Harmonic Convergence
June 11, 2024 6:10 PM   Subscribe

What is your favorite music featuring vocal harmonies? All genres welcome here.

I want to listen to people singing in harmony.. That's the question!
posted by latkes to Media & Arts (90 answers total) 49 users marked this as a favorite
 
First things that come to mind: Watching this thread with interest...
posted by aws17576 at 6:34 PM on June 11 [5 favorites]


This might sound weird but the Alice in Chains song "I Stay Away" has great harmonies. Many of their songs do, actually.
posted by tristeza at 6:44 PM on June 11 [7 favorites]


A lot of the early Beatles songs have really lovely vocal harmonies.
posted by heatherlogan at 6:44 PM on June 11 [5 favorites]


Crosby Stills and Nash
posted by supermedusa at 6:46 PM on June 11 [9 favorites]




Les Paul & Mary Ford did lots of mid 20th century pop music with some wild vocal harmony multitracking.
posted by 2N2222 at 6:52 PM on June 11 [2 favorites]




Anything by The Roches, but to get you started, here's some of my favorites:
Hammond Song
Runs in the Family
Losing True
posted by moonmilk at 7:03 PM on June 11 [14 favorites]


You’re probably familiar with acapella groups like Home Free?
posted by Glinn at 7:04 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]


Flower Duet ( Lakme) Leo Delibes
posted by hortense at 7:29 PM on June 11 [3 favorites]


Everything ever by the Wailin' Jennies. Try "Bright Morning Stars" to start.
posted by humbug at 7:37 PM on June 11 [7 favorites]


The Eagles Seven Bridges Road
posted by evilmomlady at 7:39 PM on June 11 [2 favorites]




Perhaps not exactly what you're looking for but Bobby McFerrin has been a restless vocal traveller for a very long time. VOCAbuLaries is an album he put out in 2010 that has over 50 singers and 1400 vocal tracks. It's remarkable in scope and complexity and filled with vocal harmonies on top of vocal harmonies. AllMusic review
posted by ashbury at 7:44 PM on June 11 [2 favorites]


Sitting in a pub right now so can't test the links, but here are some Australasian popular music contributions:
  • Crowded House. The Finn brothers' harmonies are sublime. The "Woodface" album is the best for harmonies IMO, e.g. All I Ask or She Goes On.
  • Tripod + Eddie Perfect singing Paul Kelly's Middle of the Air - Paul and his mates also do a pretty good job IMO.
  • While writing this, Hunters and Collectors' Throw Your Arms Around Me came on the radio, and that's also got some great harmonies.

posted by Cheese Monster at 7:54 PM on June 11 [5 favorites]


Sounds of Silence and Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel; lots of their songs feature beautiful (folk) harmonies. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Our House, Teach Your Children are just a few of the many great ones they've recorded together.
posted by j810c at 7:59 PM on June 11 [7 favorites]


I love this question because there are so many ways to think about harmony.

My very first thought was Vienna Teng, The Hymn of Acxiom

Arvo Pärt has all kinds of good stuff: here is one picked sort of at random, Magnificat. From next door to Pärt, Sibelius’ Finlandia hymn, and a more uptempo song from Värttinä, Käppee.

Mr. eirias recommends Hearing Solar Winds, for some kind of experimental choral stuff weaving in and out of consonance.

I also know some great bands that do great harmony on the chorus of songs that are purely melodic during the verses. I wasn’t sure if those were on topic, so I’ve left them out here.
posted by eirias at 8:01 PM on June 11 [4 favorites]


Too slow with the edit window - Tripod and Eddie Perfect should be this one.
posted by Cheese Monster at 8:02 PM on June 11


Red Molly plays folk/bluegrass with really nice 3-part harmony. Their version of May I Suggest, just three voices and no instruments, is one of the most beautiful songs I know.
posted by hovey at 8:03 PM on June 11 [5 favorites]


Also: Double harmonies with Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, You're All I Need and Heaven Must Have Sent You
posted by j810c at 8:07 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]


Literally anything at all by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
posted by corey flood at 8:15 PM on June 11 [9 favorites]


I bet you would like Culomba. They sing a lot of genres but it all features a lot of vocal harmony (and lots of different kinds of vocal harmony!).
posted by mskyle at 8:21 PM on June 11




Broadway shows! Will I? from Rent is pretty special.

Doo wop bands, barbershop quartets, the Golden Gate Quartet (I'm not religious at all but I love the music!), the Andrews Sisters
posted by ashbury at 8:31 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]


Almost everything by Akiko Shikata falls into this category; she's a vocalist+composer+arranger+lyricist who has a very unique style of music, often carved out of literally hundreds of vocal tracks in a single song. She also uses a wide variety of languages, ranging from Japanese to Italian, as well as constructed languages like Hymmnos.

One very prototypical example is METHOD_IMPLANTA/. (link to video with translated lyrics)
posted by etealuear_crushue at 8:40 PM on June 11


Basically everything in Low's catalog spanning two decades features gorgeous, spare, haunting harmony between founding members (and spouses) Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker.

RIP, Mimi.
posted by jesourie at 8:54 PM on June 11 [7 favorites]


One of my first thoughts was Alice in Chains as well, so here's a vote for that's not an odd suggestion.

More sedately there's Fireside Bellows, which was Jordie Lane and Tracy Mitchell. They were great, I used to watch them at the pub. Here's a bit more.

Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell is probably a vein worth mining.
posted by deadwax at 9:02 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]


Probably anything by Chanticleer, but this one’s a favorite of mine

Chanticleer - Ave Maria

The 9 part harmony in ‘Because’ by The Beatles is wonderful
posted by TwoWordReview at 10:07 PM on June 11 [3 favorites]


Thomas Tallis, Spem in Alium
posted by Lycaste at 10:14 PM on June 11 [6 favorites]


Simon & Garfunkel; Peter Paul & Mary; the Mamas & the Papas and the Beach Boys
posted by Rash at 10:16 PM on June 11


The quintessential here for me would be the Louvin Brothers' blood harmony situation, and of course their godchildren the Everly Brothers, and of course their godchildren Simon & Garfunkel.

Maybe Gillian Welch's harmonies with David Rawlings would do it for you? "Time the Revelator" is an all-timer of an album, I plan to be buried with it.

And finally, I never miss an opportunity to mention Sloan. Underrated even among their fellow Canadians. It's just the Beatles X AC/DC X Thin Lizzy X the Who X Bee Gees X the rest of the rock canon at the end of the day, but the craftsmanship is serious and you could imagine, in that mix, four guys in a band together for 30 years are delivering some serious harmonies. I'd recommend "Twice Removed," "One Chord to Another,"
"Navy Blues," "One Bridge to Another" and maybe ... let's say their twelfth album "12" as starting points. And their greatest hits collection "A Sides Win." I am a Sloan evangelist.
posted by kensington314 at 10:30 PM on June 11 [4 favorites]


Also I seem to recall when they finally released a version of the Beach Boys' "Smile" it included a deluxe version with tons of isolated vocal tracks. God-tier harmonies, I'm sure. Though also the teenage symphony to God, "Pet Sounds," in its entirety. When people say the Beach Boys suck they're just saying they don't like harmonies.
posted by kensington314 at 10:35 PM on June 11 [4 favorites]


Also I'm with jesourie in boosting Low. RIP MIMI
posted by kensington314 at 10:37 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]


And fuck it, I'm gonna go there. An important footnote in the history of harmony is the albums Bad Religion put out from maybe 1988 to 1995 or so. I don't listen to them much as an adult and I think they sort of wrecked punk music for some years there, but those albums exist and they sure do document some harmonies. Inserted like violence into a weird Motorhead X Ramones mashup.

Oh and come on: Indigo Girls! Harmonies that give and give.
posted by kensington314 at 10:41 PM on June 11 [3 favorites]


They sing in the round on My Girl by Chilliwack (2 minutes and change in), great harmony
posted by shock muppet at 11:47 PM on June 11 [2 favorites]




UK group Trills. They did the “hush little baby” song at the end of Orange is the New Black when Maritza is deported. (Too soon?)
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 12:08 AM on June 12




Seconding Indigo Girls. Sublime
posted by pearlybob at 3:42 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]


A lot of.good suggestions here, I'll add I Didn't Understand by Elliott Smith for its beautiful harmonies AND its searing portrait of depression's cognitive distortions.
posted by saladin at 4:06 AM on June 12


Jamestown Revival
The Connellys
posted by coldhotel at 4:46 AM on June 12




The Boswell Sisters , a close harmony trio wildly famous in the 20s and 30s, strongly and directly influenced the Andrews Sisters and all those who came after.
posted by CheeseLouise at 5:44 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]


Thirding jesourie with recommending Low.

Here's one. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy – Ain't You Wealthy, Ain't You Wise
posted by Joeruckus at 5:50 AM on June 12


A childhood favourite of mine is Corrie Doon as sung by the original four member group "The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell." You may know the Corries as the two member group, Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne (one of whom wrote the lyrics to "Flower of Scotland" the unofficial national anthem of Scotland), and if so you may be put off by the high range that Paddie Bell sings in, but to me it is almost excruciatingly sweet.

O'er the Water is another lovely piece of harmony by the same group.

And there there are Russian harmonies like this or this Russian Orthodox Christmas song about the doom of Christ, In the Dark Night

And then there is John Dowland, whose opus includes Come Heavy Sleep and Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part. Thomas Morland has several similar works both religious and secular
Oh Lord In Thee Is All My Trust sung by a group reading the lyrics inlaid on a 15th Century table
posted by Jane the Brown at 6:38 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]


Manhattan Transfer singing A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square for four minutes of unadorned, impeccable harmony singing.
posted by PussKillian at 6:49 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]


Good post title!

This video of Árstíðir singing "Heyr himna smiður" in a train station is just one of my favorite things ever.

I don't know if this is quite on target, but Bastille's a capella rendition of "Overjoyed" also stands out to me.
posted by xenization at 6:56 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]


The Comedian Harmonists. Lots more available on YouTube.
posted by JanetLand at 7:21 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]


Georgia (the one over there, not over there) has an ancient and beloved tradition of polyphonic singing.
posted by less-of-course at 7:59 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]


The Menzingers use a lot of harmonies, especially on, but not limited to, Burn After Writing.
posted by General Malaise at 8:54 AM on June 12


Also from the Roches - Quitting Time

Anton Bruckner - Ave Maria
posted by Windopaene at 9:18 AM on June 12


Church of the Cosmic Skull.
posted by The Half Language Plant at 9:35 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]




This is such a good question, and such good responses here!
I wanted to add in:
Mountain Man (already here)
Beach Boys (already here)
Metamora
The Good Lovelies
First Aid Kit (already here)
The Petersens
Acapellascience (he's singing with himself, maybe not what you want)
These guys (I think Josh Turner is a a great collaborator in general)
Simon and Garfunkel (already here)
The Staves (already here)
Jacob Collier
Dodie (also with herself)
VEK

Also I generally nth any bluegrass or barbershop recommendations (though they are either your thing or not)
posted by Acari at 10:19 AM on June 12




Everything by Kings of Convenience is great but Homesick both features and mentions voices in harmony :)
posted by birthday cake at 11:11 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]


The Unthanks, here singing "Magpie", from the Detectorists.
posted by Fuchsoid at 11:22 AM on June 12 [3 favorites]


Arvo Pärt, Passio.

Last year I got obsessed with Alan Parsons's song Soirée Fantastique from his album The Secret (it became my hymn to grieve my beloved cat who passed away right before I heard it for the first time).
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 1:19 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]


Ashbury's Bobby McFerrin reco above is reminding me about his daughter Madison's currently viral "Guilty" (NSFW, political). The "he's guilty" floating on top of the five-part harmony seals it for me. Could listen for hours.

That makes me think of Solange's Seat at the Table LP - it's not vocal harmony all the way through, but the choruses are really a nice thread of jazz and R&B complexity. The opener "Rise" is a good taste.

Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack. A shame to lose Hathaway so soon, his vocal timbre is just so good, and it lines up so well with Flack's tone. And the harmonies are just locked here after they trade verses.

"Climbing Higher Mountains" - Aretha Franklin from her Amazing Grace release. Full choir in support.

On the folk side, I really like the Timberlake/Mulligan/ Sands version of "500 miles" from Llewyn Davis.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 1:31 PM on June 12


The Four Freshmen’s Voices in Modern is my go-to album when I’m craving harmonies.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 1:33 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]


Miaow - When it All Comes Down I believe this is technically Cath Carroll harmonizing with herself (there is a member doing a counter melody as well) but I like it.

Meat Puppets - Sam They match until the chorus. Then harmonize. Captions turned on helps.

Secret Sisters - He's Fine

The Zombies - Time of the Season or Changes or Tell Her No.

Bone Thugs N Harmony - The Crossroads lots of counter vocals but harmonizing too.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:09 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]


Sweet Honey in the Rock

Cora May by 20 Minute Loop

If self-harmonizing is on the table, Sound the Bells by Dessa

Damn Your Eyes by Zap Mama

Neko Case gets a lot of attention as a soloist but she collaborates beautifully, too: Atomic Number by case/lang/viers, All The Old Showstoppers by the New Pornographers, and I suspect her solo work has more soloing than you're after, but she was smart to pick Kelly Hogan as a regular backing artist (Hold On, Hold On).
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:50 PM on June 12


Some others I remembered about:
Trio Mandili
Tautumeitas
and the much too obvious examples of:
Queen
Pentatonix

This is a fun thing to be stuck in my head for a bit!
posted by Acari at 6:57 PM on June 12




Mother's Eyes by JLC
Anima by Milton Nascimento
posted by 4midori at 7:13 PM on June 12


And most of Steely Dan's hits.
posted by 4midori at 7:22 PM on June 12 [2 favorites]


Also I seem to recall when they finally released a version of the Beach Boys' "Smile" it included a deluxe version with tons of isolated vocal tracks. God-tier harmonies, I'm sure. Though also the teenage symphony to God, "Pet Sounds," in its entirety. When people say the Beach Boys suck they're just saying they don't like harmonies.

The vocals only version of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is so good and makes you realize how much the instruments really cover up.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice - Vocals Only

Pentatonix has its fans, and also their detractors, a lot of their stuff is not my type of thing. However, one morning I was out on a walk and “Run To You” came on my Apple Music station. I hadn’t heard it before and pretty much had to pick my jaw up off the sidewalk.

Pentatonix - Run To You

Remember Hanson? Forget MmmBop, they’re grown up now. Here they are singing the Bee Gees’ “Too Much Heaven” a cappella. With no mics, even.

Hanson at the Sydney Opera House
posted by azpenguin at 10:58 PM on June 12




Voices on the Verge Live in Philadelphia held me captive for many years.
posted by filtergik at 3:40 AM on June 13


Tantarantan - L'Arpeggiata
My Winter Coat - The Roches
The Arizona Yodeler - DeZurik Sisters
O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen
I Don't Feel Noways Tired - Knut Reisersrud
posted by amestoy at 1:20 PM on June 13


Many picks that I like here above.

For an outlier, High Time by The Grateful Dead, not always vocal harmony band but it's nice here.

Also, Depeche Mode often has pretty good two-part harmonies.
posted by ovvl at 4:40 PM on June 13


Getting to this one late, but I stumbled on Feo Gasy years ago, from Madagascar, and their song O Isa E is a longtime favorite. Their harmonies give me goosebumps.
posted by Wilbefort at 11:11 AM on June 14 [1 favorite]


The theme song to Home Fires fits this ask to a T.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 10:16 AM on June 15


This is kinda sorta a holiday song (of the pagan variety)--Tomten by Kraja
One of my favorite harmony arrangements of all time, which I was recently reminded of when I saw bluegrass/folk band Mama's Broke do it live--Maddy Prior and June Tabor's version of Silver Whistle

posted by Nibbly Fang at 3:20 PM on June 15


Mod note: [Just chiming in to say that this post and thread have been added to the sidebar and Best Of blog!]
posted by taz (staff) at 1:58 AM on June 16 [1 favorite]


Just saw the Secret Sisters for the third time recently - they just keep getting better and better
posted by thecincinnatikid at 5:58 AM on June 16 [1 favorite]


In The Gloaming, by The Story
posted by jamiemccarthy at 7:07 AM on June 16 [1 favorite]


I went down a similar sonic rabbit hole, inspired by the Hilliard Ensemble's recording of Perotin.
posted by benbenson at 5:48 PM on June 16 [1 favorite]


Came here to say Spem in Alium (see some way up thread) but since that's taken, Tallis Scholars' performing Allegri's Misereri.

Also, R.E.M, Near Wild Heaven.
posted by tim_in_oz at 7:36 PM on June 16




It's been nearly 11 years since they broke up, but nobody's harmony compares to Girlyman's harmony. A few songs to highlight in particular where the harmony is just so good
Viola
Amaze Me
Hold It All At Bay
Storms Were Mine
Through to Sunrise
posted by hydropsyche at 4:15 AM on June 17


And for something completely different, I give you: Durufle's Ubi Caritas
posted by hydropsyche at 4:16 AM on June 17 [1 favorite]


The Young Tradition - Idumea
Will Parsons - Pleasant and Delightful (an old fragment in a cave)
The Punch Brothers - The Auld Triangle
Ordinary Elephant - The War
The Bygones - Hollow Wood
Darlingside - The God of Loss
Bonny Light Horseman - The Roving

Anything by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but this cover of Snowin' on Raton is one I keep on coming back to.

And I can't believe that no one yet has mentioned The Traveling Wilburys Handle with Care and those gorgeous harmonies in the chorus.
posted by verstegan at 1:10 PM on June 17


Another one of my favorite choral pieces with staggering harmonies, and fully appropriate for the solstice: Morten Lauridsen's Sure on this Shining Night

(I love this question and am enjoying listening to the answers I haven't heard of!)
posted by hydropsyche at 2:00 PM on June 17


Yes, to all of the above, and any well done a cappella.

A particular nod to the previously mentioned and all too often under appreciated Boswell Sisters (and thanks to Donald Fagen for putting me onto them many years ago). Also did not see a mention of Duwende, who have done some of the best takes on Michael Jackson tunes, or Todd Rundgren's extraordinary entirely vocal album called, of course, a cappella.

If I could only take one style/genre/type of music to my desert island, it would be a cappella.

One of my music teachers in my teens said that all instrumental music is just an attempt to imitate the human voice. I don't completely agree with that, but it is not a million miles from the truth either.
posted by Pouteria at 8:38 PM on June 17


The Young'uns: Modern, political, folk harmony trio.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 12:50 PM on June 18


Pouteria, you made me think of the isolated vocal track by Brad Delp of "More that a Feeling". They lay in a little bit of the guitar so you can hear him match the guitar at 3:11 if you don't want to hear the whole clip. It's an amazing bit of voice control: Isolated Vocal track of Brad Delp on "More Than A Feeling"
posted by effluvia at 2:09 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]


Give Eola a try
posted by meemzi at 2:43 PM on June 18


effluvia

Great voice, and song.

Ah, the good old pre-autotune days, when singers actually had to be able to sing.
posted by Pouteria at 7:26 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]


Ok I'm late and this is pretty left field but I just had it on and well...

If Pentatonix is up one end of a harmonic spectrum I'd reckon this is slammed up against whatever the other end is, but harmonies there are and the contrast in voices is just fantastic. Cold Chisel - Bow River (Live)
posted by deadwax at 2:59 AM on June 20 [1 favorite]


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