Top Soul Singers and/or Soul Groups to ever emerge? Give me your opinion?!
Question: along the lines of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, The O'Jays and The Spinners
Answers: along the lines of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, The O'Jays and The Spinners
The Stylistics
The Dramatics
The Four Tops
The Intruders
The Impressions
Curtis Mayfield
Jerry Butler
Bobby Bland
Johnny Nash
Johnnie Taylor
Al Wilson
O.C. Smith
Clarence Carter
The Honey Cone
Freda Payne
100 Proof Aged In Soul
Chairmen Of The Board
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Roberta Flack
Donny Hathaway
Luther Vandross
James Ingram
The Isley Brothers
The Neville Brothers
Otis Redding
Aretha Franklin
Even though there are a lot of great artists who recorded for Motown, I did not list them because I wanted to show that there were a lot of great artists who recorded for other labels.
four tops, chaka kahn, patti labelle,
I wouldn't say number 1, but I'd put Babyface and Luther Vandross amongst your list.
Otis Redding
The Temptations
The Four Tops
Aretha Franklin
The Chi-Lites
Tina Turner
Randy Crawford
Brenda Russell
Aretha Franklin
Natalie Cole
Chaka Khan
Luther Vandross
Stevie Wonder
Marvin Gaye
all those groups like O'Jays. and the ones who belted out "Sadie" and "Brandy" (old songs, u know em?)
Freddie Jackson
I'll give you a mix of Old AND Young--these are some of the BEST:
--Aretha Franklin (the Queen!)
--Mary J. Blige (watch her live at any awards show on TV, and you'll see why I include her)
--Chaka Khan (no words can describe her--amazing)
--Whitney Houston (in the 80's & early 90's--her voice may have been one of the best of the 20th century)
--Mariah Carey (great voice)
--Luther Vandross ( a LEGEND)
--Stephanie Mills (very powerful but under-rated soul singer, just listen to her sing "Home" from the Wiz, and you'll see why)
--Anita Baker ( an amazing soulstress)
--Sade (not the typical soul voice--but her delivery of powerful lyrics makes her great, almost like a modern Bille Holiday)
--Sarah Vaughn ( almost every woman on this list has imitated her--she's a jazz legend)
--Judy Garland (she's white but she can sing her as$ off as good as any black soul artist--listen to her live versions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", and you'll be in tears)
--Jennifer Holiday (to me, her performance of the original "And I am Telling You" is literally one of the best vocal performances of the 20th century--hands down)
--Michael Jackson in his youth (yeah, I know, I know, everybody wants to kick Michael; but people forget about the "genious Micheal"..Listen to "Got To Be There", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", and "I Want You Back"--and there's no denying that his voice was absolutely un-real.)
Patti LaBelle!! (almost forgot her--Oh My God--is she even Human!?--or did she fall from Heaven? Nobody can hit Notes Like Her!!--dont let her sing "You Are My Friend"--even the meanest person would bust out crying)
& MAHALIA JACKSON (most people have forgotten her; but she was truly the greatest gospel singer of the 20 Century. Listen to "Troubles of the World", "Move On Up a Little Higher" and "How I Got Over"--and you will be listening to a woman in God's own heavenily chrous. )
Ok---thats my 2 cents; and I think that almost any musical historian would agree with many of the people on this list. Take Care :)
joe
gerald levert
temptations
brian mcknight
blackstreet
James Brown
Otis Redding
Booker T. & The MGs
Marvin Gaye
Stevie Wonder
The Temptations
The Four Tops
Brenda Holloway
Junior Walker & The All-Stars
Sly & The Family Stone
The O'Jays
The Spinners
The Chi-Lites
The Stylistics
Donny Hathaway
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
I'm sure there are others I've forgotten.