John Farnham was voted Australia's best singer of all time - by a panel more than 100 Australian singers and musicians commissioned by News Ltd.
Farnham, 63, thanked his peers for voting him Australia’s finest singer of all time.
"Just to be in the company of the people on that list will do me .. I'm blown away,” Farnham said.
And it appears his fans agree.
"Anyone who has seen John Farnham live will agree with this decision. You may not like the music, but his voice is incredible," Ben Hosking wrote on news.com.au Facebook.
But not all were convinced, cue Sarah Attwood. "Are you kidding me? We have such wonderful artists. Move on from Farnham Australia, he's done & dusted."
Kylie Minogue’s absence from the Top 50 has caused a stir on social media.
“That @kylieminogue isn't in list of top 50 Aussie singers is BS. She's our most successful female artist,” NSW Police Force media officer Troy Deighton tweeted.
AND HERE IS THE LIST
1. John Farnham
HE'S the voice, and it seems his contemporaries do not need to try and understand it, they just accept it. John Farnham has blitzed our poll of Australia's most popular singer as voted by Australian singers.
The result sees Farnham, 63, confirming his status as the singer’s singer.
"John Farnham could sing the phone book and it would sound great," Jimmy Barnes says. "He is shy and unsure of his abilities sometimes but we mere mortals will probably never know this because his voice is so damn good."
2. Bon Scott
Singers praised Scott for his take no prisoners attitude, authenticity and the fact that his voice - and lyrics - are unmistakable and timeless. Baby Animals singer Suze DeMarchi was also impressed by his stature. "Anyone who was that short and could sing that loud is a winner."
"The weasel on heat was a street poet with his own sound and a sense of humour; qualities I admire," Ross Wilson said."Good rock singing is an art and more difficult than most people imagine. It helped that he had an incredible band to sing with."
Hoodoo Gurus’ singer Dave Faulkner said Scott was a genius. "Bon's combination of cheek, wit and balls made everything he did unforgettable. He was also a brilliant songwriter. Do I really need to say any more about the genius of Bon Scott? We were very lucky to have him."
Melbourne’s Dan Brodie sums Scott up thus "raw, laconic, tough, funny, romantic, lover, fighter...Australian."
3. Tina Arena
Melbourne singer/songwriter Michael Paynter hailed Arena as "simultaneously the most natural and supernatural female Australian voice ever. She is technically and emotionally perfect, but somehow always has enough of a sniff of imperfection and rawness to make you not only believe every word, but be hanging off them too." Ricki-Lee said she taught herself to sing by listening to Arena’s Don’t Ask album. "I would just sing along over and over and over and try and hit all the notes and nail every run. She has so much control and power but the most important thing for a great singer is showing restraint. Just because you can belt it doesn't mean you have to do it all the time." Missy Higgins says Tina Arena is "one of our best singers ever. She could sing the balls off anyone, and she's miniature." Brian Mannix says Arena has a "tasteful" voice. "She sells the lyrics with her big voice but never over-sings."
Birds of Tokyo frontman says "Tina Arena can sing the s--- out of anything, and do it in four different languages!" Anthony Callea, who has toured with Arena, has an insider’s perspective. "Technically, she is faultless and her tone is unique and warm. I love that she goes against all the 'singers’ rules’ - I’ve seen what she eats and drinks before a gig!"
4. Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence.
"Michael was a sassy rock singer who just oozed sex and style," Daryl Braithwaite said. The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod was won over by Hutchence’s vocals. "Michael was all about tone and sex. His voice was so alluring, I liked him the best when he sang down low, that’s when he got me." Kids in the Kitchen frontman Scott Carne toured with INXS in the '80s. "He was the Lizard King of the '80s," Carne recalls. "A cool performer and a great singer live, so much passion in his voice. And a chick magnet to boot."
Suze DeMarchi liked Hutchence’s style. "He had a beautiful tone and knew his way around a song. You could hear the sentiment in his voice when he sang. All round rock god." Musician Phil Ceberano points to more beyond just his swagger. "He was an international rock star but a great white soul/rock singer in his own right." Michael Paynter said Hutchence was the "ultimate frontman". "Not only was he arguably the sexiest voice to ever leave these shores Michael Hutchence personified what it meant to become the song."
5. Jimmy Barnes
Daryl Braithwaite points out it’s not just pub rock. "Jimmy has one of the best rock voices in Australia but he has a lovely softer voice as well." Sarah McLeod hinted at some envy at Barnes’ range. "Not only does Jimmy have a great blues feel he can really wail, he hits really high notes, even as a girl it’s hard to reach where Jimmy can go!"
The final word to his son, David Campbell. "Especially in the Chisel years he had the pure high tones of a classic soul singer. Have a close listen to Choir Girl again. Or the feel of isolation to ironic rage in Four Walls. Masterful stuff."
6. Guy Sebastian
His work at introducing soul music to a younger generation has not gone unnoticed either. "The guy is a Memphis soul singer in a pop star's body," Michael Paynter says. "He has amazing vocal chops," says Andrew Da Silva.
"When you hear Guy's voice you know it's him," Australia's Got Talent star Jack Vidgen says. "It's just so distinct. I grew up loving all of his ballads and remember voting for him on Australian Idol when I was six years old!" Missy Higgins has been won over by Sebastian. "Holy crap Guy's voice is awesome. I'm pretty sure he can sing 18 notes in half a second. Some seriously fine tonsils there."
Mental as Anything’s Greedy Smith says Sebastian is just starting to come into his own. "He’s getting even better because he’s writing for his own voice now." And Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson sums it by saying "he is undeniable. He never f---s up."
7. Renee Geyer
Missy Higgins’ said Geyer’s singing voice cannot be touched. "She has the gravelly, smokey, torn-apart voice of a woman who has seen it all, and then some." Bachelor Girl’s Tania Doko said Geyer’s soul is immeasurable. "She’s real and wears it all on her sleeve, you’re almost cold blooded if you’re not moved by THAT voice."
Kate Ceberano compared Geyer’s voice to a freak of nature. "Listening to her sing like Sister Rosetta and James Brown all at once is really mindblowing!" Jimmy Barnes remembers seeing Renee in his youth and the impact her voice had. "She was a young girl and I was a young man. The difference between us was that even at that tender age Renee had found the direct route between her heart her soul and her voice while I was fumbling in the dark waiting for a sign. I got a sign, a sign that said to me that what I was trying to do would be difficult and painful but if I could speak from my heart and not my ego it would be worth it. That sign was in the form of Renee Geyer."
8. Sia Furler
Sia Furler.
Ironically Adelaide’s Sia Furler is more popular now that she’s effectively retired from live performances and being a popstar. Now writing for A-list pop stars like Rihanna and Kylie, Furler’s guide vocals on Titanium were so impressive dance producer David Guetta kept her on the track rather than Mary J Blige. However Sia’s history stretches back to funk and soul acts in Adelaide, through to work with UK act Zero 7 and her own quirky pop career. "She has power, bite and fun," Ella Hooper says. "Real freshness, attitude and believability - they’re game-changing attributes for the (dance) genre she’s in."
"She has such power and versatility in her voice," Delta Goodrem says. Damien Leith said "She’s an incredible songwriter and an electrifying vocalist."
Ricki-Lee said her favorite Sia song is her ballad Breathe Me. "She has such an unusual voice and its really commands attention and cuts right through you to the heart and you feel every single word she sings." Suze DeMarchi is a longtime Sia follower. "She just sings with unfaltering conviction. She is kind of unparralled. I love her."
9. Chrissie Amphlett
Ella Hooper, who fronted Killing Heidi, was one of the many Australian singers inspired by Amphlett’s trail blazing. "Like a purring kitten that might bite your finger off, Chrissy has snap, crackle and pop! An electric and electrifying voice, oodles of sass and ability, but she never over-sings which I love." Kate Ceberano picked Amphlett as her all-time favorite singer/songwriter/artist. "She exemplifies what it means to be a complete story. Bold, courageous, sexy and powerful! What a combo." And as Phil Jamieson pinpoints "that venom – brilliant!"
10. Neil and Tim Finn
Russell Morris points out Neil has "plaintive appeal - very Beatleish." Ross Wilson is impressed with their long careers. "With their melodies, harmonies, brilliant songs and execution, together and apart they changed the pop landcape round these here parts. Neil seems like the happy bro but an examination of their themes and lyrics reveals a lotta Dirty Creatures residing in both houses." Brian Mannix opts for Neil Finn saying "everything just sounds so effortless for him."
Angie Hart says "I believe anything Neil wants to sing to me. Warm and confident. A singer from the heart."
11. Daniel Johns
Daryl Braithwaite is a fan. "Daniel’s voice has a distinctive timbre," Daryl says. Rapper Seth Sentry was inspired by early Silverchair. "Daniel just keeps re-inventing himself. Tomorrow is my go-to guitar riff at parties." Kasey Chambers chose Johns as one of her favorites. "In my eyes the greatest Australian singers of all time are not necessarily always the most technically perfect singers but ones who sing from a place of pure heart and soul that I cannot help but be inspired by."
Birds of Tokyo’s Ian Kenny says Johns is a hero of his. "He’s just getting better and better."
12. The Bee Gees
"Not since the Beach Boys have harmonies taken over the world," David Campbell notes. "And like Brian Wilson, Barry Gibb’s melodies made the songs timeless."
13. Stevie Wright
"They were the first Australian rock band to capture the attention of the world at large. Paul McCartney famously heard Friday On My Mind on his car radio and he immediately pulled over and phoned the BBC demanding that they play it again (which they did). Stevie's voice was a crucial part of the musical landscape when I was growing up in the '60s. The Easybeats made us proud then and they still do." Phil Ceberano thinks Wright’s appeal is simple. "Just play Friday on My Mind. Enough said."
14. Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly.
Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey points to Kelly’s comforting voice. "Paul's singing voice is so sparing and simple, it's like the voice of an old friend. It immediately puts you at ease so you can just relax and take in what's being shared/told/related…" Kate Ceberano compared Kelly’s voice to Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan in capturing the soul of Australia. "He makes honest observations of everyday conditions. Powerful stuff."
Angie Hart notes "Paul was born to tell stories. He is talking to you, while he's singing."
15. Vanessa Amorosi
Vanessa Amorosi
The local industry loves the Melbourne singer/songwriter who has grown up in public. "One day Vanessa will find an unbelievable song to match her unbelievable voice," Daryl Braithwaite says.
" She has one of the greatest rock chick voices of our time," Anthony Callea said. "Every time I hear Vanessa sing, her power, range and control blows me away. This chick does not need auto-tune."
Ricki-Lee is another Amorosi fan. "Her range on record is ridiculous but she’s even better live." Jack Vidgen is a big fan of her power ballads. "Her voice and power just astounds me," he says. "Vanessa has one of the best female voices in the world," says Shannon Noll.
"Vanessa’s vocals are effortless and her tone and vibrato perfect," Troy Cassar-Daley says. "She can do the Janice Joplin thing which is great but when she sings soft she has a vulnerable quality in there that kills me every time."
16. Jessica Mauboy
Just 23, Mauboy’s seized the attention of Australia since being discovered on Australian Idol in 2006. As well as an endless string of singles on radio, she’s now expanding into movies with The Sapphires taking her from singing modern R&B to retro soul. It seems her talents have not gone unnoticed among her peers. "This sister girl can wipe the floor with most singers on this planet," Cassar-Daley says. "She proved it before Idol when I saw her at Tamworth one year, her work on The Sapphires showed another soulful side to her already multi-layered voice. She is going to be one to watch internationally."
"She has a beautiful soul voice with effortless ease," says Andrew Da Silva. "I love the way she does her riffs and vocal runs and try and love trying to emulate them," fan Jack Vidgen notes. Tim Campbell points to her "incredible" R&B instincts. "Even at her most exhausted - and she works a ridiculous amount - she can still tear a song a new one!"
17. Nick Cave
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will tour Australia.
18. Connie Mitchell (Sneaky Sound System)
Tania Doko says she learns from Mitchell’s diversity. "She experiments vocally, can do anything with her voice. She has that insatiable, modern X factor sound that travels globally." Ella Hooper is also a disciple. "She’s a powerhouse. A wild woman with a wild voice to match. Spunky and huge in scope, her voice can growl and soar - and blow your hair back." Her Sneaky bandmate Angus McDonald knows her talents well. "She is the best female in the business. I've found it very hard to work with anyone else because she is just so damn good."
19. Katie Noonan
Michael Paynter said Noonan has one of the best jazz voices Australia has ever produced. "Her voice is as smooth as it is ethereally resonant." Or as Damien Leith points out, "She has the voice of an angel."
Kate Ceberano said Noonan has her dream voice. "Katie is like the voice I have in my dreams. Soaring and no note too impossible to reach. She makes something so difficult seem so easy. Her voice is the sound of wonder to me."
20. Gurrumul
"Gurrumul definitely has one of the most natural and unique voices I’ve ever heard," Damien Leith notes. "Warm and soulful, it touches right to the core."
21. Suze De Marchi
Suze de Marchi.
The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod notes "Suze has got great feel and rock tone and that’s what it’s all about, feel and tone."
22. Daryl Braithwaite
23. Sarah Blasko
24. Iva Davies
25. Ian Moss
The 'other' voice from Cold Chisel wasn’t missed by his peers. "Ian was the ‘other’ voice in Cold Chisel but when he sang he always elevated the band to further heights," Iva Davies says. Meanwhile that ‘other’ voice, Jimmy Barnes, says Moss’ voice, like his guitar work, comes straight from his soul with no filter. "Sometmes I believe those signs I saw scattered through the Chisel audience saying 'Mossy is God'," Barnes adds.
26. Doug Parkinson
27. Glenn Shorrock
"He still sounds great," says Ross Wilson. "His range and delivery put him on the world charts but he understands how to handle a harmony. Believe me, a lot of lead vocalists are crap when it comes to doing harmonies."
28. Darren Hayes
Anthony Callea is another fan. "His voice is sensitive, honest and draws you in in a very unique way."
29. Colin Hay
Suze DeMarchi says "the man has an iron voice box. I reckon he could sing through a tsunami."
30. Gotye
"Touring with Wally has made me even more in awe of him because his voice is seriously every bit as good live as it is on the recordings," Missy Higgins says.
31. Dan Sultan
Dan Sultan.
Missy Higgins loves the "rough around the edges, sexy rockabilly quality to his voice."
32. Kate Ceberano
33. Russell Morris
"He’s a great songwriter too and when he sings his so-called oldies they sound fresh and contemporary. His latest album Sharkmouth has cracked the ARIA Top 30 and, once again, he's carving out new territory."
34. Gerry Humphries (The Loved Ones)
Dave Faulkner says Humphries is "the greatest punk rock singer to come out of Australia, making only one album with The Loved Ones and then goodbye!"
35. Johnny O'Keefe
36. Olivia Newton-John
"That sound, the warmth from such a high singer," David Campbell says. "Seducing every teenage boy and man with her sound even to this day."
37. Slim Dusty
38. Stephen Cummings
39. Ross Wilson
40. Bernard Fanning
41. Adalita
Adalita.
42. Judith Durham
50. Jon Stevens
52. Kylie Minogue
53. Peter Allen
54. Dale Ryder (Boom Crash Opera)
55. Jack Jones
56. Tim Rogers
57. Peter Garrett
58. Jimmy Little
59. Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun)
60. Dame Joan Sutherland
61. Archie Roach
62. Dougie Mandagi (the Temper Trap)
63. Shirley Strachan (Skyhooks)
64. David McComb (The Triffids)
65. Smokey Dawson
66. Chris Cheney (The Living End)
67. Nic Cester (Jet)
68. Gareth Liddiard (the Drones)
69. Kav Temperly (Eskimo Joe)
70. Diesel
71. Lior
72. Glenn Richards (Augie March)
73. Rowland S Howard
74. Rick Price
75. Spencer P Jones
76. Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon)
77. Ian Rilen
78. Mark Seymour
79 Lisa Gerrard
80. Robert Forster (Go-Betweens)
81. Missy Higgins
82. James Reyne
83. John Toogood (Shihad)
84. Anthony Callea
85. Grant McLennan (Go Betweens)
86. Wendy Stapleton
87. Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus)
88. Matt Walker
89. Max Merritt
90. Ed Kuepper
91. Quan Yeomans (Regurgitator)
92. Abby Dobson
93. Sally Seltmann
94. Anthony Warlow
95. Ian Kenny (Birds of Tokyo)
96. Bertie Blackman
97. Ella Hooper
98. Wendy Saddington
99. Jeremy Oxley (Sunnyboys)
100. Christine Anu
Source - http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/john-farnham-voted-australias-best-singer-of-all-time-by-panel-of-his-peers/story-e6frfn09-1226610268921
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