Ranking The Crooners: A Perfect Soundtrack for Fall
V. Bobby Darrin
When some choose to quit before delving deeper into Bobby Darrin’s discography than “Beyond the Sea” (one of the best songs of all time) they miss out big. With staples like the punchy “Mack the Knife,” swinging “More,” swagger-filled “I’m Beginning To See The Light,” and childlike “Splish Splash,” Darin displays a wide range of emotions and musical styles that show his versatility.
IV. Dean Martin
Throughout his decade-spanning music career, Dino was as cool and sophisticated as can be. In contrast to his character, he came from humble beginnings as the son of an immigrant barber (he only spoke Italian till age five) who dropped out of high school at 16. After perusing through the catalog of careers–boxer, gas station attendant, steel-mill worker–before he found his place as the smooth, romantic infusing his Italian heritage into his work. Hits like “That’s Amore,” “Ain’t That a Kick in The Head,” and “Everybody Loves Somebody,” captured audiences for decades and elevated him to this Mount Rushmore of crooners.
III. Louis Armstrong
Long before “What a Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong basically invented a good part of the foundation of modern music. Early in his career With his “Hot Five” and “Hot Seven” bands to back him up, Armstrong penned many standards that were covered over and over again. He proceeded to age with grace, evolving into the raspy-voiced crooner that many know him as. “He has a nice voice,” said Krieg. “It’s so unique, and it blends with the music well.” His 1956 collaboration album Ella and Louis with Ella Fitzgerald was a passing of the torch that cemented her status as a legend in her own right.
II. Nat King Cole
Cole’s smooth baritone is a comforting sound in even the bleakest depths of winter. Something about his voice recalls a fire in the hearth of your family home: warm, buttery, and crisply enunciated. With legendary contributions to the holiday canon such as “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas)” and “Deck the Hall,” his other material often goes overlooked. Jakob Krieg, 12, encouraged listeners to not let this happen: “Jazz music is so important, it’s shaped the singers of today. You can’t ignore it.” And he’s right. To pass over hits like “L-O-V-E,” “She’s My Buddy’s Chick,” and “Straighten Up and Fly Right” is a crime against your ears. Instead, do the right thing: snuggle under a blanket and let yourself be soothed to sleep – you’ll realize why they called him “King.”
I. Frank Sinatra
What can I say about Ol’ Blue Eyes that hasn’t been said. He’s the GOAT. No other artist in history has been able to stir the soul through song the way Sinatra did. With sweeping range and versatility, he effortlessly belts out anything from the most triumphant victory laps (“My Way”), to the most melancholic portraits of mood (“Mood Indigo”). He covers the entire spectrum of human emotion with such grace and character and in such an inimitable manner! Truly a master of his art. His voice carries a presence that grasps the listener in a way unlike any other, even on this list.
