Everyday, we listen to a plethora of studio recordings from our artists of choice. We grab our headphones, lift the volume, and let it play. Some listen for the lyrics, some listen for the instruments, some for the voice. I\u2019m here to talk about that voice, and what makes it worthy of your ears. Who\u2019s got the best one? Who\u2019s worth listening to? There are so many country artists who wouldn\u2019t even make it past the first round of the Voice yet they still reach stardom. I\u2019d rather listen for raw talent.<\/p>\n
I rank singing with vocal range, pitch control, falsetto<\/a> stability, and overall training skill set; not just what sounds good on the radio, but what gives you chills when you listen to. When I think of that, I think of Freddie Mercury<\/a>, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, but that\u2019s just me. I grew up knowing those people were the best vocally. People like Luke Bryan<\/a>, Toby Keith, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett, or even Blake Shelton have the smoothest of sounds, and are doing extremely well for themselves, but are they really the BEST singers? Do they impress you with the notes they hit? I think not\u2026yet they still reach the top charts. When I think of people who DESERVE to top the chart, I think Zac Brown Band<\/a>, Tim McGraw<\/a>, and Carrie Underwood<\/a>, but here are some that may have slipped the radar.<\/p>\n A great singer in an acoustic recording is hard to come by in country music, but surprisingly enough, Sam Hunt (yes, Sam Hunt) did a wildly good job with his acoustic album<\/a>. Listening through it all caused me to believe that he really is a good singer. He crushes the track \u201cCome Over,\u201d made famous by Kenny Chesney. Funny thing is, Sam Hunt wrote the song, and I actually like his better (especially at 1:21 when he vibratos the “anyone else” with power). Sam has a smooth tone, and though his riffs and runs aren\u2019t spectacular, he can hold pitch very well. I think his album \u201cMontevallo\u201d actually hurt his chances of being thought of as an actual talent. His acoustic album, however, gives reason to think otherwise.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EmNHlpwlLYg&nohtml5=False<\/p>\n Dan + Shay have a spectacular vocal range that they display in \u201c19 You and Me\u201d. They\u2019re new to the scene of country music, and maybe they benefit from the changing ways of the genre to a more pop-sound. They don\u2019t necessarily have a twang, but they certainly do have talent, belting out the lines each time the chorus comes around, and they hold their notes out. Just take a listen, and I hope you\u2019ll agree with me.<\/p>\n