You may not recognize them by sight, but we guarantee you've heard these celebrities' voices before! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 20 most famous voices of all time.
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00:00 "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most famous voices
00:11 of all time. "I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing." For this list, we're taking a
00:17 closer look at people whose voice is very clearly and specifically one of the most famous things
00:22 about them. Naturally, this could have been a video dominated by musicians and vocalists.
00:26 However, it ultimately includes voices from a wide range of fields, including film, sport,
00:32 politics, and more. Although instant recognizability is another consideration,
00:36 it isn't the sole guide for our picks.
00:38 20. Dolly Parton
00:42 The unmistakable twang of a country music legend. With a career spanning seven decades,
00:47 Dolly Parton's sweet Southern lilt is typically heard through her classics,
00:51 songs like "Jolene" and "9 to 5."
00:53 "Working 9 to 5, want a way to make a living, barely getting by."
01:00 But actually, in pop culture history, her distinctive tones have come to mean more
01:04 than simply a unique singing style. On stage, even before she sings, it's her warm speaking
01:09 voice that just exudes charm and wit, forever endearing her to her fans.
01:14 "This was a great time in my life because I was just about to have one of the biggest hits
01:20 I've ever had. That was the song 'Jolene.'"
01:22 And often in relation to the Dollywood Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit she founded in 1988,
01:29 boy can Dolly deliver a rousing speech when she wants to, on everything from public health to
01:33 education. Whatever her message, though, it's a sound as comforting as a Tennessee mountain breeze.
01:38 19. Muhammad Ali
01:41 Of course, Muhammad Ali, revered as "The Greatest," is most well-known for his supreme
01:46 punching power. However, in between fights, his interviews were not to be missed.
01:51 "Once and for all, I'm gonna whoop 'em, I'm gonna show 'em that I'm the real champion of the world.
01:56 You tell 'em all that Joe Frazier will be mine. I'm gonna show 'em that I'm the real champion
02:02 and that Joe Frazier was not the champ."
02:04 As such, Ali is also remembered for his voice, with his endless quotes and one-liners managing
02:10 to be powerful and poetic at the same time. Ali often spoke almost as rapidly as he hit,
02:16 but still with absolute clarity. He created an aura around himself, with journalists often
02:21 fighting each other just to get close to him and land the scoop of whatever he said next.
02:26 Probably his most iconic utterance was the legendary,
02:29 "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
02:32 Ha! Rub a young man rough."
02:34 But ultimately, put any Ali recording on and you will be captivated.
02:39 18. Luciano Pavarotti
02:41 Opera isn't for everybody, and yet everyone knows Pavarotti. The legendary singer was
02:47 known for his soaring, powerful tenor, and his voice has been hailed as one of the greatest in history.
02:52 [Luciano Pavarotti singing opera]
03:06 Over the course of his career, Pavarotti performed to sold-out crowds all around the world,
03:11 while recordings of his shows brought opera into many, many millions of homes.
03:16 His rich timbre and legendary high Cs filled concert halls with such emotion that even
03:21 those unfamiliar with classical music could feel its power.
03:25 [Luciano Pavarotti singing opera]
03:40 As such, his was a voice that genuinely defined an entire art form for generations of listeners.
03:46 And quite simply, there aren't many that can claim that.
03:49 17. Nancy Cartwright
03:52 You may not necessarily recognize her by sight. And actually,
03:56 you might not even immediately twig her usual everyday speaking voice. But say,
04:00 "Eat my shorts."
04:01 "Don't have a cow."
04:03 And you'll instantly recall Nancy Cartwright's iconic role as the animated, ever-quotable rogue
04:08 Bart Simpson. As one of the most successful and influential voice actors of all time,
04:13 Cartwright gives life to one of television's most beloved troublemakers.
04:17 Hat tip also to Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame. But there's arguably no other
04:22 animated character with the longevity or cultural impact that the Bartman has.
04:26 "Who are you supposed to be?"
04:27 "I'm Bartman."
04:29 "Never heard of him. Full price."
04:31 "Oh, lousy rip-off."
04:32 16. James Earl Jones
04:35 To another widely admired actor whose most famous roles are voice-only.
04:39 "The boy born in Mississippi and who grew up on a farm in Michigan ended up being the voice."
04:43 "And who was a stutterer."
04:44 "Yeah."
04:45 "And who was a stutterer."
04:46 "That's his Darth Vader."
04:47 With booming depth, there's a resonant, echoing strength in almost every syllable
04:52 that James Earl Jones produces. His baritone is one for the ages, whatever he does. But no doubt,
04:58 his most famous roles have him lend his voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion
05:03 King.
05:03 "Everything the light touches is our kingdom."
05:06 "Wow."
05:08 "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun."
05:14 On the one hand, we have Vader's menacing commands. On the other,
05:17 there's the sage advice of a fatherly predator. Either way, though, there are very few voices
05:23 anywhere that can carry quite such authority, nor that have permeated pop culture quite so
05:28 impressively.
05:29 15. Whitney Houston
05:31 Whitney not only had one of pop music's most powerful voices, but also one of its most emotive.
05:37 "Oh, I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody."
05:44 Often imitated but never bettered, it easily goes down as one of the most famous in music history,
05:50 thanks to the mind-boggling numbers behind Houston's most famous record,
05:53 "I Will Always Love You." With upwards of 24 million physical copies sold,
05:58 it is the sixth best-selling single of all time,
06:01 and the highest ranking in terms of sales by any female vocalist.
06:05 "I will always love you."
06:14 More than that, though, it's also the lead song on the third best-selling album of all time,
06:19 the soundtrack for the movie "The Bodyguard." Interestingly, the song was originally written
06:24 by another of our Top 20, Dolly Parton, but boy, does Whitney make it her own.
06:29 14. Sean Connery
06:31 They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,
06:34 and perhaps never more so than with Sean Connery's classic Scottish drawl.
06:39 "Because that's the interest, that's the stimulus, and that's the enjoyment for me."
06:46 "Never to stop learning."
06:47 "Yeah, that's right. And I think that when you do,
06:49 then that's the time to change direction again or find something else that will replace that."
06:54 This actor could well be one of the most impersonated and parodied of all time,
06:59 but that's just a testament to how famous his voice alone has become.
07:02 Connery's ultra-smooth style became iconic through his portrayal of James Bond.
07:07 "I admire your luck, Mr. Bond. James Bond."
07:14 As the first to don the super-spy suit, he mixes toughness and charisma with natural ease.
07:20 Even today, if you were to find yourself at a bar ordering a martini,
07:23 is it actually possible to do so and not at least try to crack out your best Connery in the process?
07:28 Number 13. Michael Jackson
07:31 Known as the king of pop, Michael Jackson's vocal stylings were certainly unique.
07:35 And in fact, varied.
07:44 Jackson never really settled on one specific style throughout his long career.
07:48 However, he's another musician whose voice qualifies as particularly famous,
07:53 due to the eye-watering statistics behind his most famous records.
07:56 "Thriller" is still comfortably the most bought album of all time,
08:00 with potentially up to 100 million copies sold.
08:03 Meanwhile, "Bad," released five years later in 1987,
08:16 is the fifth best-selling album of all time.
08:18 In pop music, no other voice has been listened to quite as much as Jackson's has.
08:24 Number 12. Marilyn Monroe
08:26 There are icons, and then there are icons.
08:29 Marilyn Monroe goes down as arguably one of the most famous people ever, no matter the criteria.
08:35 "Listen, it's got to be tomorrow, do you hear me? Tomorrow.
08:39 He just made a big row in front of everyone.
08:42 After this, nothing's going to surprise anyone. It's made to order."
08:46 But still, she's more than worth her birth on this particular list,
08:49 given again how widely known and regularly imitated her voice is.
08:53 Her famously breathy voice was a major part of her overall character, for one.
08:58 It contributed to her enduring glamour.
09:01 But, and perhaps more notable, it hinted at her vulnerabilities,
09:04 and is part of the reason why the watching world is still so interested in her.
09:08 Perhaps her most famous recording was "Happy Birthday, Mr. President,"
09:12 sung to John F. Kennedy in 1962.
09:14 "Happy birthday, Mr. President."
09:20 A moment, again, that captured the enigma that was Marilyn Monroe.
09:24 Number 11. Winston Churchill
09:26 If this were a list based solely on political speech-making,
09:30 then Winston Churchill would probably top it.
09:32 "We hope to see a Europe where men of every country will think as much
09:40 of being a European as of belonging to their native land."
09:46 Nevertheless, Churchill's voice in general has come to represent an entire era,
09:50 a war, and a deep-rooted part of the human spirit.
09:53 As Prime Minister during World War II,
09:56 he rallied Britain during its darkest hour against Nazi aggression.
10:00 A somewhat divisive figure in history, yes,
10:02 but his bulldog determination coupled with stirring rhetoric
10:06 meant that when he spoke, the world listened.
10:08 "We shall strive to resist him by land and sea.
10:13 We shall be on his track wherever he goes.
10:15 Our air power will continue to teach the German homeland
10:20 that war is not all loot and triumph."
10:24 It was in 1940 that many of his most memorable lines were uttered,
10:28 including "We shall fight on the beaches,"
10:30 and "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat,"
10:35 all delivered with optimum gravitas.
10:37 Number 10. Al Jolson
10:39 As a leading actor and performer in the 1920s and '30s,
10:42 Al Jolson was once known as the world's greatest entertainer.
10:46 "Good evening, everybody. You are welcome here tonight.
10:49 Good evening. Good evening."
10:51 His legacy is certainly tainted because he was also well-known for blackface roles.
10:56 But when considering only his voice,
10:58 Jolson's goes down in history for one particular moment,
11:02 or for one particular scene.
11:04 It was he who delivered the first lines of speech in a talkie.
11:07 As the film industry took the momentous shift from silent film to sound,
11:11 Al Jolson was the one to break new ground with the oddly appropriate line,
11:16 "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You ain't heard nothing yet."
11:19 in the 1927 movie "The Jazz Singer."
11:22 Number 9. Vincent Price
11:24 If it's scaring people that you're after,
11:26 then there's never been better than Vincent Price.
11:28 Considered by many to be the master of horror narration,
11:31 he ties in with another of our famous voices, Michael Jackson,
11:35 as Price lent his distinctive tone to the song "Thriller."
11:38 "For no mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller."
11:46 Elsewhere, his chilling voice and expressive delivery made him the perfect actor
11:51 for countless classic horror roles, including "House on Haunted Hill" and "The Raven."
11:56 "Well upon my soul. Do you want to come in?"
12:04 At times, his was a voice that could also warm your heart with its richness.
12:08 But ultimately, all of that only played into his unique ability
12:12 to then frighten the pants off of you at any given moment.
12:15 Number 8. Judy Garland
12:17 Although "The Wizard of Oz" wasn't quite the first movie in color,
12:21 it still stands as a milestone moment in film,
12:23 and right at the heart of it was Judy Garland.
12:26 As a result, her voice was heard all over the world at the time,
12:30 particularly due to her timeless rendition of "Over the Rainbow."
12:33 "Somewhere over the rainbow."
12:38 But the praise leveled at her then and now was mostly due to how natural her singing was.
12:45 At times, it was more like she was simply speaking in song.
12:48 As she grew up in 30s and 40s Hollywood,
12:51 Garland's sound is perhaps remembered as being tinted with a seeming innocence of youth.
12:55 "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell."
13:02 However, as she became the triple-A grade for musical theater actors everywhere,
13:06 she could always and immediately switch to all-out power as well.
13:11 Number 7. Martin Luther King Jr.
13:13 There aren't many whose words have come to be immortalized
13:16 quite like they have for Martin Luther King Jr.
13:19 "And it was my feeling then and it is my feeling now
13:22 that violence is certainly much more socially destructive
13:30 and it creates many more social problems than it solves."
13:34 Having delivered countless addresses and rallying cries,
13:37 his was a reverberating eloquence heard all across the planet, and in America especially.
13:43 King's inimitable style ignited the civil rights movement and inspired generations.
13:47 His voice proved a powerful instrument for change.
13:50 But of course, of all his speeches, perhaps none had more of an impact than "I Have a Dream."
13:56 "My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
14:02 by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."
14:08 With more than a quarter million people watching, King took to the steps of the
14:14 Lincoln Memorial in August 1963 and made his mark on history forevermore.
14:19 Number 6. John F. Kennedy
14:21 The early '60s were quite the high point for great American orators,
14:25 but JFK's distinct New England accent is still so recognizable today.
14:30 "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things,
14:34 not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
14:37 Some felt and feel that his many speeches were often so effective because they truly reflected
14:43 him - a blend of charisma and optimism. His words themselves also shone light on an era
14:49 dogged by political and social turmoil. But today, the JFK twang has almost become
14:54 synonymous with the position of U.S. President in general.
14:57 "So my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you,
15:03 ask what you can do for your country."
15:06 In film and TV, whenever the POTUS is parodied, for better or worse,
15:10 there's usually a bit of Kennedy in the accent. And ultimately,
15:14 that's because the man's voice is so famous and almost universally recognized.
15:18 Number 5. Mel Blanc
15:20 Okay, so in this case, it's more like you'll almost certainly know Mel Blanc's voice says, plural.
15:25 "What's up, Dad?"
15:28 As the original voice artist behind the vast majority of characters in the Looney Tunes,
15:32 including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Taz, the Tasmanian Devil,
15:37 Blanc is something of a soundtrack to childhood. Not only that, he's also known for his work with
15:42 Hanna-Barbera, as Barney Rubble in The Flintstones and George Jetson's boss Mr.
15:47 Spacely in The Jetsons. "Fine, fine, I'd love to have a home-cooked dinner at your place.
15:52 I'll be there at six." His cultural impact was so vast that he's remembered today as the man
15:57 of a thousand voices. He is an unparalleled, bona fide legend in the business of animated voiceover.
16:03 Number 4. Elvis Presley
16:05 The words "thank you very much" should really be nondescript enough to never truly associate
16:10 with anyone. And yet the "Elvis, thank you very much" is the stuff of legend.
16:14 "Well, I found a new place to dwell. Well, it's down at the end of the longest street at
16:21 Audrey Cajun."
16:23 Of course, this towering musician is remembered in general as the king.
16:27 And he sure did shake up the world of popular culture during the 1950s,
16:31 and not just with his hips. For many, it's Elvis who first created the rock and roll sound.
16:36 There's an entire bluesy rock genre that ties back to his voice. But actually,
16:40 even Elvis' speaking voice was enough to silence a room, or perhaps send them wild.
16:45 "For I can't help falling in love with you."
16:55 Like so many others on this list, he oozed poise and charisma every time he opened his mouth.
17:01 Number 3. Morgan Freeman
17:03 Yes, he can act. But for the purposes of this video, nobody narrates a movie quite like this
17:08 man. Whether he's masquerading as literal God or simply explaining the mating habits of penguins,
17:13 Morgan Freeman is perhaps the most famous voice of all the upper echelons of Hollywood.
17:18 "It might seem that we have each other over the same barrel,
17:20 Miss Lerner, but it just seems that way."
17:23 With a vocal presence as commanding as it is soothing, he can make even the most mundane
17:28 scripts seem profound. Perhaps no single movie showcases his unique skill better, however,
17:33 than "The Shawshank Redemption." Guiding us through the trials of Andy Dufresne,
17:36 his iconic character Red is so well-liked mostly because of his voice.
17:41 "Rehabilitate it. It's just a bullshit word.
17:44 So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time."
17:50 It's all gravel, and it's glorious.
17:53 Number 2. David Attenborough
17:55 To throw back to some of the others we've covered today,
17:58 Sir David Attenborough is the Pavarotti of nature documentaries.
18:01 "This is called a teddy bear cholla because of the thick coating of spines on it.
18:08 But don't be deceived by the name. There is nothing cuddly about this particular teddy bear."
18:15 He's the Elvis of wildlife, the Marilyn Monroe of… well, you get the picture.
18:20 Since the 1950s, he's brought nature into our living rooms. But it's all about the way he
18:25 tells it. Attenborough's gentle yet enthusiastic delivery is nothing short of inspiring.
18:30 At once soothing and eloquent, his tone is a major part of the reason why he's credited
18:35 with inspiring a lifelong love of nature in generations of fans.
18:39 "The biggest and heaviest seed of all is this one, the Coco de Mer from the Seychelles.
18:46 It can weigh up to 18 kilos."
18:50 In TV, personalities come and personalities go. But it feels like Attenborough has simply
18:56 always been there, talking us through something like the feeding habits of a
18:59 caterpillar in such a way that we just have to listen.
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19:16 1. Don LaFontaine
19:20 In terms of the voice being the most famous thing about a person, no one trumps Don LaFontaine.
19:26 "Don, we need you up here."
19:28 "From flesh to steel, from blood to blade, from man to mutant, evil has a new enemy."
19:39 For decades, he worked in the somewhat niche business of movie trailers.
19:43 But it was a business that he conquered and promoted to an art form.
19:47 LaFontaine's vocals are all over many of the most famous trailers ever made.
19:51 His deep and booming sound was just perfect for the silver screen,
19:55 and he became synonymous with a trip to the movie theater,
19:58 having racked up more than 5,000 trailers before he passed in 2008.
20:02 In the industry, LaFontaine was especially known for his "In a World" catchphrase,
20:07 and he was referred to by some as the "voice of God."
20:10 "All the rest of those appellations are not something that I gave to myself,
20:13 obviously. They were just things that came along after over all these years.
20:18 So, uh, no, just call me Don, please. V-O-G or any of those things don't really feel good."
20:25 High praise, but so deserved.
20:27 Which of these unforgettable voices is your favorite?
20:29 Are there any iconic examples we missed? Let us know below.
20:33 "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."
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20:44 [music]