Singers you absolutely cannot abide

Nearly all rappers

Nearly all country singers

Natalie Merchant

Beyonce - such an unpleasant voice

Britney Spears - weak and annoying

Kings of Leon - my boss loves them and that singer's voice is like nails on a chalkboard

Mary J Blige Joan Baez Judy Collins

Billie Eilish

I love Janis Joplin. I hate the breathy baby voice singers of today. Adele? They all sound the same.

I agree R6 but I still think Janis sucks. Unique voice but awful. She sounded like she was always straining her voice. Grace Slick had a great voice IMO.

Rod Stewart and his cum-stained vocal chords.

I second Janis. And it's painful because she seemed like a sweetheart and a gem, and I love all sorts of classic 60's blues rock, but I could never get into her.

Also, any singer post Adele.

Elish....sounding half asleep is not great vocal tecnique.

Celine Dion - nails on a blackboard

Bob Dylan

Aaron Neville

Liza One-Note

Here’s a 2015 look back at who we thought were the worst female singers of all time.

r1, me too, but because of the musical material, not the voices per se

Miss Diane Ross

Cher

Bob Dylan

[quote]Rod Stewart and his cum-stained vocal chords.

Oh, dear.

Sam Smith

Ed Sheeran

Phil Collins

Sam Smith’s vocals make my skin crawl.

Ed Sheeran I loathed the first time I heard him. I don't get his appeal.

Never heard Sam Smith.

R21 Shield your ears.

I’m with OP. Never understood the draw of Joplin.Screaming shrieking madness and oh so popular???

Toni Braxton. She always sounded like a dog barking.

Cynthia Erivo.

Lady Gaga

Aretha Franklin - never got her appeal.

Britney Spears - plastic and manufactured.

Linda McCartney - don't put her wife in the band!

Joni Mitchell, e.g., Big Yellow Taxi. I have heard her singing Summertime, though, and she did a good job.

Lara Trump

Ethel Merman. She was loud, but had no nuance.

Janice is a goddess. Knocks this cover out the park!

Janis was a bore. She could never be as fun as Grace Slick, who dressed as Hitler and sang an entire Jefferson Airplane concert with a German accent!

Neil Diamond

R33 That's a good one although I hated his songs too except for Solitary Man and Sweet Caroline.

Amy Winehouse

Lorde

Bob Dylan whines, drives me nuts! (I know-not far to go).

Adele

Lady Gagna-Can't act either!!

Patti LaBelle-screeches, her screeching is worse now she is older.

Most Rappers suck. Jellyroll-get raped& die in prison.

Tom Waits

Sia. God awful voice; listening to finger nails scraping down a blackboard would be more tolerable.

I probably don’t know their names but I know when I can’t stand to hear ‘em.

All the screechers, yodelers and belters.

Ugh.

Supposedly, Grace Slick talks / shouts more than sings. She admits she only has one mode when singing: LOUD.

I still like her voice, but interesting to note.

[quote]She could never be as fun as Grace Slick, who dressed as Hitler and sang an entire Jefferson Airplane concert with a German accent!

Grace was fucking nuts, but in a really cool kind of way. I love how she always had zero fucks to give.

I know Cyndi Lauper has always been a great ally to us, but I can't stand her shrill, screechy voice.

Ah kennet ABYDE her!!!

I love Janis’s voice. I don’t mind some grit as long as someone is singing from the heart—in fact, I think I prefer it that way.

Taylor Swift. I have enjoyed some of her output over the last 10 years or so, but the more I hear her voice the less it seems like she is actually singing and more like she is talking through a lot of songs, with some studio magic helping her along. She's like someone who sings to herself in the shower, and not particularly well, but happened to make it big somehow.

Abide with me, OP.

For eternity.

Eldergay here. I admit that as a young gayling I did not appreciate either Aretha or Janis. Part of it was ingrained. My very uncultured, very racist father could not / would not abide any type of "soul music" in the 60s and 70s. He was especially critical of Aretha. ("Turn that sh*t off. Why do they all have to screech like that?").

As with aged cheese and fine wines, it was only when I got older - that I begin to appreciate how great Aretha and Janis were.

Belinda Carlisle

Miley Cyrus.

R47 agreed. I loathe this cunt for a plethora of other reasons, but her voice is whiny and annoying. Whenever I hear her cover of "Last Christmas" (which has been often lately), I have to shut it off. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

I was thinking the other day how the music industry has degenerated I my lifetime. It's insane to think back on the range of diverse groups and solo acts across a vast range of genres that we saw in the 60's - 90's. A lot of that is now extinct. There's no "grunge" no "goth" no "emo" no "disco" no punk, no arena rock like Fleetwood Mac.

All there is is electronic pop, hip hop / rap, electronic dance music, combos of the 3, and some soft corporate non-scary rock like Coldplay.

What happened to music?

Dean Martin. I like almost all of the other crooners of his generation, but I hate that odd quality of his voice.

[quote]All the screechers, yodelers and belters.

Fuck you.

Christina Aguilera. The loud vocal acrobatics are an 00s sound that has not carried well into the present decade.

Another vote for Neil Diamond.

Alanis Morisette

John Mellencamp

Tori Amos

Janis works this way - 1/3 of her material - she has a fabulous pleasing voice and musicality. 1/3 Ok, often depending on your own mood - 1/3 harsh.

Mariah Carey - breathy and then vocal gymnastics - but not a great sound of voice. Now she can't even do vocal gymnastics anymore - so what's the point?

Christina Aguilera - loud yelling - that's all I hear

Shakira, the braying goat. I never understood her popularity.

Alicia Keyes. Too shouty

R53 all the varieties still exist and there are young people performing it. It's just far from mainstream.

One of my favourite early thread creations.

The lead singer of Muse. He takes these long dragging breaths in between phrases. I think in later songs, they edit some out.

Beyonce

Billie Eye-lash

Lady Gaga

Miley Cyrus

I have no idea why Billie Eilish is famous. Granted, I'm from a different generation. Still, I don't know how or why someone who just mumbles and whispers became so popular.

Macy Gray, although it's probably mean to say because I don't think her career has moved very much in recent years.

There is more to it than mumbling. But mumbling is the zeitgeist. I go to see Timothée Chalamet movies and ask myself "why is he mumbling"? "Why does this sound all very 2020's?"

The sun seems to shine a little brighter now that Katy Perry is done with singing. Christ, those were a rough few years.

Katy Perry sounds like a howling dog.

Susanna Hoffs - I think she's a very cool person, and I like a lot of Bangles songs, but her voice is very irritating. "Is this burning, an eternal flaaaaaame" - Ugh

Bruce Springsteen - I think he purposely tries to make his voice sound scratchy, plus he sounds constipated.

I, too, have never cared for Springsteen's voice.

Aretha.

Chris Martin doesn't have a voice - it's as vanilla and uninteresting as his face and body.

Britney's voice is ok - but when she goes into vocal fry - it's like nails on a chalkboard. She sounded horrible in the latest Elton John duet. Too much forced voice vibrations and extensions.

You're not soulful Brit - cut it out.

Dennis Day and similar Irish tenors. I really don't care for high voices on men.

Paula Abdul's voice was so whiny, thin, and nasal

Britney has NEVER had a good voice; she was always about the sexy package. She still is at 43.

R76: ‘the girl is singing off key ON THE RECORD’

Jennifer Hudson. Why sing when you can shout?

Villiers

Olivia Newton John

Mrs. Miller

Jennifer Lopez

Céline

Gladys Knight (except for on “My Imagination” with The Pips)

Any rapper

Jane Powell 😛

She doesn't really sing anymore, but Hillary Duff's voice is terrible. Worse than Britney and J. Lo, IMHO

And frankly, also, Dave Grohl. Even prior to his most recent personal-life fuckups. The hokey sound of his voice, emerging into the culture as it did from the embers of Kurt's voice, bugs me.

Pete Townshend too. Many great Who songs out there, but the second Pete sings on one of them, I move it along to something else.

Paula Abdul and Jennifer Lopez are NOT singers.

Geddy Lee

I had a friend who once threatened another friend with a fork to turn off Natalie Merchant. That's how much she hated Natalie Merchant's voice. She was only half-joking, I think. She seemed "triggered."

I sympathize with the feeling that a voice can be upsetting, but I liked Natalie Merchant fine.

I've never heard Hillary Duff sing but I have seen that Mad TV music video where they parodied one of her songs and made it about eating disorders. That's what I think of whenever I see her music career mentioned.

I'm obsessing about...what goes in my mouth....

I've always thought I should like Aretha more than I did. But I never did. Same with Joni Mitchell, though I bought more of her albums than I did Aretha's. I never liked Joni's voice. And I hated what a nasty bitch she was about smoking.

Grace Slick is special just as Neil Diamonds name shouldn’t be mentioned anywhere on the DL

R80 lol

Adam Levine. That high pitched, squeaky voice of his gets on my nerves. Especially in any Maroon 5 song released after 2010.

Panic! At the Disco

Ariana Grande

Shifting repertoire - Cecilia Bartoli. I respect what she has done for classical singing, but to me she sounds like she's gargling. I can't stand it.

Shifting back - agree, Sam Smith is terrible.

Am I alone in disliking Adele's voice?

Go EEEEEEEEeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEzee awnme, baaayb...

r98 The 3 people that mentioned her before you probably don't think you're alone.

This won't make me very popular around these parts but I cannot abide Babs (her voice). Something about that decibel-shattering nasal wail -- like a cat in violent heat. Katy Perry gets honorable mention; at least Babs can sing in tune.

Turn in your gay card immediately R100.

R4 A second for Judy Collins.

She sounds like the church choir member you ask to have sing at your wedding because you can't afford an actual talented singer.

Deanna Durbin. She’s a cunt

Nina Simone

Robert Plant

oasis

Freddy Mercury. I want him to clear his throat.

Kate Bush runnin up that hill

R95, good choice. He sings out of his nose. Awful.

I'm glad someone mention Cher. Even she isn't a fan of her wobbly, warbly voice.

Tom Petty

Thom Yorke, and the Counting Crows guy.

Adele doesn't sing; she melodically shouts.

Ariana Grande sounds so shrieky to me

For me its Beyonce and Bob Dylan.

I am a huge Tori Amos fan but cannot listen to her live 2022 and forever after- her voice is gone, and its more depressing than anything--

Billy Corgan

Anyone who yodels

Omg, r102. That's a perfect description. I've always thought she couldn't even carry a tune, and people who won't rip you a new one for saying so are few and far between. Also, her nostrils.

Michael Jackson. More of a writher than a dancer.

^Wrong thread. Meant for the dancing thread.

But his singing wasn't all that great, either.

To R112, Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, are you mad?

Radiohead, I understand-never liked them.

Tate McRae

Hailee Steinfeld

Any singer who sings in a baby ghetto talk accent.

I hate all those whispery singing style...no thank you

Sorry, but it’s Aliza Kashi for me.

Lindsey Buckingham

R122, I blame Janet, Queen of the Whisper-coo.

Christina Aguilera

Billie Eilish

any of those female vocalists that are basically singing vocal fry style with that low caterwauling growl thing

r123 You're sorry?

Sorry in the sense that I’m taking such an unpopular position, R127.

I’m sorry, it’s Paul Anka for me.

I'm so sorry to share my opinion, but Meghan Trainor sucks.

Who's sorry now?

Claudine Longet

Karen Carpenter

Bryan.

Eric Carmen

Peter.

r136 Gabriel?

Ethicist Peter Singer, R137.

TCM fan here ... I hate anything with Bing Crosby singing in films. I run from the room shrieking.

Geddy Lee

Xtina (someone please hold me!)

Tiny Tim

[quote]Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, are you mad?

They were known in the British music press as "Accounting Crows" back then for their 'fake indie cred.'

Judy Garland

Maria Callas. Like a choking chicken.

Barbra Streisand after 1970. So full of herself.

Billie Holliday, especially when she was obviously high.

Louis Tomlinson. Hideous thin cracked voice.

Elaine Fucking Stritch. Why God WHY?

r142 You are misinformed.

Mariah. So boring.

Beyonce really is boring. Diana Ross Lite but without any of Diana's charm and charisma.

Barbra Streisand. Over sings everything. Such a jambon.

Taylor and pretty much every other bland modern girl singer.

Britney. Can't sing.

I agree Janice. She sounds like a distressed cow bellowing in an empty shipping container.

Has anyone else noticed how much Geddy Lee sounds like Robert Plant? The odd thing is that I love Plant but can't handle Geddy.

Christopher Cross...reedy weak voice.

Taylor Swift

Janet Jackson. That baby no voice is irritating

Billie Ellish , gtfo with this whispery talk shit

Adam Fucking Levine cannot sing

Janet Jackson. That baby no voice is irritating

Billie Ellish , gtfo with this whispery talk shit

Adam Fucking Levine cannot sing

[quote]Singers you absolutely cannot abide

I don't know about that, but I could go for some Selena Gomez Adobo.

The movie cast of "Wicked". Anyone who performed in the stage versions (even the sucky ones) were miles ahead of these auto-tuned personalities (not talents).

The dyed blonde anorexic pink bitch and that horrid bald , pierced within an inch of her life queer creature are "the voices of this generation"? No wonder music sucks!

I genuinely hate Lindsey Buckingham's voice face and body, but also have a secret pervese attraction to him. Which I resent.

Whoever said Beyonce needs to clean their fucking ears.