What Is Your All Time Favorite Song? (compiled)

[reflection]

http://fun.drno.de/flash/romance.swf

[sblue]

I don't sit on rollercoaster rides, i don't go bungee jumping, i certainly don't go sky diving. I should have known better to click on links on the internet as humour means different things to different people.

[deceptiveeyes.deceivingminds]

Enjoy the song~

Edited July 29, 2009 by deceptiveeyes.deceivingminds

[Guest woompyslumpy]

Hi. Me and my friends want to perform a dance. But we're not sure on where to find those nice remix songs(more than 1 song in it) with all those great sound effects. Any dancers here mind sharing the sites? Thanks =D

[Guest Guest]

Hi. Me and my friends want to perform a dance. But we're not sure on where to find those nice remix songs(more than 1 song in it) with all those great sound effects. Any dancers here mind sharing the sites? Thanks =D

Do a search on DJ Edward Leong aka Kickapoo in Trevvy, he has fabulous dance remixes.

[Swimrbod]

Do a search on DJ Edward Leong aka Kickapoo in Trevvy, he has fabulous dance remixes.

Go to Dirrtyremixes.

http://www.dirrtyremixes.com/

[steppenwolf]

Mash-ups, you could try this site.

[Guest woompyslumpy]

Thanks a lot guys! really apprciate it! =D the website doensn't exist anymore. gonna have find around. hahas =D

[derryfawne]

For those of you who like your music sung by the best of the best pipes.

To kickstart the thread, let's begin with the prototypes... the 1990s trinity of Whitney-Mariah-Celine. How do you like each and every one of them? I'll personally rate Mariah and Whitney about on the same level, but gives a slight edge to Mariah due to the diversity of her materials and her phenomenal contralto + whistle tricks that cannot be replicated by ANYONE in the pop chart. I don't really like Celine that much personally, but I appreciate her talent... she just needs better materials that are (sorry Celine fans) less soppy, sugary, saccharine, and sick.

Mariah Carey's first (Vision of Love), after all these years, is still her best. Watch as she begins with her sultry lower register (an underrated aspect of singing.... going LOW), switches to power belting with multiple Mariahs singing at the same time, break seamlessly into her whistle register, and tops it with a long melismatic ending. You just cannot. beat. this. song.

Whitney Houston's signature song may be her cover of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You. I'm sure every single one of you have heard this inescapable song, so I'll spare you that and post another single instead. The song below shows Whitney with her rare sweetly-sung soprano tone (unlike the usual I-can-eat-you-alive macho tone). The song also establishes Whitney's golden spot (her mid-range belting) and it's also the first appearance of her trademark operatic head voice transition ("for YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU").

Anyone wants to post something about Celine? I'm thinking All By Myself, or Think Twice for a less obvious choice. Definitely not the Titanic song, darn I hate that one (sorry again, fans, different people different stripes ).

Don't limit yourself to these artists, though. You can trace into their overlooked contemporaries (Toni Braxton, Tamia, Anastacia) or predecessors (Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Minnie Riperton). Or discuss who among the current batch of singers will be The Voice of this generation. Christina Aguilera? Beyonce? Kelly Clarkson? Leona Lewis? Jennifer Hudson? Am I missing any names? Let the ball rolls.

[PaterTenebrarum]

Friends who are vocal/singing coaches have told me that belting (like wot the divas do) is relatively easy compared to soft singing which is apparently very difficult.

I read somewhere that they will always teach soft singing last cos it's a lot about control.

One of them told me that one of the best voices around belonged to the late Karen Carpenter. Amazing control.

And then there was the late Dalida. She was camp!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrP3dD7BPw&feature=related

[PaterTenebrarum]

Anyone remember Diva Dance from the movie the Fifth Element.

It CAN be done without technical editing.

Edited August 10, 2011 by PaterTenebrarum

[derryfawne]

I agree that there are many aspects to GREAT singing. Thanks for showing us that.

To play a devil's advocate in defense of the belting divas, though, I'd argue that they have rather chosen to follow the gospel tradition of full-throttle singing. Of course, you may try to argue that some of the belting divas are putting on too much steroid in their singing by mistaking the gospel principle as "MORE is MORE!!!!", but hey, if that makes them a Jimi Hendrix of the vocal cord... why not?

My point is that... they are putting on a good show. To put on the said show, their full-throttle belting is a conscious choice of artistry, and not lack of control to execute 'an advanced level of singing (i.e. soft singing)'. Because when they choose to do so, they do it very well. Mariah Carey is an exhibit A, who has been known to do extreme soft-singing circa 1997-2002.

Also, while it's true that belting is relatively easy, a good effortless belting with strong resonance, power, and agility is not. Take Jessica Simpson (no offense, fans), who may be able to stay up on her upper belting register all throughout the middle-8 section of I Wanna Love You Forever, but she can replicate it live only with a constricted throat... which to say the least, is not comfortable on the ears. You can find plentiful of belters, but those in the level of Mariah or Whitney only comes once; the industry professionals are quick to realize these rare talents, and acknowledge them to be among the best.

Edited August 10, 2011 by derryfawne

[poet]

i've always enjoyed broadway diva, linda eder belting out 'i, don quixote' from man of la mancha, one of the best versions out there...

reprising the song 'someone like you' from jekyll and hyde which she popularised more than 20 years ago. as she grows old, can actually start to hear a bit of strain in her voice - think she use to sing this in a higher key...

Edited August 10, 2011 by poet

[mfn.live81]

Have been a great fan of MC since I was in my teens. Yup her voice might have degraded after being in the music industry for over 20 years now but she could still pull off her earlier songs with at least 75% accuracy.

Listening to her, i think 1 can differentiate 2 different tones of voice, her whispery, light as air voice and her chesty belts that throws a heavy punch.

One of my most favorite songs of hers is Whenever You Call. There is a version which is a duet with Brian McKnight

Enjoy!

[poet]

*deleted*

Edited August 10, 2011 by poet

[deceptiveeyes.deceivingminds]

Long before Mariah and Whitney, there was Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick. Both Diana and Dionne own a good powerful moving voice with clear diction and highly narrative. When you hear them sing, their voices will move you to tears.

In sharing with you their songs, I dedicate Diana Ross "If we hold on together" to all who have loved before and lost the love,this is for you.

And for all those lonely souls out there who feel you are all alone...don't be... you do have friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGF2m102Wg

[patisoy]

When we talk about lung power, Regine Velasquez will definitely make it to the list. Over the years, she has never lost her vocal prowess (look for her videos in youtube) and she can still render jaw-dropping performances. A lot of singers are copying her style but there will always be only one Regine Velasquez.

[PaterTenebrarum]

I agree that there are many aspects to GREAT singing. Thanks for showing us that.

To play a devil's advocate in defense of the belting divas, though, I'd argue that they have rather chosen to follow the gospel tradition of full-throttle singing. Of course, you may try to argue that some of the belting divas are putting on too much steroid in their singing by mistaking the gospel principle as "MORE is MORE!!!!", but hey, if that makes them a Jimi Hendrix of the vocal cord... why not?

My point is that... they are putting on a good show. To put on the said show, their full-throttle belting is a conscious choice of artistry, and not lack of control to execute 'an advanced level of singing (i.e. soft singing)'. Because when they choose to do so, they do it very well. Mariah Carey is an exhibit A, who has been known to do extreme soft-singing circa 1997-2002.

Also, while it's true that belting is relatively easy, a good effortless belting with strong resonance, power, and agility is not. Take Jessica Simpson (no offense, fans), who may be able to stay up on her upper belting register all throughout the middle-8 section of I Wanna Love You Forever, but she can replicate it live only with a constricted throat... which to say the least, is not comfortable on the ears. You can find plentiful of belters, but those in the level of Mariah or Whitney only comes once; the industry professionals are quick to realize these rare talents, and acknowledge them to be among the best.

Hear hear! Unfortunately, many singers now feel that they have to belt to sound good. Just watch AI. Imho, there are many singers who belt for the sake of belting.

[Allegro]

Definitely MC, her vocals can never be replicated and no one can cover her songs better than herself.

Randy Jackson, who has worked with MC since the very start, has stated that "Just listen to her voice and you'll know it's MC".

I love her more during the Daydream era, her vocals were pretty raw and intense.

Can anyone belt out this song with more soul and power, yet stay so subtle in the lower parts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI2ZoQnrH-w

Her vocal peak was during the Daydream Tour in 1996, this is personally my favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSBaa4gFBgw

When we talk about lung power, Regine Velasquez will definitely make it to the list. Over the years, she has never lost her vocal prowess (look for her videos in youtube) and she can still render jaw-dropping performances. A lot of singers are copying her style but there will always be only one Regine Velasquez.

Actually Regine has always stated that her inspiration has always been MC, she did many MC covers but they've always failed IMO, sounds too screechy/screamy, especially the high parts.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Allegro

[slut]

For sure REGINE VELASQUEZ!

[slut]

Meanwhile, this is an INSANE rendition of There's a Winner:

[autowil]

Thanks for the video!!

Btw saw Dreamgals yesterday, is the show based on Diana Ross and the Supremes? So Diana Ross is Beyonce role?

Btw Speaking of Regine, I still think Lea Salonga voice is more powerful!!

Here her singing by Defying Gravity from Wicked

And here her Singing Reflection from Mulan (She sing the singing voice in the movie)

Although she is 40 now, She still have a powerful voice

[autowil]

And here Lea performing Memory from Cats. She was starred in Cats last year at Manilla.

And her signature song, since she perform in Les Miserales when she was young

[patisoy]

Yeah, Lea Salonga's voice is soothing and she rarely screams while singing. Her notes even the high E's are incredibly clean when she delivers them. She's amazing!

Edited August 10, 2011 by patisoy

[derryfawne]

Have been a great fan of MC since I was in my teens. Yup her voice might have degraded after being in the music industry for over 20 years now but she could still pull off her earlier songs with at least 75% accuracy.

Listening to her, i think 1 can differentiate 2 different tones of voice, her whispery, light as air voice and her chesty belts that throws a heavy punch.

She has two different tones in her voice, indeed.

Her upper belting is the only part of her voice that deteriorates. But in compensation, her voice has gotten lower and she can go really low nowadays. Also, her songwriting has gotten more creative than before, e.g. watch how she whistles in Circles, more melodic than her earlier uses of that crazy-high whistle register.

Hear hear! Unfortunately, many singers now feel that they have to belt to sound good. Just watch AI. Imho, there are many singers who belt for the sake of belting.

I am an American Idol whore.

I do agree that belting is kind of abused today, but I have no complain when the singers do it right. Otherwise, it would be akin to saying that a good lead guitarist (say, Slash) shouldn't be doing guitar solos on most of his songs just because that's what he does best. This industry has enough room for the belters, for the crooners, for the soft-singers, etc. You just need to know who to listen to for what.

Actually Regine has always stated that her inspiration has always been MC, she did many MC covers but they've always failed IMO, sounds too screechy/screamy, especially the high parts.

I have always found Regine to be a supreme singer. She can belt really high notes in full voice higher than even Mariah and Whitney, but in all honesty, I found her belts a bit... uhm, unpleasant. I much prefer when she softens it, like her duet with Jacky Cheung on In Love With You.

But that's really just me. I'm sure that many fans can relate to her singing.

Btw saw Dreamgals yesterday, is the show based on Diana Ross and the Supremes? So Diana Ross is Beyonce role?

So I heard.

It was said that Diana Ross was picked because of her commercially-appealing crystal clear voice, rather than her technical abilities (which is not to say that she is bad technically, but that there were better options whose voice just happened to be not as commercial).

There's no sin in that, though. Time and time has proven that you do not necessarily have to be the best technical singer in the world to deliver the best singing. Maria Callas from the opera scene, for example, nails it on the interpretative ground.

[Carlile]

Christina Aguilera - owning lives since 1992.

One of her best vocal performances.

[gummibear]

Celine Dion

[gummibear]

張靚穎 I am not kidding, LUNG POWERED as requested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxlwnVNWyW4&playnext=1&list=PL87B5F1F1775603E1

[doncoin]

OK. I love big black women, so my vote goes to the 2 Jennifers who played Effie White

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtDFHXjJ7SU

[Guest MCMIMIMC]

She has two different tones in her voice, indeed.

Her upper belting is the only part of her voice that deteriorates. But in compensation, her voice has gotten lower and she can go really low nowadays. Also, her songwriting has gotten more creative than before, e.g. watch how she whistles in Circles, more melodic than her earlier uses of that crazy-high whistle register.

I am an American Idol whore.

I do agree that belting is kind of abused today, but I have no complain when the singers do it right. Otherwise, it would be akin to saying that a good lead guitarist (say, Slash) shouldn't be doing guitar solos on most of his songs just because that's what he does best. This industry has enough room for the belters, for the crooners, for the soft-singers, etc. You just need to know who to listen to for what.

I have always found Regine to be a supreme singer. She can belt really high notes in full voice higher than even Mariah and Whitney, but in all honesty, I found her belts a bit... uhm, unpleasant. I much prefer when she softens it, like her duet with Jacky Cheung on In Love With You.

But that's really just me. I'm sure that many fans can relate to her singing.

So I heard.

It was said that Diana Ross was picked because of her commercially-appealing crystal clear voice, rather than her technical abilities (which is not to say that she is bad technically, but that there were better options whose voice just happened to be not as commercial).

There's no sin in that, though. Time and time has proven that you do not necessarily have to be the best technical singer in the world to deliver the best singing. Maria Callas from the opera scene, for example, nails it on the interpretative ground.

MARIAH CAREY is the bestest ever.

Anybody here member of the group Mariah Carey - Team Asia in FB???

[Carlile]

Mariah was good back in her prime (1992-1996) but her voice is pretty lacklustre now.

Her clarity and pitch was astounding but I generally prefer singers/belters with a "thicker" tone (like Whitney and Christina).

[luke84]

http://www.youtube.com/embed/15xKfLSSQF4Of all the Divas, I really like the great Canadian singer Celine Dion for many of her power songs!

I surrender

My link

All by Myself

My link

To Love You More

My link

Edited August 10, 2011 by luke84

[just_me22]

How about the young Adele?

[Guest Guest]

How can we forget Elaine Paige for her stunning performance in Don't Cry for Me Argentina

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ciOalICSUAo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Guest Xtina's fan]

I have always been a big fan of Christina Aguilera!

Here are the lists of songs by Xtina that I love

- Beautiful

- Bound to you

- You Lost me

- Hurt

- Save me From Myself

- I Turn to you

- Lift me up

All these songs are strongly recommended especially "Lift me up".

[derryfawne]

I agree with most people who mention Christina. If I am to answer my own question, Christina is most definitely the voice of this generation. She does commit the crime of oversinging sometimes, but heck, can anyone f-ing oversing as well as that if they want to? Nah...

Her mid-range belting is the best I've seen since Whitney, maybe because they are both blessed with that Shirley Bassey-like thick tone. Her lower register is spine-tingling and her falsetto is beautiful. But at the top of it, I like her because she sings well-written materials. Many divas are given generic songs, and it doesn't help much that they do not have the necessary 'emotion' or 'soul' when voicing their materials. That is not quite the case with Christina. She may oversing, yes, but she feels her songs too.

How about the young Adele?

She is packing a very big voice with a nice rasp. Her songwriting is remarkable too.

[Carlile]

I agree with most people who mention Christina.

Her mid-range belting is the best I've seen since Whitney, maybe because they are both blessed with that Shirley Bassey-like thick tone. Her lower register is spine-tingling and her falsetto is beautiful. Her songwriting is remarkable too.

Amen. All your points can be encapsulated in this heartwrenching performance posted below during the Haiti telethon.

Even Celine Dion has gone on to say that she wishes she can sing like Christina. Christina is definitely one of the greatest singers the world has ever seen.

[Guest Erotictales]

The best female voice I've ever heard to date is still Karen Carpenter. Recognizable anyway. And so, so sophisticated.

The most powerful one, Whitney. I know it's in dire states now, but "the ride with you was worth the fall."

A bit for off for lung power. But who could match Ella's musicality?

[Guest Mareshka]

You can't leave out Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight when singing divas are mentioned.

Ms Patti's an all round entertainer with that dynamic vocals of hers.

But when it comes to soul, the Queen reigns. Hail Aretha!

[justgymguy]

http://www.youtube.com/embed/15xKfLSSQF4Of all the Divas, I really like the great Canadian singer Celine Dion for many of her power songs!

I surrender

My link

All by Myself

My link

To Love You More

My link

I would totally say AMEN to the above. CELINE DION my all time favourite!!!! Oh can we talk about the recent artist... CHARICE!!!!!!

[derryfawne]

You can't leave out Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight when singing divas are mentioned.

Ms Patti's an all round entertainer with that dynamic vocals of hers.

But when it comes to soul, the Queen reigns. Hail Aretha!

Ah, you've definitely done your homework, mentioning the greats of the past.

Amen especially to Aretha. My top favorites from her are:

[mfn.live81]

She has two different tones in her voice, indeed.

Her upper belting is the only part of her voice that deteriorates. But in compensation, her voice has gotten lower and she can go really low nowadays. Also, her songwriting has gotten more creative than before, e.g. watch how she whistles in Circles, more melodic than her earlier uses of that crazy-high whistle register.

Agree that 'THE VOICE' has gotten lower, possibly due to all that drinking and wear/tear. Yeah, since she has taken her career into her own hands (away from her ex-husband) her songwriting has improved lots. But she is still a cunning business woman. Her last uber hit is 'We Belong Together' and since then, all her albums do contain songs that are of similar nature. These cookie cutter songs incude 'Angel Cry', 'Bye Bye' and 'Don't Forget About Us'. I wouldn't say that they are not good, but I think most of the fans are expecting something new cos MC is known to bring about new music, just like how she brought ODB to feature in her song Fantasy!

While on the subject of songwriting, i love the fact that MC tries to incorporate other artists songs into her own song. Most recently that I could recall was 'I'm That Chick', where verses from MJ's song 'Off The Wall' is weaved into her own lyrics.

[Allegro]

Did you guys watch the live christmas video of MC singing in front of President Obama? What an honor.

It was recorded last year December when she was still pregnant and her voice was in full power.

Find me a female voice who can overpower a huge choir and yet sound so vibrant and angelic. (no screamers pls)

FYI, the song was composed by MC herself, and although I'm not a christian the song gave me goosebumps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1Q-2tPFyaY

Edited August 11, 2011 by Allegro

[derryfawne]

Agree that 'THE VOICE' has gotten lower, possibly due to all that drinking and wear/tear. Yeah, since she has taken her career into her own hands (away from her ex-husband) her songwriting has improved lots. But she is still a cunning business woman. Her last uber hit is 'We Belong Together' and since then, all her albums do contain songs that are of similar nature. These cookie cutter songs incude 'Angel Cry', 'Bye Bye' and 'Don't Forget About Us'. I wouldn't say that they are not good, but I think most of the fans are expecting something new cos MC is known to bring about new music, just like how she brought ODB to feature in her song Fantasy!

While on the subject of songwriting, i love the fact that MC tries to incorporate other artists songs into her own song. Most recently that I could recall was 'I'm That Chick', where verses from MJ's song 'Off The Wall' is weaved into her own lyrics.

Mariah is a natural contralto, meaning her voice is the lowest you can find for females. The secret to her five-octave range is not only because she can go high, but also because she can touch those crazy low notes as well. She's been toying with low notes even from the very beginning of her career.

I'm not sure about the wear and tear part, but human voice does mature as they age (explains why they always cast women with heavy voice to play grandma roles in blockbusters). And it's just natural for a contralto like MC to go down to man's range as she ages.

For your appreciation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVtDrOzsNK8

That G#7 on the above video, at some point in time, was the highest recorded note ever hit in human history, until all those Guinness darlings come along to break the records (but of course, none of these Guinness darlings sing well... high does not always equal well).

G#2 as a lowest live note is very impressive, the lowest I as a man had ever hit is a D#2... and in the recording studio (video below), Mariah has been known to go as low as E2, which is just one step above my lowest note.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX0ftbwMsw0

Edited August 11, 2011 by derryfawne

[Avecinfuser]

MARIAH! MARIAH! MARIAH! Need I say more??? I mean while the rest has faded away, she is still around and belting it out!!!

[boybelow]

Mariah hits the high notes via headtone which is a singing technique. Perhaps those singers who reach the high notes by using chest tone are the epitome of a lung-powered diva. On my list are Jennifer Hudson, Charice, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Beyonce, Lani Misalucha, Shang Wenjie and LARA FABIAN

Lara Fabian

Edited August 11, 2011 by boybelow

[derryfawne]

Mariah hits the high notes via headtone which is a singing technique. Perhaps those singers who reach the high notes by using chest tone are the epitome of a lung-powered diva. On my list are Jennifer Hudson, Charice, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Beyonce, Lani Misalucha, Shang Wenjie and LARA FABIAN

Just to clarify.

Mariah does hit high notes with chest tones too. As a matter of fact, she has gone a few steps higher than Charice, Whitney, or Beyonce in chest tones. That being said, all these three ladies also have wonderful head tones that can give Mariah a run for her money. Singers who actually hit high chesty notes (that Mariah/Charice/Whitney/Beyonce could only do in head tones, as proven so far) are Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Kelly Clarkson (yes, no kidding!), and some others. (Haven't explored much about the rest that you listed, though I think Barbra and Lara might have gone high enough to be included on the list too.)

In addition, 'lung-powered diva' is probably more of a vague figurative term than to suggest any literal implications. We all know that when singing, your notes should mainly be supportedly from your diaphragm and not as much from your lung. Besides, supporting head notes and whistle notes also require a lot of power, so it's not just about chest notes.

[Guest jayy]

MC, Whitney, Aretha, Christina.. me like.

To add to the list:

Ann Wilson from Heart. Mad chops.

[Guest Gym Boy]

I quite like the song "Colour of the wind" by Vanessa williams

[mfn.live81]

Mariah is a natural contralto, meaning her voice is the lowest you can find for females. The secret to her five-octave range is not only because she can go high, but also because she can touch those crazy low notes as well. She's been toying with low notes even from the very beginning of her career.

I'm not sure about the wear and tear part, but human voice does mature as they age (explains why they always cast women with heavy voice to play grandma roles in blockbusters). And it's just natural for a contralto like MC to go down to man's range as she ages.

Hey, thanks for the clarification. I do enjoy her lots ... during her days of turmoil and also when she is high on top with her strings of No.1s. She is still the only artist capable of overtaking The Beatles in terms of No.1 songs! But again, she is not so young now and its a much harder task to take on the younger, more popular artists out there who are obviously not up to par with her vocally.

Nice to know that there are tons of MC fans here!