Recordings for Listening
Classical
Some wonderful singers to listen to are Cecilia Bartoli, Renee Fleming, Mario Lanza, Thomas Hampson, and Edita Gruberova. Here are our suggestions for classical listening:
Great Tenors of Our Time
Mario Lanza, “Nessun Dorma”
Opera’s Greatest Moments (Placido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, Ben Heppner, Jussi Bjoerling, Robert Merrill)
Beverly Sills, “Santo di Patria,” and The Art of Beverly Sills
Kiri Te Kanawa, “Les Nuits d’Ete”
Leontyne Price, "Les tringles des sistres tintaient"
Ten Top Sopranos
Mad About Sopranos
Cecilia Bartoli, “Se Tu M’Ami”
Edita Gruberova, French & Italian Opera Arias and “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen
Joan Sutherland, “Non mi dir” from The Art of the Prima Donna
Renee Fleming, “Dove Sono”
For the operetta style,
Sarah Brightman, “Think of Me,” Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
Dale Kristian & Michael Crawford, “Point of No Return”
Brian Stokes Mitchell, “The Impossible Dream,” Man of La Mancha
Audra McDonald, “How Glory Goes”
Essential Operetta - Selections from The Merry Widow, Kismet, The Opera Ball, Show Boat
Musical Theatre
Check out the original queen of belting Ethel Merman. Then listen to a variety of modern musical theater singers such as Aaron Tvait, Idina Menzel, Stephanie J. Block, Norbert Leo Butz and Brian D’Arcy James. Here’s some specific suggestions:
Betty Buckley, Live at Carnegie Hall
Linda Eder, “Someone Like You,” And So Much More
Lea Salonga and Jonathon Pryce, “Sun and Moon,” Miss Saigon
Debbie Gravitte, Part of Your World: The Alan Melken Album
Robert Cuccioli, “This is the Moment,” Jekyll & Hyde
Joel Gray, “Willkommen” Cabaret
Amy Spanger, “I Hate Men,” Kiss Me Kate - 1999 revival
Julia Murney, “Raise the Roof,” The Wild Party
Eden Espinosa, “Once Upon A Time,” Brooklyn
Idina Menzel, “Defying Gravity” Wicked
Bernadette Peters, “Last Midnight,” Into the Woods
Kristin Chenowith, “Girl in 14G,” “Taylor the Latte Boy”
Norbert Leo Butz, “Dancing Through Life,” Wicked
For the legit style, listen to:
Julie Andrews, “I Could Have Danced All Night,” My Fair Lady
Kathryn Grayson, “I Hate Men,” Kiss Me Kate– original cast
Marin Mazzie, “Back to Before, Ragtime
Brian Stokes Mitchell, “Aldonza,” Man of La Mancha
Colm Wilkinson, Les Miserables -10th Anniversary Concert
Jazz
Some wonderful singers to listen to are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, CarmenMcRae, Shirley Horn, Joe Williams, Mel Torme, Curt Elling, Kenny Washington, Jamie Callum, George Benson, Nina Simone and Jane Monheit. Here are our suggestions for jazz listening:
Sarah Vaughn, “Sophisticated Lady,” “Moonglow”
Ella Fitzgerald, “Cottoon Tail,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” The Best of Ella Fitzgerald: the First Lady of Song
Jane Monheit, “Never Neverland” and “Come Dream with Me”
Anna Hampton Callaway ,“Easy Living”
Louis Armstrong, “All of Me”
George Benson, “Straight No Chaser”
Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit,” “I’ll Be Seeing You”
Al Jarreau. “Tomorrow Today”
Jon Hendricks & Friends (Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, George Benson)
Michael Feinstein, “Love Walked In,” Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway
Nina Simone, “I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl”
Joe Williams, “Everyday I Have the Blues”
Pop
Listen to Richard Marx, Alanis Morrissette, Paul McCartney, Karen Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Imagine Dragons, and Katy Perry for great examples of pop singing. Here’s some suggested listening for the pop style:
Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know
Kelly Clarkson, “I Do Not Hook Up"
Katy Perry, “Firework"
Sarah McLachlan, “Angel”
Pink, “Sober”
Sara Bareilles, “Uncharted”
Robbie Williams, “Free”
Richard Marx, “Right Here Waiting”
Ricky Martin, “La Vida Loca”
Madonna, “Like a Virgin”
Carpenters, “Close to You”
Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” & “Abbey Road”
Eva Cassidy, “Songbird,” “Time After Time,” “Imagine”
Jewel, “This Way”
Billy Joel, “Piano Man”
Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”
Country
Great country singers to listen to are Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Alabama, Johnny Cash, and Randy Travis. Here is a list of specific tracks for listening:
Reba McEntire, “Does He Love You”
Travis Tritt, “Here’s a Quarter”
Clint Black, “A Good Run of Bad Luck”
LeAnn Rimes, “Blue"
Alan Jackson, “Country Boy”
Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire,” “Hurt”
Garth Brooks, “The Dance”
Shania Twain, “Come On Over”
Faith Hill, “Breathe”
Carrie Underwood, ”Cowboy Casonova,” “Home Sweet Home”
Martina McBride, “How far”
Taylor Swift, “Love Story”
Dixie Chicks, “Not Ready to Make Nice”
R & B
Listen to Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson, Little Richard, Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige for examples of great R&B singing. Here’s some specific tracks to check out:
Etta James, “Church Bells”
Maxwell’s, “Urban Hang Suite”
Aretha Franklin, “Respect,” “The Weight”
Whitney Houston, “I’m Your Baby Tonight” or “I Will Always Love You”
Mariah Carey, “Vision of Love,” “Hero”
Stevie Wonder, “As,” “Superstitious”
JoJo, “Baby It’s You”
Beyonce, “Irreplaceable”
Marvin Gaye, “Mercy Mercy Me”
Miracles, “Tracks of My Tears”
Four Tops, “Bernadette”
Patti LaBelle, “Lady Marmalade”
Alicia Keys, “If I Ain’t Got You”
Rock
Check out these iconic rock singers: (Steve Perry) Journey, Pat Benatar, Freddie Mercury (Queen), Jim Morrison (The Doors), Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith). Here is a list of specific songs to listen to:
Scorpions “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Winds of Change”
Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven,” “Black Dog”
Deep Purple, “Smoke on the Water”
Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin”
Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”
Cream, “Sunshine of Your Love”
Pat Benatar, “Hit Me with your Best Shot,” “Love is a Battlefield”
Melissa Etheridge, “Come to my Window”
Queen, “We Are the Champions”
Goo-Goo Dolls, “Iris”
Creed, “With Arms Wide Opne,” “Higher”
Stone Temple Pilots, “Core”
Avril Lavigne, “What the Hell,” “When You’re Gone”
Pink, “Sober”