Top Ten Male Singers Over Last 50 Years

Mark Fox · Post by **Mark Fox** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:25 am

Marian-There is a duet(a current trend?)of Steve& Frank Sinatra Jr.on Frank's new album THAT FACE-just released.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:08 am

Hi Mark--thanks for that information---coincidentally ,this week I just bought Steve Tyrell's Album--"Songs of Sinatra"--not had time to listen to it yet, but I am sure I will enjoy it. Marian

Jersey Warren · Post by **Jersey Warren** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:09 pm

My only difficulty is that Frank Sinatra and Matt Monro were so far above all their contemporaries that it's hard to decide between them! So I've given them a tie for first place! Incidentally, I wonder how Matt would have developed if he had lived longer than his too-short 54 years. I'll bet he would have become even better than he was and taken undisputed possession of first place for all time. In Sinatra's case, I used to get very much annoyed with people who placed him in the "all washed up" category when he was still in his 50s. I think he did his best work between the ages of 60 and 70, particularly his bossa nova songs with Antonio Carlos Jobim. Two unfortunate things about Matt and Frank were that Matt was largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic, and Frank's best work was found hidden on albums but rarely played on the air. My personal tastes in male singers run towards mature voices, rather than boyish ones, in the baritone range rather than the tenor.

1.) (tie) Frank Sinatra and Matt Monro
2.) Tony Bennett
3.) Bing Crosby
4.) Nat King Cole
5.) Perry Como
6.) Jerry Vale
7.) Johnny Mathis
8.) Lou Rawls
9.) Al Martino
10.) Bobby Caldwell

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:22 am

Thanks Warren for finding this old posting and resurrecting it. Actually, Matt Monro was quite popular in the US and often toured and appeared often in Las Vegas. Matt Monro Jnr often points out that his father sold more records in the US than in Britain. Of course, the US has 5 times the population.

I think Matt Monro would have kept singing for many more years. At the last Fans Reunited, Michele Monro played a video of her father singing 'Somewhere' from 1984 (I think that was the year) and he was singing so well.

It's nice to see you include Lou Rawls and Bobby Caldwell on your list. I quickly thought about the best male singers of the past 50 years and came up with 16. After I make some cuts (and likely add more), I'll submit my top 10. There will not be a tie at the top of my list!

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:24 am

As long as you do not make it a "Baker's ten" Paul !!!!

I do not think I have seen Bobby Caldwell mentioned on the forum before--nor have I ever heard of him !

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:31 am

You are so strict with numbers, Marian.

Must be the many years of banking experience. I'm a statistician and we always "play" with the numbers.

Bobby Caldwell is an American smooth jazz singer and had a huge hit in 1978 with What You Won't Do For Love. It is still played on radio in the US and especially around Valentine's Day. I don't think it ever charted in the UK. Go West did a remake, which I'm sure you've heard on Heart FM and stations like that. Mr Caldwell has 9 albums for sale at hmv.com.

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:42 am

Lou Rawls is a cracking singer, I am a huge fan.
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is one of my all time favourite songs.

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:40 am

Lou Rawls was a very good singer and a great admirer of Sinatra.
We don't recall having any Bobby Caldwell music, but we will look out for some of his music now.
The only Caldwell I can remember is Minnie Caldwell from Coronation Street.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:57 am

My favourite Lou Rawls songs are:

A Natural Man
See You When I Get There

I do like YNFALLM, but it was overplayed in the 1970s. So I always need to hear the long version, as it was rarely played on the radio.

Jersey Warren · Post by **Jersey Warren** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:05 pm

paul jh wrote:Thanks Warren for finding this old posting and resurrecting it. Actually, Matt Monro was quite popular in the US and often toured and appeared often in Las Vegas. Matt Monro Jnr often points out that his father sold more records in the US than in Britain. Of course, the US has 5 times the population. )

I'm glad to learn that someone else besides me in the U.S. is a Matt Monro fan! I have tried in vain to find another American who has even HEARD of him. The classic response when I mention his name is:"Don't you mean VAUGHN Monroe?"

Actually, his music has been played on the radio here for 45 years or more, but I think most listeners who have heard his songs don't associate his voice with his name.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:05 am

If you take a look down our member list Warren, you'll find quite a number of members who live in the U.S.

Marian

Alan Brown · Post by **Alan Brown** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:15 pm

Very interesting this subject, i have not seen any of the artists listed below mentioned, and all these can be heard on a regular basis on The Vocal Touch programme that can be heard over GMMY RADIO via the internet,

Billy Eckstine
Earl Coleman
Johnnie Johnston
Alan Dale
Adam Wade
Kenny Colman
Bob Haymes
Tommy Leonetti
Frankie Fannelli
Bill Farrell
These are just a few of the great vocalists that were never played by the so called Disc Jockeys.
There are many more good vocalists that i could mention, All the Best Alan Brown

Matt Monro Forum

Top Ten Male Singers Over Last 50 Years

My top ten

Ten Top Singers