Songs so difficult that they should only be done once

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Discussion Overview

This thread explores songs that are considered so difficult to sing that most performers should avoid attempting them. Participants discuss various examples across different genres, including classical and popular music, and consider both technical challenges and the impact of iconic performances.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that national anthems are particularly difficult to master.
  • One participant mentions Roberta Flack's songs as challenging, sharing personal experiences of struggling with specific pieces like "Unchained Melody" and "Que Sera Sera."
  • Another participant argues that some songs are difficult due to their technical requirements, while others are challenging because of the high bar set by iconic performances.
  • There is a discussion about the difficulty of songs by Stevie Wonder, with specific titles like "Ma Cherie Amor" and "Sunshine of My Life" mentioned as examples.
  • Some participants express the view that certain songs, such as "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers, should be left to the original artists due to their unique interpretations.
  • Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again Naturally" and Pink Floyd's "Teacher, Leave Them Kids Alone" are cited as songs that likely should not be covered again.
  • One participant emphasizes that Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" is unmatched and should not be attempted by others.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on what constitutes a difficult song, with some agreeing on specific examples while others propose different criteria for difficulty. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the classification of songs based on technical challenges versus the impact of original performances.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the subjective nature of difficulty in singing, noting that personal experiences and perceptions of iconic performances play a significant role in their assessments.

  • #31
Ivan Seeking said:
Forum secret: Evo loves accordion music - "Nothing gets your toe tapping like an accordion." :biggrin:
And chocolate-covered raisins. Send her a box today.
 
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  • #32
I know some fairly talented singers, and I think they'd all agree that this one is best left to Whitney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HGC003Xz3CY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HGC003Xz3CY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 
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  • #33
Dembadon said:
I know some fairly talented singers, and I think they'd all agree that this one is best left to Whitney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HGC003Xz3CY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HGC003Xz3CY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

That's one of my favorite songs.
 
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  • #34
Hurkyl said:
A lot of synthesized sounds lose quality at very high pitches -- in the recording posted by mugaliens, you can hear the artifacts in the highest notes. There are some points after that in lower notes when it sounds like a synth too -- possibly because the slurs are done with pitch bend, and it doesn't sound like a natural voice.

edit: the original may have been actual voice digitally modified to sound artificial, rather than synthesized

I think the original used autotune in some places...particularly the places where it sounds like a lot of fast, random notes, and the large jumps between registers. But most of that piece is perfectly singable. If my sense of pitch is correct, then there were only three or four notes that were higher than anything in the Queen of the Night's aria (which, granted, few people can sing...but it is singable by unaided human voice, certainly).
 
  • #35
Ben Niehoff said:
I think the original used autotune in some places...particularly the places where it sounds like a lot of fast, random notes, and the large jumps between registers. But most of that piece is perfectly singable. If my sense of pitch is correct, then there were only three or four notes that were higher than anything in the Queen of the Night's aria (which, granted, few people can sing...but it is singable by unaided human voice, certainly).
I don't doubt it's within human range -- especially after the other performance linked.

But that particular performance has artifacts and other unnatural aspects to it that make it sound more synthetic than real -- I've not heard those when others sing up there.
 
  • #36
Borek said:
Few of my favorites: fzaCOFlcErw, HPHfbZcNl6U, i-7NVnLLeRw and ePNUSmH3dMI.

I'm never going to get comfortable with the Polish language.
 
  • #37
I cannot tell if this can done again and again but it does seem to be in that category:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CbAjj80NIM
 
  • #38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Thls_tMuFkc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Thls_tMuFkc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 
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  • #39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIFknAdVvNM
 
  • #40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y68m23x4Nc
 
  • #41
Melanie, absolutely! I would have listed it myself ten times over...EXCEPT...there's a girl I know here in Winnipeg who totally pulled it off a couple of years ago in a coffee house. I guess the exception proves the rule in this case.
 
  • #42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMIlP4zB0EM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMIlP4zB0EM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 
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  • #43
The song "Lovin' you" is one of the most difficult to sing song that I have heard, especially on the last part of the chorus..
 

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