HERE IS AN ARTICLE LISTING WHAT FOR THE AUTHOR, ARE THE 15 TOP VOCALISTS OF ALL TIME IN THE SHOW, AMERICAN IDOL.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT INSPITE OF THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THIS YEAR's BATCH IS THE STRONGEST GROUP OF PERFORMERS EVER, ONLY ELLIOTT MADE IT TO THE TOP 15.
Neither TAYLOR, KAT nor CHRIS IMPRESSED THE AUTHOR AT ALL.
COMMENTS/DISAGREEMENTS WELCOME
http://mediafiends.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7681&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 American Idol: R45S: Best AI Vocalists of ALL Time: The Fifteen
Posted by: Jlynn206 on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:16 AM PST
After careful consideration of range, pitch, tone/quality, technique, and creativity; I have come up with the list to end all lists. The best vocalists this show has seen over the past five seasons! See if you agree!
By Jlynn206
I have had a rough week. My usual readers will know why, for anyone new, let’s just say my man is gone! I also lost some of my favorite students ever to cheaper schools and far away countries. Oh the sadness…oh the despair. Yeah, it pretty much sucked. I hadn’t been inspired to write anything, and was even having trouble listening to E’s performances, because I would just get too sad. But now I’m back, and I’m here to let you know, who can really, really sing!
It is important to look at the criteria of what it takes to make this list, before you send me angry emails because your favorite is not on it. We have had many a great singer on this show, however, here we are looking for WAY more than just a great singer. We aren’t just looking for you to be able to belt higher than the high E, though that does come into play, we are looking for a combination of the best range, tone, technique, and creativity that made your voice memorable and consistent. Consistency is very important here, as while doing my research, if you have a few truly AWFUL performances, than that bumps you off. Again, there are enough people who never had a truly awful performance, that we just don’t got the space man….
*also important. If you sing incorrectly, I mean just entirely incorrectly, this may be the reason you are not on the list, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a great recording voice, just means you can’t be considered a vocalist, if you will….
Let’s give some quick definitions:
RANGE: How many notes a singer can sing well, from way down low, to way up high. A belting range would just consider the notes a singer sings loudly up high in their chest voice, as apposed to their head voice or falsetto. Think singing with a more breathy quality. Email me if none of that made sense and I’ll give you specifics.
TONE/QUALITY: This would be almost the essence of a singer’s voice. It can be worked on, especially if you are nasal or too throaty, that’s placement problems, but for the most part, this is what God gave ya. Think of Ruben’s silky smooth tone, Elliott’s more rough, bluesy quality, or Clay’s piercing (in a good way), sometimes twangy tonality.
TECHNIQUE: There are a lot of variables in executing some great singing. You don’t have to be trained by a professional to have good technique, though some people can’t get there alone. Many are born with the innate ability to hear things with severely awesome musicality, and many learn from the music they listen to and can get quite far from seeing what they can do with their voice in comparison. Think of when singers do runs, and when they sound good or bad. Think of when a singer gets out of breath, to when they hold out soaring notes with ease, or keep it together during up-tempo numbers. Also, consider the variety in a singer’s vocal performances, can they float through different genres with ease, or do you worry for them?
CREATIVITY: Think Kelly Clarkson jumping two octaves to hit that incredibly high note in the middle of “Natural Woman.” Then think of Bucky or Nikki and how their main focus was just on hitting the notes, not seeing what exciting, inventive jump they could do. Song choice can even be considered here. Do they make the song their own? Do they try and copy the original note for note and run for run? Do they change up the tempo or the feel to the song?
I hope that helped and I would be happy to try and explain things better for you, as I don’t know how good of a job I did. But, if a favorite of yours is left of the list, please go back and reread, or email me asking why before biting my head off. I promise, I’ve got a good reason for their absence, and I probably like them too! I worked hard on this list and reevaluated many a past performance. A few of my favorites aren’t anywhere to be seen, and some that I don’t like at all…well they are on this list….
THE BEST AMERICAN IDOL VOCALISTS OF ALL TIME:
15. JENNIFER HUDSON:
Stand Out Performances: “Circle of Life” and “Weekend in New England”
It may be surprising that Jennifer is so low on this list, but beat out people higher than her for “Dream Girls.” Well, we’re just considering the show here, and while Jennifer has a delectable range and a magic tone, at the time she just wasn’t showcasing her technique and creativity to the maximum. Her vocal performances blended together for me. Anyway, that’s why she’s not higher, however, the girl can sing. She’s got this powerful, almost melodramatic gospel sound, which perfectly describes another Jennifer, Jennifer Holliday, who originally played Effie in said “Dream Girls.” I prefer Jennifer, to Mandisa’s similar sound, as Jennifer’s sound is richer and she also doesn’t have the vocal problems in her lower range.
14. VONZELL SOLOMAN:
Stand Out Performances: “Treat me Nice,” “When You Tell me That You Love Me,” “Let’s Hear it For the Boys,” and “On the Radio”
For barely making the list, Vonzell had a few more I could have mentioned. Like the time she belted the jump in “How Do I Live Without You,” which LeeAnn herself could not have done. Vonzell could have placed higher, but she is really one of the most inconsistent people on the list, though she never had an awful performance. Her vocal tenacity survived decent performances of “If I Aint Got You” and “Respect.” She has this fresh and edgy sound to her high belting, that kept me listening the whole season. Her runs were usually dead on and her breath control was impeccable, as she did many fast songs with ease and could whip out a held note. I think a bit more time spent on not letting nerves effect her technique, and she will soar.
13. RICKEY SMITH:
Stand Out Performances: “The Way You Make Me Feel” (Hollywood rounds), “One Last Cry,” and “Endless Love.”
Call me crazy if you want, but this kid can sing and consistently. “Let’s Groove” being close to bad, but not awful, could have kept him off here, but to me he would have out sang Ruben in the end, but he didn’t get the chance to get that far. (because of an obnoxious one time weird carry over a week vote, that some fans didn’t worry about.) He can high belt and connect to his falsetto with unusual ease and actually sang Brian and Lionel without looking like an idiot, sorry Kevin Covais. Creativity is what keeps him from moving any higher, and the fact that we just didn’t get to hear him sing that much.
12. TRENYCE:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Let’s Stay Together”
Stand Out Performances: “Come See About Me,” “I Have Nothing,” and “Proud Mary”
I was not a huge fan of her throaty quality, but she really held her own and was quite consistent. She nailed her runs, and her unique tone helped make all songs sound her own. She had great range and breath control, and was probably the best “I Have Nothing” we ever got, though I can’t bear to go back and actually reevaluate ALL seventeen hundred of them. TO me lack of great creativity and the need for a fixing of the throatiness keeps her from busting through the into the top 10.
11. DIANA DEGARMO:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Don’t Cry Out Loud”
Stand Out Performances: “Broken Wing,” “One Voice,” “No More Tears,” “I Got the Music in Me,” “Think”
Dang this girl’s sorry mid range, because she could have been put up way higher! This teenager earned her spot mostly on her fantastic high belt, her crazy breath control for held notes and wild key changes, and her ability to make every genre seem easy. Now, she’s not higher up on this list because of the nasality to her tone and the inconsistent 5 notes from what I’m guessing is F/G to like B/C (just above middle C) in what truly is the middle of Diana’s belting range. Therefore, inconsistency holds her back. But let’s all take a moment and relive the magic of “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” Now THAT my friends, was a REAL MOMENT.
10. CARRIE UNDERWOOD:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Alone,” and “Independence Day” (holly.rounds)
Stand Out Performances: “God Bless the Broken Road,” “Could’ve Been,” “Cryin”
Now this was a conscience decision on my part that I would let “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” which was inarguably her one truly dreadful performance, slide. Had she had one more that was awful like that, I would have had to say sayonara. However, let’s try and forget things like MaCarthur’s Park” for a minute, or the fact that she made “Independence Day” seem like a happy song and just focus on vocals. This girl has a wonderful, almost youthful tone. Her belting has a great quality to it and can just soar on the right song. What she lacked in creativity and inventiveness she really covered for with her dynamic range and tone. “Alone” was just INCREDIBLE!!!
9. RUBEN STUDDARD:
Stand Out Performances: “Super Star” (any of the 400 times he sang it,) “A Whole New World,” “Sweet Home Alabama”
This guy was consistent. He was NEVER pitchy, he had a nice range, a silky tone, his runs were on….however, I dare you to remember these performances: “Kiss and Say Goodbye,” “Nights on Broadway,” “How can You Mend a Broken Heart,” or “If Ever I’m in Your Arms Again.” Seriously, those who watched season 2, do you remember? If ever there was a vocalist who might as well of had one big long combined vocal medley, it’s Ruben. Let us remember his silky, velvet vocals. However, sometimes consistency at the sake of taking any vocal risks or stretching yourself creatively leads to a very monotonous season and a very anti-climactic win.
8. RJ HELTON:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Lately”
Stand Out Performances: “Arthur’s Theme”
Some of you might be thinking this list is getting kind of strange with RJ’s inclusion. However, we’re looking purely at consistent vocals here, which is why Carrie and Diana were pushed back. Were this based solely on range then yeah, but there’s much to consider. Consistency in pitch and placement reign supreme on a list like this, and this guy NEVER had a bad night vocally. His tone was a dream, albeit possibly a boy band dream, but it was just so dang nice. If Justin had RJ’s tone or RJ had Justin’s performing skills, combined they could have actually made things…oh I don’t know…a little hard for the Clarkson. RJ sang his way into the top 10 on wildcard night with “Lately.” His runs were on, and were always on. His voice could kind of melt you.
7. EJAY DAY:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “I’ll Be”
Stand Out Performance: “My Girl”
Okay, so this guy came from complete obscurity as a last minute alternate to blow America completely away. Yeah we didn’t get to hear much from him, but that’s what makes his voice so impossibly incredible. If you want to hear falsetto, come to Ejay, not Ace. His range blows Clay out of the water, as he can belt with the best of them, but also falsetto circles around Clay. Creativity…holy cow…find his “I’ll Be,” somewhere, anywhere, talk about making it YOUR OWN! I can’t imagine where he would have placed had we gotten to hear him sing more than twice. Silly Americans who voted for A.J., Nikki, and Ryan……
6. FANTASIA:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Summertime”
Stand Out Performances: “Fool in Love,” and many similar performances….
Okay, so I had to sit for a full minute and not hit my head into a wall. I’m not a Fantasia fan, but like Ruben, she was insanely consistent in what she did. Therefore, if you are a fan of her very unique tone, I like to think it’s Macy Gray if Macy actually had a range, then this girl is probably the best thing since sliced bread. She has one of those tones that makes everything sound like it’s hers, she does some creative things, but they weren’t creative enough to make me a fan. She’s got quite a range on her…look….the girl can sing whether I like her voice or not and she never had even a bad performance. I just can’t discuss it anymore, I still get hostile.
5. TAMYRA GRAY:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “House is Not a Home” and “I am Telling You”
Stand Out Performances: “Fool in Love,” “Minnie the Moocher,” “If I were You’re Woman”
Oh could this girl sing. The emotion came through her vocals and were just magic. She made you stop and listen, with an impeccable range, a tone that had some roughness along with its beauty, and great breath control. She was great creatively and when she went home the chances of the greatest sing off in AI history fell to shambles. I can’t even imagine Kelly and Tamyra trying to one up each other on “A Moment Like This.” Just listen to the duet they recorded on Kelly’s cd, damn!
4. LATOYA LONDON:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “All By Myself,” “Somewhere”
Stand Out Performances: “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
This lady usually TOPS my vocal lists without a second thought, but this time I gave the second thought. Belting the highest note ever belted on idol is quite a feat, but doesn’t make your vocals the most memorable all around. Looking back at LaToya’s performances, I realized there were a couple vocals I couldn’t even recall. Money notes alone, a memorable vocal do not make. I think my mind is going numb. Anyway, I adore LaToya’s tone and creative high belt runs even more than Kelly herself. This is why she usually ends up first. However, stand out memorable vocals come into play when we’re down to the final 5, flat out, INCREDIBLE singers. So I let this be the deciding factor. Let us BASK in the heavenly memory of “All By Myself,” which has that high G# belted effortlessly by Miss London.
3. ELLIOTT YAMIN:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Moody’s Mood for Love,” “A Song For You,” and “Trouble”
Stand Out Performances: “If You Really Love Me,” “I Don’t Wanna Be,” “Somebody to Love,” “If I Can Dream,” “Teach Me Tonight”
I believe that in a couple years I will be able to judge post idol singing and bump Elliott up even more. Clay has him on range and that’s the only thing that really edged Clay ahead, they were neck and neck for best male vocalist of all time. Elliott’s tone is just absolutely to die for. He can throw that vibrato around like a battle axe, and slice you with his soulful, bluesy, jazzy, edgy qualities. It is safe to say that Elliott is THE MOST creative, inventive singer we’ve ever had, hands down. If I did a creative count down he’d be number one hands down. This kid NEVER had a bad VOCAL performance, which is absolutely pertinent to making the top 4 on this list. His phrasing, control, and runs made EVERY song his song, but he had enough variety so it didn’t all blend ala Ruben, like it could have. Just compare the bluesy, rock, gospel tinged “I Don’t Wanna Be,” to the smooth, jazzy, subtle “It Had to Be You.” Elliott doesn’t just change his volume control, he changes everything up. There aren’t enough words to get into his impeccable runs. I think they changed my life vocally. Go back and read my past articles on him, I go into disgusting amounts of detail.
2. CLAY AIKEN:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “This is the Night,” “Unchained Melody,” and “Solitaire”
Stand Out Performances: “Mack the Knife,” “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch,” “Build Me Up,” “Tell Her About It,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”
The range. The spot on pitch. The ability to pierce a note straight through your heart. I personally enjoy deeper, rougher tones if I’m just going to stick some music on in my car, thus Chris Daughtry like voices tend to get more airplay….actually John Legend voices as well, but no matter what tone you prefer, Clay has one of the best male voices of all time. The kid can sing anything, anytime, anyplace, just go to his next tour. Clay made many a recognizable song his own, and wowed us OVER AND OVER again. He even made his schmaltzy single worth listening to with one of the most beautiful vocals I’ve ever heard.
1. KELLY CLARKSON:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Respect,” “Natural Woman,” “Without You,” “A Moment Like This,” “Surrender,” “Stuff Like That There”
Okay, everything this girl sang turned to instant vocal hit. You can say what you want about how tired her voice is now, but when it counts this girl turns it ON. She makes every song her own, has a range like a dream, and just such an awesome tone. She’s got a rough, edge to her voice that makes her be able to sell the hard stuff, and this beautiful head voice and vibrato that can sell ANY BALLAD ANYTIME. Seriously, this girl can make ANY SONG sound worth while. Just ask the writer of “Before Your Love.” Kelly, like Elliott changes it up every time she sings a song. She’s that good at improvising amazing runs! She has almost completely solidified her place on the vocalists of our time list, and she is the most undiva like female to hit Hollywood. Watch out Mariah and Whitney, because this girl won’t have a melt down, she’ll just keep singing her heart out.
Honorable Mention: George Huff, Justin Guarini, Kim Locke, Nikko, and Paris
This is Jlynn206, who is happy to answer any and all emails kind or cruel. You can email me at Jlynn206 at aol.com
THE WORLD ALMOST LOST TAYLOR TO A JOB IN FINANCE :(
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-taylorhicksidolfeature,0,3585361.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines
'Idol' Finale Preview: Taylor Talks
'Idol' success rescued silver-haired crooner from a banking gig
By Daniel Fienberg
May 22 2006
Taylor Hicks of 'American Idol'Four months ago, the idea of Taylor Hicks, hair prematurely silver, mannerisms preternaturally Cocker-esque, as an "American Idol" winner might have seemed absurd.
Now, as the 29-year-old Alabama native joins Katharine McPhee in the "Idol" Finals, the only thing truly absurd is the possibility that Hicks was close to packing it in and taking a day job.
"Yeah, I was at a crossroads kind of before I went out for 'American Idol,'" Hicks admits on a pre-finale phone call with reporters. "I was at the crossroads of music, whether I was going to go work at a local bank or whether I was going to keep playing in clubs. Luckily this opportunity arose and I was able to do that."
What would Hicks' devoted fans -- many of them members of the so-called "Soul Patrol" -- have done this season if he'd spent his spring making withdrawals and deposits? Hicks is honored to have inspired such rabid adulation.
"I just believe in the soul of music It could be rap, hip-hop," he explains. "It could be anything, but as long as it can translate a feeling, that's kind of where I come from in music. The Soul Patrol, it has so many different meanings, but I think it's just an idea of just having more soul and depth. They're just a great bunch of fans. What can I say?"
Hicks had equal praise for his competition, 22-year-old McPhee.
"She has amazing vocal runs," Hicks raves. "She's had some great moments on the show. It's so cool to see somebody that talented and with that amazing vocal talent, just to be able to watch them. I'm a fan."
Despite a life-changing season of shrieking audiences and brushes with celebrity, Hicks remains the kind of down-to-earth guy who describes his ideal woman as "funny, entertaining, obviously easy on the eyes and can cook turnip greens," the kind of guy who says that what he anticipates most about the "Idol" tour this summer is the bus.
"Well, you know, as a struggling musician before 'American Idol,' I would always be on the road traveling at night, place to place, and... you would see buses on the road in Alabama going to their next destination," he recalls. "And I would always dream about being on one and now I have the opportunity."
While some experts have expressed concerns about how Hicks would be able to fit into the contemporary music scene should he win, the singer has no such concerns.
"I'm worried about my fans and the people that like me as opposed to what's mainstream," Hicks says. "I'm a musician and I'm going to be a musician and a soul singer for the rest of my life."
He adds, "Mainstream music is a very interesting beast. If I play a part in that in the next year or so, then fine; but if I don't, somebody will be seeing me be funky somewhere."
The last "American Idol" performance episode airs Tuesday (May 23) night, with the results coming at the end of Wednesday's two-hour finale.
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-katharinemcpheeidolfeature,0,844449.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines
'Idol' Finale Preview: Katharine Talks
McPhee remains confident, but not over-confident
By Daniel Fienberg
May 22 2006
Katherine McPhee on 'American Idol'Although she's set to face Taylor Hicks in this week's "American Idol" Finals, Katharine McPhee sounds surprisingly relaxed.
"I think at this point I feel so much freer in the sense of like that competition mode, that it's still a competition left, but it's that we both have won," she explains. "We both have record deals now; we both are going to have the same kind of press and stuff like that. I just feel so grateful at this point that anything that happens is just going to, for me, I don't think I'm going to take any steps backward this next week."
That last statement is a reference to a comment made a week ago by acerbic judge Simon Cowell. Following a performance of "Over The Rainbow" that the judges agreed was her best of the season, McPhee sang "I Ain't Got Nothin' Like the Blues" causing Cowell to declare that she'd ended the show with a step backward. Despite frequent criticism from the judges, the 22-year-old from Sherman Oaks, California has faced the perception of over-confidence within the online fan community.
She scoffs at the notion.
"I think that's actually ridiculous to say," she notes calmly. "I don't know, too confident, what people don't realize is that what they see on TV is all they see. I have never, for once, ever gone, 'Oh, I'm going to win this thing.' And I think the fact that I have not ever stated that or ever been too confident is the fact that I'm still here."
Talking to reports on the eve of the "Idol" finale, though, McPhee is called to task for a number of the snap judgments made by the show's extremely vocal viewers. She also responded to any feelings that she was too happy after Elliott Yamin's elimination last week.
"[I]t's an awkward thing," she admits. "I mean, think about it -- you made it through the next round and yet someone is going home. Obviously your excited and you're in the Top Two. So I don't regret being excited about making it through the Top Two. If that hurts me, then so be it. It's a ridiculous notion to me that you can't be excited for the fact that you made it to the Top Two. It is sad that Elliott went home, but I made it through and it was such a close, close margin. And I apologize for looking happy, I guess."
One of McPhee's secrets this season, it seems, has been to avoid listening to what people have been saying about her.
"I think as soon as you start believing your own press is when you get started to get into trouble," says McPhee. "And I think it kind of makes you a little cuckoo too, because you think everyone is talking about you and saying negative things, and I'd just rather be positive, to be quite frank."
The singer, who was living the life of a regularly auditioning, occasionally working aspiring actress before "Idol," finds it easy to be positive about her competition.
"I think Taylor is just really free on stage," she raves. "If I get nervous a lot of times I can kind of clench up and not be as free and spontaneous, and I think that that's something that Taylor is really, really great about doing."
McPhee adds, "But we're both so different, so it's just going to depend on what America wants."
The last "American Idol" performance episode airs Tuesday (May 23) night, with the results coming at the end of Wednesday's two-hour finale.
