Your favorite music artist at their very best.

Post a youtube clip of your favorite at the top of their game. We''ll declare a winner at some point.\ \ I''ll start things off with Mariah looking her best, playful, confident, still in good voice, singing live to a sold out crowd. (14 years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6oGuXenlNo



• OP that is an amazing clip. She must have been about 12 years old, because her breasts hadn''t even grown in at that point in her young life.

  Actually suprised she hasn''t yanked it

• Janet, cutting a rug on Rhythm Nation Tour. Tokyo, 1990.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgpcHoHwds&playnext_from=TL&videos=nqgJizFmNys

• Annie for Freddy

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Jo6CG4S4c

• bump!

• Of course none of you will know her, but it''s perhaps the finest artist of this generation, Cat Power, performing the Greatest on Jools Holland.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJfQXS1hKDo

• I know Cat Power, and "The Greatest" is brilliant. The problem is that her second best and third best, etc., are so far removed from her (one) best song. I only wish she had more songs that were half so good as "The Greatest."\ \ And a nice performance, too, on Jools Holland, as so often happens.

• Maybe a little off topic, but here''s Miss Hugh Jackman in a diva battle with Aretha. And, if I dare say so, Miss Thing shows the Queen who the hot bizness is.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_k8NSJ4kVI

• Another of Annie

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILJxICUIbCY

• Stevie Stand Back, 1983. Live in Ohio

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gixMa0sGRp8

• Sorry folks, but if those are the best of the best...you people have no taste.

• How dumb to assume that people haven''t heard of Cat Power. There are a lot of music lovers on this board - the music threads are witness to that, and they also show the breadth of people''s tastes.

• It''s not her very best, but it''s a period in Liza''s work that I like the best.\ \ Her voice was getting deeper and darker for some time, and prior to the surgery on the vocal chords I found it appealing. Most likely enhanced by booze and smokes.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAbU1QVbtI8

• OMG, OP, I literally just got home from errands and was blasting that version out of my car!\ \ That is one of my favorites. Also, check out the last note of Without You from the Des O''Connor appearance.\ \ This video is awesome also. Mariah''s 2nd TV appearance before anyone knew anything about her. The high note at the end is amazing.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KNlQCWG5M&playnext_from=TL&videos=lwzoio_UsF0&feature=grec

• That''s the beauty of a thread like this, R10 - show us YOUR favorite or GTFO, Doll.

• Ike, Tina and the Ikettes bringing down the house in 1975

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YAfqZk7P1M

• I''m kinda disappointed Cat Power is dating a Scientologist, Giovanni Ribisi. Giov sister is married to Beck, who is a big fan of Cat.\ \ \ I agree that Jools can draw out excellent performance, But I actually prefer her earlier work, King Rides By is my favourite.\ \ \ I''ll choose Shannon Wright''s amazing acoustic version of her song Black Little Stray, Awesome guitar player.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN2F14GaJbA

• While probably not my absolutely favorite performance of all time, this is one I watch over and over. Kelly Jones'' voice runs shivers up and down my spine, and this is a brilliant song

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xkPJNgvWL8

• I see your "Nutbush City Limits" and raise you "River Deep, Mountain High," R15.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPOFNyvN2Y0

• Annie Lennox, Live 8 London, blowing the virtual roof off the house.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-y91mzjaHA

  The Voice of the Night

• Dionne had just divorced her husband. You can hear it in every note.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMFiRrtem0

  Dionne Troll

• I love Brian Molko covering David Bowie''s Five Years. I know his voice is a matter of taste, but I used to love his singing for the emotion in it. At that stage he was still a firece bitch but a bitch with more confidence that allowed him to communicate better with his voice.

  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D0HCS3EZ

• Why r1

• Here''s some New Wave Siouxsie & the Banshees.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZgNlWRWtp0

• Whitney Houston, live in 1994. Absolutely sublime.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eGIo_SCrN8

• Chaka doing the shuffle with no bra!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huGhuEvWozc

• Longshot but does anyone or guess the tabs for the link at r16?

• Any more entries???

• Only You - Yazoo

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9DOmlfICGw

• Kylie, 2002 Brit Awards. \ \ Best. Entrance. Ever.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haoCgGzS0wY

• Great entrance, R29, but this is a lip synch. If you think Kylie at her best is lipsynching, then that''s sad.

• It''s amazing to me that Prince ACTUALLY sounded like that live. He''s got talent bursting from his fingers.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LglBZESVcCI

• HELLO!!!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF16uJwIE0U&playnext_from=TL&videos=3FVJDAxAPwI

  The Wanderer

• This should start some trouble.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0odXnKhKBxQ

• Gayest thread ever, like the playlist before a "Boys in the Band" dinner party.

• Annie is sex on a stick. \ \ I LOVE YOU (LIKE A BALL & CHAIN).

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBNKoGwMN9M&playnext_from=TL&videos=xlgaI8alQtM

• Polly Jean playing DRESS.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqeReB-cG_c&playnext_from=TL&videos=Hu9BNfNQtAg

• Whatever, oh wise and tasteful one at R30.

• Heartbreaking Kate.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d9BF6PysbE

• So, who''s the winner?

• In never tire of this performance, sublime.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh57sCPjtzw

• Somebody make a poll!

• I don''t think you know what I feel!, I don''t think you know what I feel!, I don''t think you know what I feel!...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLuDP0przys

  at 4:40 mark

• One of America's brightest and hopeful young artist, Sharon Van Etten, performs Don't Do It, a song supposedly about suicide. It is such an intense and powerful performance, look at the crowd at the end of the song they are stunned and seem really effected by the intense and beautiful song. Then go get her new album Tramp.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DOpZVF3PEjcs

• Bowie, "Queen Bitch" - Old Grey Whistle Test

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8oGyGo1q-k

• Kristin Hersh, Flooding. It's such a bitch she isn't more famous. Crooked shoulda been no.2 on the billboard charts, not that whine talentless no fuck uber fake hipster Bon Iver, who spends his time wanking over how awesome he thinks Jay Z and Kayne West is.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZbeVbLo_9f8

• R21, I was going to say Placebo in the late 90s.

• My musical taste is a bit different than most on DL. Cowboy Junkies. Blue Moon Revisited(song for Elvis).

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DvJ6EGsZdxpE

• Neko Case_Running out of Fools

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DBLTtlm2xJ-g

• Aimee Mann!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbFQa4SeY48&feature=related

• Johnny Marr, ripping the hell out of his Rickenbacker.

  http://youtu.be/DwgfeH-0TiA

• Even though I'm a proud Vadge hater now (I loathe how boring, pretentious and deeply serious she has become -- very stale, mechanical and boring in performance and interviews), back in the 80s she was the shit! Here she is performing Express Yourself at the MTV Music Awards 1989. Sadly, she's no longer fun and daring like this anymore. And keep in mind that there weren't any elaborate props to this performance either, just her and two backup dancers/singers. I miss THIS Madonna -- the Madonna I grew up listening to in the 80s and 90s. I take this performance over her Superbowl Haft Time show any day. (I like show she stole Michael Jackson's signature crotch grabbing, too.)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DpehMBaHgpWE

• That was sorta cool r51, I'm sorta too young to remember that Madonna, I can only really remember her when she moved to London and shit and she was sorta lame.

• Does Aimee Mann have a big lesbian following?

• I don't think so, R53. I don't know who goes to her shows! I only saw her once at an outdoor festival thing which had a number of acts, so I wasn't even sure then if the people there were fans (I guess some were)

• Oddly enough I'm pretty sure Kristin Hersh actually has a lot of gay fans, go figure? Her muisc seems to sorta, not gay. I think she cool though.

• I agree with R12 That's probably my favorite Liza's era too, but I can't really think of a performance to call it The Best. So my vote goes to this one too.

• Roberta Flack "Killing Me Softly"--'nuff said! Fuck the Fugees!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DO1eOsMc2Fgg

• I'm not even a Judy queen, honest, but the thread about her death reminded me of her amazing version of Old Man River. The end always makes me cry. What power!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5g4wnWILwSI

• Ugh. Why does MC have to do all those frills and runs and especially hand-waving? I can't watch her.

• The The The TRULY American voice of all times past, present and future. (And she sweats like Whitney!)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gn9A-kdsRo&feature=related

  derwood

• B52's first SNL appearance.

  http://videosift.com/video/B52s-Rock-Lobster-live-on-SNL-1980

• R60 Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. And she may sweat like Whitney, but thats where the comparison ends.

• r53, Aimee Mann is a lesbian man hater.

• no she isn't R63 - she is married to Sean Penn's brother

• R62: No, thank you for also appreciating this woman. I fell in love with that voice when I was a young kid in the 70's and heard her singing on a Carpenter's special with Karen Carpenter! HOLY COW!

  derwood

• Prince. I need not say anything else. Back in the day, this song would fill the dance floor. Men rubbing on women, women touching women, men dry humping other men....... * le sigh* Where have all the good times gone?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DJKdauPfcUcc

• [quote]My musical taste is a bit different than most on DL. Cowboy Junkies. Blue Moon Revisited(song for Elvis). They did some amazing music, especially on the overlooked first album.

  Url

• Fleetwood Mac's legendary 1997 comeback, with Stevie sounding better than she had in years, and the group sounding as if Lindsey never left 10 years earlier:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DUd2XKt2N8fs

  Anonymous

• Gloria Gaynor 1979

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFaf1ch7Q9XE

• Pink Floyd ( w/ vocals by the sadly underrated and jaw droppingly talented Clare Torry) The Great Gig In The Sky from "Dark Side Of The Moon" Q: Why wasn't Clare Torry a star? What ever happened to her? Was DSOTM her 15 minutes?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DlBabMxnFQsQ%26feature%3Drelated

• R70, there are some clips of her own 60s/70s material on YouTube, but it sounds like she never got the material she deserved. P.P. Arnold, who sang so well on the Small Faces' Tin Soldier is another great singer who never went anywhere. And of course there's Merry Clayton of Gimme Shelter fame. Great singers were coming out of the woodwork then, but many just didn't have the tunes.

• wow R70 Never expected that from anyone and it's the first thing I thought of The high point from the greatest album of all time

• Lady Day, bitches.

  http://youtu.be/YKqxG09wlIA

• Something a bit different

  http://youtu.be/Lc6QXY_E8XE

• More Mariah: 2006 Grammys. Starts off a little shaky but her performance of "Fly Like a Bird" is a powerhouse and she earned the standing o.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DUL_4L7UK8rs

• [R74] I love the Clash too, but the point of the thread is a ***live*** performance.

• DL actually has a "Nobody's heard of Cat Power" troll. I wonder where the hell this person lives.

• Shoot me if you must but I love him.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZACqNnO9-E&ob=av2e

• Not a live clip--can't find one. But, here is ...and also the trees with "Rive Droite". An incredible song by an incredible group.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DlvmVgF2_32M

• I couldn't find individual songs, so I'll link to the entire set. You can skip as you like. 80 replies in, and no mention of the best front man *ever*--WTF?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DeQsM6u0a038

• Very well.

  http://youtu.be/7BKjVTel1R4

• Her finest moment. (and no, this isn't her vagina posting!)

  http://youtu.be/N6d2RG2Rl64

• Shannon Wright- with closed eyes. Truly, a total tower of awesomeness.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DhfCYG0Jkq1Y

• Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art"

  http://youtu.be/pLLMzr3PFgk

• I think Madge looks amazing and gives a fun performance in this GirlieShow version of Fever. Love the choreography and fiery ending too.

  http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Ffeature%3Drelmfu%26v%3D7Un4SN48qrU

• Timeless

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DG0GcqYGv1AA

  Rael

• Cecilia Bartoli singing "Yo Que Soy Contrabandista" Live performance from her tribute album to Maria Malibran(1808-18360, the the first music super star. The piece was composed by Miss Malibran's father Manuel Garcia

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D57cucRl8y4Y

• Every now and then Cat Power gets it just right.

  http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/04/cat-power-debuts-new-song-bully-on-later-with-jools-holland/

• P.S. This is from Jools Holland last night.

• R80, I was just listening to that earlier tonight. It makes me smile every time. Perfect. Then I watched the crowd at the tribute concert sing God Save the Queen which always brings a tear to my eye.

• Lauryn Hill, Doo Wop

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVpT-3wBNoQ

• The Beach Boys at their sexy, talented peak...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYc4DT18EJg

• Michael Chapdelaine, the only person ever to win both the Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championships, here plays his own stunning arrangement of "California Dreamin'"...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu78nxzY3uk

• Cat Power - Bully on Jools. I watched it last night with my friends, and five of us for four minutes we were just mesmerized in silence. Just unbelievably brilliant.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5P0lMx13eXM

• Hung up by Madonna

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DEDwb9jOVRtU

• Sorry didn't see r88's post.

• I cried watching Chan Marshall sing last night, it was so moving. I had to buy the song, which is now on a deluxe version of Sun on itunes.

• I dare you not to be smitten with Michael Nesmith's lovely falsetto, as he performs his classic song "Joanne", live in Austin, Texas in 1992...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBQUvL0RQY8

• The great Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell in 1970 playing the beautiful, haunting tune "Manhã de Carnaval" ("Morning of the Carnival"; originally written for the film "Black Orpheus" & now a classic in its own right) ...demonstrating once again why Brazilian popular music represents the apotheosis of the form ...love how he plays so gorgeously with a lit cigarette between his fingers... ;)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgR7YJpOoPE

• R94, you posted the exact thing I posted, like, five posts above you.

  88

• R88, he/she said sorry @96. I watched Jools outta boredom, I don't usually because it is so radio 2. Everyone else on the show was so boring, that woefully unoriginal 70s retero chart indie band was a chore to sit through, Suede were my big brother's favorite band when I was a kid, but they didn't do much even though I could see Brett was trying really hard, so I guess. The James Brown tribute act and the Brummie chick who's songs were the same line repeated over and over were lost on me. I can't believe I made it to Cat Power, I wasn't expecting much, but F me sideways she totally blew me away. Stunning performance, miles ahead of everyone else on the show.

• Sharon Van Etten - Heart In The Ground.

  http://vimeo.com/10756459

• Whitney Houston - This Day she could really breathe life, guts and soul into a song

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DyW-S4gF8seY

• WHET to Cecilia Bartoli...I loved her...she was so outside the mainstream crap of opera world...I think her mother was her only coach...that Flamenco was amazing. And the Dionne was amazing...

  L.%20Nyro

• R92, if the Beach Boys peaked for you in 1964, you missed a lot of good music, including "Heroes and Villains." Here's the single version, from the finally released [italic]SMiLE[/italic] album.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DblRPcqg6-94

• About the Cat Power song, love the song Bully, she did an even better version of it @ the Filmore 2 years ago. I thought it'd be on her most recent album and I was so hopefully for Sun, but it's not a great album and Bully is not on it. Hope she records a new record soon with Bully and songs of that ilk.

• R105, apparently you didn't watch the "Beach Boys' video"... ;)

  R92

• That was retarded, R92 R107. I wish I hadn't watched it.

• You're entitled to your opinion R105 R107, but i thought it was dead-on & hilarious...

• [quote]The great Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell in 1970 playing the beautiful, haunting tune "Manhã de Carnaval" That's beautiful, R99. Thanks for posting it! At this link is Baden Powell's "Canto de Ossanha" performed by Caterina Valente in 1975. In my opinion, that's when Valente was at her peak (though most recordings currently available are from the 50s and 60s). Terrific song, anyway.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DfL8m-Rdx23E

• ABBA live in Australia 1977. This song is amazing and most people don't even know of it.

  http://youtu.be/x3T05DpgUvU

• David Bowie at Live Aid

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGOx0ZpMrrU

• Loved the Caterina Valente, R110! ...that is really a joyous performance - she really nails the swinging, syncopated Brazilian vibe.

• Freddy Mercury live Wembley Stadium "Radio GaGa", Linda Ronstadt "You're No Good".

• [quote]Loved the Caterina Valente, [R110]! Glad you enjoyed it! That was a fantastic concert. I treasure my vinyl recording of it, but would really prefer that they release it on DVD.

• The late great Kirsty MacColl singing a song from her best album, Kite. "Fifteen Minutes" starts at about 6:35. "Susie Ann with her tits and curls/Where mediocrity unfurls"

  http://youtu.be/-LAp8EkiAX0

• I was just watching some of my favorites on YouTube, and thought of this thread. Here is Beverly Sills, at the peak of her career, being a good sport on The Muppet Show. Gosh, she was wonderful!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DxBdCVJAPoSk

• So many great links posted here! Here's my submission for Whitney's greatest ever.. . Singing 'A Song for You' live to welcome home the Desert Storm troops in 1991. Yes, she's in a god-awful green body suit and sweating to high heaven. But once she opens her mouth it's stunning... (And the part where she sings, "And when my life is over and done, remember when we were together... " is extra poignant) She was a master of song interpretation and whoever arranged this version did an amazing job.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZyRMWjpCZnE

• This is a very familiar song by Adele, but she is on point here. Beautiful acoustic beginning, her voice gliding and catching over the melody, and as is her way, so present and intimate. Her voice and integrity blow me away, both just imperfect enough..... In a small smoky club, "Someone Like You"

  http://youtu.be/GN5ITpLfSh8

  musician

• Reba McEntire serving fierce forced-into-prostitution realness.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dnzs9oabwdvI

• Linda Ronstadt...Atlanta, Ga, 1977...at the height of her looks and vocal abilities. Flawless !

• Jeff Buckley on his sad guitar singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." This song has become some ersatz memorial anthem for victims of real tragedies and reality singing competitions. That is not what Cohen wrote. The religious imagery is of course a metaphor and a theme of his. Buckley sings it as it was intended, as a story of sexual longing, rejection, degradation and release. Cohen originally wrote 23 verses to this song. This is raw and sad. Buckley went swimming with pockets filled with rocks and died one day....

  http://youtu.be/1mBjkYIs8VY

  Canadian%20musician

• Dolly Little Sparrow

  http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DedYmg2bS5Vo

• Cher love hurts

  http://m.youtube.com/%23/watch%3Fv%3DVrtm6il9_-A

• r120 Your intro was the best intro ever!

• Eva Cassidy, the voice that never was heard commercially. She wanted it that way, but thought she had more time. My favourite song by her is her cover of Stings's "Fields of Gold", but there is no live video of it. (Michelle Quan at Olympics) This is the second best version of "Over the Rainbow" you have ever heard. Small club, bad recording, her voice is not just folk girl pretty - technically she has a fine tone and a fantastic range, making it all sound so organically simple. And it was for her. She was close to stardom, but refused to do many things that would have got her there. A.D. She is a star, not because she died young of cancer, but because her voice and her taste was exquisite. She sang only covers, but these are beautiful legacies.

  http://youtu.be/NL-9JlSCNOQ

  muscian