General Vocal Timeline Thread (2,693 views)

[Dark Star]

This was a favorite on previous iterations of TRP, and with our knowledge of certain singers having significantly increased, we can probably come up with improved and more accurate and objective timelines than previous versions.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Frank Sinatra}
1935-1939: Frank is a very good singer from the beginning, having trained with a vocal coach in the 'bel canto' style of singing. His tone, diction, and phrasing are already all quite good, but he hasn't achieved his signature charisma and emotive capabilities

1940-42: Under Tommy Dorsey, Frank's breath control improves by studying Tommy's own technique as a trombone player and applying it to his vocals, as well as building endurance through running and swimming exercises. This allows him to really stretch out his phrasing into the legato style that would eventually become part of his core sound. His tone now is quite beautiful, not as full and warm as it would eventually become but extremely pleasant and charming nonetheless.

1943-46: On his Columbia recordings, Frank really begins to come into his own as vocalist. His control, diction, intonation, range, and control are all pretty much perfect by his point, and he's starting to show early signs of the emotional conviction he'd fully display later on at Capitol.

1947-50: External factors (drinking, smoking, divorce and personal scandals) as well as age take a very slight toll on Frank's voice, as his voice loses its brightness and has a more burnished, fuller sound that adds depth to his lower register. His higher range is still extremely powerful and his vibrato sounds particularly excellent during this time.

1951-52: Dwindling popularity and a lack of quality material do not help on top of Frank's already chaotic personal life and vices. In 1952, he suffers a vocal hemorrhage were he loses his voice, and is dropped by Columbia thereafter. He gradually works his voice back into shape and performs a series of extremely well received live shows where he is praised for the newfound depth and maturity in his singing.

1953-57: Largely considered his peak as both a singer and as an overall recording artist, Frank possesses a warm, bold tone with immaculate control, articulation, timing, intonation, etc. He has also grown incredibly smart and daring with his phrasing, knowing exactly which lines and words to specifically emphasize in order to properly articulate the emotion behind songs such as "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "All the Way." When people want to point out why Frank has the status he is held to when discussing his place among popular singers, these are generally the recordings most refer to.

1958-62: An evolutionary period both vocally and professionally. His tone becomes slightly aged and coarser though it has no real affect at all on his overall singing. As he transitions to Capitol to Reprise, he undergoes a bit of stylistic evolution as well, working with new arrangers whose charts don't possess the musicality or sophistication of Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, or any of his Capitol collaborators. As a result, Frank is sometimes careless with his phrasing and doesn't sing with the same authority he did at Capitol, at least on first. On 1962's "Sinatra & Strings," he displays some of his most powerful singing to date; almost every song reaches a crescendo with powerful sustained, vibrato heavy high singing, and he knocks each one out of the park.

1963-65: Probably Frank's best post-Capitol period, and my personal favorite timbre of his. His tone is full and warm, with a sagacious air that lends pathos particularly to the reflective and world weary songs on "September of My Years." His diction probably hits its zenith around this time, as he records many theatrical songs around this time that require particularly forceful enunciation.

1966-69: It's not a big change, but Frank's definitely begins to sound a bit more tired and noticably aged around this time. His highs lack some weight at the very top of his range, and by the time he records "Cycle" it begins to sound tired with a slight rasp.

1969-1971: Frank's voice continues to deepen and age in the period before his short retirement. On "My Way" and "Sinatra & Company," and especially "Watertown," many cuts have him sounding extremely tired and his highs are often lacking in power (the song "My Way" of course being huge exceptions). He still has some pretty surprising moments live, such as the two Royal Albert Hall shows in May 1970 that are considered to have his best singing ever by those in attendance (unfortunately, no clear recordings exist), and his 'retirement' concert in June of 1971 has him in excellent form.

1973: Frank comes out of retirement with a concert for Nixon at the White House, which shows in very good shape despite having not sung at all in public for nearly two years. Later in the year, the album and tv special "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" have him essentially in the same form, and he actually sounds a bit younger and more powerful than he did in 1969-70. This is also the last time where Frank has his classic tone.

1974-75: The worst Frank has sounded to date. Live and in studio, he sounds tired, hoarse and unable to hit either low or high notes with any real power. He sounds and looks like he's aged 10 years, gaining significant weight around this time well. In concert, he talks sings his way through songs like "I've Got You Under My Skin" which require lots of stamina for their extended phrases, and he is unable to sustain climactic notes such as the finale of "My Way."

1976-77: Frank improves during this time. In 1976, he has some control back but his tone sounds like a pretty standard 'old man baritone,' with a fogginess and disturbing lack of energy. By the spring of 1977, Frank is back in business: his tone is clear and punchy with real power in his high notes again.

1978-82: Frank sounds really excellent during this time, especially live where he revives several demanding songs he had not done in years and routinely nails them. While 1979's "Trilogy" is not remembered fondly in terms of quality, his singing is very strong throughout, and it gives him one last signature hit with his legendary take on "New York, New York." Concerts such as Carnegie Hall residency 1980 and The Concert for the Americas in 1982 are widely considered some of the best shows of his career.

1983-85: Frank isn't as consistent during this period as he was just a year prior, but he still sounds remarkably good for his age overall. He can sing with the original phrasing on most songs and surprises with some powerful high notes. His tone now has a rasp to it, which does make him sound weaker but overall in control.

1985-87: Frank sounds even more aged, understandable as he hits 70, and he does begin to employ choppier, staccato phrasing and even slight talk singing to songs he once glided through with ease. His highs are still good overall but definitely strained, as the rasp is even more pronounced by this time. Surprisingly, he still sings "April in Paris" and "Moonlight in Vermont," two songs with extremely demanding sustained passages, quite well and with little issues.

1988-89: Frank's final declines comes on the heels of a significant weight gain and his memory really beginning to succumb. The soaring legato passages are long gone, and almost every high note above D4 is a random exclamation as opposed to anything sustained. His lower range is also clogged below G2. His last studio recording in 1988, "My Foolish Heart," highlight his limitations well, as does live footage. On ballads like "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" and "One For My Baby," he uses these defects to his advantage, his weary sound being perfect for these sad saloon ballads.

1990-91: Frank loses some weight and as a result he regains some control and stamina back, and seems more sharp and vibrant live if not particularly great on any technical level.

1992-94: Frank has some nights where he surprises his audience but overall a really sad final period. His control and intonation are poor, he rarely leaves his shredded mid range, and he is constantly forgetting words and missing cues.

1995: Frank's final performance at a private resort in Palms Springs is surprisingly strong and allows Frank to end his career on a very respectable note. He's sustaining some decent notes throughout and doesn't really forget words or have any other embarrassing moments; he even sounds pretty confident and alert when talking to the crowd. This is the last time anyone hears Frank sing before he passes away in 1998 of a heart attack.

[halloweenjack95]

Jan 31, 2020 21:26:18 GMT Dark Star said:

This was a favorite on previous iterations of TRP, and with our knowledge of certain singers having significantly increased, we can probably come up with improved and more accurate and objective timelines than previous versions.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Frank Sinatra}
1935-1939: Frank is a very good singer from the beginning, having trained with a vocal coach in the 'bel canto' style of singing. His tone, diction, and phrasing are already all quite good, but he hasn't achieved his signature charisma and emotive capabilities

1940-42: Under Tommy Dorsey, Frank's breath control improves by studying Tommy's own technique as a trombone player and applying it to his vocals, as well as building endurance through running and swimming exercises. This allows him to really stretch out his phrasing into the legato style that would eventually become part of his core sound. His tone now is quite beautiful, not as full and warm as it would eventually become but extremely pleasant and charming nonetheless.

1943-46: On his Columbia recordings, Frank really begins to come into his own as vocalist. His control, diction, intonation, range, and control are all pretty much perfect by his point, and he's starting to show early signs of the emotional conviction he'd fully display later on at Capitol.

1947-50: External factors (drinking, smoking, divorce and personal scandals) as well as age take a very slight toll on Frank's voice, as his voice loses its brightness and has a more burnished, fuller sound that adds depth to his lower register. His higher range is still extremely powerful and his vibrato sounds particularly excellent during this time.

1951-52: Dwindling popularity and a lack of quality material do not help on top of Frank's already chaotic personal life and vices. In 1952, he suffers a vocal hemorrhage were he loses his voice, and is dropped by Columbia thereafter. He gradually works his voice back into shape and performs a series of extremely well received live shows where he is praised for the newfound depth and maturity in his singing.

1953-57: Largely considered his peak as both a singer and as an overall recording artist, Frank possesses a warm, bold tone with immaculate control, articulation, timing, intonation, etc. He has also grown incredibly smart and daring with his phrasing, knowing exactly which lines and words to specifically emphasize in order to properly articulate the emotion behind songs such as "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "All the Way." When people want to point out why Frank has the status he is held to when discussing his place among popular singers, these are generally the recordings most refer to.

1958-62: An evolutionary period both vocally and professionally. His tone becomes slightly aged and coarser though it has no real affect at all on his overall singing. As he transitions to Capitol to Reprise, he undergoes a bit of stylistic evolution as well, working with new arrangers whose charts don't possess the musicality or sophistication of Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, or any of his Capitol collaborators. As a result, Frank is sometimes careless with his phrasing and doesn't sing with the same authority he did at Capitol, at least on first. On 1962's "Sinatra & Strings," he displays some of his most powerful singing to date; almost every song reaches a crescendo with powerful sustained, vibrato heavy high singing, and he knocks each one out of the park.

1963-65: Probably Frank's best post-Capitol period, and my personal favorite timbre of his. His tone is full and warm, with a sagacious air that lends pathos particularly to the reflective and world weary songs on "September of My Years." His diction probably hits its zenith around this time, as he records many theatrical songs around this time that require particularly forceful enunciation.

1966-69: It's not a big change, but Frank's definitely begins to sound a bit more tired and noticably aged around this time. His highs lack some weight at the very top of his range, and by the time he records "Cycle" it begins to sound tired with a slight rasp.

1969-1971: Frank's voice continues to deepen and age in the period before his short retirement. On "My Way" and "Sinatra & Company," and especially "Watertown," many cuts have him sounding extremely tired and his highs are often lacking in power (the song "My Way" of course being huge exceptions). He still has some pretty surprising moments live, such as the two Royal Albert Hall shows in May 1970 that are considered to have his best singing ever by those in attendance (unfortunately, no clear recordings exist), and his 'retirement' concert in June of 1971 has him in excellent form.

1973: Frank comes out of retirement with a concert for Nixon at the White House, which shows in very good shape despite having not sung at all in public for nearly two years. Later in the year, the album and tv special "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" have him essentially in the same form, and he actually sounds a bit younger and more powerful than he did in 1969-70. This is also the last time where Frank has his classic tone.

1974-75: The worst Frank has sounded to date. Live and in studio, he sounds tired, hoarse and unable to hit either low or high notes with any real power. He sounds and looks like he's aged 10 years, gaining significant weight around this time well. In concert, he talks sings his way through songs like "I've Got You Under My Skin" which require lots of stamina for their extended phrases, and he is unable to sustain climactic notes such as the finale of "My Way."

1976-77: Frank improves during this time. In 1976, he has some control back but his tone sounds like a pretty standard 'old man baritone,' with a fogginess and disturbing lack of energy. By the spring of 1977, Frank is back in business: his tone is clear and punchy with real power in his high notes again.

1978-82: Frank sounds really excellent during this time, especially live where he revives several demanding songs he had not done in years and routinely nails them. While 1979's "Trilogy" is not remembered fondly in terms of quality, his singing is very strong throughout, and it gives him one last signature hit with his legendary take on "New York, New York." Concerts such as Carnegie Hall residency 1980 and The Concert for the Americas in 1982 are widely considered some of the best shows of his career.

1983-85: Frank isn't as consistent during this period as he was just a year prior, but he still sounds remarkably good for his age overall. He can sing with the original phrasing on most songs and surprises with some powerful high notes. His tone now has a rasp to it, which does make him sound weaker but overall in control.

1985-87: Frank sounds even more aged, understandable as he hits 70, and he does begin to employ choppier, staccato phrasing and even slight talk singing to songs he once glided through with ease. His highs are still good overall but definitely strained, as the rasp is even more pronounced by this time. Surprisingly, he still sings "April in Paris" and "Moonlight in Vermont," two songs with extremely demanding sustained passages, quite well and with little issues.

1988-89: Frank's final declines comes on the heels of a significant weight gain and his memory really beginning to succumb. The soaring legato passages are long gone, and almost every high note above D4 is a random exclamation as opposed to anything sustained. His lower range is also clogged below G2. His last studio recording in 1988, "My Foolish Heart," highlight his limitations well, as does live footage. On ballads like "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" and "One For My Baby," he uses these defects to his advantage, his weary sound being perfect for these sad saloon ballads.

1990-91: Frank loses some weight and as a result he regains some control and stamina back, and seems more sharp and vibrant live if not particularly great on any technical level.

1992-94: Frank has some nights where he surprises his audience but overall a really sad final period. His control and intonation are poor, he rarely leaves his shredded mid range, and he is constantly forgetting words and missing cues.

1995: Frank's final performance at a private resort in Palms Springs is surprisingly strong and allows Frank to end his career on a very respectable note. He's sustaining some decent notes throughout and doesn't really forget words or have any other embarrassing moments; he even sounds pretty confident and alert when talking to the crowd. This is the last time anyone hears Frank sing before he passes away in 1998 of a heart attack.

Very detailed and well written! The early 70s was vocally more or less a good time for him(vocally). For some reason I thought he sounded much worse from 1969-73. 

[Dark Star]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chris Cornell}
1984-88: Chris's earliest vocals are a far cry from his later peaks; his screams are uncontrolled and he has no character or power to his mid-range. It does fit Soundgarden's earliest, punk-ish recordings, but that's about it.

1988-90: The seeds of Cornell's signature style start to bloom during this period; songs like "Smokestack Lightning" and of course "Beyond the Wheel" have him singing very high melodies with a much cleaner and controlled sound, and he handles these passages extremely well live. Though not the beast he would become (he can still sound flat, especially live), this is a period of marked improvement.

1990-93: His peak. His high singing is absolutely incredible, able to sing passages up to G5 with power and precision, usually with healthy amounts of grit and distortion. Songs like "Jesus Christ Pose," "Say Hello 2 Heaven," and "Slaves and Bulldozers" are the best examples of this. Live he is almost always on, able to recreate most of these challenging passages and still going for something interesting when he has to work away his around them.

1994-95: Chris still sounds in peak form on the hugely successful "Superunknown" album, but live he is not as consistent as he once was; he can still hit the notes but his voice starts to develop a strained sound to it. He damages his voice badly on the tour for the album, leading to rescheduled dates and even more inconsistent singing.

1995-96: Even more strained and inconsistent. While "Down on the Upside" showcases probably his best mid-range and upper fourth octave singing to date, his notes above C#5 or so are often a struggle, especially live where he struggles on songs like "Slaves and Bulldozers" and "Outshined." He's also beginning to drink and smoke more heavily than before around this time.

1999-2000: Chris returns with the great "Euphoria Mourning" album. While he's not wailing into the fifth octave like his heyday, Chris sounds great within the album's more mature, 'adult contemporary' setting, with songs like "When I'm Down," "Mission," and "Wave Goodbye" showing brand new sides of his voice while still being capable of some pretty impressive high singing. His mid-range has become gorgeous, with a warm, full soothing sound he would use to even greater effect on his acoustic performances later on.

2002-03: Though he doesn't sound quite as clean or effortless as he did in the early 1990s', Chris sounds excellent on the first Audioslave album; he gets his grit and distortion skills back in shape, with impressive performances such as "Shadow on the Sun" and "Cochise." This is in large part due to him getting sober around this time. At first, he sounds good live but he quickly runs into trouble there.

2004-07: Chris's worst period, sounding worn and damaged both live and in the studio. He can still pull out some surprising performances (# 1 Zero), but these moments are far and few in between.

2007-09: upon leaving Audioslave, Chris gradually gets his voice back in shape; he is able sing pretty powerfully again up to B4 or so, though he still struggles with the fifth octave at times.

2009-10: This is the period where things really turn around and Chris enters what many consider a second peak. His intimate acoustic shows increasingly show him regaining strength and confidence in his singing, and they inspire him artistically as well. By 2010, he can sing comfortably up to E5, and he digs out some his more demanding numbers.

2010-11: In 2010, Soundgarden returns on the heels of the "Telephantasm" compilation, with the new single "Black Rain," an older outtake featuring new vocals from Chris; it is evident by now that Chris is back in top form, and the 2011 tour confirms it: he's nailing songs like "Beyond the Wheel," "Slaves and Bulldozers," and many others in a way he hasn't since 1993 or so. His high range is a bit raspy but overall is excellent, singing as high as F#5 on some songs with little to no struggle at all.

Additionally, he continues with his acoustic shows, where he continues to hone his rediscovered skills in a more sophisticated fashion. The live album "Songbook" is a perfect showcase for this era.

2012-13: Chris still sounds good but he definitely sounds older and more tired than he did on the Reunion tour. The rasp in his high range has now spread to his voice as a whole and it sounds a bit sharp and annoying as a result. He can still pretty impressive high singing but rarely goes past D5 live or in the studio. His acoustic shows are still fantastic.

2014-16: He sounds even weaker at the SG shows, but still great overall for the acoustic shows, so not much change during this time.

2017: Soundgarden goes on tour for what turns out to be the last time. Chris has a really hard time with the material; his head voice is especially shredded and occasionally painful, and his singing is pitchy. On May 17, Chris Cornell played for the very last time; His last song was "Slaves and Bulldozers," where he managed some surprisingly massive D5s. He passed away the next morning.

[queenfan11]

Here's one for Geddy Lee, originally from TRP3 with a few changes.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Geddy Lee}
1973-1975: Geddy’s signature high range power is there from the start, but is more unrefined compared to later years. He can sound quite screamy or strained, though cleaner performances exist, such as "Fly By Night". His timbre is very high and bright, and he occasionally adopts a faux-American twang, particularly on Rush's debut album. His mid-lower singing is not showcased, but on the rare ballads during this time ("Rivendell", parts of "The Fountain Of Lamneth") he can show a very pleasant tone. Live he is generally very strong, but can sometimes over-sing and push his voice too hard.
1976-1978: By the time of 2112, he has refined his style, and he enters his vocal peak. His high range technique is at full power and agility, and he can sing gritty ("2112", "Something For Nothing", "Hemispheres") and clean ("The Twilight Zone", "Cygnus X-1", "Circumstances") fifth octave notes with equal dexterity, frequently centering entire lines sometimes as high as F5. With Rush’s music showing more range in sound he also shows more dynamics, using his mid-range and softer singing more often. Live he is generally excellent, usually matching and sometimes even eclipsing the studio takes.
1978-1979: Though he starts off 1978 in top form, the rigorous 170-date Tour of The Hemispheres that starts in October, coupled with his tendency to sing through colds and other vocal ailments, takes its toll on Geddy’s voice, and he sounds progressively more worn out as the tour goes on. While his range is mostly intact, he loses much of his high range power, and usually sounds very weak and airy in the fifth octave as opposed to the throaty belts of prior. Songs such as "Anthem", "2112" and "Bastille Day" are major struggles for him.
1979-1981: With Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, Geddy changes his style to accomodate for his vocal damage, focusing on a more mid-ranged approach, with only a few instances of his former belting ("Freewill", "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta"). Live, older material can often be a struggle, and much of it is gradually dropped from the setlist. That said, he does sound significantly stronger in his high range on the Moving Pictures Tour, singing songs like "In the End" and "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" very well, which suggests maybe he could've kept his high range if he had continued to pursue it.
1982-1985: By the time of Signals, Geddy’s tone changes significantly, losing the “no-nut” quality of previous years in favor of a deeper, more mature sound, and he uses it well with songs like "Subdivisions" featuring very strong mid-range singing. He continues to work mostly in his comfort zone during this time, usually centering his money notes around the A4-B4 area, and notes above C5 are virtually nonexistent. He is very consistent live, as most of the older material is dropped and the setlist is centered around newer, less demanding songs. Among people who aren't a fan of Geddy's '70s style of singing, this is usually considered his peak.
1985-1989: The Power Windows album is Geddy's best post-peak album. He uses his higher register more often than on the last few albums and does it very well, with songs such as "The Big Money", "Grand Designs", and "Mystic Rhythms" showing very impressive Bb4s and B4s. He also sounds strong on Hold Your Fire, though he doesn't use his high range as much. However live, he sounds significantly weaker. Though the Power Windows tour starts out strong, as it progresses his voice develops a thin, pinched quality to it, and he can often sound quite poor on both this and the following Hold Your Fire tour.
1989-1994: Due to encouragement to use his lower register more by producer Rupert Hine, starting with Presto Geddy further leaves his ‘70s vocals behind. He starts relying on his lower range much more often, with most songs going down to the D3-E3 area, and he uses his higher range more sparingly. His tone also sounds significantly darker, but more mature, which especially works on ballads such as "The Pass". Roll The Bones and Counterparts continue this style, with most songs not going above A4, if that. His live singing is a recovery from the previous tours, as he is consistently good during this period, though on the Counterparts Tour he gets a bad cold which causes his vocals to often sound rough.
1996-2000: His singing on Test For Echo is similar in range to preceding albums, but age has begun to take a toll on his voice, as he sounds significantly thinner and more nasal, particularly in live performance. Due to the deaths of drummer Neil Peart's wife and daughter, Rush break up in 1997, during which Geddy records a solo album, My Favorite Headache. 
2001-2003: Rush returns to recording and touring with the Vapor Trails album and tour, and the extended layoff results in this being Geddy's worst vocal period. Though he uses his high range singing much more often than on Rush's '90s albums (even going up to the fifth octave on a few songs) a very thin, nasal sound pervades his whole voice. Live, he is no better, older songs like "By-Tor And The Snow Dog" or "Working Man" sounding especially weak. The acoustic performances of "Resist" feature his softer singing at it’s best, but as a whole he generally sounds bad.
2004: Begins to recover. While the early R30 Tour starts off similar to the Vapor Trails Tour, his tone clears up as it progresses, and by the end he sounds generally strong, singing with a fuller, more open sound.
2006-2015: His voice recovers strongly, and from Snakes And Arrows on, Geddy generally sounds good. His tone is significantly deeper and more aged sounding, but also more open, shedding the nasal quality of the prior albums in favor of a fuller sound. Songs like "Headlong Flight" and "Wish Them Well" display some very impressive higher singing, especially for his age. Live he is generally good, but he can be somewhat inconsistent, having a problem with "yodeling" notes, especially from 2010 onwards, and struggles with some of the older material. Rush breaks up after the retrospective R40 Tour, which shows Geddy in fine form, delivering very good performances of older songs like "Xanadu" or "Working Man" while his deeper tone gives a rich, sagacious edge to numbers like "Jacob’s Ladder" and "Losing It".

[Dark Star]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Phil Collins}
1971-75: Very light, meek voice with little to no indication of the power he would later develop. His primary role is Genesis's drummer, sticking solely to the high harmony lines except for the rare lead vocal opportunity ("More Fool Me").

1976-1979: Phil's early years as Genesis's lead singer are spent discovering his own style; in parts of A Trick of the Tail and its subsequent tour, he sounds strikingly like Gabriel in both tone and affectations. His high range has a light, soaring quality to it ("Squonk," "Ripples"). By And Then There Were Three we see early signs of his more aggressive belting style ("Undertow"), but he's not entirely comfortable yet.

1980-82: On Duke, Face Value, and Hello, I Must Be Going, Phil really grows as a vocalist, displaying his signature scream-y belting style, packing a huge whallop on songs like "Man of Our Times," "I Don't Care Anymore" and the finale of "In The Air Tonight." He has a very distinct phlegmy sound in the upper fourth octave.

1983-85: Vocal peak; Phil is in full control of his voice and has an almost McCartney esque effortlessness in his ability to switch from clean to gritty, distorted belting in an instant. The self titled Genesis and "Mama" in particular are fantastic examples. The "Mama" tour with Genesis showcases Phil in all his glory, replicating and even surpassing the strength he displays in the studio. Phil also begins to spread himself all over the place, appearing on various other artists' records and famously jetting between both Live Aid stages in London and Philadelphia. His workaholic tendencies, overexposure and 100 MPH vocal style will begin to take a toll slowly over the next few years.

1986-90: Already, Phil is a bit past his prime vocally by the time "Invisible Touch" rolls around; he can still bring it in the studio ("Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" and the B-side "Feeding the Fire"), but live it's a different story. He's already dodging key climactic notes he used to hit with ease (the "my eyes" scream in "Mama," the "one bite!" modulation in "That's All"), and he's already started lowering keys to songs live, both solo and with Genesis. At one point on the IT tour in New Zealand, his voice gives out on a performance of the "Apocalypse in 9/8" section of "Supper's Ready," resulting in it being dropped.

1990-94: Phil can still bring it in the studio ("I Wish It Would Rain Down," "Hang In Long Enough," "Fading Lights," his cover of "Burn Down the Mission"), although live he begins to rely more on backing vocals and continues to lower keys to many, many songs. Starting with We Can't Dance he begins to rely more on nasal tones. This is also I believe the tour where he started using steroids to get him through shows, which started after he blows his voice out entirely three songs into one of the early WCD tour shows. His soft singing is still beautiful and warm, as evidenced by songs like "That's Just the Way It Is" and "Hold on My Heart."

1994-99: Phil's aggressive style rarely rears its head at this point, but he still sounds great with a more restrained style and can get up to C5 or so. No standout performances during this time aside from his great cover of the Abbey Road medley with George Martin, but he is very consistent and sounds comfortable during this time.

1999-2004: A continued reliance on his mid-range combined with diminishing vocal range overall. His 2004 'First Farewell' tour has keys lowered on just about every other song. Still, his tone is very warm and rich and he's gained strength in his lower register.

2007-2010: Phil's voice has lost quite a bit of power by now; every song on the 2007 Genesis tour is in a lower key aside from "Follow You, Follow Me" and "Hold on My Heart." He still sounds quite good overall, giving convincing performances on songs like "Mama" and "Domino" without straining himself. His Going Back album and tour has him sounding great on the light falsetto passages on songs like "Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue." His drinking gets quite bad around this time, which may explain any further decay that occured around this time. He retires officially in 2010.

2016-present: By the time Phil makes his return to the stage, his health problems have long taken effect. He has sit down through most shows, which affects his breath support, although he acquits himself better than he should be able to on songs like "Who Said I Would?" and even "I Don't Care Anymore." He sounds better when he's able to stand, but he practically lives in his mid-range now, and his entire voice now has an annoying nasal quality to it, although he makes up for it with his continued impassioned deliveries.

[halloweenjack95]

Another detailed vocal Timeline.
Phil Collins really had a fantastic voice during his prime.
But why is he still touring? I don't get it. He has a lot of health issues. Same with Brian Wilson.

[Dark Star]

Well, he retired for seven years when he pretty much lost the ability to even hold a pair of drum sticks. He missed performing.