Sarah Vaughn, in *her* prime. Ella Fitzgerald.
There's several others, not all jazz singers, but I can't think of any more names at the moment.
Whitney had a powerful voice, and when she was on she definitely had the "goosebumps good" to her. She probably had the tools to move up to the "greatest" category, but she was second-tier IMO. Most of the powerful pop voices are.
Tier one needs more consistent soul, more effortlessness, more control, all combined seamlessly.
Tier two -- that's Whitney, Streisand, Celine Dion level. Worth paying big bucks to see and magic when they're "on". Amazing voices, but not quite there.
Tier one... they're out there. And a step up.
Originally Posted by: Wade