Top 10 Actors Who Crashed As Musicians
#10 – Scarlett Johansson
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Sure, she’s a sexy, Golden Globe-nominated actress, but that doesn’t mean she’s got a sexy singing voice too. Johansson might’ve been trying to imitate Tom Waits’ growly vocals by taking on a deep voice of her own for her full-length debut, but the result is too monotonous for us to care. ScarJo’s collaborative effort with Pete Yorn hasn’t fared too well either. We guess her musical appeal was lost in translation.
#9 – Jada Pinkett Smith
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Considering Will and her kids all have musical careers, it’s not surprising Jada also has ventured into music. What is surprising is that her band couldn’t be farther from the rap, R&B and pop sounds her family members are known for – Wicked Evolution, previously called Wicked Wisdom, sounds more like a female version of Rage Against the Machine! While they’ve opened for Britney Spears and played Ozzfest, the band has yet to have a hit – and their last album was released in 2006.
#8 – Kevin Bacon
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After playing together as kids, Kevin and his brother Michael stepped things up with a country and folk rock project. The Footloose actor’s vocal chops aren’t bad and his sibling does play guitar, keyboard and cello; so does that mean The Bacon Brothers make beautiful music together? With half a dozen albums under their belt, they aren’t exactly selling out stadiums or breaking any new ground – so, you decide.
#7 – Gwyneth Paltrow
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She acts, she models, she blogs. But being an Oscar-winning actress and so-called lifestyle expert isn’t enough for Paltrow. While she did a decent job duetting with Huey Lewis on “Cruisin’,” that doesn’t give her free reign to ruin glam rock, country or any other genre. If it were up to us, we’d leave the singing to Chris Martin.
#6 – Bruce Willis
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Just ‘cause you’ve made millions as an action star doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. Willis seems to think he can though. Nowhere is this more evident than with his musical ventures – whether it’s solo, with The Accelerators or The Bruce Willis Blues Band. We’ll give him credit for his harmonica-playing, but please just stay away from the blues!
#5 – Russell Crowe
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He may be an Oscar-winning Gladiator, but the famously bad-tempered actor’s also been playing music since the ‘80s. Most notable is the terribly named, terrible-sounding and often-parodied 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. After that outfit dissolved, Crowe transferred his gruff vocals and guitar skills to The Ordinary Fear of God. While that band has had some touring success, they’ve yet to chart or get any mainstream recognition.
#4 – Keanu Reeves
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The ‘90s were definitely Reeves’ decade for film. But when it comes to musical endeavors – not so much. Dogstar may have toured the world and played with some high-profile acts, but it’s the star power of their bassist and not their unoriginal music that won them the gigs. After they broke up in 2002, Reeves briefly joined the band Becky. Who? Exactly.
#3 – Lindsay Lohan
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This Disney star-turned-trainwreck hoped to translate her “Mean Girls” success into musical success when she branched out as a recording artist in the mid-2000s. Though her two albums sold well, critics mostly dismissed them as forgettable, generic pop efforts. Considering how many pop stars the music industry’s been churning out these days, Lilo’s better off concentrating on getting her life back on track.
#2 – Jennifer Love Hewitt
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Few even know that Hewitt released a Japan-only debut album in 1992. However, after she broke big with “Party of Five,” Atlantic Records rush-released her sophomore effort – but neither Let’s Go Bang or the bland pop of her self-titled follow-up charted. Hewitt did score radio play with “BareNaked,” but she’s far from being nominated for any music awards, which is why she’s only come out with a song or two since.
#1 – William Shatner
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While you can’t call what Shatner does singing per se; for some reason, he keeps churning out albums. Ignoring the critical backlash for his 1968 debut, Captain Kirk’s spoken word renditions continue to attract high-profile collaborators. Relentless mockery aside, Shatner’s worked with the likes of Ben Folds, Ritchie Blackmore, Sheryl Crow and more! Do you agree with our list? Who do you think is the worst actor-turned-musician? Be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more entertaining top 10s.
