Okay.

Don't get me wrong. I love a lot of these singers. Some of them are my favorites and all of them are in my playlists. This is just a list of artists, in my opinion, who aren't necessarily vocalists.

***When I say vocalist, I mean an artist who is known for their voice and the quality of. Again, even this definition is completely subjective***

I'm not here to drag your faves...

Now let's have some fun!

1. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez Stars Dance TourLisa Bjorheim

If you know me, you know I love Selena Gomez. She's beautiful and multi-talented. But to be completely honest, when she hit the Disney scene, I did not see her becoming the music sensation she is today. Even though Disney introduced her as a singer as well, it was never anything impressive. And many people agree, she's just an okay vocalist. But, her music career has really been very substantial.

The girl has bops on bops on bops. "Love You Like A Love Song" was the first song of hers I think the world really took seriously. It wasn't Disney pushing it. It was on the actual radio and peaked at 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. From then on, her music only got better. "Come & Get It", "Same Old Love" "Good For You" were all huge radio hits. "Bad Liar" has been voted by some as the best song of 2017! And she's shown no signs of stopping: "Wolves" and "Back To You" have also charted very well. Selena has really made herself a well-established musical artist of this musical era.

2. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift in Valentine's Day

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Taylor is one of my favorite artists ever. She's a musical genius. Fight me! But, I'd be lying if I said that she blows me away with her singing. She doesn't. Her voice is nice, especially now that it's developed over the years. Still, what makes her music spectacular is the brilliant composition and honesty. Either way, whether you like her voice or not, Taylor is one of the biggest musical artists out right now. She's the 17th best-selling musical artist in history with album sales (link here). In the top 10 best-selling female artists of all time (link here). No doubt about it, Taylor is really good. Sales don't lie. Girl's got 10 Grammys. And she's listed in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. She knows what she's doing! Even with the small voice she has, she releases music that fits it. Taylor is six albums in and I want six more!! She's an irreplaceable force in music.

3. Britney Spears

Britney Spears Circus Tour 2009compulsiveprep 8

Britney Spears is a notorious music icon. She's also well known for being a horrible vocalist. Her career has been full of hit songs and lips-syncing scandals. I've heard her voice described as sounding like "A newborn baby trying to sing sexy". All in all, she's the Pop Princess for a reason. Let's not forget that her debut single "...Baby One More Time" hit number one in every country it was released (Linkhere). She was the best-selling teen artist of the early 2000s. And literally cracked under the weight of her own fame.

Britney is also credited for paving the way for modern mainstream teen pop. She ushered in a new age of Pop music. Without Britney there'd be no Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato. What's funny is that Britney has kind of coined this sound that's not really singing but widely accepted as singing. We're not calling her to sing The National Anthem, but when "Toxic" comes on at the club you almost spill your drink running to the dance floor. All in all, Britney is a staple in modern music. I have entire mixed CDs of all her terribly sung bops!

4. Johnny Cash

This man is a Country Music legend, but it's also a huge thing that he doesn't really see. I don't know if you guys remember that Hannah Montana episode where they talked about how Johnny Cash just talks in perfect rhythm. That's not a joke. It's actually what he does. And I guess that's an art of its own. Johnny had his own sound. When a Cash song comes on, you know it's him. He also had a way of packing emotion into every word. Without all the crazy riffs and runs. No doubt about it, he's a legendary musician. He's one of the best-selling artist of all time. He even has his own museum in Tennessee.

5. Madonna

Madonna in Vogue 1990 Giphy

I'll say it. The top-selling female artist of all time can't sing. Madonna doesn't have good vocals. It's very small and kinda nasally. She has bops on bops on bops, just not vocals. Madonna is known for her incredible influence. She's paved the way for literally everyone! She's an icon. Pushed the envelope with songwriting, fashion, content, and videography... Just not vocals. I'm not even a huge Madonna fan, but sales and records don't lie. Madonna set the stage for so much of what music is today. She embodied feminism, sexuality, individuality, confidence, and acceptance. Much of Pop music wouldn't be what it is today without her. She didn't adhere to social conditions and showed the world that art is about being yourself. Pretty good for someone who can't sing.

6. Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul in Cold Hearted 1988

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First, let me say, PAULA ABDUL IS A DANCER! I don't know who told her to sing. But Paula's dancing is spectacular. Her "Cold Hearted" video changed by actual life. She's even choreographed for other well-known stars like Janet Jackson and Madonna. What made Paula huge was her music videos. The 80s was the rise of music videos and Paula Abdul could release a "just okay" sang song with awesome dancing! This is exactly why she has a million choreography credits and only three studio albums. She has had quite a few chart toppers though. Her 1988 debut album Forever Your Girl spawned four Billboard Number One hits. Making it the most successful album of all time, at that time. Though she had a good run, Paula decided to stick to what she does best, dancing! Recently, she has been a judge on many dance shows: So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars.

7. Fetty Wap

So many people are gonna see Fetty's name on this list and wonder why. That's exactly why he's on this list. Don't wanna label the guy a "singer" but also don't wanna label him a "rapper". Either way, his 2014 hit "Trap Queen" was literally everywhere. And it made him a huge star. His first (and only) studio album debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200. That doesn't make him a good singer. He's got a voice sounds like whale sounds over a trap beat. That doesn't stop me from twerking at the club when he comes on. Fetty Wap reminds people that music can be made for the sole purpose of turning up and having fun! Like or not, we need musicians like him. He's good in my book, as long he doesn't try and give us a love ballad.

8. Jennifer Lopez

When I think of J.Lo, a singer is not what comes to mind. Dancer, yes. Actress, yes. It's crazy because, despite all the other stuff that she's amazing at, she's really made her name as a musical artist. JLo got her start as a Fly Girl dancer on the TV show In Living Color. She gained international fame for starring in Selena. Her singing career came much later and she's been really successful. What really makes J.Lo special is that she paved the way for many Latin artists in Pop music. She's regarded as one of the most influential Hispanic performers in history. Her voice just doesn't do it for me. If we're in chorus class, I'm not asking her to sing the Christmas solo.

These icons have proven that bad singing doesn't always make bad music. Do you agree with the list? Are there any artists you think should have been included?