Originally Posted by Ninetales

This (an entirely different beast), is also something id contest. Yeah sure vocal range or tone are things you can objectively measure, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. You can measure that someone has a baritone voice and differentiate that from a soprano, but that in itself has nothing to do with quality or who's the "best". Vocals, like all instruments in music, are not to be thought of in a vacuum. Some people have different preferences on what a singer should sound like, and it can(should) differ with respect to the context. Jandek may not have the best vocal strength or whathaveyou, but his voice works excellent for the music that he makes. So how can you compare him with Freddie Mercury? Who's the better singer? Using strictly "objective" singing terms to decide that isn't really a good argument, as it eliminates any sort of context that certain music is made for. If youre talking about music and what's best, it is subjective. You can use measures if you want, but it's by no means an objective way to concretely decide this.