70's and 80's you have mind-blowing vocalists who add strength to high notes and sing absolutely beautifully, and now you have scratchy, whiny, moaning whelps whose voices are just so UGLY. *SO* ugly. It's not musical at all. I want to know what in the hell happened to vocals!? You'd think bands would improve upon their predecessors, but they haven't been! What's happened?

I don't know, I think we still have some decent vocalists around the place. The chick from Nightwish (I always forget her name) and Pete from Fall Out Boy both have good voices.

Geoff from Thursday can both scream and sing really well too.

The thing is all the vocalists today sound the same. They all have that same canned media endorsed singing voice that makes shitty unoriginal music. It makes you appreciate the singers that don't sound that great but are at least original.

Yeah well thats life I guess. You just have to try harder to find good music. Karen O(I think) from the yeah yeah yeahs is hardly has a magnificent voice but it is different.

Maybe people find it easier to relate to less than perfect vocals today?

Another point to note is people express themselves through their music, they convey a message and their personal feelings. I can't imagine the voice of Olivia Newton John conveying feelings of despair and anger the way the vocalist from say My Chemical Romance does.

That's why I don't listen to the local commerical stations anymore...I just got sick of hearing I can't believe they aren't Creed/Nickleback! bands, and annoying american 20-something bimbos.
Then would come the Hot 30/Top 40 crap which is just unitelligable rappers crapping on about getting it on with chicks, and "riding" in the "hood".

So now I put up with the hippies and british rappers on triple j so I can hear some of the decent music.

Sometimes I wish the stations dedicated to particular genres were more common...

*boots-up MP3 player* :dance3:

Amen.

Although I have to give credit were credit is due. Cornell and Buckley could easily go toe to toe with any of the 70's greats.

There are soom good vocalists in metal such as Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth. He can do brilliant death metal growls and yet sing really well too.

I do like an original and different vocal sound as well sometimes. Kind of like System of a Down.

Blame American Idol.

That's Tarja Turunen, and its ex-Nightwish. And if you had said Pete Steele from Type O Negative, I would have agreed with you.

Basically in the 80s MTV was born and it was discovered an image can sell more records than talent.

I dunno, Angela Gossow is a pretty good singer. :P

She has the image to boot too. *cough*

Oi, Kelly Clarkson came from that show. It's not all bad. :P

Anyway, I still think there are some unbelievable voices out there. Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil for example, the aforementioned Kelly Clarkson for another example. Infact there are some leading vocalists from all the genres now that I think about it, it's just a matter of knowing where to look. (and personal opinion of course)

I know this is quite predictable of me, but I can prove your theory wrong with two words: Mike Patton.

There are amazing vocalists now and amazing vocalists 20 years ago. I don't see a point. Some notable ones today are Mikeal Akefeldt (Opeth) and Christian Alvestam (Scar Symmetry).

Beautiful singing?

Not what I listen... xD

Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Children of Bodom and so on are all just the usual scream-and-shout formula.. Although I really like that.

But I do know some good singers; I find Bryan Adams have a very nice voice.. I know from listening to Good Charlotte that guy has as well I quite good voice (at least that's what I think) Well.. There is the girl from Within Temptation that has a very nice voice. Not to mention the most beautiful singer of all: Axl Rose (...) No way.. That guy sings like a baby that's not satisfied xD

Hmm, I think that commercial music is always going to be mostly bland. It you did a little deeper to bands that aren't played on the radio, there are some great singers to be found. You mentioned Jeff Buckley, whom I think is awesome.

I've been liking alot of Irish singers lately. To name a few: Damien Rice, Emmett Tinley and Tom McRae. They are all very good. I also like the singers from Dream Theater, Marillion and Porcupine Tree.

Jeff Buckley's amazing. There are a lot of great vocalists on the Indie scene too, normally not played on the radio because they aren't "watered down" enough to be instant commerical hits.

It's funny because my mom always says that vocalists today sing better than vocalists did twenty years ago :P

yeah, whatever happened to people like Steve Perry, Steven Tyler, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, etc.?

Can't speak for the others, but Freddie Mercury's dead. :(