Bo Weber
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Obviously, there are many great singers across all genres. From Frank Sinatra to Mariah Carey, Otis Redding to Adele, a big voice has the ability to completely transform a song. That’s not what we’re talking about in this article, though, as we are going to check the other side of the spectrum. Here are the 15 worst singers of all time.
1. Jessica Simpson
Actress, singer, and fashionista Jessica Simpson was born on July 10, 1980. Her debut album, 1999’s Sweet Kisses, sold over two million copies.
She followed up Sweet Kisses with Irresistible in 2001, which was a bit more mature and was even certified gold. The title track became her second top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Despite these achievements, Simpson appears on our list of worst singers of all time. Many find her voice grating, and it takes a lot of studio trickery to even make it sound at all decent.
2. Tom Delonge
Thomas DeLonge is an American musician, singer, songwriter, author, director, and actor. He co-founded the rock band Blink-182 and served as guitarist and co-lead vocalist.
They signed with MCA Records in 1996, and their second album, Dude Ranch, featured the hit song “Dammit” (1997). Enema of the State (1999) was the band’s most significant success.
The album had three hit singles, was quadruple-platinum in the United States, and sold about 15 million copies globally.
Certainly an acquired taste, his shout-y, brat-y vocal style gets him on the list of worst singers of all time.
3. Ozzy Osbourne
Singer, songwriter, and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne first gained fame as the lead vocalist of 70s metal band Black Sabbath. Ozzy eventually left Black Sabbath because of substance abuse issues.
He had success as a solo musician, though, releasing 13 studio albums, many of which went multi-platinum.
Certainly one of the worst singers of all time, Ozzy is overrated in general, from his mode of dressing to his clumsy voice.
Related: 10 Best Ozzy Osbourne Songs
4. Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop, one of rock’s wildest personalities, is a singer, songwriter, musician, and actor.
He first gained recognition in the late 60s as singer and lyricist for The Stooges and is well-known for his unpredictable stage antics and distinct voice.
Pop has dabbled in almost every genre, from garage rock and new wave to heavy metal and art rock.
Many of Pop’s songs are well known, including the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (which even Americana band Uncle Tupelo covered) and “Search and Destroy,” as well as his solo hits “The Passenger,” “Lust for Life,” and “Real Wild Child (Wild One).”
That being said, he still has a grating voice, hence his place here on the list of worst singers of all time.
5. Yoko Ono
You had to see this one coming.
Yoko Ono is a Japanese conceptual artist, singer, songwriter, and activist. She married Beatle member John Lennon in 1969 and her career took off from there.
Her career spanned the 60s, 70s, and beyond. The album she worked on with Lennon before his death, Double Fantasy, won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1980. She currently has a somewhat shocking twelve US Dance chart-topping singles.
But still…do we even need to explain why she’s on this list? She has the epitome of a terrible voice, practically a poster child for worst singers of all time.
Check out this amusing video of Paul McCartney being annoying with Yoko’s voice!
6. Britney Spears
She needs no introduction, but singer, songwriter, and dancer Britney Spears was born on December 2, 1981.
The Princess of Pop led the teen pop revival in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her first two studio albums, Oops! I Did It Again and Baby One More Time, are among the best-selling albums ever.
Oh where oh where would Britney be without auto tune? Like Jessica Simpson, even extreme editing and effects in the recording studio can’t hide how terrible her voice is. Obviously one of the worst singers of all time.
7. Bob Dylan
Iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has been successful for five decades, his first big breaking coming with the 1963 release of The Freewheelin Bob Dylan.
From there, he went electric, went country, found Jesus, fell apart in the 80s, and returned to prominence in the 90s.
Though he can actually sing and hit notes, his voice is grating to many people.
8. Yolandi Visser
Yolandi Visser, a rapper from South Africa, is the lead singer of the rap-rave band Die Antwoord. Visser made an appearance in Neill Blomkamp’s 2015 film Chappie.
Never heard of her? Probably for the best. She didn’t make this list of worst singers of all time for nothing.
9. Rebecca Black
Singer and YouTuber Rebecca Renee Black’s infectious single “Friday” went viral in 2011. Since then, it has often been described as the worst song of all time, and it just might be.
Black later released some other songs, including “Saturday,” a collaboration with Dave Days. She currently posts videos on her YouTube channel about a variety of topics, which is unfortunate, because she’s a terrible singer.
Related: 21 Most Viral Moments in Music History
10. Cardi B
Cardi B rose to prominence in the rap game after the release of her first two mixtapes, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol 1 and 2. She also had a strong presence on Vine and Instagram.
Her debut album, 2008’s Invasion of Privacy, was named the best female rap album of the 2010s by Billboard. Incredibly, it topped the Billboard Top 100 charts when it debuted. It was even nominated for Album of the Year.
None of these accolades are due to her voice, however, as she is easily one of the worst singers of all time.
11. Oliver Tree
Oliver Tree first found success with his 2017 single “When I’m Down.” His debut studio album, Ugly Is Beautiful, was released in 2020.
In 2021, he had more success with the song “Life Goes On,” which has received over 400 million Spotify streams, followed in 2021. His second album, Cowboy Tears, dropped in February 2022.
Simply put, Tree is the worst singer of all time, and his success in the music industry came from sheer luck.
12. Ke$ha
Amazingly, there was a time when Ke$ha was one of the top 10 highest-grossing musicians in the world.
I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising, then, that ten of Ke$ha’s singles have charted in the Billboard Top 10, including “My First Kiss,” “TikTok,” “Your Love Is My Drug,” and “Blah Blah Blah.”
She’s nice enough, and I’m happy for her success, but Ke$ha’s voice just falls flat.
13. Fergie
The face of Black Eyed Peas, Fergie released her debut solo album, The Dutchess, in 2008. It was crazy successful, featuring three number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “London Bridge,” “Glamorous,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
Even many of her fans think she is the worst singer of all time.
14. Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea gained public recognition after her songs “Pussy” and “Two Times” became YouTube sensations. In 2014, Azalea’s debut studio album, The New Classic, hit the top five in many national charts.
As a result of the album’s success, Azalea became the first female rapper from a country other than the United States to chart on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Not only is her accent annoying while singing, she just has a grating voice in general, making her one of the worst singers of all time.
15. Paris Hilton
Believe it or not, media personality, model, and socialite Paris Hilton has attempted singing.
Hilton first attracted tabloid attention in the late 1990s when she established herself in New York City’s social scene. Her 2004 memoire Confessions of an Heiress became a New York Times best seller.
She released her debut studio album, Paris, in 2006. It got as high on the Billboard Hot 100 as #6 and featured the hit “Stars Are Blind.” She has since released more solo singles and has famously worked as a disc jockey.
Her success as a singer only proves that being famous can take you places, even if you have no talent at all.
Related: 21 Famous Singers Who Served Jail Time
16. Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan, lead singer of grunge band Smashing Pumpkins, was born on March 17, 1967, just a few months before the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper.
One of the many bands to gain success in the wake of the success of Nirvana, popular Smashing Pumpkins albums include Siamese Dream and Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness.
Like Bob Dylan, Corgan’s screetchy voice is an acquired taste to say the least. Many find him to be one of the worst singer of all time.
17. Lorde
To be honest, we aren’t even sure how Lorde became famous in the first place, as her voice isn’t even nice to listen to. And we aren’t the only ones who think so. South Park creators made fun of her in one of their episodes when they wrote the character Randy as secretly being singer Lorde.
To be honest, we kind of prefer Randy as Lorde, because she truly is one of the worst singers of all time.
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