10 Isolated Vocals That Will Make Your Spine Tingle

At midnight on November 2, 1969, soul singer Merry Clayton was lying in bed when the phone rang. There was a band in town from England, and they needed a woman to sing backup for a recording at a nearby LA studio.

A limo arrived, and a pregnant Clayton threw a mink coat over her silk pajamas and with rollers still in her hair, walked outside. When she got to the studio she learned the band was The Rolling Stones. The track? Gimme Shelter. And in just 2 takes, she gave them this:

Wow! If you’re allergic to goosebumps, I hope you had an EpiPen handy. Here now are 10 isolated vocal tracks that have the same spine-tingling effect.

Track Listing

1. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
2. Queen (Mercury’s vocals) – Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Jackson 5 – ABC
4. Adele – Someone Like You
5. Christina Aguilera – Beautiful
6. The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
7. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
8. Queen and David Bowie – Under Pressure
9. The Doors – Break on Through
10. Janis Joplin – Piece of My Heart

*Navigate tracks using the playlist icon in the upper left corner or listen on YouTube.