Bob's Bests #3: Most Difficult Songs To Sing

[Bob]

This is a list of songs that, to be able to sing from start to finish, requires not just range but more than that, CONTROL. It's usually due to tempo and/or phrasing. To narrow things down I'm keeping it in the 90s. These are in no particular order.

* "I'm Your Baby Tonight" - Whitney Houston
    -the phrasing and the tempo changes in this song will shake anyone up. anyone who can sing this song the whole way through is incredible in my book.

* "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" - D'Angelo
  -who else could ever sing this right?? Maybe Maxwell.
* "Don't Let Go" - En Vogue
    -the power and the runs of of all 4 girls, but in this case especially of Cindy (this bit is one of the most amazing runs ever: "can't keep running in and out of my life, out of my life, out of my life, yeah, you've got the right, you've got the right, i said you've got the right to lose control") and of course Dawn. Very difficult song.

* "Hold On" - En Vogue
    -this time around it's Terry, who opens up the song, who just does amazing runs with so much power; add the harmonizing of all 4 into this and it's just an incredibly tight, well controlled song.

* "Someday" - Mariah Carey
    -I'd say Mariah's most stunning performances are on her first album, and this being one of the fastest songs is also one of the most difficult. Where does she ever catch a breath? Very hard song.

* "Greatest Love of All" - Whitney Houston
    -I think everyone has heard this one so much, what do I need to say about it?

* "Back At One" - Brian McKnight
    -vocal performances by men usually seem to rely more on the quality of their voice than other skills-- but Brian is just awesome here. Huge range and some tempo change, it's just incredibly hard to sing. See how it sank that one twin on American Idol this season?

* "For You I Will" - Monica
    -to be honest, very few popular singers of the younger generations (starting with Aaliyah, up to Ashanti) really put out any vocal performances of the old Mariah, Whitney caliber. This song however is a very tough one (not a surprise as it's a Diane Warren), and although mid or uptempo actually tends to be more challening, apart from range, Monica really really pulled this one out.

* "Not Gon' Cry" - Mary J Blige
   -this mainly makes it more on the sheer style and emotiveness of Mary, but it's probably the best she's ever done in terms of controlling her voice but still cutting loose. Classic.

* "You Put A Move On My Heart" - Tamia
    -this song builds to crescendos like 3 times, its just amazing. what a voice for a Canadian, haha. perfect control. I chose it for the way it goes back & forth (& back and forth) btwn soft and slow and powerful and loud. And to keep yourself heard about a chorus as strong as this, wow.

* "Georgy Porgy" - Eric Benet & Faith Evans
   -a lot of times I can't tell when they're getting a breath in, it's just non-stop. Sound great together, too. And to be able to really just hollar at some point, but smooth it out at the next-- great. Anyway, the reason it's so hard are the harmonies in the background (something I think Faith is UNPARALLED at; she can hum like no other ).

* "Un-Break My Heart" - Toni Braxton
    -Seems ubiquitous, but just had to include it. I think it's even harder than "I Will Always Love You" which is more of just an exercise in range.

* "Jesus Is A Love Song" - Karen Clark-Sheard
    -I don't think this song is possible to sing, period. You have to hear it to know what I mean-- I don't even know how she did it. And it's LIVE.

* "Sunshine" - Coko
    -are you thinking, "huh???" yeah, that's right, Coko from SWV. She doesn't control herself very well here and there's no amazing range, but she just cuts loose so much it's pretty damn amazing.

* "Fortunate" - Maxwell
    -wow, just hard. his runs and his vocal tricks are great, his range is also shocking here, starting one line high and ending it low, "never had someone to miss" etc... to be able to sing such simple lyrics and make them so complicated, this song is just incredible.

p.s. I'm not including R. Kelly on purpose, I think he gets TOO much respect.

[Pet Shop Boy]

'This Time I Know It's For Real' by Donna Summer must be really hard to sing live. The big note at the end of the chorus moves straight into the start of the next verse or repeat chorus. I'd be interested in how she handles doing it live.

[Crushcrushchris]

I agree with most of the choices you made Bob. I also like most of them.

My choices:
Evanescence-Going Under-the mixture of going low and then hitting the high notes should be difficult for a lot of artists. Not too low, not too high, but difficult nonetheless. There are very talented singers who can sing this though. Not saying it's impossible.

The Darkness-I Believe in a Thing Called Love-C'mon you know you can't do that falsetto

Five for Fighting-100 Years-Same thing.

Jesse Powell-You-In the Radio production class that I was in, we played a CD that had this song on it and we lowered the pitch, it seriously sounded like Toni Braxton. Same thing as the previous two.

[pkwi]

Evanescence-Going Under-the mixture of going low and then hitting the high notes should be difficult for a lot of artists. Not too low, not too high, but difficult nonetheless. There are very talented singers who can sing this though. Not saying it's impossible.

I agree with that one.

[EvanJ]

This was already discussed as a great vocal performance:
Martina McBride: "Where Would You Be"

[Gorminako]

I second Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" and En Vogue's "Hold On"

These are my other choices:

Aretha Franklin "Respect"
Many have tried, but nobody can do this song like Aretha.  She transformed this song

Roy Orbison "Crying"
I could have named a number of songs by Roy, including "Only The Lonely", "Running Scared", and "Pretty Woman", but since so many artists have tried to sing "Crying" and sound pathetic in comparison, I chose this song.  Outstanding singer.

Gene Pitney "Town Without Pity"
Great singer, unigue singing performance.

Elvis Presley "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Again I could have picked a number of songs he sang, but again I chose one that many others have tried and failed to come close.

Billy Stewart "Summertime"
Incredible singer.  He could produce sounds that I've heard no one else produce, although a few similar sounds I've heard from Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, so...

Aerosmith "Dream On"
This is a great song, and Steve Tyler does a great vocal performance on it.  "Last Child", "Janie's Got A Gun", "Love In An Elevator" and "Dude Looks Like A Lady" showcase some of his other oral talents.

Lisa Fischer "How Can I Ease The Pain?"
Beautiful song with about as wide a range I've ever heard in a song, and Lisa hits those high notes with much greater force and purer tone than Mariah can.

Mariah Carey "Anytime You Need A Friend"
But Mariah sure can sing!  This is a great vocal performance along with "Visions Of Love", I Don't Wanna Cry", "Can't Let Go" and the uptempo "Make It Happen".

Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody"
This is an obvious choice.  This has been done by everybody who wants to show off their great vocal ability, from Elvis to Madonna to Heart, and nobody pulls it off nearly as well as Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers.  Equally impressive are their "Soul & Inspiration" and many other songs of theirs, with their great harmonies as well as vocal ability.

Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
The same can be said of this duo, and what a beautiful singing performance by Art Garfunkel here.  Another one is his solo hit, "All I Know".  Paul Simon could sing, too, witness "The Boxer".

Shai "If I Ever Fall In Love"
Such beautiful voices this rival of Boyz II Men had, they did a flawless a cappella performance of this song.  Another noteworthy song was "Place Where You Belong".

Friends Of Distinction "Grazing In The Grass"
Group that many compared to the 5th Dimension, they had great voices that blended very well, and this particular song required a quick tongue.

Robin McNamara "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me"
This also requires a quick tongue and is so fun to sing.  He sings with such enthusiasm.

Desmond Dekker "Israelites"
Sung by this early reggae singer in a unique but brilliant way that I could not describe.

3 Dog Night "One"
This group had 3 outstanding lead singers (as well as an excellent organist), that either solitarily or interacting with each other did consistently magnificent performances.

Guess Who "These Eyes"
This is a great song and great vocal performance by their lead singer, Burton Cummings

Turtles "You Showed Me"
They had such smooth vocals, and in this song in particular, they blended so beautifully, and the result was such a dreamy song that could make you high just by listening to it.

Tommy James & The Shondells "Crimson & Clover"
Another great vocal performance.  I suspect the staccato effect at the end was caused by synthesizers rather than their own vocal prowess.  "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Mony Mony" are some other good performances by them.

BeeGees "To Love Somebody" 
This is a beautifully sung classic.  I love the harp as well.  They did sing staccato in a number of their early songs, "Words" for one.

Edwin Starr "25 Miles"
Very soulful, spirited singing here.  His "War" was a very effective angry song.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Oo Baby Baby"
Didn't know which song to select, but Smokey has the best developed falsetto I've ever heard, and I love this song. Very smoothe.

Diana Ross & The Supremes "Love Child"
My all-time favorite female group, and this is their best. Emotional, thrilling.

Stylistics "You Make Me Feel Brand New"
Lead singer Russell Tompkins, Jr. had one of the best falsettos, too, but in this song I prefer Airrion Love's vocals. So emotional and sincere.

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap "Woman, Woman"
Gary Puckett had one of the best voices ever: so clear and powerful.  This song as well as "Young Girl", "Lady, Will Power", "Over You", "Don't Give In To Him", and "This Girl Is A Woman Now" as well as their album cuts was a combination of great singing, songwriting and producing.

Animals "House Of The Rising Sun"
Outstanding, ground-breaking  performance by Eric Burdon and his group.  Hard to believe this was produced back in 1964.  His vocals were very strong and emotional while down to earth.  "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", "It's My Life, "Don't Bring Me Down", and "When I Was Young" were other noteworthy songs and performances. The latter two had great instrumental parts, too.

Zombies "She's Not There"
Another song of 1964 well ahead of it's time. Colin Bluntstone's vocals are so smoothe.

Beach Boys "Don't Worry, Baby"
While we're on 1964 songs ahead of their time with great vocals, how about this gem?

Tremeloes "Silence Is Golden"
Great falsetto harmonies.

Don Fardo "Indian Reservation"
This original version gives me the chills everytime I hear it. The deep, sincere voice makes the difference.

Neil Diamond "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon"
Neil had a great voice. I liked him best in the early days when he put a lot of emotion into his singing. Other fine examples include "Solitary Man", "Oh, No No" and "Brooklyn Roads". Richard Marx's "Too Late To Say Goodbye" reminded me of GYBAWS with it's emotional intensity.

Johnny Rivers "Look To My Soul"
Such a beautiful, touching song. Though well-known for a number of remakes, his best songs he wrote himself, including this one, "Poor Side Of Town", "Summer Rain", and "Muddy River".

Benny Mardones "Into The Night"
Talk about emotional, this is probably the most emotionally sung song ever.  I love it.

Dusty Springfield "Look Of Love"
What a sexy, sultry singing performance!  "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Windmills Of Your Mind" are similarly great efforts.

Sade "No Ordinary Love"
Lead singer Sade Adu also has a wonderful, sultry voice, and it really shone on this beautiful, mysterious song.

Al Green "Look What You Done For Me"
So Soulful!  I really love this song, and when I try to sing it with him, I lose control.  The most soulful singer ever.

Jay & The Americans "Cara Mía"
One of the great voices of the '60's is showcased on this gem.  "She Cried" and "This Magic Moment" are a couple other beauties.

Carpenters "Superstar"
I love Karen Carpenter's beautiful, golden voice.

Metallica "Unforgiven II"
This is where lead singer James Hetfield sings his best.  He has a beautiful, deep, emotional voice when he wants to.

Michael McDonald "Sweet Freedom"
Great voice at its best with the Doobies and in his '80's solo efforts, such as this classic.

Jeffrey Osborne "She's On The Left"
Another of the best voices of this era.  James Ingram is still another.

Peter, Paul & Mary "Day Is Done"
Great vocal harmonies by this trio. 

Bob Seger "Turn The Page"
Deep, resonant voice on this touching, mournful song.

Joe "I Want To Know"
Wonderful song, great singing.

Currently, two of the better vocal performances are on "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera and "The Trouble With Love Is" by Kelly Clarkson.

I should have looked at the top of my own chart for 2 other artists:

A Perfect Circle "The Noose"
Well sung, good voice, suspenseful.

Seal "Kiss From A Rose"
Has a great deep voice; this song is extraordinary.

[Bob]

Gorminako said:

Joe "I Want To Know"
Wonderful song, great singing.

Currently, two of the better vocal performances are on "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera and "The Trouble With Love Is" by Kelly Clarkson.

I'm trying to focus just on more recent stuff so I won't comment on all your others. I should have in cluded Joe's song, it really is very hard to sing-- I can't finger the reason WHY it's so hard, but it is.

I don't think I'd include any Christina song, she's a lot about just showing off her natural talent (which is huge) without really showing off control. And I'll wait till we've heard more from Kelly before I pick her, but I can see her making it.

[Unexpected]

Chester from Linkin Park has a kinda high pitched male voice that brings the range of his songs a little high therefore making his songs difficult to sing in pitch.

Another song that's difficult to sing is "Superstar," which requires tons of vocal power and range, and Ruben Studdard pulls this off beautifully.

[Gorminako]

Bob aka okletthisworksvp

I don't think I'd include any Christina song, she's a lot about just showing off her natural talent (which is huge) without really showing off control. And I'll wait till we've heard more from Kelly before I pick her, but I can see her making it.

Actually I agree with your statement. Christina (and maybe Kelly as well) likes to show off her voice, and a lot of her songs are not much more than that.

[JCMF3]

Twista - Slow Jamz - Yeah, try singing along to the rap part in the car. It is nearly impossible!

[strong4PMB!]

Bob said:

* "Hold On" - En Vogue
    -this time around it's Terry, who opens up the song, who just does amazing runs with so much power; add the harmonizing of all 4 into this and it's just an incredibly tight, well controlled song.

P.Y.T. did it! music.walmart.com/m/000/74/64/63/63/82/0007464636382.01.01.001.mp3

Bob said:

* "Sunshine" - Coko
    -are you thinking, "huh???" yeah, that's right, Coko from SWV. She doesn't control herself very well here and there's no amazing range, but she just cuts loose so much it's pretty damn amazing.

I love this song. I remember trying to sell one of my online friends on it and he never got into it.

[msanoja]

"The Voice Within" by Aguilera is pretty difficult.

[reception]

JCMF3link=board=opinion&thread=1077991922&start=9#0 said:

Twista - Slow Jamz - Yeah, try singing along to the rap part in the car.  It is nearly impossible!

Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"

[Keith3000]

reception said:

Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"

The Mitsubishi commercial!

[Bob]

geoguy said:

P.Y.T. did it! music.walmart.com/m/000/74/64/63/63/82/0007464636382.01.01.001.mp3

haha, no they didn't-- the lead singer has a little something going on, the back up is bland. it sounds like any acapella group at any college across the nation. who is PYT? oh, and why did they change it from "when I had YOU..." to "when YOU had ME"?????

[Bob]

undefined said:

Chester from Linkin Park has a kinda high pitched male voice that brings the range of his songs a little high therefore making his songs difficult to sing in pitch.

Another song that's difficult to sing is "Superstar," which requires tons of vocal power and range, and Ruben Studdard pulls this off beautifully.

it's not one of THE most difficult songs, but it definitely does require good control. not so sure about the range or power, i think it's more control. he did do a good job.

[Chelsea Press 2]

Donna Summer - MacArthur Park
Madonna - Frozen
Mariah Carey - Through The Rain
Mariah Carey - Hero
Annie Lennox - Why
Prince - Gold