Best singer/musician ever?

• gut

  So taking into account musicianship....and vocals/song writing who is the best ever? What I mean is a widely recognized great instrumental player, who also was lead singer on multi-platinum albums.
  
  Some examples would be Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Prince, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, Stevie Ray Vaughan...and many others.
  
  
  What say you? My vote is a toss-up between Stevie Wonder and Ray...gotta go with Ray because he was basically also a conductor.
• believer

  

  Diana Krall...Not only does she have a phenomenal voice and is a fine pianist, she's got some eye candy appeal as well!
  
  [video=youtube;D85KVRg11Ys][/video]
• Con_Alma

  believer;1612338 wrote:Diana Krall...Not only does she have a phenomenal voice and is a fine pianist, she's got some eye candy appeal as well!
  
  [video=youtube;D85KVRg11Ys][/video]

  
  Great choice. Ridiculously talented lady.
• vball10set

  Paul McCartney, hands down.
• salto

  

  He does not make the Mt. Rushmore of GOAT singer/musicians ever but Chris Cornell is towards the top.
• sportchampps

  I'm not sure who would be the best but I would throw in Trent Reznor, Hendrix, Duane Allman, and BB King.
  
  Ill go with Hendrix.
• TedSheckler

  

  Rebecca Black
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Michael Jackson
• Tigerfan00

  

  ccrunner609;1612348 wrote:Pete Townsend

  You would.
• Laley23

  

  Clapton, but I'm biased. Love his work.
• Dr Winston O'Boogie

  

  A tie between Lennon and McCartney, but only during the time together. Solo, they were both great, but together, they each transcended their own talent and either one was better than anyone else.
• reclegend22

  

  Richard Ashcroft. Considered by some to be the greatest singer living, the man is an overall brilliant musician, but as far as vocalists and composers go, I can't fathom one better. Ashcroft's work on Urban Hymns with The Verve in the '90s delivered the music world one of the greatest and most criminally under-appreciated albums in history. If not the greatest musician ever, Ashcroft is in rarified air.
• sleeper

  

  Jason Derulo.
• OSH

  

  Allison Krauss
• steubbigred

  gut;1612330 wrote:So taking into account musicianship....and vocals/song writing who is the best ever? What I mean is a widely recognized great instrumental player, who also was lead singer on multi-platinum albums.
  
  Some examples would be Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Prince, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, Stevie Ray Vaughan...and many others.
  
  
  What say you? My vote is a toss-up between Stevie Wonder and Ray...gotta go with Ray because he was basically also a conductor.

  Elton John, Michael Jackson,John Lennon,George Harrison,Smokey Robinson,Barry Gordy(Influence),Marvin Gaye,The Rolling Stones,Frank Sinatra,Janis Joplin,Santana,Metallica,Led Zep,Eagles,Bob Marley,Johnny Cash,Elvis,Pink Floyd,Nirvana,Barry White,STP,The Temptations. Just to name a few more . It all depends on your favorite music.
• gut

  ccrunner609;1612565 wrote:A great performer but he didn't write any of his songs. Neither did Elvis.

  This isn't about best singer/songwriter or even great singers that could also play an instrument competently...I'm really talking great instrumentalists who also excelled as vocalists. I don't believe Elvis would be considered a great guitarist or piano player.
• gut

  steubbigred;1612570 wrote:Elton John, Michael Jackson,John Lennon,George Harrison,Smokey Robinson,Barry Gordy(Influence),Marvin Gaye,The Rolling Stones,Frank Sinatra,Janis Joplin,Santana,Metallica,Led Zep,Eagles,Bob Marley,Johnny Cash,Elvis,Pink Floyd,Nirvana,Barry White,STP,The Temptations. Just to name a few more . It all depends on your favorite music.

  I agree with many of those. But what I'm really going for is Clapton is widely regarded as a top-5 guitarist. Maybe not the greatest vocalist, but he's sold 79M albums. Phil Collins is not nearly that highly regarded as a drummer, but he's a name that will come up in top-25 - 63M albums as a soloist and another 63M with Genesis. McCartney is considered a great bass player, and well no need to talk about how many albums he's sold.
  
  Stevie Wonder, for example, I'd have to give a decent edge to vocally and instrumentally over Ray Charles, but Ray has a lot of "x-factor" to his credit.
• GoChiefs

  

  ccrunner609;1612565 wrote:A great performer but he didn't write any of his songs. Neither did Elvis.

  gut;1612572 wrote:This isn't about best singer/songwriter

  
  

  gut;1612330 wrote:So taking into account musicianship....and vocals/song writing who is the best ever?

• pmoney25

  

  Billy Joel
• gut

  GoChiefs;1612576 wrote:

  Didn't think it was that complicated...I specifically mentioned being great at playing an instrument, not just who was the best singer/songwriter.
• gut

  ccrunner609;1612578 wrote:Looks like the OP doens teven know what he is posting about.

  You don't read too well, huh? Good thing you're a gym teacher.
  

  gut;1612330 wrote:...What I mean is a widely recognized great instrumental player, who also was lead singer on multi-platinum albums.

• GoChiefs

  

  gut;1612582 wrote:Didn't think it was that complicated...I specifically mentioned being great at playing an instrument, not just who was the best singer/songwriter.

  I get that, but you also mentioned song writing like it was part of the criteria. Oh well, not really that important. Carry on.
• dlazz

  Little Wayne
• Belly35

  

  Freddie Mercury
  Willie Nelson
• reclegend22

  

  In addition to Richard Ashcroft, I'd also nominate Thom Yorke. An acclaimed multi-instrumentalist on the piano, guitar, bass and electronic keyboard and one of the best singer-songwriters of all-time, he is the lead vocalist for arguably the greatest alt rock band ever (personally, I prefer the The Verve) which has sold close to 40 million records. More than anything else perhaps, York's sheer creativity as a musician accords him a seat at this table.