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I'm going to leave hard rock out of this (too specialised), but who would you consider to have the best singing voices in popular music.

From the male side, I'm opting for Scott Walker----with a notable mention for Paul Jones.

Women----Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox; but best of the bunch, the late, great Ms Karen Carpenter.

Flame away, guys---but provide your own choices.

Is there such a thing as the best?

Count out those that have that awful habit of over singing ie Mariah Carey

So many performers but how many have used their voices to best effect

Bernard Fanning - powder finger

Enya.....hard to know if its real or just the studio technology a play

I was judging by having heard them sing on live shows, rather than just studio work. Walker's voice is haunting. I'm even considering looking out his avant garde, scare the shite out of people, later albums.

Carpenter may have sung some rather ordinary songs, but she made them extraordinary. There's a warmth to her voice that draws you in.

I chose Lennox because she is a diva, with a strong voice, but she doesn't act it. Carey and others hold a note for ages just because they can. Lennox does it when it needs to be done.

In that case best screaming voice

Jimmy Barnes Cold Chisel....blew a PA once and the volume of his voice didn't drop

For a pure voice Ian Moss....Cold Chisel

Lennox has always been class...right image for the voice
The eurthymics were simply sublind IMHO

Carpenter had the voice of an angel

Jenny Morris always had a distinctive voice and the choice of songs was brilliant...another from marts part of the world...80s

Martha Davis from the Motels always oozed class....80s

Sharleen Spiteri of texas sounded awesome(alas studio/radio)

Suze de marchi ...baby animals...90s

Rose coloured sun glasses welded to head...lol

I'm heartily ashamed to say I'm unfamiliar with some of those names.

But hopefully the shame won't stop me sleeping. Night, Buttsie.

Perish the thought

Its not uncommon for small local artists not to be known outside of their country let alone hemisphere

I'd never heard of half of the musical recommendations you gave in a thread I posted way back

Scott Walker was very good agree ,also David bowie,Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin ,Wayne Fontana was very underated too.

I go for Paul Jones and Elkie Brooks

For me the greatest of the last century have to be Pavarotti, Elvis, Sinatra and Roy Orbison.

Apologies if you consider him hard rock but there aren't many better than Paul Rodgers.