Top 10 Songs That Demand a Wide Range to Nail

MsMojo

These songs demand a wide range to nail. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the popular songs that can really test a singer’s vocal range.

Transcript

00:00I will always love you

00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the

00:12popular songs that can really test a singer's vocal range.

00:20Number 10, Love on Top, Beyoncé

00:23Honey, I can see the stars all the way from here

00:29She may be an icon and a legend, but Beyoncé doesn't get nearly enough credit for her vocal

00:34technique. The last half of this joyous track from her fourth album is a showcase of her range.

00:47Love on Top is a buoyant and exuberant song about finally finding a partner who respects you,

00:53but that joy is earned through some pretty complicated vocal acrobatics.

00:59Requiring energy, precision, and breath support, the famed climax of the song is a test for even

01:10a trained singer. With each new repetition of the chorus, the song ascends to a higher key.

01:16It's no small feat. Maybe try this one in the shower before you bring it to karaoke night.

01:21Honey, you put my love on top, baby, cause you're the one that I love

01:26Baby, you're the one that I need

01:29Number 9, Without You, Badfinger

01:32Mariah Carey and Harry Nilsson may have found great success with their covers of this vocally

01:37strenuous ballad, but it was rock band Badfinger who first introduced it. In fact, the original

01:50version may cover the most ground as far as singing goes. The song about lost love is

02:02heartbreaking to the point of being over the top, but there's no denying that with the right power

02:07and artist behind it, it's a real tearjerker. But no matter what version you listen to,

02:19a performer has to sell the emotion at what may be the top and bottom of their range.

02:31Number 8, Chandelier, Sia

02:40What really sets this one apart as far as range goes are the notes Sia belts. The verses mostly

02:47stay in a pretty comfortable and stable spot for a lot of singers. It's when you get to the chorus

02:52with those trademark embellishments Sia puts on words like I'm and chandelier that you can get

02:57tripped up. These embellishments are what make the song memorable. Without them, something would

03:10clearly be missing. Sia's technique also makes her version almost untouchable.

03:22It's why she can flip between head and chest voice so easily during the chorus,

03:27and why the rest of us risk vocal damage.

03:30Number 7, Blue Bayou, Roy Orbison

03:46Thick with sultry, bluesy verses and a chorus that can blow the roof off the place,

03:51Roy Orbison's 1963 country pop single is a great test for a singer.

04:00It would later become even better known from the cover by Linda Ronstadt.

04:16Both artists have something in common. Their vocal skills were near untouchable.

04:21Not only could they sit comfortably in the song's notably low parts,

04:25but they both made its heartfelt, nostalgic chorus ring clear as a bell.

04:30Ronstadt's falsetto at the end forever puts her stamp on it,

04:41but it's optional and definitely not for beginners.

04:52Number 6, Under Pressure, Queen and David Bowie

05:00While Bohemian Rhapsody has some challenging notes,

05:05its four-part harmony does a great job of dividing the work.

05:09But Freddie Mercury's incredible voice might get one of its best workouts on Under Pressure.

05:21Sharing the vocals with David Bowie gave him a chance to be playful and

05:25cycle through his range like a jazz artist.

05:28Mercury unleashes some incredibly high notes in it.

05:38Some of them are so high he didn't replicate them live.

05:42But what he didn't deliver in range, he could always make up for in power.

05:46Number 5, Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin

06:05This jazz singer made history by having the first a cappella song to hit the top of the charts.

06:10Don't Worry, Be Happy highlights Bobby McFerrin's considerable range

06:14and talent for maneuvering between pitches almost instantly.

06:26What may sound like an easy, breezy song is anything but.

06:30Shifting from a lower register to a high one is difficult enough.

06:33Try doing that without knowing where you're going to breathe.

06:37When you listen to the track, he doesn't have much time to make those transitions.

06:41But you wouldn't know it by the fullness and confidence in his voice.

07:02There's a world in which you could sing this song without hitting the whistle note.

07:06But anyone who's ever heard Love & You is going to be really disappointed if you don't.

07:11Minnie Riperton was a marvel.

07:13Her legendary five octave range and versatility of genre make her hard to compete with even now.

07:26Love & You isn't just about the high notes though.

07:28It's got lots of subtle rises and falls within the same phrases.

07:33Not only that, but it's meant to be a lullaby.

07:41So if you try to compensate with lung power, it loses its magic.

07:45Catchy and upbeat, this seems like a karaoke-friendly 80s bop at first.

08:07But then comes that chorus.

08:08Up to that point, Morten Harket, the lead singer of Norwegian pop band A-HA,

08:19demonstrates a fairly smooth and deep voice.

08:27So when he comes out with that left hook of a high note at the end of the chorus,

08:31it makes you sit up and take notice.

08:33The chorus stretches the entire range of notes within the song,

08:37increasing with each new phrase.

08:39Even then, it's still surprisingly high once it tops out.

08:43And ultimately, it makes the whole song all the more memorable and hard to perform.

08:54I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton

08:57Whitney Houston's version is identical to the original,

09:01Whitney Houston's version is iconic to be sure.

09:04But even in the hands of original singer-songwriter Dolly Parton,

09:07this soaring ballad is a feat of vocal acrobatics.

09:18Regardless of the genre and style, I Will Always Love You suits a great singer.

09:23Its story of lovers parting and wishing each other the best

09:26packs enough narrative punch on its own.

09:31But the emotional climax doesn't really hit without those soaring notes,

09:38and that's where Whitney really sets up the challenge to singers.

09:42The best thing about the song is that it suits so many different genres.

09:53Whether it's country, pop, or R&B,

09:55an ability to stretch the limits of your voice is a must.

10:011. Emotions – Mariah Carey

10:25Designed to show off Carey's full and luscious deep tones,

10:29her pristine belt, and her famous whistle register,

10:32Emotions runs the gamut of her five-octave range.

10:42Aside from the breadth of notes it covers, it's also incredibly fast-paced.

10:47Even if you can make the transitions,

10:49you need time to catch your breath to give each note the support it needs.

11:00It's also unique in her discography.

11:02In many Mariah Carey songs,

11:04the whistles are a detail you might be able to do without and still deliver a good rendition,

11:09but the whistle notes are not a side dish in Emotions.

11:13Sticking the landing almost depends on them.

11:23Which of these songs would you be brave enough to sing at karaoke?

11:26Let us know in the comments.

11:292. Music – Mariah Carey

11:35Do you agree with our picks?

11:36Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo,

11:38and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

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