The 20 Best Male Vocalists in Popular Music From the '60s and '70s

My Personal List of Male Singers of the '60s and '70s

While many of them are not classically trained, there are a number of popular music vocalists who have impressive voices. They aren't limited to a specific genre, nor are they restricted to a specific decade. The 1960s and 1970s had their share.

What constitutes a great vocalist? Well, certainly, vocal control, tone, vocal range, strong support for a full sound, and adequate volume matter, as does the phrasing and ability to convey emotion. There are other factors as well, but in the end, there is often disagreement as to which vocalists are the best as it's not a simple rating task but more a matter of what a listener finds pleasing.

There are many vocalists with unique voices that are instantly recognizable and perfect for the type of material they sing. Examples are singers such as Joe Cocker, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Robert Plant, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and others. Although distinct, these won't be included as my list is merely about male voices of the period that I believe are vocally exceptional among their peers.

I have left out a number of my favorite performers. For instance, you won't find any of the Beatles here. I enjoyed their harmonies and loved their songs, but I don't find them to be outstanding vocalists. I love Phil Collins and enjoy his resonance and overall tone/vocal quality, but still, I don't find his vocal abilities to be outstanding. I'm focusing on vocalists I personally find to be extraordinary in technique or range while being personally pleasing. These are in no particular order.

Where possible, I have included some isolated vocals as that is the best way to really hear a singer's voice rather than an instrumentally masked version of it. There are many singers with a lot of power that don't have much tone control, vocal range, and so forth.

The Top 20 Male Singers of the 1960s and 1970s

1. Steve Perry

Lead vocalists in many classic and heavy metal rock bands have powerful voices. It's pretty much a prerequisite for the job as they need to be able to be heard over the heavy instrumental music (guitars, keyboards, drums) as well as over a roaring crowd. In fact, a number of them also have a very respectable vocal range. Steven Tyler, David Lee Roth, and Axl Rose, for example, are very respectable vocalists.

In 1977, Steve Perry joined Journey, and the band racked up a number of successful singles in the '70s, '80s, and early '90s with Perry as the lead vocalist. He had a good vocal range (ConcertHotels reports F#2–A5), plenty of power, amazing clarity, great use of vibrato, and a consistency that allowed him to sound as good in concert as he did on recorded albums. Fans never went away disappointed in the vocals. Below you can hear him performing "Winds of March" with Journey in 1978. You can also listen to his isolated vocals in a performance of "Don't Stop Believin'."

2. Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel is probably most widely known for the music he created with Paul Simon as the duo Simon & Garfunkel. They released a number of well-loved singles throughout the '60s but ultimately disbanded in 1970. Garfunkel continued solo and joined up with Simon a couple of times over the years for a few shows and limited tours.

Garfunkel is a tenor and is said to have a vocal range of G2–E5 per The Range Place.com. Hitting those high, soaring notes, clarity, and vibrato is what he is known for and part of what makes him unique. Below, you can listen to his mostly unaccompanied voice during a recording of "The Sound of Silence." His vocals begin at the 8:30 mark.

3. Michael Jackson

As a mature performer, Michael Jackson used a number of vocalizations that were characteristic of his highly individualized singing style. Many debated about his higher-pitched voice, whether it was natural, whether it was chemically induced, or whether he simply used it as a part of his celebrity persona. For those interested, you can find samples of some of Michael's vocal lessons online and clips of Michael comfortably using a deeper voice/lower pitch while speaking.

Back in the 1970s, though, Michael was just a kid, singing with his brothers, and he was often the lead vocalist, with his high-pitched, innocent voice wowing crowds. You can hear him below from 1972 singing "Got to Be There."

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To hear young Michael's pure voice without any backup or instrumentation from that same year, listen to "Ben" below. Then finally, you can hear Michael performing "Off the Wall" in 1979, when his signature style was more developed.

4. Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison started singing in the 1940s as a child. He became popular in the 1950s and continued his career through the decades until his death in 1988. Orbison was a baritone and had a 3-octave range. Probably what set his voice apart for most of his fans was his good use of vibrato and his ability to convey emotion, especially melancholy, in his voice. Songs like "Only the Lonely" and "Just Running Scared" are great examples.

Below you can hear Orbison performing "Crying," one of his biggest hits from 1962. Following that is the vocal track of "Pretty Woman."

5. Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury launched the band Queen in 1970. He was the lead singer, songwriter, and pianist for the group. His voice earned him a great deal of acclaim at the time and even more since his death.

There seems to be some dispute as to whether he was a tenor or a baritone, whether he indeed had a 4-octave vocal range, and so forth. Recent findings indicate that his vibrato was higher pitched than average and that he utilized subharmonics, which employ the use of the ventricular folds (false vocal folds) along with the true vocal cords to produce his unique sound.

Below you can hear him perform "Somebody to Love" or his isolated vocals on "We Are the Champions."

6. Burton Cummings

Burton Cummings is a songwriter and was the lead singer of The Guess Who from 1965 to 1975. The band had a number of successful singles thanks in no small part to the distinctive and powerful voice of Cummings.

He is a baritone with a vocal range that is said to be D2–G5. His full, rich tone included a distinctive rasp that audiences loved.

Below you can hear "No Sugar Tonight" from 1970, as well as his isolated vocals from "No Time."

7. Nat King Cole

Some artists, while they might be considered "easy listening" today, were also very popular. Generally speaking, artists like Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Perry Como, and others started their careers earlier and continued into the 1960s.

Nat King Cole was also quite popular at the time, and he could be found on easy-listening stations, R&B, as well as pop music stations. He was pitch-perfect and had a smooth, velvety sound that relaxed and entranced audiences.

Below you can hear his separated vocal on "Where Did Everyone Go" as well as a full recording of his hit "Ramblin' Rose."

8. Tom Jones

Tom Jones kicked off his solo career in 1964, and although his popularity has waxed and waned over the years, he continues to have a successful career even today. He is a baritone with a bluesy sound and a great deal of power. His impressive vocal abilities have given him success with gospel, R&B, pop, country, dance, soul, and show tunes.

In the early days, Jones was reportedly a tenor, although as stated above he would now be considered a baritone. The Range Place reports his vocal range as F#1–A5.

You can hear him perform one of his first hit songs, "It's Not Unusual," below. I have no isolated vocals to share for Tom Jones.

9. Tony Williams

Tony Williams was the lead vocalist of the Platters for over 10 years. He had what has been described as an operatic voice. He had power and excellent vocal control. While with the Platters they experienced a number of successful singles such as "Only You" and "The Great Pretender."

Other singers who could hit those higher notes included Smokey Robinson (and the Miracles), Eddie Kendrick (with the Temptations), and even Frankie Valli, but Tony Williams' voice stands out to me.

Williams left the group after the mid-1960s and pursued a solo career. You can hear him on his own below as he performs "If." I have no isolated vocals available, but I included a clip of him performing with the Platters in the late 1950s.

10. Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers was the lead vocalist in bands such as Bad Company, Free, and others. He even did a stint with Queen long after the death of Freddie Mercury. He is said to be a tenor with an E2–G#5 vocal range. He has the power to sing over the guitars and great vocal control as well. His voice has a bit of raspiness which helps give it a bluesy quality.

Below you can hear Rogers sing the song "Bad Company" a capella.