[steel_horse75]

Richie has a great voice and I love it in the background coming to the front - i.e. Wanted, I'll be there for you - but I think jbj voice is better suited to fronting the song

[Eveline]

Both voices are great and tbh it depends on my mood what I decide to listen to at a given time. It's when these two voice COME TOGETHER, the MAGIC happens and that's one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced in my life.

[Bounce7800]

Both are great, but it's Jon that hooked me into Bon Jovi. It's a shame in a way that they both hit their peaks in the early 90s at the same time, rather than at different points in the bands cycle, but the Stranger shows were awesome for Richie, with Jon equally so around the Evening with Bon Jovi time period.

Just a pity how they are both such a shadow of their former glory these days.

[Rdkopper]

I'm not a vocalist by any means but if we are talking about both in their prime... Jon has/had more passion in his delivery and more power but had moments of being inconsistent which is blamed on over usage and wrong technique... Richie has/had a clearer or cleaner voice... Powerful but not as powerful as Jons... Richie could win American Idol but that's not necessarily a good thing by my standards

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[Zakatar]

I've always though Richie was the better singer, even in the 80s and early 90s during his and Jon's prime. True, he does tend to over-accentuate fairly frequently, but his control has always been well above Jon's. Even on "Aftermath of the Lowdown", his voice is excellent, albeit not as powerful as it was in the 90s.

That's not to say Jon had a bad voice at! His voice was also great back then!

[jovifan93]

For me, it's also about Jon's voice. Which is also why no cover band can ever come close for me, or Jon can never be replaced.

Richie has a great voice, too, especially when harmonizing with Jon. But his "overdoing" (I'd almost go as a far as to call it an accent which sounds very unusual and unlike anything I've ever heard before) puts me off at times...

[Jeeper]

Jon had a far more iconic voice. Certainly in terms of recording. That roughness and rasp made good songs great. His range was very impressive too.

I love Richie's vocals but feel he sometimes lacks variation in his delivery. Also, he has a habit of over emphasising words.

That's why I prefer Jon's vocals. (Obviously I'm referring to Jon at his best - not now)


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[symbeline]

Originally Posted by Alphavictim

Richie's vocals were always somewhat akin to the guitar style of a shredder - he tends to overdo it, to oversing. Which is why he was PERFECT for backing vocals, when he had to emphasize certain parts ("WAAAAANTEEEEED") for everything they were worth, but falls SONEWHAT flat as a lead vocalist who has to maintain a sense of overall suspense and progression through the whole song, with a huge resolution in the chorus (or whenever). Constantly accentuating parts makes that effect go to waste.

On the other hand, look at the vocal work on something like Thank You For Loving Me. Sure, the track is not really a classic, but the buildup, how Jon gradually works his way up his range, that's understanding how to sing lead.

This sounds harsher than it is - Richie is still a damn fine singer, and technically, he was very much up there, too. But when each were in their prime, Jon just knew how to use his instrument better. I'm not just talking about "how to get a certain sound out", but really, how to apply it to good use.

Also... Richie does a bluesy rasp way more often than Jon (I can think of one of the last EVERYBODYs in Keep The Faith, but else? At least as far as studio stuff is concerned), but I don't think he EVER did those squeals Jon did a lot in the 80s (think Homebound Train or I'll Be There For You).

This.

Richie has a really beautiful voice, but like many other excellent singers it can be grating to listen to. It's perfection is small doses... That's why I don't listen to his albums, but I'd loved to have him sing his own songs instead of BJ songs (I hate his LYHOM). Stranger in This Town was a highlight on the TD tour whereas when he performed a BJ song I'd skip it or go pee/grab a drink if I was on the show. It's not bad by any means, but his style is too much "oversinging" for BJ songs. His harmonies on the other hand are killer. He's brought to life and saved so many performances over the years, it's incredibly noticeable the vocal hole he's left (Dave has an excellent voice too, but I don't like it at all and don't blends well with Jon's)

I'd have chosen Jon+Richie as the best singing/voice overall if it was an option

[dianebonjovi]

It was Jon's voice (and I'll admit looks) that drew me to the band all those years ago. But I loved Richie's harmonizing in Wanted, IBTFY, STBI, etc.

[Gregsynthbootlegs]

Thank you for the responses! Very interesting comments - I like this!