Top 10: Male Solo Artists

In continuing with yesterday's Top 10, I have decided to try and list my favorite solo male artists.

This has proven to be quite difficult, as most of my favorite singers are attached to a band, so finding 10 singers that I truly like their music and admire for some reason was pretty hard. But, I managed to do it - and although some of these choices might be a bit odd, there is probably a reason for my choosing them that goes even further than their music.

Singers 8-through-10 are pretty old school, but were part of my life growing up that has never really left me.

So here we are, my Top 10 male solo artists:

10) Bryan Adams
Comments: I have to admit that I actually started to like Bryan Adams thanks to my obsession with the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie. Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" song was the theme for the movie, and I immediately was hooked. I checked out Adams' "Waking Up The Neighbors" CD (I think it was a tape at the time) and loved it, and then found some of his older works - especially 'Summer of '69'.

9) Neil Diamond
Comments: Diamond was one of the few artists that my mother consistently listened to while I was growing up, so he sort of grew on me. He is also a pretty funny guy as proven in the Jason Biggs' movie "Saving Silverman". His song 'Forever in Blue Jeans' is a summer jam that Erika and I must listen to.

8) John Denver
Comments: This was my mother's all-time favorite musician. His music would blare through our house constantly and it has pretty much been engraved into my brain forever. My favorite song of Denver's has to be 'Thank God I'm a Country Boy', which Erika, myself and my Uncle Jim belt out at family karaoke.

7) "Weird Al" Yankovic
Comments: I believe I got hooked on "Weird Al" when my parents got me his Greatest Hits CD for either a birthday or Christmas present. I was drawn to his comedic intelligence and pretty much spot on musical ability. He has parodied many of the greatest artists in history, and for the most part each song is unique and quite entertaining.

6) Graham Colton
Comments: The only artist that makes both this list and my Fav. Band list. I first heard Colton open for The Clarks at a concert in Pittsburgh and was immediately hooked. Lucky for me I saw him the next day as part of the 'Big Shindig' with Guster - and once more opening just for Guster. Although he is part of a band, he has released solo albums which are equally as good as his work with the band.

5) Brad Paisley
Comments: Growing up I was never really a fan of country music. I guess you could thank the terrible radio stations nowadays that have drawn me to it. I can't listen to an alternative or rock station anymore - at least with country I know what I am going to get. Paisley, along with Rascal Flatts, has become my favorite country artist.

4) Jason Mraz
Comments: I am not quite sure how I got into Mraz's music. I remember picking up his CD at the music store and purchasing it, maybe it was just on a whim. But, I am glad that I did because he is truly a words magician. It's amazing how fast he can spew out words - his song 'Wordplay' is one of my favorites.

3) Marc Broussard
Comments: This is another artist that I was lucky enough to catch at the 'Big Shindig' in Pittsburgh. I am not sure if I would have ever caught on to this talented musician. He definitely shows off his New Orleans upbringing - with his soul-type music, but his voice is out of this world. Check out 'Save Me' if you don't believe me.

2) Billy Joel
Comments: Joel, like Diamond and Denver, was passed down to me thanks to my mother. Unlike the other two, however, Joel has always been one of my favorite musicians. I mean he is the piano man, he's amazing.

1) John Mayer
Comments: I was one of the first people to recognize Mayer (probably outside of his hometown) when the music store I was working in received an advanced copy of "Room for Squares". His silky smooth voice really drew me in, and finding out he was a singer/songwriter really topped it off for me. He is extremely talented, and is only getting better with age.

There you have it, my Top 10 male solo artists. I may try and look into the female side of things in blogs to come, but I have to admit I don't think I could come up with 10. But, I may try.