Jon or Richie - Who's the better singer?
 

Obviously their voices have changed a lot over time (especially Jon). So I'm wondering who you think is the better singer then and now. Poll is pretty self-explanatory.

If you want to, give a reason for your preferred choice.

I think always Jon... but now he not sing with the same heart, and that is very sad for me. On the last 10 years I enjoy more the Richie's voice, although I must admit that the 2014 tour was disappointing. :roll:

Richie probably has still more range and power left. However, he's always tended to oversing stuff. Jon always had more control, and I liked his rasp better than Richie's twang.

Nowadays, there's little rasp left. But early 90s Jon was better than Richie ever was, IMO. At least for the type of music BJ play.

Jon always. Richie is (or was at least) an excellent backing vocalist, but I've never really cared for his lead vocals.

Jon always. Richie had a great voice as well, and perfect for backing and even singing lead on some styles but I think he never really learned how to properly sing lead vocals. He tends to over sing while beginning a line and then the strength he uses at the start by the end of that same line it's just gone. Lack of confidence could be part of it but I also think that he really lacks control and technique.

Edited to add that Jon's recent lack of strength in his voice is also something that should be noted, but at least he knows his limitations and holds himself back in order to get through a show, something Richie has yet to learn how to do. And in all honesty, I don't know which is worse....

Again, Jon is the winner as a singer. But Richie has something special when she sings.

River of Love Live 1991

Hard Times come Easy Live 1998

Rocking the Corps Live 2005

Seven Years Gone Live 2012

These performances separated at intervals of seven years, are amazing.

Jon between 1990 and 1993. That man was THE frontman, no one could touch him vocally.
I like Jon's 80s period and also all the way up until pretty much Crush.

Overall though, Richie has the better range no question. Also his vocal stamp is very distinctive. Something that can't be said about Jon.

As about one single vocal performances, Jon wins live - that Blaze of Glory at the Oscars could make mountain's crumble.

In the studio, Richie's version of When a Blind Man Cries is the most intense vocal performance delivered by anyone in the Jovi camp.

I do agree with Javier though. Richie lacks vocal discipline, technique and control. He used to have them on the guitar but seems to have lost them too. Now he sings like he plays, all over the place.

Even so, it's a bit of an unfair comparison. Jon is a trained vocalist. Richie is a trained guitarist. Yes, they do both, but it surely wouldn't be fair to make a comparison the other way around.

Jon and Richie equally in the early days but Richie now and probably for the last 20 years actually. Richie sings with a passion and he still has a 'rock voice'.
Jon's voice has gone twangy and he consistently can't reach the high notes anymore. I can understand why but what's with the twang? It's beyond irritating to listen to.

This isn't a straight forward poll. Who is the better singer ? Ie a superior voice that can hit the notes and have a wider range ? I have had to vote for Richie.

However I don't prefer his sound and I prefer a less bluesy voice and therefore Jons voice but over the decades Jon has shown he doesn't have the same range and is often off key but his sound is more popular.

Can he hit more notes and has a wider range? I am really asking as I don't know.

Yes, even now with how much of his voice has gone downhill his range is still superior to Jon's, and I think it always was. Richie always sang backing a third above Jon for a reason, which gave the band that signature sound vocally that the fans love. There's a few songs (namely on These Days) where the arrangement was made that Jon sang higher than Richie but mostly it's been the other way around throughout the bands career. Richie's lower range sucks btw, but technically can still hit the same lower notes Jon can....

Its deliberately up to you how you define "better singer"; objectively, based on who has the better range, etc or subjectively, based on whose sounds you like the most.

I'm interested to see which you'd choose based on the vague wording. If you forced me I'd probably have to admit that Richie is more skilled nowadays given that Jon whines in order to high notes. However, I'd still rather listen to Jons half assed attempt than Richie on good form.

In the poll I voted Jon for 80s, 90s, 00s and Richie for 2010s based on the fact that I'd still rather hear Jon in the 2010s but I have to conceed Richie is probably sings with more unbridled passion/drunkness than Jon nowadays.

Thanks, that's interesting. Proves to me that having better technique or the better voice does not matter, I think Jon is comfortably better (taking both in their prime) and I am a big fan of Richie's Stranger voice. Jon for me was one of the best rock voices, despite not being outright better than many singers. He had a package and I just don't see Richie being able to drive the Bon Jovi songs the way Jon does.

Sort of like Richie on guitar, he was never the best technically or in terms of composition or his chops. He had a package though.

Sad to see how both have dropped off in recent years in all aspects, it's really soured my feelings about the band.