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50 Great Voices

Hear the stories of awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time.

Photo of Freddie Mercury Steve Jennings/Wire Image

Featured Artist

Freddie Mercury:
Rock 'N' Roll's Humble Showman

The Queen frontman born Farrokh Bulsara chose a stage name in perfect harmony with his voice. He could move from an earthy baritone to a wild but heavenly tenor, and he connected with huge stadium audiences.

As a classically-trained musician, I never developed much interest in popular or rock music, with one exception . . . Queen. Freddie Mercury is one of my all-time favorite singers in any genre. — Lynn G (Lynn22)
Photo of Umm Kulthum courtesy of Arab Film

Featured Artist

Umm Kulthum:
'The Lady' Of Cairo

Her legendary concerts were broadcast live from Cairo, on the first Thursday of each month from the 1930s to the early '70s. The Arab world's buzz and bustle stopped, from Medina to Marrakesh, from Jeddah to Jerusalem. Shops closed. Families gathered to listen for four, five, even six hours of rapture.

Her songs are nothing short of epic in scale, with durations measured in hours rather than minutes. — Isabel Soffer, Director of Programming, World Institute, Panelist
Photo of Lauryn Hill Frank Driggs Collection

Featured Artist

Howlin' Wolf:
Booming Voice Of The Blues

His name was Chester Arthur Burnett, but everyone called him Howlin' Wolf. He played harmonica, but some say he was the greatest blues singer of all time. His unique voice mesmerized audiences and hugely influenced rock 'n' roll.

Howlin' Wolf got me through the sticky, clammy, clabbering heart and gut sojourn of a bicultural divorce deep in the summertime blackjack oak wilderness of Oklahoma... — Rebecca Whetstine (RebeccaWhetstine)

Hear Artist Profiles See The Full List A-Z »

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Jackson was one of the first to take gospel out of the church, inspiring generations of singers.

Mahalia Jackson: Voice Of The Civil Rights Movement

A superstar in Turkey, Aksu writes lyrics that capture the muddle of human emotion.

Sezen Aksu: The Voice Of Istanbul

Though he died at only 24, he's one of the most revered, emulated and popular rappers in the game.

Biggie Smalls: The Voice That Influenced A Generation

India has been listening to the alluring and ubiquitous voice of Asha Bhosle for decades.

Asha Bhosle: The Voice Of Bollywood And More

The Icelandic singer is as famous for her eccentric outfits as she is for her transcendent voice.

Bjork: A Celestial Voice

The iconic singer has proved that a vocal doesn't have to charm or seduce someone; it can provoke.

Iggy Pop: The Voice As Weapon

The singer left behind a body of work that is part of the bedrock of American soul music.

Donny Hathaway: Neglected Heart Of Soul

Her voice was rough around the edges, unmistakable and impossible to imitate.

Janis Joplin: The Queen Of Rock

Bob Marley called Brown, who recorded more than 75 albums, the best reggae singer in the world.

Dennis Brown: The 'Crown Prince' Of Reggae

A Spanish singer whose music radiates intensity, Buika says what you hear in her voice is freedom.

Buika: The Voice Of Freedom

The late, great opera diva continues to thrill and divide audiences with her distinctive sound.

Maria Callas: Voice Of Perfect Imperfection

An NPR Music producer recalls how a singer from a bygone day triggered his love of opera.

Enrico Caruso, And Confessions Of An Operaholic

Clark sings like John Coltrane played: Her notes are clear and clean, her phrasing exquisite.

Twinkie Clark: Riffing On Gospel

Cody sings traditional songs in the language of her Navajo ancestors -- with more than one twist.

Radmilla Cody: Two Cultures, One Voice

Cole outsold Sinatra, broke color lines and influenced everyone from Ray Charles to Marvin Gaye.

Nat King Cole: An Incandescent Voice

Cruz, who grew up in the music-rich neighborhoods of Havana, became known as the "Queen of Salsa."

Celia Cruz: The Voice From Havana

As he began his career, flamenco was still a connoisseur's music, but Camaron changed that forever.

Camaron De La Isla: The Voice Of Flamenco

Born Farrokh Bulsara, the Queen frontman chose a stage name in perfect harmony with his voice.

Freddie Mercury: Rock 'N' Roll's Humble Showman

Sandy Denny was once the queen of British folk rock, yet today, many people don't know her name.

Sandy Denny: Mercurial Queen Of British Folk Rock

Rufus Wainwright, Tim Page and Renee Fleming reflect on Placido Domingo's performances as Otello.

Placido Domingo: The Spellbinding Voice Of A Titan Tenor

Fairuz sang for a united Lebanon, even when her country was engulfed in a bloody civil war.

Fairuz: Lebanon's Voice Of Hope

A great singer of fado music, Rodrigues became the heart and soul of the Portuguese people.

Amalia Rodrigues: The Voice Of Extreme Expression

Her "scat" singing was as dazzling as her simplest melodic statements.

Ella Fitzgerald: America's First Lady Of Song

The suave singer brought tango from the underground dance salons to the mainstream.

Carlos Gardel: Argentina's Tango Maestro

Caballé could be imposing at full voice, but she showed her real greatness when singing intimately.

Montserrat Caballé: A Voice Of Passionate Grandeur

The legendary singer celebrates her affinity for pop music with a jazz musician's approach.

Dianne Reeves: A Jazz Voice With Pop Sensibilities

Simple and unadorned, Monk's vocal music sounds as if it has always meant to exist.

Meredith Monk: A Voice For All Time

The Senegalese singer is a musical chameleon capable of a seductive whisper or a siren's cry.

Youssou N'Dour: The Voice Of Senegal

At 79, the country music legend can still pull and bend notes until they make listeners hurt.

George Jones: The Voice Of Heartbreak

The late Hawaiian musician was best-known for his ukulele-backed cover of "Over the Rainbow."

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: The Voice Of Hawaii

The late soul singer's legendary voice has been called "flawless" and "as smooth as silk."

Luther Vandross: The Velvet Voice

Holiday sang from the heart, and had enough heartache to fill a songbook.

Billie Holiday: Emotional Power Through Song

Even at 91, Vargas still possesses a voice that reflects struggle, defiance and ultimately triumph.

Chavela Vargas: The Voice Of Triumph

Wells became a country star at a time when women didn't have hits in country music.

Kitty Wells: The Queen Of Country Music

With his growling vocals, Wolf fought his way to the top of the cutthroat Chicago blues scene.

Howlin' Wolf: Booming Voice Of The Blues

The Iranian singer draws from ancient Persian poetry to critique the country's government.

Mohammad Reza Shajarian: Protest Through Poetry

As a boy, Plant marveled at the voices of Smokey Robinson and James Brown on the radio.

Robert Plant: Born In England; Made In America

The Ukrainian singer transcended the boundaries of Jewish music to become an international star.

Yossele Rosenblatt: The Cantor With The Heavenly Voice

The 69-year-old singer's music is ingrained in the genetics of the Crescent City.

Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen Of New Orleans

Through danger and exile, the Algerian singer continues to spread a message of peace and openness.

Khaled: The King Of Rai

The singer packed concert halls and sang without a microphone before audiences of 7,000 people.

John McCormack: The Charming Irish Tenor

Hear an interview with the singer and rapper whose voice is the story of the hip-hop generation.

The Many Voices Of Lauryn Hill

One woman rewrote the rules of Texas-Mexican music and became a voice for the impoverished.

Lydia Mendoza: The First Lady Of Tejano

The singer-songwriter's melancholy style had a tremendous influence on American rock and pop music.

Roy Orbison: A Great Voice, A Lonely Sound

In the former Yugoslavia, one woman has had more hits over more years than just about anyone else.

Esma Redzepova: 'Queen Of The Gypsies'

Jackie Wilson was a singer's singer — admired by everyone from Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson.

Jackie Wilson: The Singer And The Showman

At a moment when the Arab world was buffeted by modernity, Umm Kulthum's voice was a lodestar.

Umm Kulthum: 'The Lady' Of Cairo

The great singer's work mulls the big questions of life, one magnificent half-step at a time.

Elis Regina: The Feeling Between The Notes

The passionate singer helped spread Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music, around the world.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: The Voice Of Pakistan

Hearing his story, you learn about how people relate to music, but you learn more about Afghanistan.

Ahmad Zahir: The Voice Of The Golden Years

 

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