Male Western music artists who are good at singing
Introducing the world’s best male vocalists all at once!
Rather than just listing famous names, we’ve handpicked artists who are truly great singers.
You’ve probably seen plenty of articles that claim to feature great singers but end up just rounding up the usual famous artists.
In this article, we spotlight a wide range of artists across genres, eras, and countries.
You might discover a truly outstanding male vocalist you didn’t know yet!
Male Western music artists who sing well (1–10)
Nessun DormaFranco Corelli
Among all genres, opera boasts an exceptionally long history.
Even within that long tradition, Franco Corelli stands out as one of the most vocally gifted opera singers.
In every aspect—power, vibrato, agility, and expressiveness—he is a first-rate artist.
Most remarkable of all is his vibrato.
A deep, wide vibrato is technically demanding, yet he delivers it at high speed and with astonishing volume.
While this kind of vibrato tends to expend lung air quickly, he achieves sustained long tones through exceptional diaphragmatic control and lung capacity.
Next to Franco Corelli’s vocal prowess, even Pavarotti can seem lesser by comparison.
Such is the greatness of this opera singer.
CarusoLucio Dalla
In the 20th century, wasn’t the greatest songwriter Lucio Dalla? His masterpiece “Caruso” has been covered by many great artists, including Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, as well as Lara Fabian and Diego El Cigala.
Yet no matter how many covers you listen to, none surpass the original by Lucio Dalla.
In terms of sheer vocal technique, he may fall short of opera or flamenco singers, but when it comes to overall vocal artistry—including expressiveness—his singing is among the very best in the world.
He is a true artist who reminds us that expressiveness is the most important quality for any performer.
Feeling GoodAdam Lambert
Adam Lambert, the vocalist of Queen + Adam Lambert.
Among the artists introduced this time, it’s a rare entry from an American.
Adam Lambert’s greatest hallmark is, of course, his high notes.
Among the many artists out there, there are few male singers who can deliver such powerful, shout-inflected high notes as he does.
He originally came from the idol world, but you can feel the soul of a true artist in his singing.
His vocal skills continue to improve, so we can expect great things from him going forward.
Si preguntan por quién doblanAntonio Chacón
Antonio Chacón, the king of flamenco.
He is the only cantaor (male flamenco singer) to bear the honorific title “Don.” Despite flamenco’s long history, no one else has ever received this title.
True to that distinction, his vocal ability is on a completely different level from other cantaores.
It is extremely difficult to maintain vocal richness while executing flamenco’s distinctive ornamentation, yet he is one of the few cantaores who achieves it.
His melismas, in particular, are breathtaking; to this day, no cantaor has matched the precision and clarity of his runs.
He is one of the most vocally gifted figures in history.
Nessun DormaPlacido Domingo
One of the Three Tenors, Plácido Domingo.
He’s a powerhouse opera singer who has held his own against the monstrously gifted Luciano Pavarotti.
His voice tends to be more covered, so in terms of sheer volume he can sometimes lack punch.
But he has an extraordinary skill that more than makes up for it: expressiveness.
In that department, even Luciano Pavarotti can’t hold a candle to him.
Please listen to his singing—his expressiveness is among the very best of any opera singer.
Che gelida maninaMario Del Monaco
In terms of sheer impact, it’s no exaggeration to say that Mario Del Monaco’s vocal prowess is among the greatest of all time.
His greatest appeal, above all, lies in his powerful projection.
When it comes to strength, he is in no way inferior to the great Franco Corelli.
The melodies he shapes with his ringing, expansive voice can only be described as downright cool.
He also ranks at the very top in volume.
He is one of the few opera singers whose ability surpasses even that of Luciano Pavarotti.
Torna a SurrientoMario Lanza
Mario Lanza, an opera singer famed for sustaining astonishingly long notes.
Though he was an opera singer, he actually gave only a single staged opera performance in his lifetime.
As a successful film actor, Lanza began receiving offers from major Italian opera houses like La Scala.
However, he kept turning them down, saying he wanted to start with smaller theaters and step up gradually.
It’s a story that really shows his passion for opera.
His greatest allure, above all, is his soaring, beautifully sustained long tones.
The coloratura—what you’d call “faking” in Black music—that he spins out from there is utterly breathtaking, rolling and cascading everywhere (laughs).
In terms of coloratura, he’s on a level that rivals Pavarotti.
By the way, he was American, but of Italian immigrant background.