A husky voice is low (almost deep) and hoarse, yet it still sounds very attractive. This voice type sounds very breathy, more like a whisper.
Applying a husky voice in music has a tremendous effect on the listener, It gives a sensual feeling to the song.
A lot of singers are known for applying this singing technique. This technique works for any kind of music regardless of the genre.
This article covers a list of top 10 singers with husky voice.
Top 10 Singers With Husky Voice
1. John Mayer
John Mayer is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Mayer is a good singer, he has a good phrasing technique and he is very versatile with his singing style.
John Mayer has a low-pitch voice, so it’s completely safe to say he has a husky voice. John has a very deep yet beautiful voice.
His voice perfectly suits that of a baritone voice type. John sings with a tense and raised larynx giving rise to a tone that is quite breathy.
He has a vocal range between E2-D5 and he is practically a two-octave singer.
However, at some point, John developed growths in his vocal cords. This led him to take a vocal break for quite a while. He eventually underwent surgery that went well.
Here’s a link to his song – Last train home
2. Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is an English singer and songwriter.
She can create a breathy, husky, raspy, dark, rich, and fragile head voice. She can also take her chest up high and create a powerful effect.
Adele’s voice is a powerhouse. She has a huge and powerful voice, her voice is full of color and depth.
Although the depth of her voice is partly related to the fact that she suffered a hemorrhage in her vocal cords. She had to undergo corrective surgery to get rid of the hemorrhage.
Adele has a mezzo-soprano voice type and vocal range of 2 octaves and 3 notes from C3 to F5.
Here’s a link to her song – Easy on me
3. Rick Astley
Rick Astley is an English singer, songwriter, and radio personality. Rick has a distinctive deep, strong, and rich husky voice.
Ricky has a baritone voice type and a vocal range that lies between C2- E5. He typically has a two-octave vocal range.
He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including hissignature song“Never Gonna Give You Up”, “Together Forever” and “Whenever You Need Somebody”.
Rick took a six-year break to take care of his lovely daughter. Afterward, he returned to music full-time in the 2000s.
Here’s a link to his song – Together forever
4. Post Malone
Post Malone is an American rapper, songwriter, and singer.
He’s known for blending genres and sub-genres. He combines hip-pop, R&B, and even rock. so yeah, we can say Malone is a versatile singer.
Malone has a deep, husky, dark, and amazing voice. The huskiness in Malone’s voice can be easily attributed to distortion.
One of the most unique things about Malone’s voice is the fact that he sounds like a British cowboy.
Malone’s voice type is best described as a tenor voice type. He has a high ranged tenor voice which qualities him as a countertenor singer.
Malone has a vocal range between E5-E2.
Here’s a link to his song – One right now
5. Ronnie James
Ronnie had a hoarse, rough, husky, strained, breathy, and gravely voice. His voice was a perfect fit for his selected music genre.
Ronnie was an American heavy metal rock singer. He is regarded as the best heavy metal rock singer of all time, in fact, Ronnie is a legend.
Ronnie is best classified as a tenor voice type. He has a low ranged tenor voice type.
When it comes to tremendous vocals, Ronnie is the man. Ronnie had a powerful, versatile vocal range that was capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads.
He had an incredible vocal range that lay between C2-G5.
He became the lead singer of the band “ Rainbow” in 1975 and he rose to fame right about that time.
Here’s a link to his song – Rainbow in the dark
6. Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox is a Scottish singer, songwriter, political activist, and philanthropist.
Annie is typically a brilliant singer. She has an operatically powerful husky voice, which can switch between different parts of her range with ease.
Annie has a contralto voice type, which is a clear indication that Annie has a low range for a female singer. Contralto is the lowest female voice type.
Annie’s vocal range lies between B2-C6 which is a three-octave vocal range.
Here’s a link to her song – A whiter shade of pale
7. Cher
Cher is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She is often regarded as the goddess of pop music.
Cher has a deep, low voice, and she could be mistaken for a male singer. Regardless, she is indeed a great singer.
Cher has a unique voice type, she has a lyric contralto voice type. This clearly explains why her voice is often described as warm, thick, and dark.
Cher has a 3-octave vocal range, she has a vocal range that lies between C3-E6.
Cher gained popularity in 1965 after she did a duo (I Got You Babe) with her husband Sonny. The song was peaked at number one on the US and UK charts.
Here’s a link to her song – I found someone
8. Micheal McDonald
Michael McDonald is an American musician, singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer. He is known for his distinctive, soulful, and husky voice.
He is a member of the bandsthe Doobie BrothersandSteely Dan.
Micheal has a baritone voice type and his pitch and resonance are incredible. He has a three-octave vocal range which lies within F2-F5.
McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with the Doobie Brothers, including “What a Fool Believes”, “Minute by Minute”, and “Takin’ It to the Streets.”
McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists includingSteely Dan,Christopher Cross, andKenny Loggins.
Here’s a link to his song – I Keep Forgetting
9. Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera isn’t just a singer, she happens to be a great songwriter, and television personality as well.
This singer is known for her wide vocal range and ability to sustain high notes. No wonder she is often referred to as the “Voice of a Generation”.
Christina has a lyric mezzo-soprano voice. A lyric mezzo-soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre that can be heard over an orchestra.
The mezzo-soprano’s vocal range usually extends from the A belowmiddle Cto the A twooctavesabove. Christina has a vocal range that lies between C3-C7. This simply means that she has a four-octave vocal range.
Aguilera rose to stardom with hereponymous debut album, for which she is credited for influencing the revival ofteen popduring the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Here’s a link to her song – Reflection
10. Alison Moyet
Alison Moyet is well known for her husky voice. Moyet is an English singer and songwriter who is also a great performer.
She rose to stardom as part of the Yazoo duo. She began her music career in 1982, she was 20 years at the time.
Her time with Yazoo came to an end in 1983. And in 1984, Moyet surprised us with her fish debut ‘Alf’.
Her voice is most accurately classified as contralto. This explains her thick, low-pitched voice. Her vocal range is between E3 and A#5, with a two-and-a-half octave range.
Here’s the link to her song – Invisible
Conclusion
There are quite several singers that have husky voices, the top 10 of them include John Mayer, Adele, Rick Astley, Post Malone, Ronnie Jame, Annie Lennox, Cher, Michael McDonald, Christina Aguilera, and Alison Moyet.
These singers to a large extent all have deep voices. They fine-tune their deep voice by making it sound husky and producing good music in the end.
However, some of them had husky voices, not as a technique but as a result of medical conditions just like Adele and John Mayer.