Does Thom Yorke have the most imitated voice ever?

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Or is it just a natural phenomenon that lots of singers *sound* like Thom Yorke?
I was just wondering about this when I heard some songs by Midlake and Beirut on the radio, and while they're not 100% Thom Yorke sound-alikes (and I don't think they're deliberately trying to sound like him either), I did wonder if the sound of a voice can come down to genetics, and if just naturally, there are some vocal types that are more popular/widespread than others.
Does anyone know more about this? I'd really love to find out more and write about it, but am not sure where to start (is there some kind of vocal expert I can ask, do you think?)
Also, does Thom Yorke have the most imitated voice ever? Certainly there was a time in the 90s when every 2nd band sounded like they had a Thom Yorke-esque singer (Travis, Muse etc). But has this been overtaken by another prominent vocalist everyone's trying to (however unwittingly) cash in on?
And how come so many hardcore vocalists sound like Cookie Monster? Now, is *that* a natural thing?
Any help would be really fantastic, as I think I could write something interesting with this, but am a bit lost as to which direction to take it.
Thanks,
LTL

― Lee Tran Lam (leetran), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

ask elvis

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

"Yorke-esque singer (Travis, Muse etc). " = jeff buckley dood

― Supercalifragilisticexpiala Brosius (chaki), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 03:20 (nineteen years ago)

eddie vedder anyone?

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 04:06 (nineteen years ago)

hmmm.. lee tran lam, that name sounds familiar

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 04:07 (nineteen years ago)

Robert Plant, too.

― Marmot 4-Tay: what those guyz make music 4. (marmotwolof), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 04:18 (nineteen years ago)

Sure, the "Most Imitated Voice Ever" award is Thom's for the taking...but only if we define "ever" as "...of the last ten years."

― Monty Von Byonga (Monty Von Byonga), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 04:31 (nineteen years ago)

I always felt like Thom Yorke was imitating the vocals on Can's "Sing Swan Song" (not to mention that one of the songs on OK Computer is a direct rip-off from it ... listen if you want to hear the truth), and that he also sounds quite a bit like Jay Kaye from J.K. & Co.

― m.p.a. (m.p.a.), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 04:39 (nineteen years ago)

At least one of the songs on OK Computer, that is. The more I listen to "Sing Swan Song," the more I get the impression that Radiohead just sat around bumping it for a year and then decided to write OK Computer

― m.p.a. (m.p.a.), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 05:04 (nineteen years ago)

I think more people imitate Kurt Cobain than Thom Yorke

― Tom Hatton (kl0pper), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

Midlake's singer sounds a lot like Thom Yorke in one particular section of the song "Branches," but not otherwise.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 05:52 (nineteen years ago)

I think John Lennon is still ahead at this point in time, if you discount "Impersonators". If not, "Elvis".

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 06:36 (nineteen years ago)

What about Eddie Vedder?

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 06:38 (nineteen years ago)

Who is currently imitating John Lennon's voice?

― Marmot 4-Tay: what those guyz make music 4. (marmotwolof), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 06:40 (nineteen years ago)

Does Thom Yorke have the most irritating voice ever?

― timmy tannin (pompous), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 06:46 (nineteen years ago)

This reminded me of when some magazine (EW maybe?) did a tribute to 70s soft rock and one of the guys in the Posies made the funny point that "If" by Bread sounds exactly like proto-Radiohead. Fools! We've all been copying Jimmy Griffin! (Thank you to wikipedia for the help on the name)

― Cunga (Cunga), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 07:13 (nineteen years ago)

I think the actual answer to this question might be Sinatra.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 07:30 (nineteen years ago)

Uh, nothing on OK Computer is a ripoff of Sing Song Swan.

Subterranean Homesick Alien and The Tourist use the same time
signature (3/4) but that's about it.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 07:39 (nineteen years ago)

i think the most imitated vocal style is that of the mariah/whitney/xtina variety of female pop vocalist, which i'm hard-pressed to single out the originator for (any guesses?) just look at how many people try to do the voice on tv reality talent shows....

― el juan (el juan), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:13 (nineteen years ago)

Who is currently imitating John Lennon's voice?
-- Marmot 4-Tay: what those guyz make music 4. (marmotwolo...) (webmail), Today 7:40 AM. (later) (link)

Well, Liam. Remember, the question was "ever"...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:17 (nineteen years ago)

Bob Dylan must be in with a shout

― Dadaismus (Are we in love like I think we be?) (Dada), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:18 (nineteen years ago)

Whitney and Mariah aren't even from the same school of vocalists! Whitney goes for big belting long notes while Mariah goes for melisma-laden fannydangle over four octaves. Xtina = somewhere in between really.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:23 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I thought it was "does Thom Yorke have the most irritated voice ever!" and come to think about it, after a few rants of "off with his head, man, off with his head, arrrrggghhh!!!" yes, I think he may have cinched it.

No one does completely losing it with quietly desperate frustration quite like Thom. Sigh.

― Kaet (kate), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:32 (nineteen years ago)

"If" by Bread sounds exactly like proto-Radiohead.

I've been saying something like this for years - "Fake Plastic Trees" is just a surrealist Bread song.

― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:49 (nineteen years ago)

"melisma-laden fannydangle over four octaves" = best description of mariah carey ever

― el juan (el juan), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

I do find Thom Yorke's voice quite irritating a lot of the time. I hated his vocals on that Drugstore song Kill the President or whatever it was called. Not that I liked the song much anyway. Drugstore's 1st album was great, dunno what happened to them after that.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:56 (nineteen years ago)

Surely a case could be made for Curtis Mayfield having the most imitated voice - countless reggae singers and Pharrell Williams all come to mind.

― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 10:59 (nineteen years ago)

Sam Cooke, people.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

The short answer is "no." Thom Yorke does not have the most imitated voice/singing style in the history of music. LOTS of others are ahead of him in that race. And I agree that some of the folks you name as Yorke-influenced actually owe more to Jeff Buckley.

But, if it's any consolation, he probably does have the most imitated voice in recent white (art) pop.

***

Why do so many vocalists sound like Cookie Monster? Dunno. Cuz' they think it's cool?

(F.Y.I., the so-called "Cookie Monster" vocal style is typically associated with grindcore & deathmetal bands. Hardcore singers typically go for a combination of bellowing, grunting and screaming.)

― fuckfuckingfuckedfucker (fuckfuckingfuckedfucker), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

There have been a few (thousand) 2Pac clones.

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

and "I like to move it move it"... xpost

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

Um, Lou Reed ? (with a side order of Iggy and a smidgeon of Scott Walker)

i thang u..
- Bowie
- Jarvis
- Paul Haig
- Edwyn Collins
- Jim Reid
- Bobby Gillespie
- Lawrence Felt

....

― darren (darren), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:50 (nineteen years ago)

I'm telling you, it's Bob Dylan

― Dadaismus (Are we in love like I think we be?) (Dada), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 11:52 (nineteen years ago)

::waits for Dan Perry to turn up::

― Kaet (kate), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:32 (nineteen years ago)

Neil Young?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

Well, I'm here... and kind of perplexed; in a world that contains/contained Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, John Lydon, Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald, Maria Callas, etc etc etc, how could anyone even begin to contemplate that Thom Yorke would even have a chance of having the most imitated voice ever?

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

Enrico Caruso

xpost

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

xxpost...I was about to say Johnny Rotten too...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

What's the first occurrance of the throaty bluesman voice? Because whoever it is, HE WINS. No contest.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:57 (nineteen years ago)

ACtually, I'm wondering about the original poster's question.

Was Thom Yorke the first indierock singer you heard singing in a (slightly ragged) falsetto?

He certainly didn't invent the male falsetto, but he's certainly the most popular example thereof from the 90s - especially given that most "popular" rock/indie of the time was all about the grunge voice which had dominated that genre for quite some time.

Hence maybe why you think men singing in that style are imitating Yorke (which some of them may or may not be - blokey out of Muse might as well xerox his vocal chords) - because that was the first place you heard it?

― Kaet (kate), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

the FAKE PLASTIC TREES vocal take was laid down after a night out watching jeff buckley. make of that what thou wilt.

― pisces (piscesx), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

― Adam J. (In Place of Something Clever), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

The original poster doesn't listen to much music, apparently.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

eddie veder is the only one i can think of that has a whole genre devoted to him.

which is not to say there weren't singers with more influential styles (sam cooke, robert plant) - but as far as direct imitation... you know it's just that one thing he does that everyone imitates that yeeeaaayoow thing. that's what they all love.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Mick Jagger--it seems like every garage rocker since 1965 has stolen his Brit-drawl.

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

the real answer's prob chuck berry - mick was imitating him like crazy early on.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

So, anyone capable of singing falsetto is now a Thom Yorke clone? Blimey. He should've patented it.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

I think every doo-wop group ever would have reformed just to kick his ass.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

Also:

eddie veder is the only one i can think of that has a whole genre devoted to him.

Er, every current R&B songstress who is trying to sound like Aretha Frnaklin to thread?

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

joe cocker

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

ATHERA FRNAKLIN AND ORNALDO BLOOMPS FOR DUTE

(Covering "I No U Wz Waitin' Fer Mi.")

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

My vote's for Eddie Vedder. Sure, other singers have been copied, and lots of people you could call vaguely Beatles-esque, but no one has been imitated as closely and as much as Vedder. It's a lot easier to imitated an extremely unversatile singer. More's the pity.

― semiarchly (semiarchly), Thursday, 20 July 2006 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

The name you are all fumbling for is Louis Armstrong.

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Thursday, 20 July 2006 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

The name you are all fumbling for is James Hetfield.

(at least, if you're counting all bands, not just ones that cross the indie radar)

― Emily B (Emily B), Thursday, 20 July 2006 04:32 (nineteen years ago)

Clearly the answer here is Wayne Hussey.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 July 2006 10:40 (nineteen years ago)

I read an interview with the singer in Midlake, and he said he was afraid that he sounded like Thom Yorke on some tracks on their knew album..

― Maja (mary of swe), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:35 (nineteen years ago)

Actually it's Diamanda Galas.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

Nina Hagen srsly.

― fandango (fandango), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:56 (nineteen years ago)

No wait, I got it: FRED SCHNEIDER

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:57 (nineteen years ago)

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00005UMTA.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1116269715_.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:01 (nineteen years ago)

Jagger in the long run. But radio these past few years has been Vedder karaoke.

― The Velvet Overlord (The Velvet Overlord), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

I think ol' Frank's problem there is that he wasn't actually talking to anybody.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

Frank was afraid the album title would be confirmed. Better to wonder in solitude.

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 20 July 2006 15:26 (nineteen years ago)

it has to go to a cartoon character. homer simpson? bugs bunny?

but seriously, probably ol' blue eyes

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Thursday, 20 July 2006 16:17 (nineteen years ago)

I think there's also a Jeff Mangum school of singing, too. He's certainly not the most imitated, but I've noticed it being done. Or can anyone name someone that he was imitating?

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Thursday, 20 July 2006 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

When I first heard Aeroplane I thought Mangum reminded me of some other singer, but wasn't sure who.

― M. V. (M.V.), Thursday, 20 July 2006 19:12 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

I FUCKING HATE THIS MAN'S VOICE. I KEEP SEEING THE RAINBOWS POLL UP THERE AND I DON'T WANT TO PISS ON A PERFECTLY GOOD POLL SO I HAD TO DIG THIS UP JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I HATE HIS FUCKING VOICE. EVERY TIME HE SINGS I IMAGINE MY CAT GETTING RAPED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY CAT AND IT'S NOT A PRETTY IMAGE.

thx

― Surmounter, Saturday, 22 December 2007 06:33 (eighteen years ago)

My soulmate.

― The Reverend, Saturday, 22 December 2007 06:54 (eighteen years ago)

Surmounter OTM!!!

― Curt1s Stephens, Saturday, 22 December 2007 07:48 (eighteen years ago)

i don't dislike his voice i just wish he'd mumble less.

― latebloomer, Saturday, 22 December 2007 07:49 (eighteen years ago)

I can't believe people actually responded seriously to this

― El Tomboto, Saturday, 22 December 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

Please re-lock.

― The Reverend, Saturday, 22 December 2007 08:49 (eighteen years ago)

lol

― Curt1s Stephens, Saturday, 22 December 2007 08:51 (eighteen years ago)

No, I realized that this is ILM's second chance at dumping it properly. Keep your fingers to yourself in 2008, perhaps justice can be done after all.

― TOMBOT, Saturday, 22 December 2007 08:52 (eighteen years ago)

i'm not a huge fan of vocals in music, and tend to get easily annoyed with singers, but for some reason i don't hate thom yorke. i think i really like how the rhythmic way he phrases some of his stuff, and when he's doing the falsetto stuff it can sound kind of femininely beautiful (angelic?). i prefer his understated mumbles to over-inflected vocals like those of tori amos, trent reznor, or eddie vedder (just to name a few of my least favorite styles off the top of my head). i'm sure i'll get sick of him eventually and hate myself for posting this in a year or two, but i thought i'd chime in.

― rockapads, Saturday, 22 December 2007 10:16 (eighteen years ago)

god i was drunk

― rockapads, Saturday, 22 December 2007 17:40 (eighteen years ago)

please be quiet.

― El Tomboto, Saturday, 22 December 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

The name you're all looking for here is JANDEK

― Mister Craig, Saturday, 22 December 2007 18:19 (eighteen years ago)

But, if it's any consolation, he probably does have the most imitated voice in recent white (art) pop.

In the UK and Europe, yes. In the US, it's still Eddie Vedder.

Aretha Franklin has the most imitated voice in today's mainstream pop music though.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 22 December 2007 20:19 (eighteen years ago)

Sam Cooke, people.

In today's R&B, female vocalists tend to sing while male vocalists tend to rap. So the correct answer is Aretha Franklin.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 22 December 2007 20:21 (eighteen years ago)

For your consideration: Kam Lee - the original singer for Death, and the supposed inventor of the "death metal growl."

― Pillbox, Sunday, 23 December 2007 00:29 (eighteen years ago)

Who is currently imitating John Lennon's voice?

Robert Harrison, who used to be the singer in Cotton Mather.

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 23 December 2007 05:11 (eighteen years ago)

Which current R&B singers do you think sound most like Aretha Franklin? I was just thinking - I'm not sure I have ever in my life heard a voice on the radio and wondered, "Is that Aretha Franklin?" and then found out it was someone else. This has happened many times with a voice that sounded like Thom Yorke.

― Mark Rich@rdson, Sunday, 23 December 2007 15:57 (eighteen years ago)

winehouse, obvs

actually, she's a bit of a watered down mish mash of various female jazz and soul singers.

― pc user, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

not really rnb, tho

― pc user, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

In today's R&B, female vocalists tend to sing while male vocalists tend to rap. So the correct answer is Aretha Franklin.

-- Geir Hongro, Saturday, 22 December 2007 20:21 (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

Fantastic.

― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

Which current R&B singers do you think sound most like Aretha Franklin?

Every single one of them. She was the innovator, the rest are all imitators. Unless Franklin herself was a Mahalia Jackson copycat, that is. They all sound alike, and I'm fucking sick of the way they sound!

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

My favorite part is that apparently men cannot imitate women vocalists. Or the other way around.

― Oilyrags, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

oh i totally imitate female vocalists. maybe i'm imitating aretha franklin.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 23 December 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

OK but you know what IS funny. i was listening to the new mary j in the car, and my aunt was like -- well i don't remember the wording but she definitely said something about Aretha. so yeah.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 23 December 2007 17:02 (eighteen years ago)

Elvis for any late-50s rock singers, Dylan for everyone else.

― Jazzbo, Sunday, 23 December 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, you hear a lot of Dylan in Varg Vikernes.

― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 23 December 2007 17:51 (eighteen years ago)

my parents are convinced that everyone i listen to is imitating dylan.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 23 December 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

Jimmy Somerville, another total rip.

― The blue-green world is drenched with horse gore, Sunday, 23 December 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)

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