I mean, what the hell...it's not like the Power Pop Police are gonna come after me.
So -- this leads us inexorably to today's business. To wit:
The greatest male vocalist, in any popular music genre, who made hit records in the second half of the 20th Century, was Nat "King" Cole.
Discuss.
And by discuss, we mean starting with yes or no, obviously.
In case you're wondering, I vote yes.
Why? Well, as you can plainly tell from that clip, Nat's magisterial phrasing and sheer vocal gorgeousness simply oozed soul, elegance and sex appeal. And he made it look and sound so easy it felt almost supernatural.
Plus, when he wanted to -- he rocked.
Fun fact: His 1957 recording of "When I Fall in Love" (i.e., the one above) reached number 4 in the UK charts in 1987, when it was re-released in reaction to a version by Rick Astley. Heh.
Okay, look, I'm being a little silly here deliberately; I'm aware that this is all subjective and that of course there's no one greatest singer (or guitarist or songwriter or group).
And "greatest"? What the hell does that even mean?
I mean, c'mon, I'm a professional.
But, and I say this as a life-long rock-and-roll chauvinist: Nat rules, okay?
So have a good time with this, won't you?
And have a terrific weekend, everybody!!!
26 comments:
His voice is fine and everything, but just a style that has never appealed to me. I guess Frank Sinatra is great too, but I don't listen to him either (I've tried, honest). The first thing that comes to mind for me about Nat King Cole is he and Stubby Kaye in Cat Ballou.
Who were absolutely great in that...
Let's get real:
OTIS REDDING!!!
Sinatra is also a great choice also!!!
Captain Al
I second the motion for Otis. That is, if you like excitement in your music...
I think Tonio K, who's still around somewhere, will be disappointed and enraged to learn that he's not #1.
Heh. 😎
I don't want to see we are all getting older, but Nat was my grandfather's favorite singer!
I remember one of your colleagues at TMFKASR was a strong proponent of Jack Jones's vocal stylings. His voice was excellent
True confession: I like a lot of those 60s pop standard people. Jack Jones is one. Plus I had a huge crush on Australian very gay Lana Cantrell.😎 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qI2sPzocSvo&pp=ygUNTGFuYSBDYW50cmVsbA%3D%3D
This topic has me racked. Too many truly great voices that this 74 year old has listened to - Armstrong, Ray Charles, Dean Martin, Perry Como even Tom Jones .
One of my favorites - Paul Rodgers, a great set of pipes but his catalog is too restricted.
I hate to admit this but I have to give the nod to Bowie. He encompassed a wide mix of styles. Hell he took a risk when he sang with Crosby, an Icon and held his own - a long way from Ziggy.
rob
ps - would have been Crosby but he was most influential pre 1950..
Um, anybody want to cast a vote for Elvis Presley ???
That clip of Nat doing Route 66 does NOT rock. Just sayin’.
It does swing though; but those are two different things.
Jai Guru Dave
I'd go with Otis or Sam Cooke over Nat. Maybe even Jackie Wilson.
You're right about Bowie the chameleon. He lifted his baritone crooner mode from Scott Walker.
BTW, there is a direct line from Crosby to Dean Martin to Elvis.
Ray Charles for me. With honorable mentions to Van Morrison, Louis Armstrong and Marlon Williams (!!)
I can appreciate Nat King Cole's brilliance - Sinatra's too - but the great soul and country singers are more my cup of tea. Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke are all good choices, along with Smokey Robinson, but I'm also going to nominate George Jones and Merle Haggard. And we can't forget Roy Orbison!
Al Green?
As a writer quipped several years ago, "Billy Idol... looks like Sting, sounds like Bing."
as someone more than half through my eighth decade, i know what you mean, steve - i agree emphatically that the singers that were popular in our childhood were really good even if they weren't the style popular during our own adolescence - and finding things to take pleasure in and be thankful for is something i can still do, even in my sunset years - sentimental favorite for me has to be perry como, whose tv show my family watched - to me his songs evoke the blessings of everyday life - "memories are made of this", e.g. - may peace, love, and joy be with us all
Oh god, that’s great.😎
Oh god -- Bowie? Probably my least favorite singer of all time, but that's a subject for another column.
Nat number one definitely some other contenders would be Tony Bennett, Brook Benton and Tommy Edwards.
rs
Exactamundo, my friend.
very late to the party....... but no Sam Cooke? No Jackie Wilson? And SS; you may not include jazz in the 'popular' canon, but Johnny Hartman does it for me. Listen to "Don't You Know I Care" from 'I Just Dropped By to Say Hello"
I’m really not looking to start a fight but I have to say Tony Bennett has always made my skin crawl.
How about a little love for Mel Torme?
Captain Al
Post a Comment