Placido Domingo because of his voice quality and the fact that he isn’t limited to just opera but can do popular songs as well.
And for female artist it would have to be Judy Collins. Yes, I know she peaked in the 70s, 80s but her voice is just as good today. Her voice is clear as a bell. There’s just a quality and clarity to her tone that I haven’t really heard elsewhere.
I could listen to both of them for days.
And even tho his voice is just ok, I could listen to songs WRITTEN BY John Denver endlessly. He was such a poet and even some of his lesser known songs have such beautiful phraseology to them.
I really miss the singer/songwriters of the folk era. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Carole King particularly. And, of course, the guys frok The Beatles are in a class all of their own.
There just aren’t many singers nowadays doing much writing of their own original stuff anymore. A few, but not with the timeless quality of the 70s.
I really miss the singer/songwriters of that era.