Top 20 Notoriously Bad Singing Performances in Movie Musicals

The Who’s concept album, “Tommy,” received a surreal and psychedelic movie adaptation in 1975. Between Ann-Margret writhing around in baked beans and the alternative practices of Tina Turner’s character, it’s a pretty memorable trip of a cinematic experience. One thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is Oliver Reed. Although a good actor, many feel that Reed’s singing is not up to par with the rest of the cast. For one thing, the contrast is almost hilarious when he and Ann-Margret duet. Her style isn’t exactly subtle, but his voice is almost like a foghorn. Rather blunt, one could say it’s not exactly super pleasant on the ears.

Emma Watson divided many with her portrayal of Belle in Disney’s live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.” Some felt that she captured Belle’s independent, understanding, and well-read nature to a T. Others argued that she was basically just playing Hermione Granger for the ninth time. One thing almost everyone seems to agree on, however, is that Watson’s singing voice can’t hold a candle to Paige O’Hara’s. Here’s a sample of O’Hara’s sweeping singing voice from the 1991 animated classic. Now let’s stack that up against Watson’s vocal chops. Between these two actresses, it’s pretty obvious which one was born to be on Broadway. Nonetheless, there’s no denying that this remake was an overall hit.

Michael Crawford won a Tony Award for originating the titular role of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” Crawford was set to reprise the part when Warner Bros. purchased the film rights in 1989, but the picture was in development hell for so long that the filmmakers eventually turned their attention to Gerard Butler. The Scottish actor possessed next to no musical experience and only had four singing lessons before auditioning for Webber. Nevertheless, director Joel Schumacher was convinced that Butler could pull it off based on his performance in “Dracula 2000.” Butler had a harder time convincing audiences, though, as his singing failed to hit any high notes, both figuratively and literally.

She was a legendary star of classic Hollywood, and even found success in the 1953 Broadway musical “Wonderful Town.” Still, Rosalind Russell was not a go-to choice for musical comedy. The role of Mama Rose has been played by some of Broadway’s most powerful vocalists. So when Russell was cast in the movie instead of original Broadway star Ethel Merman, it raised a few eyebrows. Once production got going, Russell’s husky voice was deemed unsuitable and most of the tracks were either remixed or re-recorded by singer Lisa Kirk. Russell’s singing voice does still appear in a few spots in the movie though, and let’s just say those moments stand out.

The character of Horace Vandergelder is an old curmudgeon. While he’s not necessarily cast with the prettiest voice in mind, it is a musical film after all. When you’re casting for a musical with Barbra Streisand, whose pipes could blow anyone off the screen with very little effort, it’s doubly important to find someone who can hold their own. Walter Matthau was a movie star, but not even movie star charisma can disguise the fact that his voice is something of a rough listen. He only has one number mainly to himself. But it’s enough time to see and hear his limitations. The dancing, though? The dancing is epic. We have no notes.

The live-action-ish remake of this Disney property got some flak for its gorgeous and lifelike but somewhat unengaging CGI lions. As the voice of the lovable and flatulent warthog, Pumbaa, Rogen’s acting is peerless. He’s charming and hilarious. And then the music starts. Rogen’s clearly not a singer, and the movie seems aware of this. Even when he’s part of a group of other performers, you can hear he’s always just slightly off. Admittedly, it’s not easy to compete with the energy Ernie Sabella brought to the original film. Luckily, many of Pumbaa’s musical moments can be talked through.

Let’s face it. Nothing about the 2019 “Cats” movie has ever really made sense. The least they could’ve done is give us musical numbers that sounded great. Most folks will tell you that Rebel Wilson’s turn as Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat makes about as much sense as anything else in the flick. It doesn’t help that her character’s weight is problematically played for laughs. So Wilson seems a bit breathless, and keeps falling down throughout her main number. You would think the horrifying CGI and cheap gags would distract us from the performance. But no, if anything it just adds insult to injury.

“The Wiz” was clearly cast with stars in mind. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Lena Horne were some of the biggest entertainers around in the 1970s. Nipsey Russell was certainly a huge star in his own right, and his unique brand of comedy and dancing made him a natural choice for the part of the Tin Man. Although Russell’s first scene is a rollicking good time, some have criticized his habit of largely talking through his songs rather than fully singing them. That sort of choice sticking out is a risk that comes with being in a cast with this many fantastic singers.

Remember when Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone teamed up for a country-flavored musical comedy? You don’t? Well, you’re in luck because we sure do! The movie finds Parton as a singer who makes a bet with a sleazy manager that she can make an average dude of his choosing into a country star. Oh, and she says she can do so in a matter of weeks. That average dude is, of course, Stallone’s character. The fact that he barely looks convincing just standing on a stage is bad enough. But when he sings, he sort of sounds like a guy doing dive bar karaoke. He did record his own vocals for the movie, so kudos for the effort.

Known for his brutish and lived-in performances, Marlon Brando was among Hollywood’s most bankable stars in the ‘50s. That’s probably what convinced producers to offer him the lead in this musical, more so than his singing. Adapted from the stage show, “Guys and Dolls” follows two gamblers looking for luck and love. Brando may have been a massive star, but his voice leaves a lot to be desired. Co-star Frank Sinatra was not enamored with Brando’s musical talents either, reportedly nicknaming him “Mumbles.” The production as a whole was largely well-received, and reviews of Brando’s work are balanced overall, but it doesn’t change the fact that Sinatra outclasses him vocally.

The lead character in “Mame” is a fun-loving and adventurous woman who fills her days with new experiences. It’s incredible then that the movie is kind of dull. Unfortunately, a lot of that has to do with master comedienne Lucille Ball. While no one can deny Ball’s comedy chops, many agree that she barely gets through the movie’s musical numbers. Executives reportedly didn’t hire original Broadway lead Angela Lansbury because she wasn’t a big enough name. Most reviewers, for their part, were sadly excessively unkind to Ball, often citing her age as the problem instead of her voice. But even Lucy fans have to admit, the singing is not ideal.

It’s worth noting that Stephen Sondheim wrote "Send In the Clowns" for original Broadway star Glynis Johns, who could sing but whose range was limited. However, like many performers on this list, Elizabeth Taylor was a big star, though she was not a singer. There’s a warble in her voice that winds up being rather distracting. Although “Send in the Clowns” is the character’s most vulnerable moment, her almost stringy vocal doesn’t read as intentional. Instead, she almost seems afraid. Her performance in the movie version of this classic Sondheim musical was rather maligned. It was one of a few career setbacks for Taylor around that time, and she ended up entering a period of “semi-retirement.”

After “The Sound of Music” became the highest-grossing film of its time, Hollywood dished out several rip-offs. “Lost Horizon” is widely considered the film that killed this trend, earning the nickname of “Lost Investments.” Where “The Sound of Music” managed to blend corniness with genuine charm, this musical is a cornball that misses the most important mark - quality singing. The cast, which includes usually reliable names like Peter Finch and Liv Ullmann, sing with a little too much pep, which is odd since the plot revolves around a plane crash. Where the original Frank Capra film won two Oscars, this remake was listed in the book, “The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.”

This horror musical is so disgusting, disturbing, and depraved that it’s actually developed a cult following akin to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Calling the film “so bad it’s good” is probably the highest compliment someone can give “Repo,” however. To be fair, the cast isn’t completely tone-deaf. Sarah Brightman and Anthony Stewart Head are both charismatic singers and give it their all here. Everyone else, meanwhile, sounds like they’re sleepwalking through each bleak, brooding number. Even Paul Sorvino, an established opera singer, seemed to leave his talent at home. The film also includes a Razzie winning performance from Paris Hilton.

Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, two of the biggest names in the western genre, finally came together in “Paint Your Wagon.” And how did these two gun-slinging badasses spend their time? Singing for over two and a half hours, of course! “The Simpsons” probably summed up this old-fashioned, campy musical best. It’d be one thing if the singing was spot on, but that’s sadly not exactly the case. Eastwood in particular has been criticized for his bitter voice. He’s an artist of many different talents, but there’s a reason why the trees and stars would rather not listen to him. Still, Marvin is not exactly a go-to musical guy either.

This rock jukebox musical was one of the most hyped stage-to-film adaptations of the early 21st century with Tom Cruise’s star power being one of the marketing campaign’s driving forces. Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, a rock 'n' roll god slowly fading into obscurity. To his credit, Cruise is actually quite convincing as a musician who’s spent most of his life partying and rocking out. What he lacks, however, are the vocal chops to really pull the persona off. Cruise reportedly spent five hours a day preparing for this role and it’s apparent that he’s trying his best. “Trying” is the key word, though, as Cruise’s limited voice never makes the crowd go wild. Axl Rose he ain’t. Alec Baldwin arguably didn’t fare much better.

Rather than singing in the traditional sense, this English actor was better known for “talking on pitch.” With his performance as Professor Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady,” Harrison got away with singing in recitative because his sardonic delivery fit the character perfectly. Sadly, the same can’t be said about his performance as the titular protagonist in “Doctor Dolittle.” Harrison is flat and disinterested in the role, so that you can’t quite tell when one of his songs even begins. The fact that he can’t sing made it all the more infamous that Leslie Bricusse’s “Talk to the Animals” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, beating out “The Bare Necessities.”

Depending who you ask, “Annie” is either a timeless classic or a rather dated schmaltz fest. No matter where you stand, the 2014 film adaptation of the Broadway musical is generally viewed as a misfire. The movie is full of questionable casting choices, but none raised more eyebrows than Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan. This cruel caretaker is typically depicted as old, grungy, and washed-up - which aren’t exactly words we’d use to describe the beautiful Diaz. Aside from being painfully over-the-top in the role, Diaz’s singing voice sounds forced and unpolished, especially when compared to her predecessor, Carol Burnett. Ironically, Diaz’s intentionally bad singing from “My Best Friend’s Wedding” was arguably a step up.

Believe it or not, this Oscar-winning actor had aspirations to be a musician before hitting it big in Hollywood, releasing several singles throughout the ‘80s. That being said, it’s evident why Crowe found fame on a set and not in a recording booth. His turn as Javert in “Les Misérables” is perhaps the most notable example of his lackluster singing skills. Critics and audiences largely found Crowe’s portrayal to be dull and lifeless. That’s certainly not what you want when you’re singing “Les Misérables” songs! Having to share the screen with seasoned singers like Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway only draws more attention to the problem.

This film adaptation of the jukebox stage production brought together a star-studded ensemble. Unfortunately, not every cast member can carry a note and Pierce Brosnan’s singing voice is the biggest letdown. Look, there’s no denying that his overall portrayal of Sam is fun and engaging. It’s just the singing sounds more like something you’d expect to hear at karaoke than in a movie musical. Even critics who enjoyed the film generally agreed that Brosnan is the last person who should be in a musical. For his performance, the Irish actor received a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. Brosnan is very likable, but Donna clearly should’ve said, “I don’t.” Interestingly, he barely sang in the sequel, and said he was “relieved” about that turn of events.