Dexter Holland is one of the worst vocalists ever?

[Llamas]

Greg Graffin really? his voice is really low... I could sing br songs for hours without having any voice problem...Same goes for Billie joe for example... Tony sly and Bizzy are good singers can't say anithing on that. I think the only comparable singer for the range is Zoli who sings half step down too and live doesn't sound so good, I prefer Dexter. I'd really like to hear something upon this on the next podcast

Singing low doesn't make someone a bad singer. At all. He's clearly more of a baritone. And Dexter has problems even when he sings low. He doesn't sound good live on songs like Kristy or Fix You or A Lot Like Me. Billie Joe is not a good singer at all, either. But he makes up for it by being an exciting, energetic frontman. Dexter makes up for his lack of singing skills by being an excellent songwriter.

[cool 2 hate 681]

the guy from sum 41 is a better singer then dexter?

when i saw the offspring in 2004 and 2008 his voice was not good but when i saw them in 2000 and 2010 his voice was awesome just like on the albums

[Llamas]

the guy from sum 41 is a better singer then dexter?

Sorry, you're right. I don't know why I listed him. He's pretty much the same as Dexter. Davey Havok is awesome, though. Totally not connected at all :P

[Dexter_italy]

Singing low doesn't make someone a bad singer. At all. He's clearly more of a baritone. And Dexter has problems even when he sings low. He doesn't sound good live on songs like Kristy or Fix You or A Lot Like Me. Billie Joe is not a good singer at all, either. But he makes up for it by being an exciting, energetic frontman. Dexter makes up for his lack of singing skills by being an excellent songwriter.

I didn't say that singing low means being a bad singer. I just said it's easier to sing that way, the effort is different. Kristy is not that low... and Fix you has been played 2 times live... the first time they play a song it's never that good. A lot like me has ever been played? I don't recall and can't find...post it if you have it I'm curious
There are some videos where you actually say... "Oh gosh that's terrible!!!" but I prefer judging from my live experiences and I have to tell that he was always good. I think we've said everything about this matter from a pretty dumb article... there are worst singer for sure, and better for sure, but no one is gonna sound like him, we all agree on this.

[cool 2 hate 681]

I didn't say that singing low means being a bad singer. I just said it's easier to sing that way, the effort is different. Kristy is not that low... and Fix you has been played 2 times live... the first time they play a song it's never that good. A lot like me has ever been played? I don't recall and can't find...post it if you have it I'm curious
There are some videos where you actually say... "Oh gosh that's terrible!!!" but I prefer judging from my live experiences and I have to tell that he was always good. I think we've said everything about this matter from a pretty dumb article... there are worst singer for sure, and better for sure, but no one is gonna sound like him, we all agree on this.

they played a lot like me in 2009 at a show in austin texas there was a video online but i can't seem to find it right now http://www.offspring.com/community/s...t=37781&page=3 also they only played fix you once

[RonWelty]

The Offspring like a schnitzel or hot dog doesn't sound good either.

RonWelty, have you seen videos from the last tour, they were pretty tight including Dexter.

I know, He was way better.

[Scythe Death]

But Dexter's raspy high vocals make a third of the song. They have like the same appeal that a distorted guitar has. They're great for their type of music.

If I were to make a list, it would be so much better.

[Tijs]

but the fact is, most punk singers are actually able to sing live. I honestly was obsessed with the Offspring til I saw them live in 2003. Dexter's live abilities really disappointed me. I hunted for live videos where he was really on, but rarely succeeded. He's a good songwriter and a good lyricist, but I would definitely not call him a good vocalist.

He's a better vocalist than Johnny Rotten or Tom Delonge have ever been, so it wouldn't be fair to call him one of the worst, either. Those guys are a cold hotdog in a slightly-stale bun with nothing but ketchup.

Dexter surely has shows where he's better than other shows. If you were so obsessed with them, surely you've seen/heard some bootlegged concerts or other live videos in which you heard Dexter's singing? I'm just surprised then that you were disappointed in 2003, if it could've been just a bad voice day for him.

For sure Tom DeLonge has got to be on of the worst live vocalists in the history of.. well, existence (though seeing Blink 182 live is still a dream to be fullfilled someday). And Johnny Rotten is quite awful live (and recorded too) too. BUT, it fits exactly that raw punkrocky feeling that people are looking for.

Imagine Shane MacGowan singing beautifully. If he DID sing beautifully, The Pogues would've sucked.
Replace Dexter with an opera singer, and I'm not interested anymore. Surely you can say he's not among the best singers. I know he isn't, everybody with a mind knows that. But, he is perfect for The Offspring. He doesn't need to be a great singer, not in a punkrock band (though I would like to restrain myself from classifying The Offspring as a punkrock band, to avoid a whole different discussion, but you get what I mean).

I often think that if singers from punkrock bands would appear on shows like American Idol or America's Got Talent (or your country's equivalent) hardly any of them would make it to the next round. Think about singers like Dexter, Johnny Rotten, the singers from Dropkick Murphys, Alkaline Trio, Blink 182, Green Day, Bad Religion, Die Toten Hosen, Weezer... and the list goes on and on. They don't sound that great vocally, but have the exact right voice for their target audience.

What I'm saying is, you shouldn't judge them on something they're not trying to be.

Personally, I think an ostrich is an awful bird because it can't fly. So there you go, the Offspring are the ostriches of music. Yeah I'm just gonna keep on using these kind of comparisons.

Just because you think he sings well or at least he fits the suit other people is wrong?

Well, that's a discussion isn't it? Some people agree, others disagree. I'm not saying anyone's right or wrong, I'm saying I've got a different opinion.

Davey Havok is awesome, though. Totally not connected at all :P

o rly? Though I think after this show they didn't play Total Immortal anymore, at least not much. They didn't play them at their headliner show the last time I saw them.

[BagOfShenanigans]

It only burns me up that all of the media darlings and circus acts like Justin Bieber and Ke$ha were excluded. The vocals are unlikable, cookie cutter nonsense, and people just devour it like it's weed-filled brownies. Meanwhile Dexter Holland who has a unique, recognizable voice is getting shit on.

He's not going for this angelic voice shit, he's a punk/rock singer. The punk genre isn't about vocal expertise, it's about the message.

The list seems to be primarily crap, with weak backing for all of the placeholders' legitimacy.

[Llamas]

If you were so obsessed with them, surely you've seen/heard some bootlegged concerts or other live videos in which you heard Dexter's singing? I'm just surprised then that you were disappointed in 2003, if it could've been just a bad voice day for him.

Before I saw them in 2003, I didn't have the opportunity to download or anything. We had an AOL dial-up connection. I wasn't able to download and stuff til about 2004-2005, at which point I started searching for live Offspring stuff, hoping it had just been a bad show. But I've *always* been disappointed in the live stuff... ever since then.

For sure Tom DeLonge has got to be on of the worst live vocalists in the history of.. well, existence (though seeing Blink 182 live is still a dream to be fullfilled someday). And Johnny Rotten is quite awful live (and recorded too) too. BUT, it fits exactly that raw punkrocky feeling that people are looking for. (and the next 3 paragraphs or so)

Absolutely never argued that. Go back and read my first post in here. There are big differences among "vocalist", "song writer", and "front man". Dexter is a great song writer, a decent front man, but no, I wouldn't call him a good vocalist. Yes, he fits the job great... yes, there's a different scale to judge on... but on that scale, he's about average. In the grand scheme, he's pretty bad. But yes, his voice fits the style very well. And no, I'm not asking for Luciano Pavarotti to come in and sing with the Offspring instead. His voice fits the music, but he's not a very good vocalist.

Nobody in the Offspring is really very talented at their instrument. Doesn't mean they don't work well together and make great music.

o rly? Though I think after this show they didn't play Total Immortal anymore, at least not much. They didn't play them at their headliner show the last time I saw them.

Yeah, he sounds awful in that video... but that's an exception. I've seen them live a few times and watched countless videos... Davey can sing and has a good voice, for sure.