Sinatra is the voice of the century

Because a century and a millennium came to a close last December, we have been inundated with lists and lists and lists. We have had the best songs of the century, the best albums, the people who mattered and the accomplishments and discoveries that changed our lives.

For a while there it looked like we have seen the end of those lists. But think again. Just when we thought we have had enough of those lists, there came another. And this time around it is the list of the 100 greatest voices of the 20th century as per a survey conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the UK among its listeners and a panel of song artists and music industry figures.

BBC Radio 2 came out with the results with a special presentation that ran for three days during the long Easter weekend. The choices come from various eras and include all music types. There are opera tenors, rock and rollers, country western stars, jazz artists and others. The earliest artist in the list is tenor Enrico Caruso who made his appearance during the 1990’s, while the latest is former Take That member and the leading pop idol in the UK nowadays, Robbie Williams.

But the singer who topped the list is no other but Frank Sinatra, the great American balladeer whose impeccable phrasing and romantic tones held the whole world enthralled for nearly 50 years. The fact is, for his many fans, there is nobody around who can hold a candle to Sinatra. He was not known as "The Voice" for nothing.

I do not agree with the other choices that made the list. Some of the names that came up would have never won a singing contest had their lives depended on it. I also have some favorites who did not make the grade. But remember, these results come from a poll and when fans get the opportunity to give their opinions sentiments oftentimes come into play and the winners are not necessarily the best.

Here now are the names who were named the 100 best voices of the century list: Frank Sinatra; Elvis Presley; Nat "King" Cole; Ella Fitzgerald; Bing Crosby; John Lennon, solo and with the Beatles; Aretha Franklin; Billie Holiday; Barbra Streisand; Freddie Mercury, solo and with his group Queen.

Roy Orbison; Paul McCartney, solo and with the Beatles; David Bowie; Bob Dylan; Ray Charles; Louis Armstrong; Dusty Springfield; Michael Jackson; Sam Cooke; Cliff Richard.

Eva Cassidy, current sensation who died six years ago but has a number one seller with her debut album that was released only last March; Marvin Gaye; Judy Garland; Elton John; Peggy Lee; Stevie Wonder; Al Jolson; George Michael, alone or with Wham; Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters duo, Buddy Holly.

Tony Bennett; Sarah Vaughan; Tom Jones; Edith Piaf, the French sparrow; Matt Monroe; Robert Plant, solo or with the Led Zeppelin; Paul Robeson, basso who popularized Old Man River from the musical Showbeat, Bono of U2, Celine Dion; Scott Walker, solo or with the Walker Brothers.

Shirley Bassey; Dean Martin; Whitney Houston; Van Morrison, solo or with the group Them; Kate Bush of Wuthering Heights fame Luciano Pavarotti; Johnny Mathis; Otis Redding; Dinah Washington; Madonna.

Doris Day; Tina Turner; Mick Jagger; Al Bowlly; Joni Mitchell; Julie Andrews; French stylist Nina Simone; Boy George solo and with Culture Club; Sting, solo or with the Police; tenor Mario Lanza.

Neil Diamond; Rod Stewart; Annie Lennox, alone and with the Eurythmics; Meat Loaf; Perry Como, Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops; Dionne Warwick; Andy Williams; the Beach Boys; Paul Simon, alone and with Simon & Garfunkel.

Sandy Denny of the Fairport Convention; Michael Ball; Diana Ross; Enrico Caruso; Little Richard; Patsy Cline; Nilsson; Vera Lynn; Bob Marley; Howlin’ Wolf.

Jun Morrison of the Doors; Bessie Smith; Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company; Dolly Parton; Bruce Springsteen; James Brown; Joan Baez; Johnny Cash; Robbie Williams; Dick Haymes.

Mariah Carey, Tom Waits; Jo Stafford; the Everly Brothers; screen legend Fred Astaire; Aaron Neville; Steve Marriot of the Small Faces and Humble Pie, the Mills Brothers; Petula Clark; and Brian Ferry of Roxy Music.

Time now to come up with a list of your very own. Set aside this one for a while and then list down your choices. It would be interesting to find out how they compare.