I have written in the past about how the stratospherically high male vocals of early 70s soul music are an indelible part of my earliest childhood memories of music:
I would like to expand my admiration for those higher than high vocals. It’s safe to say that no matter what the style or era of music may be:
When a male singer reaches notes that seem like they should be physically impossible for an adult man to sing: color me amazed.
I always just classified all of them as “really, really high vocals.” Then a few days ago, I started wondering just how high some of them were.
- I took a bunch of songs that I remembered featured the singer reaching for the heavens, and when he sang the highest note in the song,
- I identified it on the piano.
- I began compiling a list.
After a bit of research on some vocalists known for their upper range, I added a few songs with which I wasn’t as familiar. The highest note in the song is labeled according to the note name and the octave. Each octave begins on the note “C”.
If you are not familiar with this system, here is a piano keyboard that has the pitches labeled:
The lowest notes start at the left of the keyboard, and as it moves to the right, it gets higher. You will notice the octaves are numbered to increase as the pitches get higher.
For perspective, I sing mostly tenor in my church choir, which is the higher male voice part.
I can get up to a G4, and after that it is probably best that I do not go any further. The highest note discussed today will be a full two octaves above me. I’m sorry, but that’s just crazy. And I love it.
So here is my list.
I begin with the highest notes, moving down from there, stopping at an E5 as the lowest examples, but make no mistake; these are all high!
This is not an evaluation of the singers themselves and who can sing the highest. The majority of these singers can sing higher than the song and note listed. I just wanted to stick to mostly songs that I knew and that hopefully others may know as well.
The time in the song where the highest note occurs is listed, but I recommend listening to the whole song, or at least a portion before that note happens. I stuck to studio recordings only, but be aware that in many cases, singers would often go much higher on these same songs when performed live. A playlist of all the songs is included at the end.
This list is by no means comprehensive.
Many other singers could easily be listed here. If you have a song in mind that features a high-pitched male vocal and you are wondering just how high he gets, drop it in the comment section and I will try to take a listen and advise.
And now without further ado, time to get high!
Nope, that came off wrong…
F6
“Joy to the World”
Earth, Wind & Fire:
Philip Bailey (3:05)
Philip Bailey is basically in a class by himself.
This came out on a Christmas album in 2014, when Earth Wind and Fire was well past their 70s peak, and yet here he is hitting a note that’s nearly a half an octave higher than anything else on this list.
I always considered “Fantasy” to be an example of Philip’s incredible range, but it doesn’t go even near this high.
It’s worth noting, however, that on the Live at Velfarre version of “Fantasy”, he goes up to a G6, a full octave higher than on the original recording. Insane!
C6
“The Way You Make Me Feel“
Michael Jackson (3:56)
Of course, Michael.
In the range covered here today, there are well over 100 examples of Michael smack dab in it. Many of them are in the form of a woo, a yelp, or a hee-hee and such, but the fact remains that he can get up there higher than just about anybody.
B5
“It’s a Shame“
The Spinners
G.C. Cameron (2:22)
What’s remarkable about this is that the man covers the span of C#2 to B5. That’s nearly 3 octaves. In one song. And it all feels completely effortless. And the song is a stone-cold jam. Am I done? Not really.
“I Will Return”
Classix Nouveaux
Sal Solo (4:45)
Part of the original wave of New Romantic bands that helped define the British synth pop sound of the early 80s, this great band never quite got its due.
Along with that, not enough people know about lead vocalist Sal Solo, who had incredible range.
Just how high he goes here is evidenced by how high on the list this is, but many of their songs featured him in a more baritone range. Really, he could do it all.
Bb5
“Bohemian Rhapsody“
Queen
Roger Taylor (4:04)
That Bb5 would be the last “for me” on the “Beelzebub has a devil of a friend” section of the song.
Freddy also has that range, but Roger was chosen to tackle the high stuff on this one and he shredded it.
A5
“Under Pressure”
Queen/David Bowie
Freddy Mercury (2:29)
Speaking of Freddy, this is just a half step lower than Roger on that last one, and man, does he nail it.
Just a thing of beauty. That was always going to be the case with Freddy.
“Smokin’“
Boston
Brad Delp (4:01)
One of the finest rock vocalists in history, Delp is another one that almost exclusively dwelled in the celestial realm.
He can go higher than this, but I just love that crazy A5 he belts out near the end here.
“The Nightingale“
Ivan Rebroff (3:40)
Specializing in Russian folk music, Ivan had a vocal range of over four octaves, beginning with an F1, which near the bottom of the piano, and shouldn’t be humanly possible.
His supposedly highest note on a recording can be heard here. He is equally comfortable down in the deepest, darkest depths and soaring to the stars. Not many can do what he does. (It’s not on Spotify.)
“The Number of the Beast“
Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson (1:16)
Though the pitch he reaches is clear and definable, this is more of a scream.
It’s a legendary one and it must be included.
G#5
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’“
The Righteous Brothers
Bobby Hatfield (2:42)
Bobby handled all the high parts for the duo.
On this classic, he memorably reaches to the heights to “woo” a couple of times, which serves as an emphatic exclamation point to that powerful bridge.
“Dream On”
Aerosmith
Steven Tyler (3:30)
This always stunned me how he just jumped up an octave on the melody at the end of the sung, in full voice.
It still does after hearing it zillions of times.
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love“
The Darkness
Justin Hawkins (2:34)
For all you millennials wondering how this jam from the early ‘00s stacks up in terms of some of the all-time sky-scraping lead vocals, yeah, it’s up there.
“Sixteen Candles”
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Frankie Valli (2:41)
Through the decades, his falsetto remains one of the most distinct and powerful out there.
Pretty much the highest notes in his range can be heard on this one, as the song is fading.
G5
“You Should Be Dancing“
Bee Gees
Barry Gibb (3:11)
Those otherworldly, spine-shattering runs Barry does at the end sound more terrifying and nightmarishly hellish to me than any heavy metal scream
And I mean all of that in a good way. I was getting chills just now listening to it, and I’ve heard it countless times. One of the most powerful usages of that range that I’ve ever heard.
“Communication Breakdown“
Led Zeppelin
Robert Plant (2:07)
The entire lead vocal on this song is out of my range, just to give you an idea.
Hearing those highest notes could change your life. The fact that Robert Plant can sing this high is not primarily what makes him possibly the greatest rock vocalist ever, but it sure helps.
“Dust in the Wind“
Kansas
Steve Walsh (3:09)
I always wondered how high Steve Walsh gets on that haunting, wordless passage at the end of this song as it’s fading. The answer is “very.”
“Good Vibrations“
Beach Boys
Brian Wilson (3:21)
It needs not to be said that some of the most beautiful, sublime falsetto singing ever in rock/pop came from these guys.
Brian and Carl could get even slightly higher, but this is my favorite. In case anyone was wondering, the theremin at the end gets up to an Eb6. Still not as high as Philip Bailey.
“Freeze-Frame”
J. Geils Band
Peter Wolf (3:28)
Wolf totally nails that super high note at the end and holds it for an impressive amount of time.
“Dazz”
Brick
shared vocals (1:02)
Have I mentioned how much I love this?
Disco high male vocals have a special section reserved in my musical heaven.
“Victim of Changes“
Judas Priest
Rob Halford (7:31)
Rob has to be included.
F#5
“Move On Up“
Curtis Mayfield (0:27)
So does Curtis.
“Easy Livin’“
Uriah Heep
backing vocal (1:26)
Yes, it’s a backing vocal, not the lead that goes to the F#5, but that whole bridge just soars vocally, and it needs to be here.
“So Lonely“
The Police
Sting (3:50)
He’s in and out quickly, but he definitely hits it.
F5
“Wheel In the Sky“
Journey
Steve Perry (2:46)
A sustained high F never sounds quite as majestic and pristine than the way Steve Perry does it here.
“Didn’t I Blow Your Mind“
The Delfonics
William Hart (3:11)
Awww, yeah.
Early 70s soul, where this all begins for me. One of the most gorgeous songs ever recorded and Hart’s high note at the end hits me right where I live.
E5
“Take on Me”
a-ha
Morten Harket (1:08 and others)
Though it doesn’t reach quite as high as most of the other songs here, what’s impressive is how that one note at the end of the chorus just comes seemingly from out of nowhere. It’s a defining moment of a generation of music, no?
“Lovely To See You Again”
Moody Blues
John Lodge (1:29)
A distinct part of the Moody’s sound would be those thick, choral-like harmonies that stretched from the bass to soprano range.
Bassist John Lodge was primarily responsible for the higher stuff, and it was always the aural equivalent of the cherry on top of the sundae.
“I Want Her She Wants Me“
The Zombies
likely Rod Argent (2:41)
Perfect pop falsetto vocals that take an already emotionally charged song into euphoric territory.
“Wholy Holy“
Marvin Gaye (3:00)
His legendary falsetto was both suave and angelic.
He can go quite a bit higher than this, but that run at the end is a just about as lovely of a thing you’re going to hear on this list.
“Runaway“
Bon Jovi (3:00)
Jon Bon Jovi (3:20)
Not to offend fans of this band, but I love exactly one song by them, and this is it, their first hit.
When Jon breaks out into that sky high part over the top at the end, do you know what that is? It’s the sound of a band that will soon take over the rock universe.
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Great list! As someone with a 12th of an octave range, I’m impressed.
Hey, that’s more than enough for punk rock, right? My range is not super extensive, but I’m a firm believer in making the most out of what you got.
These are fabulous. I also really love a very high male voice. Whether or not you like the person or the music, I think John Denver has to be recognized for the ending of “Rocky Mountain High.” I would also love to know what is the note that the young man hits at the end of “O Happy Day” in the movie Sister Act.
I contrast this with Lou Reed, who once said that he had a hell of a career for someone with a 5 note range. (I personally believe that he may have given himself an extra note.
The note the boy hits at the end of O Happy Day is an E6. Good catch on that one. It’s extremely high. The only reference in my article that is higher than that is Philip Bailey. To be fair, I am not sure if that kid’s voice had fully changed yet, but even if it hadn’t, that is an incredible note, if he sang it, or even if he didn’t.
John Denver goes up to a B4 at the end of Rocky Mountain High, which is about a half octave lower than the lowest notes mentioned in the article, but still out of my range. It sounds beautiful, and in the end, that is what really matters.
Not to correct Lou Reed about his own voice, but his range is a full octave (13 notes) on the song “Jesus”, which is one of my favorites from Velvet Underground. That’s not a wide range, but he sounds perfect for that song, and again, all that matters in the end.
How high does the singer of Sheriff’s “When I’m With You” get?
Wow, that last note is an F#5, which would have landed him on my list with Curtis Mayfield, Sting and Uriah Heep. He holds it out for a really impressive amount of time, and it just sounds so beautiful. I was getting chills.
How does falsetto fit into this? My range is relatively limited as a baritone (an octave and a half if I’m lucky), but throw falsetto into it and I can easily get another octave. Especially alone in the car.
I did not distinguish between falsetto and full voice for this article. Either qualified. If they can hit it, it counts. Regarding your octave of falsetto, it’s really cool that you have that. It will allow you to do some fun things vocally that I know I cannot do, as I don’t have much falsetto range at all. And if you’re singing along in the car, it certainly does not matter if you are belting it out or in falsetto. It’s all good!
Something that I’ve been working on for no logical reason is to try and get my Falsetto to sound as normal as it can; almost like a regular voice.
This is something I do when I’m singing along with whatever, in the car on a long commute or stretch of highway.
So my question is, am I fooling myself; is everybody always going to be able to tell what I’m trying to pull off, or can you successfully make your falsetto at least strong enough that you can fool some of the people some of the time.
Inquiring minds want to know.
I can’t always tell the difference, to be honest. And I don’t really care. If it sounds good, that’s all that matters. You hit an E5 in your send up of “Take On Me” by a-ha, and that impressed the hell out of me. It was spot on and sounded glorious. End of story.
“Alexa, please make a hearing evaluation appointment for rollerboogie…”
They’ll sell anybody a microphone. But thank you. 🙏
You just uncharacteristically threw us both under the bus.
It’s a gift… 😂
You had me doubting my own ear, so I went back and listened, and in all sincerity, it was as great as I remembered it- you really did nail that note.
I did not know that was Roger Taylor hitting the heights on Bohemian Rhapsody.
How do Sylvester on You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) and Russell Mael rate?
https://youtu.be/eUJ_ifjKopM?feature=shared
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)- So glad you brought up this banger of a song. Sylvester gets up to an F5 on it, and he makes it sound effortless. It’s the same note as the Delphonics and Journey that I posted. His range is listed at an E2 to a G#5, which is 3 and a third octaves and indicates that he has gotten even higher.
Russell Mael- In the song you posted, the highest note is the one he ends on- an F#5, which would land him on my list in the same spot as Sherriff, which Chuck asked about. He sounds operatic on it. It’s really cool. Makes me want to dig deeper into this band.
There’s plenty of digging to do with Sparks. 27 studio albums in a variety of styles and still churning them out.
I gathered on the variety of styles. I have a space-themed playlist and I had added an 80s Sparks song to it (“A Fun Bunch of Guys from Outer Space”). It sounds literally nothing like the song you posted.
I like the story of producer Muff Winwood betting Elton John that the song would get to number one. I think Gwen Stefani was inspired by Siouxsie Sioux when she took a crack at “Stand and Deliver”. Both songs sound uncoverable. But Siouxsie and the Banshees pretty much nailed it. I like Stefani’s “It’s My Life”. Oh, obligatory complaint about Siouxsie and the Banshees not being in the RRHOF.
I simultaneously love “Two Faces Have I” ironically and unironically. Lou Christie sounds insane, in the fun sense of the word. In my reimagination of the song, one face is Lou Christie and the other face is Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano. “Lightning Strikes”, I like, in the normal way of liking a song.
“Move On Up” is my favorite song from your list. Mark Eitzel likes to slowcore everything. His cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic is one of the few times the American Music Club frontman sounds chipper.
Lou Christie gets up to a D5 on Two Faces Have I, just a step below my list. But still high!
Great article, rollerboogie! Quick question regarding the “old school” hits: how high were Tony Williams’ vocal for the Platters’ “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and Jimmy Beaumont’s for the Skyliners “Since I Don’t Have You”?
Tony Williams of the Plattters gets up to a G4 on “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,”
which is not in the same range as the other singers we are talking about, but when he hits it at the end of the song with such tremendous power, it doesn’t really matter at that point how high it is. It’s incredibly moving. A lot of tenors have that note, but not as many would be able to stick the landing like that.
Jimmy Beaumont of the Skyliners is a different story. He gets up to a C#5, which is a little lower than the ones on my list, but it’s still quite high. It sounds so perfect for that style and era. The back up singer at the end goes an octave higher to a C#6, but I’m thinking that it’s likely the girl in group pictured on the cover.
It’s still awesome. I don’t know many women that have that note.
Thank you for mentioning these songs. I find myself appreciating both of them more than I had going in today, as I paid more attention to them. They’re both so gorgeous.
Big queen and big Freddie fan here, he had a range much past A5 you have noted there. Freddie Mercury’s highest recorded notes vary depending on the source, but he indisputably hit a C7 in his studio recording of “It’s Late” and an F6 in live performances such as “Get Down, Make Love” (coincidentally from the same LP, “News of the World”) so that would put him at the top of your list!!!
Also, surprised not to see George Michael on there somewhere, notably he hit the C5 full voice and falsetto A♭5 when he sang “Somebody to Love” at the Tribute to Freddie.
Freddie Mercury was known for his exceptional four-octave vocal range, which allowed him to move from low F2 to high F6. Higher notes in the BBC Maida Vale version of “It’s Late” showcases higher, more experimental whistle notes, reaching as high as A6 and C7.
Ahh, thank you. Listening to this version now. There are so many effects on the middle section where the beat drops out that it hard to hear some of the notes, but I can tell there are some really high notes in there. Where are you hearing the C7?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2lnbZKKOj4 around 3:30 this is admittedly an experimental thing they did at the BBC, many pop bands used to record at the BBC back in the day.
I’ll try to find a live Get Down Make Love where he hits the F6 natural voice LIVE!!
Sorry, the video is unavailable here.
Try this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr3FZLBRs4c
right about 3:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GnS5Q_EH1o&list=RD_GnS5Q_EH1o&start_radio=1 starting at 2:50 and he goes on, more sound effects than singing but he’s hittin’ the note!! I am a HUGE Queen fan, I play a lot of the, big John Deacon fan. http://tinyurl.com/cararickqueen
I don’t think the right video came up.
Thank you for posting the link to your YouTube channel of play along videos. I was impressed with how you just mowed through those John Deacon bass lines! You know your Queen and you’re a solid player!
yeah your boss or partner or w/e did an interview with me last week.
He mentioned something was coming. Looking forward to it. He runs the site and formats all the articles. The rest of us just submit articles. Anyone can submit something.
George Michael could have easily been on this list, yes. Lots of high stuff in his catalog. Glad you brought him up. I love him and didn’t intentionally leave him off. Just got lost in the shuffle of so many guys that qualified.
I’m listening carefully to “It’s Late” by Queen. Around the 6:09 mark Freddy ascends up to a E6, which is just incredible. I am not hearing a C7 in there. If you can direct me to it or if it’s on an alternate take, I would love to check it out.
This one didn’t chart in the US, but is the most insane falsetto I’ve heard:
https://youtu.be/_69qmyFxTyU?feature=shared
Wow. He’s hitting a C6 in the initial chorus, and then at the end, he modulates up a key 3 times until he’s all the way to an D#6. And he has complete control of the pitch, the tone, the sustain. And it’s something very pleasant to hear. He’s amazing.
This is rad. Nice job!!
Thanks, blu!
I’m not a musicologist (as a drummer, I am a mere primitive caveman bashing away), but I think I’ve seen it said that James Labrie’s wild wail at 1:28 of “Take The Time” is pretty far up the scale. He in general had some impressive performances, especially earlier in Dream Theater’s career before damaging his vocal cords with a bout of food poisoning.
https://youtu.be/XvUzTheN-J0?si=5PoqvESe25RjXLiG
Nice call, A-brat. He gets up to an E5, which is high. He’d qualify for this article. I saw Dream Theater live in 2000 with Spock’s Beard as the opener.
Awesome concert. Loved both bands.
Now do the girls. My money is on Minnie Riperton
https://youtu.be/9I3UTG1dSTc?t=114
I thought about it. Minnie is a great place to start! Mariah and Ariana also in the team photo.
Minnie Riperton’s highest recorded note was an F7 in the whistle register, most famously featured in her 1975 hit “Lovin’ You”. Her F7 is considered one of the highest notes ever recorded in popular music and demonstrates her extraordinary five-octave vocal range. That makes Freddie’s C7 pretty impressive for a male!