Singers with strong accents

[BadHands]

Biffy Clyro jumps out immediately! Doesn't sound right sung in any other accent 

[sykilz]

13 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Mark of Booze & Glory’s Polish accent is quite strong on some of their songs.

Lozz, that reminds me, Mariusz Duda from Polish modern prog rockers Riverside sings in English with a distinctive lilt that works very well 👍🤘👍

Edited November 6, 2020 by sykilz

[LeftyJ]

Some British accents appear to do well in the Netherlands too, up to a point where Dutch singers try to copy the accent of Kate Nash for example. I like it when it's genuine, but not when people are trying too hard. 

[Maude]

14 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

Glasvegas, sing in a strong Glasgow accent. Forget your dad he's gone becomes forgit yer da he's gone. 

Glasvegas first sprang to my mind too, one of the strongest accents from the UK I've heard on record. I've been listening to quite a bit of Ultravox recently and realised what an influence they must surely have been to Glasvegas. 

Niall O'Flaherty from Sultans of Ping FC sings with a strong accent but I can't place it. He's from Cork but there's some strong Liverpudlian and Mancunian in there.

Toy Dolls also aren't afraid to let their accents shine. 

 

[Mykesbass]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

I don't think you can count anyone whose first language is not English or American.

That was in my mind when I posted, but didn't want to set any parameters.

[Paul S]

Phil Lynott?

[Cat Burrito]

I'll just leave this one here...

 

[Mykesbass]

17 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Phil Lynott?

Even the name of the band!

[Mykesbass]

11 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

I'll just leave this one here...

 

Joe Dolce, now this. Is it some sort of fetish we should know about?

[Sandypjb]

Fish

[Barking Spiders]

The problem with singing in your regional accent is it seems to scupper your chances of succeeding in the US and other countries as listeners there will probably not understand what's being sung. Brits singing in strong London, Brummie, Scouse, Yorkshire, Welsh, Scots and Geordie accents hardly ever make it outside the UK. So I understand the need to sing in a mid-Atlantic, faux American voice. Off the top of my noggin I cant think of any Brit act  successful outside the UK where the vocalists have sung in a regional accent. Certainly not The Beatles. There's little sign of scouse in their vocals.

[gjones]

In the 90s there was a lot of mockney about.

Lilly Allen does a good mockney accent too.

I like the singer in The Artic Monkeys accent.

It sounds like George Formby fronting a rock band.

Edited November 6, 2020 by gjones

[casapete]

18 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

The problem with singing in your regional accent is it seems to scupper your chances of succeeding in the US and other countries as listeners there will probably not understand what's being sung. Brits singing in strong London, Brummie, Scouse, Yorkshire, Welsh, Scots and Geordie accents hardly ever make it outside the UK. So I understand the need to sing in a mid-Atlantic, faux American voice. Off the top of my noggin I cant think of any Brit act  successful outside the UK where the vocalists have sung in a regional accent. Certainly not The Beatles. There's little sign of scouse in their vocals.

Good point.

The Proclaimers got to number 3 in the US singles chart with (I’m gonna be ) 500 Miles, although I’ve no idea what they made of some of the lyrics. Also some of the Liverpool bands from the 60’s who sang with local accents did okay over there I think, maybe on the back of The Beatles success? Gerry and the Pacemakers spring to mind with ‘Ferry cross the Mersey’.

Edited November 6, 2020 by casapete

[Bassfinger]

Charles Aznavour.  I mean, who does he think he's  kidding?  We all know hes a brummie really.

[leftybassman392]

Richard Thompson (born in Notting Hill Gate) surely qualifies:

 

[Nail Soup]

Modern folk band "Stick in the Wheel" sing in authentic London accent to very good effect:

 

[Mykesbass]

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

Modern folk band "Stick in the Wheel" sing in authentic London accent to very good effect:

 

Very authentic 👍🏾

[thebassist]

The Gallagher brothers - particularly Liam with his "Suuuuuunnnnnnnsssshhhhhheeeeeeeiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeeeeee".

[yorks5stringer]

Shane McGowan, and Sting?

[Mykesbass]

16 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Shane McGowan, and Sting?

That would be Shane's Kent accent 

Good call on Sting - it does come through every now and then.

[paul_5]

As we’ve already had my favourites (Guy Garvey, Jarvis Cocker, Bill Bragg etc...) I’ll give a tip of the hat to Freddie Mercury’s upper class British accent that poked out every now and then.

 

less favourable mentions go to Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and Milli Vanilli.

[PatrickJ]

Professor Elemental

 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 9, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Paul S]

D!ck Van Dyke 😁

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by Paul S

[casapete]

 

6 minutes ago, Paul S said:

D!ck Van Dyke 😁

 

Cor blimey, god bless you D!ck. RIP.

Edited November 6, 2020 by casapete