Music Blogs

(Play Playlist)

Musicians have always been obsessed with finding new sounds to incorporate into their recordings. From the developments of the electric guitar, sampling, distortion pedal, talk box and vocoder those who put out a cool new sound can set a trend or even open up whole new genres of music.

Digital music has brought on the ability to skew and tweak sounds in more ways than previously possible. One software plug-in tool that has become a standard crutch in popular music is Auto-Tune.

Auto-Tune is pitch correcting software developed by Antares. It was originally intended for producers to fix off-key vocals and is a key component to helping make those who can't really sing sound like a pro.

In 1998, Cher used Auto-Tune on her hit "Believe", but had it cranked up so that the pitch shifting was obvious. In this way her vocals sounded robotic, much like a vocoder, but warmer. "Believe" was such a huge hit and the Auto-Tuned chorus stood out so strongly that the sound is now referred to as the "Cher effect".

This playlist contains some of the "greatest hits" to use Auto-Tune. Many of these tracks use the tool in a Cher effect fashion, but some just fix vocals that would otherwise be way off key.

What are your favorite Auto-Tuned tracks?

Auto-Tune's Greatest Hits

   1. Believe - Cher   

   2. Only God Knows Why - Kid Rock   

   3. Sensual Seduction - Snoop Dogg   

   4. Love Like This - Natasha Bedingfield   

   5. Lollipop - Lil Wayne   

   6. One More Time - Daft Punk   

   7. Too Little, Too Late - JoJo   

   8. Life Is A Highway - Rascal Flatts   

   9. Impressive Instant - Madonna   

   10. Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston   

   11. Follow Me - Uncle Kracker   

   12. Complicated - Avril Lavigne   

   13. The Long Way Around - Dixie Chicks   

   14. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5   

   15. Hit Or Miss - New Found Glory   

   16. Can't Believe It - T-Pain