These songs demand a wide range to nail. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the popular songs that can really test a singer’s vocal range.
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00:00I will always love you
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the
00:12popular songs that can really test a singer's vocal range.
00:20Number 10, Love on Top, Beyoncé
00:23Honey, I can see the stars all the way from here
00:29She may be an icon and a legend, but Beyoncé doesn't get nearly enough credit for her vocal
00:34technique. The last half of this joyous track from her fourth album is a showcase of her range.
00:47Love on Top is a buoyant and exuberant song about finally finding a partner who respects you,
00:53but that joy is earned through some pretty complicated vocal acrobatics.
00:59Requiring energy, precision, and breath support, the famed climax of the song is a test for even
01:10a trained singer. With each new repetition of the chorus, the song ascends to a higher key.
01:16It's no small feat. Maybe try this one in the shower before you bring it to karaoke night.
01:21Honey, you put my love on top, baby, cause you're the one that I love
01:26Baby, you're the one that I need
01:29Number 9, Without You, Badfinger
01:32Mariah Carey and Harry Nilsson may have found great success with their covers of this vocally
01:37strenuous ballad, but it was rock band Badfinger who first introduced it. In fact, the original
01:50version may cover the most ground as far as singing goes. The song about lost love is
02:02heartbreaking to the point of being over the top, but there's no denying that with the right power
02:07and artist behind it, it's a real tearjerker. But no matter what version you listen to,
02:19a performer has to sell the emotion at what may be the top and bottom of their range.
02:31Number 8, Chandelier, Sia
02:40What really sets this one apart as far as range goes are the notes Sia belts. The verses mostly
02:47stay in a pretty comfortable and stable spot for a lot of singers. It's when you get to the chorus
02:52with those trademark embellishments Sia puts on words like I'm and chandelier that you can get
02:57tripped up. These embellishments are what make the song memorable. Without them, something would
03:10clearly be missing. Sia's technique also makes her version almost untouchable.
03:22It's why she can flip between head and chest voice so easily during the chorus,
03:27and why the rest of us risk vocal damage.
03:30Number 7, Blue Bayou, Roy Orbison
03:46Thick with sultry, bluesy verses and a chorus that can blow the roof off the place,
03:51Roy Orbison's 1963 country pop single is a great test for a singer.
04:00It would later become even better known from the cover by Linda Ronstadt.
04:16Both artists have something in common. Their vocal skills were near untouchable.
04:21Not only could they sit comfortably in the song's notably low parts,
04:25but they both made its heartfelt, nostalgic chorus ring clear as a bell.
04:30Ronstadt's falsetto at the end forever puts her stamp on it,
04:41but it's optional and definitely not for beginners.
04:52Number 6, Under Pressure, Queen and David Bowie
05:00While Bohemian Rhapsody has some challenging notes,
05:05its four-part harmony does a great job of dividing the work.
05:09But Freddie Mercury's incredible voice might get one of its best workouts on Under Pressure.
05:21Sharing the vocals with David Bowie gave him a chance to be playful and
05:25cycle through his range like a jazz artist.
05:28Mercury unleashes some incredibly high notes in it.
05:38Some of them are so high he didn't replicate them live.
05:42But what he didn't deliver in range, he could always make up for in power.
05:46Number 5, Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin
06:05This jazz singer made history by having the first a cappella song to hit the top of the charts.
06:10Don't Worry, Be Happy highlights Bobby McFerrin's considerable range
06:14and talent for maneuvering between pitches almost instantly.
06:26What may sound like an easy, breezy song is anything but.
06:30Shifting from a lower register to a high one is difficult enough.
06:33Try doing that without knowing where you're going to breathe.
06:37When you listen to the track, he doesn't have much time to make those transitions.
06:41But you wouldn't know it by the fullness and confidence in his voice.
07:02There's a world in which you could sing this song without hitting the whistle note.
07:06But anyone who's ever heard Love & You is going to be really disappointed if you don't.
07:11Minnie Riperton was a marvel.
07:13Her legendary five octave range and versatility of genre make her hard to compete with even now.
07:26Love & You isn't just about the high notes though.
07:28It's got lots of subtle rises and falls within the same phrases.
07:33Not only that, but it's meant to be a lullaby.
07:41So if you try to compensate with lung power, it loses its magic.
07:45Catchy and upbeat, this seems like a karaoke-friendly 80s bop at first.
08:07But then comes that chorus.
08:08Up to that point, Morten Harket, the lead singer of Norwegian pop band A-HA,
08:19demonstrates a fairly smooth and deep voice.
08:27So when he comes out with that left hook of a high note at the end of the chorus,
08:31it makes you sit up and take notice.
08:33The chorus stretches the entire range of notes within the song,
08:37increasing with each new phrase.
08:39Even then, it's still surprisingly high once it tops out.
08:43And ultimately, it makes the whole song all the more memorable and hard to perform.
08:54I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
08:57Whitney Houston's version is identical to the original,
09:01Whitney Houston's version is iconic to be sure.
09:04But even in the hands of original singer-songwriter Dolly Parton,
09:07this soaring ballad is a feat of vocal acrobatics.
09:18Regardless of the genre and style, I Will Always Love You suits a great singer.
09:23Its story of lovers parting and wishing each other the best
09:26packs enough narrative punch on its own.
09:31But the emotional climax doesn't really hit without those soaring notes,
09:38and that's where Whitney really sets up the challenge to singers.
09:42The best thing about the song is that it suits so many different genres.
09:53Whether it's country, pop, or R&B,
09:55an ability to stretch the limits of your voice is a must.
10:011. Emotions – Mariah Carey
10:25Designed to show off Carey's full and luscious deep tones,
10:29her pristine belt, and her famous whistle register,
10:32Emotions runs the gamut of her five-octave range.
10:42Aside from the breadth of notes it covers, it's also incredibly fast-paced.
10:47Even if you can make the transitions,
10:49you need time to catch your breath to give each note the support it needs.
11:00It's also unique in her discography.
11:02In many Mariah Carey songs,
11:04the whistles are a detail you might be able to do without and still deliver a good rendition,
11:09but the whistle notes are not a side dish in Emotions.
11:13Sticking the landing almost depends on them.
11:23Which of these songs would you be brave enough to sing at karaoke?
11:26Let us know in the comments.
11:292. Music – Mariah Carey
11:35Do you agree with our picks?
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