Best Singers of All Time

The rich tapestry of recorded sound is made up out of hundreds of instruments, weaving together into a kaleidoscope of tones and timbres. But one instrument reigns supreme as the one you can't buy, rent, borrow or steal - the human voice. Either you're born with the ability to sing or you aren't, and no matter how much vocal training you shell out for, you'll never be able to transcend the biological limitations set upon you by your genetic code. In this feature, we highlight the fifty greatest practitioners of the human voice from the history of recorded music - from early pioneers to modern masters. Just think about the combined sonic power of the men and women on this list, were they all to be assembled - it would shake any concert hall to its very foundations. So clean the wax out of your ears and get ready to pay serious tribute to the Top 50 Singers Of All Time.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

The legendary Pakistani singer of the devotional music known as Qawwali began to break through to the pop mainstream in the 1990s, not due to any compromises on his part but rather due to the incredible emotional ability of his voice, recognized by some of the era's greatest musicians as one of the most powerful, expressive instruments on Earth. His family had a 600-year history of musical performance, and that rich tradition informed Khan's family made him a rising star in his native Pakistan. When his music came to the attention of Peter Gabriel's Real World label, some of his greatest classics were repackaged for the American market, giving Western listeners a chance to experience a musical tradition that was new and beautiful. Collaborations with Eddie Vedder and Alanis Morrissette followed before Khan's untimely death in 1997