Alice in Chains harmonies pretty much defines their sound and are outstanding IMHO.
Toad the Wet Sprocket also has some of my favorite harmonizing in rock vocals. |
Will the real Milli Vanilli please stand up! |
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Alvin and the Chipmonks are pretty awesome |
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Theunderlyingtheme;
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If you're suggesting that Queen didn't deliver the goods onstage,'
You have just answered your own question. |
Trip Shakespeare. If you don't have "Across the Universe", go hunt down a copy. There's a reason why they have (had) a passionate cult following. |
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CSN&Y, Yes, Byrds; my underrated fav: The Jayhawks. Cheers,
Spencer |
In that its now Beatlemania 2009, just reminding everyone that theirs are certainly quite golden and part of some of the best pop/rock music ever...still. |
Not all, but some Grateful Dead. These guys could go from sublime to ridiculous as far as harmony goes but when they were good they were very good. |
Fleet Foxes, Built To Spill, Phosphorescent, Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, Pixies, Sleater-Kinney... |
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the zombies, the beau brummels, the fortunes and the incomparible mamas and papas |
Didn't see Simon & Garfunkel above. Jefferson Starship. Manhattan Transfer (perhaps stretching "Rock" category here). Pure Prarie League. Poco. Flying Burrito Brothers. |
jellyfish both albums - SPILT MILK and Bellybutton. |
Ditto on The Strawbs.
I almost spit their name out but hadn't listened to them in a while so was not sure.
I need to do that! |
hey bill, the strawbs..nice catch |
Beatles
Bee Gees
Little River Band
Eagles (versions 1 and 2)
Poco
Byrds
Yes
Queen
Hollies
Beach Boys
Linda Ronstadt's Peter Asher produced albums
Buffalo Springfield
City Boy
Doobie Bros
Peter, Paul, & Mary
Strawbs |
For punk, you could add the Misfits to the list. Astro Zombies is a terrific song. This is punk, keep in mind. |
Shangri-Las I just saw over in Music Direct that there is a album, two disc coming out. I remember seeing them in 1964. |
Bee Gees certainly got huge mileage out of their vocal harmonizing and it certainly became the most unique and recognizable aspect of their music, perhaps more so than any other. |
the temps all all motown groups, the searchers, the tremeloes, the cyrkle...and yep, the four seasons (go see jersey boys now), the critters, the tokens, the tradewinds(nyc pop)....and yep, everything by the bee gees up through 'main course' is unreal. |
If we're considering groups with more folk than rock leanings gotta through in the original Kingston Trio as one of the all time best. |
Fairport Convention,alittle more twang Buddy & Julie Miller, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson rattlin bones |
Zappa. See especially Freak Out, Ruben and the Jets, You are What You Is, Thingfish. |
England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
great thread....i'm alittle off track as usual but I'll add the Staple Singers & the Seldom Scene |
What about Teenage Fanclub? They're frequently compared to the Byrds and are affectionately referred to as the Bellshill Beach Boys because of their vocal harmonies. |
I bow to the person who mentioned the Bee Gees. VERY unfair that it took us over 30 posts. |
Since most of the responses seem to be so focused on acoustic music, I'll throw out something more recent:
Nickel Creek
At least in this decade, they were unsurpassed when it came to vocal harmonies...
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YEah, Bee Gees and LRB are good! Forgot about them. |
You are all wrong......Bee Gees...end of story. |
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the byrds..all incarnations |
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Klaatu's vocal harmonies went a long way towards making many people seriously ponder the false rumor that they were in fact the Beatles incognito back in the middle 70's. |
Great call, Mapman. I guess there are some of us here who know music, not just hifi. |
seminal...the hollies, moby grape,the association, the beach boys(of course), the buffalo springfield, the dillards, harold melvin and the blue notes, the lovin spoonful, poco, and in an intirely different way, early humble pie. |
Actually, Lindisfarne reminded me that the group "Lindisfarne" was pretty darn good also.
Also the Dutch prog-rock band "Kayak" produced many purely heavenly vocal harmonies.
While in the prog-rock vein, toos in the Canadian prog-rockers "Klaatu" |
I will add Bonny-M to the list. |
In the prog/rock realm, Uriah Heep had no competition. |
How about Simon and Garfunkle, and Yes |
Believe it or not, and regardless of any other musical significance ,or lack thereof, the group Van Halen has always displayed very good vocal harmonies on their records. |
Heartsfield, Dan Fogelberg, Tufano & Giammarese, Batdorf & Rodney, The Fairfield Four. |
Second the Everly Bros. didn't see the Eagles listed. Maybe not rock but Ronstadt, Harris and Parton had some great harmonies |
Gawdbless,
With "Bohemian Rhapsody", you're talking about a song with so many tracks on it that the original tape master literally became transparent due to all of the layers the band kept adding.
No one in the world could duplicate that.
If you're suggesting that Queen didn't deliver the goods onstage, have a look-see at this - I'd say they hit the harmonies pretty impressively - not to mention the rest of the musicianship going on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DvlYv5RrVQ |
