES STUFF IS PISH!! Happy now?? To the contrary, am just not one of the ass kissers on here that think u2 can do no wrong and who can give a balanced view!!
You could take all my music from me except U2 and I will get by just fine. However, I believe Lennon was better vocalist than Bono, both in his solo work and with The Beatles. Working Class hero and Beautiful boy being two examples that spring to mind showing his adaptabilty.
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Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
IT IS JUST A STUPID LIST, PEOPLE!
perrypickwick
Acrobat
Red Hill Mining town is really a good example for Bonos wonderful voice 20 years ago - one of my absolute favourites. I wish they would put the Video directed by Neil Jordan somewhere as a bonus...
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