Top 30 Voices Of The Decade
Posted on 24. Dec, 2009 by admin in Entertainment, Music
Despite claims of music being saturated in the modern era and dumbed down (or clubbed up) for the younger audience there are still a host of musicians willing to break that barrier and produce quality music.
The music industry is brimming with old and young talent who we have been lucky enough to have the pleasure of hearing in the last decade or so. There are voices that have stuck out for their power in belting out ballads and some that have caught our attention with subtle acoustic renditions; whatever the volume they have shone above the rest.
Pbleepd commemorates those voices by compiling a list of the top 30 voices of the last decade (in no particular order).
Marsha Ambrosius
Sexy, Sultry and Powerful voice who wowed us in the first half of the deacde as part of UK duo Floetry with her vocal chords over sensual lyrics. Now Solo she continues to amaze with great live performances and memorable mixtapes. Stand out songs include “Getting Late” “I Lost You” and “Feelings”
Floetry - Say Yes
Teedra Moses
Teedra’s debut album “Complex Simplicity” showcased an old school yet youthful composition and new fans were blessed to hear a range of great R&B joints and soulful ballads. Songs such as “Take Me” “Backstoke” and “Be Your Girl” were amongst favourites
Teedra Moses - No More Tears
Jill Scott
Jill burst onto the music scene this decade and solidified herself at the forefront of Neo-Soul with amazing songwriting, vocals skills and relatable content. A true voice of a woman she could flip the script with shy, light riffs to powerful vocal chords. “Long Walk” “Golden” and “Easy Convesation” amongst her best.
Jill Scott - Everything (Comes To The Light)
James Morrison
3 years ago a young 22-year old scored a debut single that became a hit in Europe, Australia and Asia, since then James Morrison hasnt looked back. His mature and raspy chords complimented by his guitar have made him a firm favourite; the blue-eyed soul crooner is a legend in the making. His first two singles “You Give Me Something” and “Wonderful World” are classic radio hits.
James Morrison - You Make It Real
Amy Winehouse
There’s no denying Amy has been a revelation in the music scene with a voice built for listening to. Her timeless music has earned her a plethora of awards; she makes singing look easy hardly popping a nerve when she sings. “Back To Black” “Valerie” and “In My Bed” all great hits
Beyonce
One of the most recognisable voices of the decade; Beyonce’s talent lies in the passion she exerts in her voice. No matter what genre whether it be R&B, Pop or Gospel you can hear and feel the power of her vocals. A modern Tina Turner she can excite, educate and entertain with her great range whether it was leading Destiny’s Child or going solo. “Me Myself and I”, “Emotions” and “Halo” are just a few.
Beyonce - Dangerously In Love
Musiq Soulchild
Musiq has one of those voices you never get tired of coupled with his relatable storytelling in his lyrics. Mature in sound and continuous in range his voice is recognisable with fans of Modern R&B and Neo Soul. His harmonies are breath-taking and when he sings, you feel. “Half Crazy” “PreviousCats” and “WhoKnows” are fan favourites
Musiq Soulchild - Love
Maxwell
Ask any lady and they’ll tell you, Maxwell’s voice makes them melt. He effortlessly changes range with his silky smooth chords and exeeds class and maturity with his lyrics. His long awaited return from absence this year caused a stir and he came back with ultimate classics. “Get To Know Ya” “Pretty Wings” and “This Woman’s Work” part of some great Maxwell joints this decade.
Brandy
Brandy continues to amaze, an amazing voice from such a humble woman. Her voice stands out for it’s uniqueness; deep and sexy it fits on all modern love records, whether slow or up-tempo. When partnered with the right producers (Timbaland and/or Rodney Jerkins) she creates nothing but magic, her albums in the first half of the decade are testament to that. “Who Is She To You” and “Should I Go” <– good tracks
Brandy - Full Moon
Yolanda Adams
Only one word to describe this woman’s voice, outstanding. The gospel singer has an enviale an enviable range that she can effortless change and control with each riff. Powerful and graceful in sound Yolanda has a gift from above that uses to envoke the spirit of unity and happiness in her audience. Breathtaking. “Someone Watching Over You” and her rendition of “Georgia On My Mind” amongst amazing tracks
Robin Thicke
Thicke has a smooth, light and sexy tone marketable to all ages. His gentleman persona transcends in his music; and as listeners we are able to become a fan of his great work. A mix of classic high pitches over great guitar instrumentals is his forte and what makes him easily one of the best voices of the decade. “When I Get You Alone” “Lost Without You” and “Ask Myself”
Robin Thicke - Teach You A Lesson
Mary J Blige
Power and Passion go hand in hand when it comes to Ms Blige. This decade Mary flipped the script and started producing songs outside of the normal sad love songs. Her voice has still remained as strong as ever as she belts out both ballads and up-tempo club bangers. Labelled Queen of R&B her longevity is never out of the question as she continues to show up and comers how to sing with heart and mind alike. “No More Drama” “Be Without You” and “Family Affair” are three out of a long line of hits this decade.
Mary J Blige - Love At First Sight
Jaheim
Jahiem’s voice represents that classic R&B so regularly associated with the 90s. He brought a new element of maturity to the genre with smooth joints and original lyrics. Without a doubt he’s had one of the standout albums of the decade in Still Ghetto and you are bound to hear sucj tracks as “Just In Case” “Beauty and the Thug” & “Put That Woman First” in a club or car stereo
Jaheim - Could It Be
John Legend
Distinctive, Original and Welcoming are three words to describe the amazing voice of John Legend. Album after album this decade listeners have been blessed with the simple yet creative sounds of Legend as he brought a uniquely sounding perspective of love and relationships. Ask anybody who has seen him live and they will say he’s one of the best they’ve seen. “Get Lifted” “Ordinary People” and “Used To Love You” are some of his best.
John Legend - Its Over
Adele
She’s a grammy award winner for a reason. Adele has an amazing gift of telling a story through her vocal arrangement. Whether low or high you can grasp what themeand feeling she’s portraying in each voice. Refreshing and Talented, Adele is sure to be the voice of the next decade also. “DayDreamer” and “Chasing Pavements” already classics in a promising career.
Anthony Hamilton
So many times I’ve played Anthony Hamilton in a stereo and 9 times out of 10 a person Im with will ask “Who’s that?”. Hamilton’s voice captures you when you hear him sing, his sound is a big contrast to today’s music and he is appreciated for it. He represents the growing breed of true talent who are underrated. “Hard To Breathe” “Coming From Where Im From” & “Everybody” are an example of his great work
Anthony Hamilton - Charlene
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae has slowly but surely made it onto a big stage as she hunts for global domination. She can adapt her voice to anything with R&B, Pop, Electro & Alternative being a number of genres we have heard her on so far. Strong and charasmatic in tone, expect to hear more of Monae’s voice in the next decade. Great songs from this decade were “Letting Go” “Many Moons” and “You”
Janelle Monae - Cloud 9
Ledisi
A soulstress with an amazing gift, Ledisi’s voice exudes confidence and strength. Her releases this decade have been quiet in advertisement but loud in presence as she masters the mixture of great vocals and great songwriting. Songs that stick to the mind of her listeners are “Alright” and “Higher Than This”.
Ledisi - In The Morning
Amos Lee
Amos shies away from the demands of “industry” music to make REAL music; his sound is undeniably brilliant. Usually cutting the length of his songs for message purposes he always delivers vocally and is a breath of fresh air. He strands his guitar to great tracks such as “Colors” and “Careless”
Amos Lee - Soul Suckers
Jazmine Sullivan
Despite only having dropped onto the scene for a couple of years Jazmine Sullivan has taken the industry by storm with her lively disposition and amazing vocals. Her raspy sound allows her range to switch easily from deep to high tone and the results are great music. “Need U Bad” “Bust the Windows” and “Lions, Tigers and Bears” were great releases.
Tweet
Tweet’s voice is Smooth, Subtle and Sexy. She’s known for saving her best tracks for the album rather than releasing them as singles, which is possibly why she’s so underrated. Sweet vocals over acoustic instrumentals; her music is perfect for relaxation. Songs like “My Place” “You” and “Drunk” are testament to her great talent.
Tweet - Taxi
Erykah Badu
A voice for all ages, when she sings, you stop and listen. Erykah Badu IS Neo-Soul; everything she lends her voice to speaks volumes. Even when the content is complicated her voice makes it easy to listen to. With multiple releases this decade Badu most certainly deserves her place in the top 30. “Didnt Cha Know” & “Honey” just two of many big tracks
Erykah Badu - Green Eyes
D’Angelo
Another front runner of the Neo-Soul genre D’Angelo’s voice encourages relaxation. High notes to low notes you feel what he sings and sings what he feels. He hasnt got a problem in grabbing the listener’s attention with sweet harmonies and a very competent instrumentals via an amazing band. “Devil’s Pie” “Africa” and “Really Love” stand out tracks from his sophmore album Voodoo in 2000
D’Angelo - Untitled
Christina Aguilera
A 10 year commercial music veteran, Christina Aguilera was hailed for her powerful vocals in a small body. Queen of the riffs, she puts soul into her tracks and was a standout artist of the decade, controversy aside. Fans hope to see her continue to jump leads and bounds in the next decade so they can once again be astounded by the vocal ability of the pop princess. “Aint No Other Man” “Fighter” and “Impossible” were great vocal efforts.
Christina Aguilera - Beautiful
Beverley Knight
One of the best singers to ever come out of the UK, Beverley Knight’s voice was diva-rish to say the least. Her voice has always been strong and with better promotion she’d surely be a bigger success. She’s had a very good decade lending her voice to different projects and genres resulting in a great eclectic sound.“Shoulda Woulda Coulda” and “Come As You Are” were a couple of Bev’s best this decade
Justin Timberlake
Who knew that the former pop sensation had vocals this good? Many knew that he could hold a note but when JT went solo it was a rap. Two albums this decade showcased his great range and amazing use of vocal arrangement over difficult but entertaining instrumentals from the likes of Timbaland and the Neptunes. He’s still under 30 which hopefully means there’s more to come. Great JT tracks this decade included “Take It From Here” “Nothing Else” & “My Love”
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
Pink
Gospel background, R&B Introduction & Pop/Rock future. In order to master those genres you HAVE to have quite a voice and Pink does. Pink is a true musician with cohesiveness and fire in her vocals, every lyric is sung with vigour and meaning. Whatever the genre whether it be R&B joints such as “There You Go” or Pop “Family Portrait” her voice is undeniably intriguing.
Pink - Just Like A Pill
Norah Jones
Almost a female mirror of Amos Lee, Norah Jones’ music is soothing and relaxing. Her vocals are easy on the ears and she provides an atmosphere with their arrangement. She remains in high demand for collaborations due to the simplicity and clarity in her voice and lyrics. Melodic and Amgelic, her voice is made for sunday afternoons. “Come Away With Me” and “The Nearness of You” are ultimate classics.
Norah Jones - Dont Know Why
Eric Roberson
Easily one of the greatest songwriters of the decade, Roberson’s music is timeless and relatable to so many. His ability to vocalise everyday relationship scenario is enviable as he makes it seem so easy. Another underrated artist with an abundance of talent, you will never leave unhappy watching him live. “Obstacles” “Deaf Ears” and “Couldnt Hear Me” are trademark Roberson tracks
Eric Roberson - What Is Love Made Of
Mariah Carey
When you can create your own octave then you get on this list by default. Mariah Carey let fans and critics know she can jump on both ballads and up-tempo tracks as she finished the decade with a large number albums and smash hits. You’ll always get excellence from Mariah’s voice as she controls the power in the riffs to give you a nice blend of emotion and decadance
Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
Love this list! So much talent and many of my personal faves in there. Would have been nice to see Amel Larrieux and DWELE! in there lol but otherwise I’m with you, nice to see tracks like ‘Take it from here’, ‘Higher than this’ and ‘Beauty and a Thug’ get a mention. Love James Morrison’s inclusion not many people recognise! Great job, I’m off to go and listen to some of these great voices
What a nice list. Again many of my favs made a spot on this list. More of the recent newbies i.e. James and Amy done a good job in keeping the Soul with music. P.S how comes Dwele & Vivian Green didn’t make the list *wink*
E Badu is a legend and her last album had so many real tunes @ a time when artists are afraid to speak their mind
Big list, I would’ve liked to have seen Faith Evans, David Gray, Dwele & Eric Benet but those artists are all worthy
Great list but what about Whitney Houston?
Me again, what about Lauryn Hill?
That’s a hot list! Janelle Monae is one of my faves!
Big list but Lyfe Jennings should have been on there, his voice & music is unique.