Belinda Carlisle’s voice

Madonna famously made fun of it in Truth of Dare, with its stop start stop start bleating, hitting on her throat as she imitated her.

Madonna was right.

That being said, Belinda was gorgeous then and now, so eat your heart out Madge.

Her voice sounds sweet & sincere on this =

I don’t think she’s that awful. I like this song and she sounds good here.

Oh for fucks sakes

I think she sounds better in "rocker mode" than most =

And she holds her own here with Cyndi

Belinda sounded her best on her French album around age 50 (& I only speak English) =

I'd like to hear Madge try to sing this better live =

Let's see Madoona sing this live somewhere -

Belinda has a limited range and unlike nasal coke fiend twin Stevie Nicks she relies on other people to write her songs.

Rick Nowels wrote songs that complimented Belinda's range with fantastic production.

The live performances can be hit and miss. She's one of the most boring performers I've seen live. I'm not sure she especially enjoys it.

R8 Are you kidding? She has many times.

R6 Fuck Cyndi. Her voice is so overrated.

I like Belinda’s voice a lot. It works. It isn’t flashy. I am sick of people thinking a good singer has to belt and hold a goddamn note for a minute or run the scales, or do that fucking annoying melisma BS. Most of what so many consider “great singing” is just yelling. If you connect to the lyrics, and make someone feel what you are singing, you can sing. Talent is using what you have effectively. I’d take a medium voiced singer ANY DAY over the overrated big voiced divas. Fuck them. They ruin most songs they sing.

R10 She can't dance unless she's doing "the Belinda" from the Head Over Heels video.

R11 Please post Madge singing The Scientist.

Who?

I miss the days when vocals didn't have to sound like an American Idol competition so, yeah, I like Belinda Carlisle's voice.

R13 Madonna blows Belinda away vocally and I like Belinda’s voice. I agree r15.

R16 Have you heard Madge sing 'Where's The Party?" on her 80s album?

Talk about a screech owl who can't sing. The laughter starts at 0:33 =

Yes I can't stand her voice OP totally agree. It's like nails on a blackboard with that awful forced vibrato.

People seem to forget that, unlike Madge, Belinda and the rest of the Go-Gos started out as true LA punks. Belinda was briefly a drummer in The Germs. She was essentially what Courtney Love would've likely become if Courtney had hit it big in her early twenties and gone pop. The point is that Belinda didn't come from a polished musical background whatsoever, and while she isn't capable of much in terms of vocal flourishes, her voice worked for the material I think. It had a bit of grit to it that I enjoy. I think she was in her finest form during the Runaway Horses Tour.

R17 Deranged. Madonna sounds great on WTP

R19 Unlike Madge? You do know we all can read, know history, and now Madonna started as a drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, then singer in rock and punk bands. Stop trying to diminish Madonna. Belinda doesn’t need it. I am a huge Belinda fan. She’s so underrated. Her voice is one of the biggest reasons the Go Gos were successful.

Are we talking Go-Go's or later? She's clearly worked at becoming a better singer. In the 80s, she was admittedly pretty shitty, but I saw her maybe 10 years ago when she guested at a Susannah Hoffs concert and she sang sweetly and -- mind blown -- in tune. Actually sounded better than Susannah. Her voice is nothing remarkable, but I appreciated the effort.

This was last year. She sounds great to me, especially for 65.

I like her voice - simple but pleasant.

I agree with R15. Voices I tend to enjoy most in music may not be technically spectacular or acrobatic, but they’re distinct to the singer. Belinda’s falls in this category. I cannot stand vocalists who chronically over-sing the material. There is something to be said for some subtlety and restraint.

I like her songs. Catchy. Her voice is fine for them. I agree with the above poster about the diva like caterwauling and warbling that they do these days. Hate it. You don't have to hit every note you learned in every song. Don't know who started it. Mariah? Whitney?

R1 that was Donna DeLory, Madonna's backup singer. Not Madonna.

I listened to most of the links above, and while she does get better, I still hear some flat notes. I agree her voice is suited to punk, but not the Go-Gos music. And I’m not comparing her to Madge or AI singers-I’m thinking of lead singers like Deborah Harry, Patty Smyth, and any of The Bangles who could belt it out and stay on key. I can’t believe fewer than 40% agree with me.

Sussana Hoffs’ voice is horrible. I recently heard Manic Monday and cannot believe her voice wasn’t a huge turn off. Amie Mann also has a very limited voice yet people rave about her. I don’t particularly care for it.

Madonna can’t even sing her own songs. She’s always flat and off-key.

R29 Wrong and STFU.

Madonna stays on key (when live) way more now than she did in the 80s and 90s.

Kylie Minogue was quite good live. Not a powerhouse but sings on key.