The “greatest singer ever”, according to Glenn Hughes
There is a scientific study that has Axl Rose ranked as the greatest singer of all time because of his wide-ranging voice.
The research was done by Concert Hotels, which recorded the lowest note that an artist had ever sung and then compared it to their highest. There are plenty of singers out there who have fantastic voices, but it turned out that using these metrics, Axl Rose offered the best range. You can certainly hear it when you listen to songs like ‘It’s So Easy’, which start with a grumble but end in a shriek. With that in mind, does this make him the best singer of all time?
No, of course it doesn’t, mainly because such a suggestion is purely subjective, but also because the quality of an artist’s voice depends on what they’re trying to do with their vocals. For instance, no one is ever going to suggest that John Lydon had a better voice than Aretha Franklin, but if you gave each singer the other person’s songs to perform, neither would come out on top.
A good vocalist isn’t just technically good at singing, they’re good at understanding the music they’re putting their voice to and adjusting in a way which is appropriate. Stubborn musicians are sometimes capable of great things, but they don’t make for the best collaborators. If someone has a specific style which they refuse to waiver from, it’s unlikely there will be a load of bands lining up to work with them.
Glenn Hughes is no such musician. He’s a fantastic vocalist with an incredibly unique tone, but he’s also more than capable of working around whatever band he is playing with. As a result, he fronted a range of popular outfits, including the likes of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze and Black Country Communion.
While all of these bands are undoubtedly rock-oriented, their approach to the genre is completely different. Deep Purple previously incorporated elements of classical music into their sound, Black Sabbath’s sound was doom-laden and low-riding, while Trapeze were celebrated as a funk rock outfit. There are very few vocalists who could take on all these different bands and deliver something that sounds good, but Glenn Hughes isn’t like other singers.
Being a singer of such calibre doesn’t come naturally. You need to have talent, sure, but you also need to be committed to your craft and have excellent taste. As such, if you’re looking for recommendations on good singers, you don’t need to look much further than someone like Glenn Hughes. So, who would he recommend?
Well, it might be interesting to find out that when talking about vocalists he admired, Hughes stepped away from the world of rock and instead poked his head into Motown. When talking about the one singer who really makes his hair stand on end and who could put their vocals to just about anything, Hughes reserved the high honour for Stevie Wonder. He’s not the only one who thinks Stevie Wonder is one of the best, and the soul singer’s ability to transcend his own genre and gain respect from people in a number of different branches of music highlights just how effective he is as a performer.
“He’s always been an inspiration. I met Stevie in 1974, when I was making an album with Deep Purple at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. Stevie was in the same studio, next door. So, we met, became friends, and we’ve been friends ever since,” recalled Hughes, “And… Look, in my opinion, he’s the greatest singer ever, but it’s the way he stands, the way he lives his life, and the way he is with his family. And he’s such a calm, considerate man, you know?”
