These bands have the best harmonies. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for musical groups with the greatest talent for vocal harmony.
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00:00 I see a little silhouette of a man. Skadda moosh, skadda moosh, will you do the pandango?
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today we're counting down our picks for musical groups with the greatest talent for vocal harmony.
00:13 [Music]
00:19 Number 10. ABBA. As Swedish pop stars, ABBA got the world singing in the 1970s.
00:25 Many of their best tracks are anchored by the harmonies of lead vocalists Agnetha Fältskog and Annifrid Lyngstad.
00:31 Others, like "Take a Chance on Me," include the entire quartet.
00:35 [Music]
00:42 In these catchy hits, co-writers Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus snuck in incredible musicality.
00:47 The layered productions allow every vocal to shine.
00:50 [Music]
00:57 Brightening up your day, these singers have an energy that's nothing short of magic.
01:01 Try listening to Dancing Queen, for example, without joining along.
01:04 Their inviting melodies draw in the listener, never failing to cause a reaction.
01:09 [Music]
01:18 Number 9. Simon & Garfunkel.
01:20 When Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel came together, they made a huge impression as a duo.
01:25 This was partly because of their otherworldly harmonies.
01:28 [Music]
01:35 Along with Simon's killer songwriting, the two-man act could combine their voices in incredible ways.
01:40 Their ability to convey emotions on tracks like "The Sound of Silence" made them unparalleled artists.
01:46 [Music]
01:51 Together, the singers could make their vocals have all the depth of a symphony.
01:55 The musicians also set a new standard for folk rock in powerful works such as "America."
02:00 Even if they didn't always get along,
02:02 the pair created harmonic performances that outlived any feud.
02:06 [Music]
02:13 Number 8. The Four Seasons.
02:15 The Four Seasons are one of many links between doo-wop and more modern musical genres.
02:20 Their vocal prowess can be heard on an endless stream of hits,
02:23 from "Big Girls Don't Cry" to later releases like "Who Loves You."
02:26 [Music]
02:33 Led by Frankie Valli, this group helped shape the sound of the 1960s.
02:37 Their vocal range could make anybody swoon with its staggering highs.
02:41 [Music]
02:47 Harmonies are one of their specialties,
02:49 a signature element of their deep catalog that inspired a Broadway musical and film.
02:54 Even with lineup changes, their voices kept listeners' attention into the 1970s and beyond.
03:00 [Music]
03:07 Number 7. Boys to Men.
03:08 There are many R&B acts from the 1990s, but few could match the style of Boys to Men.
03:14 Their harmonies work on so many different levels that they'll have your head spinning.
03:18 [Music]
03:24 Few groups can tell a story, engage an audience, and show off their talents quite like this one.
03:30 Anybody who listens to "End of the Road" knows that the quartet has a knack for performing together.
03:34 [Music]
03:40 Not only can they work well as a unit,
03:42 they also can amaze audiences with collaborations alongside Mariah Carey.
03:46 Michael, Nathan, Sean, and Wanye defined a decade of excellent music.
03:51 [Music]
03:57 Number 6. The Beatles.
03:59 Few groups have more than one songwriter, let alone multiple and distinctive singers.
04:05 John, Paul, and George were the dominant voices in the band with their harmonies.
04:08 [Music]
04:14 In the early days, those three created amazing work on "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."
04:19 The act then spent the mid-to-late 1960s in the studio,
04:22 tinkering away with all kinds of revolutionary recording techniques.
04:26 [Music]
04:29 Their singing on records like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road
04:33 still amazes audiences to this day.
04:36 Blending pop, rock, and other musical influences together,
04:39 the group combined their voices in timeless ways.
04:42 [Music]
04:50 Number 5. Fleetwood Mac.
04:52 Even in a band full of personal drama, the stellar music rises to the top.
04:57 The most popular era of Fleetwood Mac features the eclectic voices of Lindsey Buckingham,
05:02 Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks.
05:04 Each one is essential to what makes this group legendary.
05:07 [Music]
05:12 Combining their vocal and songwriting talents,
05:14 this rock act loves to flaunt their abilities on hits like "Dreams."
05:18 Many choruses like "Go Your Own Way" wouldn't be the same
05:21 without their rich harmonies ratcheting up the track's intensity.
05:24 [Music]
05:30 No matter which person spearheaded the writing process,
05:33 they frequently allowed the others to play along.
05:36 This team effort, despite all of the backstage antics,
05:39 makes for one of the most beloved bands of the time.
05:41 [Music]
05:46 Number 4. Queen.
05:48 While Freddie Mercury was the frontman for Queen,
05:51 he was surrounded by highly talented backup singers.
05:54 [Music]
06:04 Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor were multi-talented artists
06:08 that filled out the band's harmonies.
06:10 It's impossible not to talk about their work on "Bohemian Rhapsody"
06:13 or the hit song "Suite of Epic Singing."
06:15 [Music]
06:21 Along with their classics,
06:23 the group also sings their hearts out on underappreciated tracks like "Bicycle Race."
06:27 Mercury and company all put in the work to make a fierce unit of vocalists.
06:32 From operatic tunes to arena rock staples,
06:35 these men were more than capable of pushing their vocal chords to the max.
06:39 [Music]
06:47 Number 3. The Carpenters.
06:49 The Carpenters were a brother and sister duo that produced some of the 1970s' best music.
06:54 [Music]
07:03 Karen's distinct voice matched well with Richard
07:05 to form one of the core elements of their sound.
07:08 There's a calm and serene quality to the band's harmonies on tracks
07:11 such as "They Long to Be Close to You."
07:13 [Music]
07:21 In "Heartbreaking Ballads,"
07:22 these vocalists could provide the soundtrack for any emotional highs or lows.
07:27 You can't help but feel something when you hear them perform on "Rainy Days and Mondays"
07:31 or the classic "We've Only Just Begun."
07:33 They might not always be put among the all-time greats,
07:37 but these musicians were just as talented as many of their era.
07:40 [Music]
07:49 Number 2. The Bee Gees.
07:51 The Gibb brothers had a storied career as the Bee Gees.
07:54 Their catalog spanned rock, pop, and disco in a multi-decade run.
07:59 [Music]
08:03 All through their success, the trio depended on their amazing vocals.
08:07 They could make you cry just as easily as they could make you want to dance.
08:10 "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Too Much Heaven"
08:12 are two ballads that rely on their beautiful voices.
08:15 [Music]
08:22 With incredible high notes,
08:23 the band had a shocking range that few groups could match.
08:27 This came in handy for tracks such as "Stayin' Alive,"
08:29 which, as part of the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack,
08:32 gave them one of their most successful periods.
08:35 The siblings had such pristine voices that they could make a song in any style perfect.
08:39 [Music]
08:45 Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
08:49 The Association.
08:50 The six-man collective created blissful harmonies on records like "Never My Love."
08:55 [Music]
09:04 The Everly Brothers.
09:05 Don and Phil were massively influential for vocals and 1950s hits.
09:10 [Music]
09:17 Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
09:18 Supergroup's harmonies never sounded as good as Sweet Judy Blue Eyes.
09:23 [Music]
09:30 The Mamas and the Papas.
09:32 Serving up 1960s classics,
09:34 this group delivered sun-soaked harmonies at every turn.
09:38 [Music]
09:45 The Temptations.
09:46 This Motown vocal group was one of the greatest R&B acts of all time.
09:50 [Music]
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10:13 Number 1. The Beach Boys.
10:17 From their early days, the Beach Boys' hits like "Surfin' Safari" and "I Get Around"
10:21 were made special by the group's vocal harmonies.
10:23 [Music]
10:31 The Wilson Brothers, Al Jardine, and Mike Love came together to perform numbers that defined
10:36 1960s America.
10:38 Brian Wilson then dared them to do even better with "Pet Sounds,"
10:42 which features many of their greatest tracks and a seamless blend of their voices on songs
10:46 like "Wouldn't It Be Nice."
10:47 [Music]
10:58 The single "Good Vibrations" also allowed the band to stand out from the competition
11:02 with a memorable chorus.
11:03 Elevating popular music, this musical act influenced generations of vocalists to try harder.
11:09 [Music]
11:17 Did we forget your favorite harmonizers?
11:19 Let us know in the comments below.
11:20 [Music]
11:26 Do you agree with our picks?
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11:34 [Music]