10 Musicians Who RUINED Their Voice
This is the worst thing that can happen to a singer. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be discussing singers whose voices changed for the worse over time due to bad habits, personal choices, or medical issues.
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be discussing singers whose voices changed for
00:13the worse over time due to bad habits, personal choices, or medical issues.
00:21Robert Plant The vocal stylings of Robert Plant were hugely
00:25influential upon the development of heavy metal.
00:28The Led Zeppelin frontman possessed a caterwauling wail that howled at the heavens, with little
00:33regard for personal safety.
00:38Zeppelin's demanding tour schedule, combined with Plant's nicotine habit and reported
00:47lack of warm-ups, resulted in his voice entering a sharp decline.
00:51The lack of backing vocals in Led Zeppelin didn't help things, and later albums were
00:55defined by Plant's less demanding style.
01:02Plant's solo career would see even less reliance upon his higher register, although
01:09fans could argue this wasn't a bad thing.
01:12This just meant that a more intimate, bluesier, and perhaps even folky Robert Plant left the
01:181970s in his rearview mirror.
01:27Axl Rose The world of 1980s hard rock and heavy metal
01:34was one that featured high, powerful voices.
01:38Axl Rose remains one of the best and most defining singers from this era, although a
01:43career of singing at this elite level has taken its toll.
01:52The man's on-stage performances today are still impressive, and often see Rose sprinting
01:57across a stage while singing.
01:59That said, stories of consistency in the live arena have differed, while Rose's storied
02:05power and range as a singer has fluctuated since his earliest years with Guns N' Roses.
02:19John Mayer It's not out of the ordinary for a professional
02:29musician to find new ways of expressing themselves vocally.
02:33This goes double after instances of surgery, such as the one John Mayer went through after
02:38being diagnosed with vocal granuloma in 2011.
02:42These non-cancerous folds usually grow in the back of the throat after long periods
02:47of irritation or improper singing.
02:57Mayer, to his credit, took the diagnosis in stride.
03:00While confiding to Rolling Stone about how he was forced to creatively pivot.
03:04Thankfully for the guitarist and singer, his fanbase seems to have welcomed the new John
03:10Mayer with open arms.
03:18Joni Mitchell It's funny how the human body works.
03:22Some singers, such as Motorhead's Lemmy, were defined by his smoky, whiskey-fueled
03:28voice.
03:35Others, such as Queensryche's Jeff Tate or King Diamond, sang extraordinarily high,
03:40while still retaining their smoking habit.
03:47Joni Mitchell's light and graceful voice from the 1960s and 70s largely suffered from
03:52her nicotine habit, which diminished her dulcet tones in a huge way.
03:57This, of course, takes nothing away from Mitchell's talent as a songwriter, arranger, and lyricist.
04:03Her modern-era live performances are a long way removed from her hippie heyday, however.
04:17Elton John They're the bane of every singer's existence.
04:21Vocal nodules These white masses usually appear on or near
04:25the vocal cords and come about due to a number of reasons.
04:32Stress, improper technique, abuse, and a lack of rest can all contribute to nodule development,
04:42and they can permanently derail a vocalist's career.
04:46Elton John developed vocal nodules after touring extensively during the mid-80s and required
04:51surgery to remove them from his larynx.
04:58John's case was a bit different, however, as the famous piano man was pleasantly surprised
05:03with how he could now achieve a lower, deeper, and more resonant register, albeit at the
05:08cost of some upper high notes.
05:16Stevie Nicks Technically speaking, Stevie Nicks never had
05:20the greatest voice in the world.
05:22Then again, who really cares about technicality when you can have the emotional resonance,
05:27magnetism, and charm of Nick's breathy, intimate voice?
05:38This generational mystic woman could sing us the alphabet, and we wouldn't care.
05:43However, years of substance use definitely contributed to Nick's voice becoming raspy
05:48over the years, to the point where it was even parodied on South Park.
05:58A similar situation occurred with Nick's bandmate and former partner, Lindsey Buckingham,
06:03whose vocal cords were damaged after the guitarist underwent heart surgery.
06:16Julie Andrews The story of what happened to Julie Andrews
06:26may be the most tragic on this list.
06:29This generational actress and singer was starring in Victor Victoria on Broadway when she noticed
06:35a hoarseness in her voice.
06:37Andrews underwent surgery to remove benign vocal nodules, but something went wrong.
06:48The singer had previously possessed a powerful four-octave range, yet the botched medical
06:53procedure resulted in damage that's never been repaired.
06:57Andrews would sue doctors at Mount Sinai for malpractice, blaming their mistakes for her
07:02now raspy voice and inability to sing at the elite level for which she'd been known.
07:11Adele One of the good things about vocal nodules
07:20is that they're treatable, sometimes with surgery, and other times changing up one's
07:25diet and routine.
07:26The voice of Adele is known far and wide for its immense power, however, the singer
07:39underwent the knife in 2011 to remove some nodules that had developed.
07:44Part of Adele's aftercare treatment was to avoid tomatoes, since these vegetables
07:48have been known to promote acid reflux in many people.
07:51The vocalist has since joked about this new regimen, opining about the fact that she can
07:56no longer eat pizza.
08:06Whitney Houston It was the voice of a generation, and one
08:10that many desperately wish was still around today.
08:13Whitney Houston may be gone, but her legacy will live on forever.
08:21That said, her legendary power as a vocalist didn't come without cost, since some music
08:27critics have pointed out how Houston often over-sang.
08:37This combination of physical exertion and a challenging schedule, combined with Houston's
08:42unfortunate struggles with substances, led to a sharp decline in her abilities.
08:46This decline, thankfully, hasn't defined Whitney Houston, however, with most fans remembering
08:51how special this voice was at its creative peak.
09:16Steven Tyler Speaking of over-singing, Aerosmith frontman
09:20Steven Tyler will always be known for his inimitable wail.
09:33This classic rock singer could belt it out with the best of them, but it was this frequent
09:37over-exertion that led to Tyler bursting a blood vessel in his throat back in 2006.
09:49Surgery would eventually get Tyler back performing again up on the stage, however, a fast-forward
09:55to 2023 saw Aerosmith postponing concert dates to the next year after Tyler suffered a fractured
10:02larynx.
10:03Unfortunately, the band broke the news of their retirement in August 2024, citing the
10:08inability to fully heal Tyler's vocal injury and the cancellation of the rescheduled dates
10:14of their Peace Out Farewell Tour.
10:22Does it matter to you if a favorite singer's voice changes over the years?
10:26Let us know in the comments!
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