i have to agree with scamrasc - music is entirely subjective, and there's no real way of saying "who is the most talented person". it all comes down to what you like.

i'm going to treat this thread in the same way, as being a comparison between just these 2.
i like both of them and think they both have great voices, but i'm not really sure what will's done recently i heard a song of his in passing a while ago, and i think he had a new album out, but i can't remember anything about them. the last thing of his i remember was that song about the horse - grace? though i do think he has a lovely voice and has come a long way since pop idol, and is also a good actor!
musically though, i would say gary wins it handsdown. he's not much of a showman, but he is a very talented singer and songwriter.

i agree. and if you go on youtube some (actually most) of the comments on his videos are horrible! leave right now is a wonderful song, yet last time i checked it's comments, NONE of them were talking about the song. they were all fighting over gay rights/homophobia and people were saying some really vile things, like how they wanted him to 'burn and suffer in hell for all eternity' for his "sins". that was a while ago, but i can't imagine much has changed.

i think will is one of the few acts this side of the pond to come from a reality tv show and actually break away from that and have success. the other one that comes to mind is girls aloud. i can't think of many others.


EDIT: just checked the comments, and THANK GOD, at a glimpse they do seem to have moved on from that.

I agree with the post by scamrasc too.

We all have our favourite bands, favourite artists. One mans meat and all that. It's so subjective.

Re the original post - I've never met Gary Barlow or Will Young. Not seen them work. Not spent one minute with them in a studio.
From what I've seen on telly, what I can gather from their output, I'd have to say that I think that Gary Barlow is more talented.

But what a choice...

In the bigger picture, compared to who I believe to be exceptional and truly world class British male talent, this comparison is like asking who is better out of Charlton Athletic and Derby County. Both good but not in the same league as many, many others.

One name that I would put forward as a world class British male talent is Martin Gore. I don't claim that he is the best. But what a talent. Head and shoulders above the two names mentioned, in my opinion.

You obviously haven't kept up with what Will has been doing. Ssince Grace Will has released 2 more albums the Hits which has sold 600,000 and his critically acclaimed 5 th studio album Echoes which has sold almost half a million.

I agree taste is subjective but for me Will is the better of the two. For one thing Gary has never been able to cut it as a solo artist. Gary for me has a pleasant voice but it doesn't have the character and tone of Will's vocal. Gary seems to me to write anthemic songs with no real depth and for me Robbie Williams is a much better songwriter.

i admit, i don't follow him. i hear his stuff in passing, and think some of it sounds quite nice is all. i remember echos being released, so perhaps i'm getting the timing mixed up, but i can't remember any huge songs recently. i'm sorry if that offends you. i guess that, while i enjoy the sound of will's voice, i just don't find any of his recent stuff memerable.

i say that i find gary to be the more talented of the two (and more than williams) because his songs are much much more memorable. i like both their voices and think they're both good singers, but for me take that's work is better. and i have to say, i do disagree about them having no depth - most of take that's stuff is quite emotional. there's already been a lot of talk about patience on this thread, but also rule the world, back for good, said it all, never forget etc...i find them all to be very good quality songs and all to have a lot of depth to them, in different ways. never forget for eg, is the biggest anthem of that list, but it's also got a level of complexity and a powerful message to the lyrics, aswell as a wonderful musical arrangement. but all of this is just my view.
i never followed gary's solo career and don't really care, but i've always found take that to be wonderful.
as for robbie, i definately don't think he's the more musically talented. he's the more charismatic showman for a certainty, and i'm sure that he's a good lyricist (something that is not to be snubbed), but at the same time, there's a hell of a lot more to writing a song than the lyrics and i've never thought that he was a particularly good live singer. some of his early solo stuff i really liked, and i would say he has talent, of course. but musically speaking i still think more of barlow.

Ah but their opinion is the only one that has merit, surely you realise that by now

See, I always thought I was a music lover but now I reallise I haven't been taking it seriously enough at all. Goodness, how remiss of me. Off to buy a copy of the NME or whatever is considered the received text these days. Must be wonderful to be so pious.

I wouldn't know; but perhaps you can tell us how wonderful it is to be so sarcastic.

Philip Sayce.

People seem to forget that Gary Barlow won a competition to get into Take That

These threads never really work because people will just churn out their own favourite as being the 'most talented'. They just degenerate into slanging matches
You can't compare talent because the merits of each artist are as diverse as chalk and cheese so there's never a level playing field for comparison.