Best Battles of All Time

[Someone648]

I feel like this thread's been made before, but to keep up with the long series of best of/favorite/ranking/whatever threads, I thought I'd add this one.

Plenty of people hate the battle rounds - and it's with good reason. It's often unfair/unbalanced, it's truly only the coach's decision, and sometimes they just don't work at all.

 

BUT this round has undoubtedly given us some phenomenal performance throughout 18 seasons, whether it's a battle that has both singers belting out unbelievable notes are just has both artists engaged in a very even, beautiful duet. Thought it would be cool to see what y'all think are the best battles of all time.

 

[Someone648]

Some of the best battles, in my opinion: (nothing from seasons 1, 5, or 17 - just none of them stood out to me)

Here's my top 25 (just recent to oldest):

 

S18: Thunderstorm Artis vs. Cedrice - Stay: Honestly the only battle this season that was truly stellar throughout.

 

S16: Jej Vinson vs. Beth Grifffith-Manley - Jealous: Beautiful mesh of both voices.

 

S15: Kymberli Joye vs. OneUp - Mercy: Truly unbelievable that they turned this song into something outstanding! It was a shame to see OneUp go home.

S15: Jake Wells vs. Natalie Brady - Closing Time: Such a fantastic battle. Adam made the right decision, but it's a shame that Natalie had to go home.

 

S14: Brynn Cartelli vs. Dylan Hartigan - ...Ready For It: This is my guilty pleasure. The energy they brought to this was fantastic and made it so enjoyable to watch!

S14: Reid Umstattd vs. Davison - Love On the Brain: This battle often goes ignored/unremembered, but it's such an interesting version of this song. Both voices blended unexpectedly well here.

S14: D.R. King vs. Jackie Foster - Sign of the Times: Obviously this had to be here. Just a fantastic performance from two contestants that seemed to be middle of the pack at best in blinds.

 

S13: Karli Webster vs. Addison Agen - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Such a beautiful, even battle. Both girls were on my radar at that point, but it solidified my love for both of them on the show.

S13: Janice Freeman vs. Katrina Rose - W.O.M.A.N.: Remember when people didn't like Janice after her blind audition? This shut them up. And Katrina came out of nowhere. Easily top 5 best battles of all time in my opinion. R.I.P. Queen.

 

S12: Hunter Plake vs. Jack Cassidy - Dancing on My Own: I remember not initially liking this one that much, but after several listens it just catches on. It solidified Hunter as one of my all time favorites.

S12: Lilli Passero vs. Lauryn Judd - Every Little Bit Hurts: Another forgotten gem. I found both Lilli and Lauryn to have unique, classic tones to their voice and this was an interesting pick that just worked.

S12: Vanessa Ferguson vs. Autumn Turner - Killing Me Softly With His Song: Ms. Ferguson showed UP to this battle. Complete turnaround from her forgettable audition song. Vanessa emerged as one of the best that season starting here.

 

S11: Ali Caldwell vs. Courtnie Ramirez - Hit or Miss: Talk about an unexpected song choice! They both nailed it. Ali stayed strong and Courtnie proved she wasn't just a "good" voice... she was great.

S11: Aaron Gibson vs. Sa'Rayah - I'll Take Care of You: Miley's unexpected song choices are always her best ones. This pushed both of them out of their comfort zones and it was just great.

S11: Michael Sanchez vs. Dave Moisan - Valerie: A fun and playful take on what could've been just another boring performance.

 

S10: Hannah Huston vs. Maya Smith - Elastic Heart: So THIS is where Ms. Hannah Huston jumped onto my radar. This could've been something average and uninteresting, but together they both shined.

 

S9: Andi & Alex vs. Chance Peña - Wherever You Will Go: This was freakishly good. The twins' harmonies + Chance feeling like a natural fit made this super memorable.

 

S8: Sarah Potenza vs. Hannah Kirby - Gimme Shelter: Where the heck did Hannah Kirby come from? She was the rightful winner for me. Together they made this battle truly memorable.

 

S7: Troy Ritchie vs. Menlik Zergabachew - Maneater: Two contestants that deserved to go waaaay further than they did. Fun battle with great vocals from both that suited the otherwise unusual song choice.

S7: DaNica Shirey vs. Toia Jones - Halo: Let's not forget that Toia Jones was robbed not once, but twice! DaNica was undoubtedly great, but Toia was so much more interesting to hear and watch.

 

S6: Melissa Jimenez vs. Brittnee Camelle - Give It To Me Right: The studio doesn't do it justice and I tragically can't find the full battle online at the moment. The energy that this battle exuded was enough to include it here.

S6*: Christina Grimmie vs. Sam Behymer - Counting Stars: Posting here on a technicality because it was a round 2 battle, but a great performance by both. I remember so many people disliked Sam's voice but I thought she used it interstingly here in a way that worked well with Christina.

 

S4: Judith Hill vs. Karina Iglesias - It's A Man's Man's Man's World: If Judith is involved, expect greatness (minus #thatpower). And the fact that Karina held her own was pleasant!

 

S3: Trevin Hunte vs. Amanda Brown - Vision of Love: If you haven't listened to this in a while - SHAME ON YOU.

 

S2: Jesse Campbell vs. Anthony Evans - If I Ain't Got You: We're pretty confident that this battle is the reason why steals were created in S3, right?

 

 

[FloorWax]

I've really only been around for the past 6 seasons, and while I've seen plenty of great battles from earlier seasons on YouTube, I'll just list my Top 20 of the past 6 seasons. Highlights are who I think the rightful winners are.

 

1. Addison Agen vs Karli Webster "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (S13) - Breathtaking. Both girls did absolutely excellent. While I thought Addison edged Karli out slightly, it didn't bother me at all that she won.

 

2. D.R. King vs Jackie Foster "Sign Of The Times" (S14) - Wow. So many memorable moments in this one. I remember being confused at why they were the last pairing of the night when I wasn't really impressed with them at the auditions. Man did they prove me wrong.

 

3. Jej Vinson vs Beth Griffith-Manley "Jealous" (S16) - Again, a gorgeous battle and Jej's last moment of brilliance before his steep decline.

 

4. Katie Kadan vs Destiny Rayne "Tiny Dancer" (S17) - What amazed me most about this battle is how Destiny held her own against Katie. While Katie drowned her out a bit in the harmonies, both girls' solo parts were fantastic.

 

5. Natalie Brady vs Jake Wells "Closing Time" (S15) - Jake was one of my favorites in the auditions and this battle only semented my love for him. A shame his KO was lackluster.

 

6. Maelyn Jarmon vs Savannah Brister "When We Were Young" (S16) - I assumed Savannah was toast, but she did better than I expected. The very presence of Maelyn puts this as high as it is.

 

7. OneUp vs Kymberli Joye "Mercy" (S15) - This and Number 8 are the most battle-like of any battles I've seen. Kymberli especially didn't hold anything back.

 

8. Janice Freeman vs Katrina Rose "W.O.M.A.N." (S13) - Janice is so effortlessly powerful it's insane. Katrina isn't at her level, but she made the most of what she had and did excellent.

 

9. Davison vs Reid Umstattd "Love On The Brain" (S14) - Underrated battle. Reid is possibly one of the most underrated contestants in recent memory. He was very consistent and deserved to at least make Top 12.

 

10. Todd Tilghman vs Jon Mullins "Ghost In This House" (S18) - Yep. With time I grew to prefer this over Cedrice vs Thunderstorm. Both of them just radiate passion which is perfect for a battle setting.

 

11. Marina Chello vs Ricky Duran "Valerie" (S17) - This was a really fun battle with great vocals all around. Not much else to say about it really.

 

12. Reagan Strange vs Emily Hough "Photograph" (S15) - Yeah yeah Robe girl and all that, but she really impressed me in this one. It's really the only performance of hers I liked.

 

13. Lisa Ramey vs Betsy Ade "The Joke" (S16) - Rockers like them don't do well on the Voice, which is a shame. Lisa was the surprise here, because I didn't think her audition was good at all.

 

14. Jake Hoot vs Steve Knill "Always On My Mind" (S17) - Unpop opinion here on IDF but I really enjoyed this. Jake Hoot sounds great on these types of songs and Steve put his own spin on it. Good stuff.

 

15. Matthew Johnson vs Shawn Sounds "Never Too Much" (S16) - Another unpop opinion probably, but this is the most fun battle I've ever seen on the Voice.

 

16. Thunderstorm Artis vs Cedrice "Stay" (S18) - I didn't feel like the two had a lot of chemistry, but the vocals were chill-inducing. Tstorm's tone is undeniable but I have to give props to Cedrice for leaning into the emotion.

 

17. Terrence Cunningham vs Livia Faith "Stars" (S14) - Livia was robbed.

 

18. Kim Cherry vs Kendra Checketts "Here" (S16) - Unexpected performance from Kim. This song choice was genius on Blake's part (or whoever though of it).

 

19. Christiana Danielle vs Shana Halligan "Use Somebody" (S14) - Shana has one of the most interesting voices I've heard and Christiana does her thing very well.

 

20. Nelson Cade III vs Darious Lyles "Come Together" (S18) - Intense battle. Loved the song choice and Darious really pulled off the swampy feeling of the song.

 

 

 

 

 

[JOMZ]

S18

Team Nick - Allegra Miles Vs. Michael Williams - How Will I Know

I don't like any battles here but I will put them because I think it's the best of this season. Allegra is so good as well as Michael's falsetto.

 

S17

Team Legend - Katie Kadan Vs. Destiny Rayne - Tiny Dancer

This battle is the best for me in this season it gave good vibes and Katie's voice here is so awesome.

 

S16

Team Kelly - Jej Vinson Vs. Beth Griffith-Manley - Jealous

This is the best performance for me in this season. They are so connected and the emotions are mygoodness.

 

S15

Team Kelly -  Kymberli Joye Vs. OneUp - Mercy

Best cover of Mercy and I want them to be trio in that moment. Sadly, OneUp didn't get stolen.

 

S14

Team Kelly -  D.R. King Vs. Jackie Foster - Sign of the Times

We all know this is the best battle this season. Jackie should've won this because she's really good here. She showcased her range and that's enough for her to win.

 

S13

Team Miley - Janice Freeman Vs. Katrina Rose - W.O.M.A.N

Don't like any battles here, but my god Janice is so good here.

 

S12

Team Alicia - Chris Blue Vs. RJ Collins - Adorn

I like this battle because of Chris Blue.

 

Team Alicia - Vanessa Ferguson Vs. Autumn Turner - Killing Me Softly with His Song

Best battle for me this season Vanessa is so good specially at the bridge part.

 

S11

Team Alicia - Christian Cuevas Vs. Jason Warrior - Hello

Easily the best battle this season. The runs on the end was epic.

 

Team Alicia - Wé McDonald Vs. Lauren Diaz - Maybe

This was the time that I liked Wé's voice but Lauren made it a tough battle coz she fought here.

 

Team Alicia - Michael Sanchez Vs. Dave Moisan - Valerie

Best Valerie cover and Michael is so awesome.

 

Team Miley - Aaron Gibson Vs. Sa'Rayah - I'll Take Care of You

This was a really good battle, I liked Sa'Rayah here. Also Miley made a cover of this that's why I like the song.

 

S10

Team Xtina - Bryan Bautista Vs. Malik Heard - It's A Man's Man's Man's World

Best cover of this song. If you didn't watch this then you should not watch the voice. This is what you call a "Battle", the best of the best. Both keeps surprising with their singing technique. Malik's runs are so good. Bryan made an an awesome falsetto before the end. The harmonies are so good.

 

Team Xtina - Alisan Porter Vs. Lacy Mandingo - California Dreamin'

Alisan is a vocal beast. PERIOD

 

S9

Team Adam - Keith Semple Vs. Manny Cabo - Baba O'Riley

I love the arrangement and both have good falsetto and rocked the stage.

 

S8

Team Pharrell - Mia Z Vs. Ashley Morgan - Put the Gun Down

I just love Mia and her whistle but Ashley is a good vocalist.

 

Team Blake - Sarah Potenza Vs. Hannah Kirby - Gimme Shelter

Both are awesome, each have awesome moments.

 

Team Pharrell - Paul Pfau Vs. Meghan Linsey - Don't Let Me Down

An awesome cover and I love Meghan's Voice here.

 

Team Pharrell - Lowell Oakley Vs. Kimberly Nichole - Hound Dog

I just love this battle, so much fun.

 

Team Xtina - India Carney Vs. Clinton Washington - Stay

Best Stay battle for me. Both made it beautiful.

I don't know but most battles here are so good.

 

S7

Team Adam - Chris Jamison Vs. Jonathan Wyndham - Young Girls

I just love their voices here so soothing.

 

Team Gwen - Sugar Joans Vs. Jean Kelley - Survivor

I don't know why but I find it funny that I like this battle. But they are Divas here. LMAO

 

Team Pharrell - Luke Wade Vs. Griffin - Maybe I'm Amazed

I liked this battle coz each have a part before harmonizing and I love it.

 

S6

Team Adam - Christina Grimmie Vs. Sam Behymer - Counting Stars

This was really good and Christina is so awesome.

 

Team Adam - Delvin Choice Vs. Josh Kaufman - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

This was the second best battle for me. Both are so good. Delvin's run on a part of a chorus was so awesome and Josh was also awesome in runs and falsetto. Adam made a terrible mistake pairing them because he handed Usher a winner.

 

S5

Team Adam - James Wolpert Vs. Will Champlin - Radioactive

Both are my favorites in this season. Best Radioactive cover for me.

 

S4

Team Adam - Amber Carrington Vs. Sasha Allen - Try

This cover is not great but I liked it because I did not expect Amber to battle a powerhouse like Sasha.

 

Team Blake - Danielle Bradbery Vs. Caroline Glaser - Put Your Records On

I love this battle because of their good tone. So pleasant to the ears.

 

S3

Team CeeLo - Trevin Hunte Vs. Amanda Brown - Vision of Love

This was an epic battle because of the runs to mid to end.

 

S2

Team Christina - Jesse Campbell Vs. Anthony Evans - If I Ain't Got You

This a really good battle and a version of this song. Why is it Xtina is so good at pairing 2 Black Male Artist.

 

To give my top 3 battles

1. Team Xtina - Bryan Bautista Vs. Malik Heard - It's A Man's Man's Man's World

2. Team Adam - Delvin Choice Vs. Josh Kaufman - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

3. Team CeeLo - Trevin Hunte Vs. Amanda Brown - Vision of Love

 

That's it. To sum it up battles are sucky right now. We need some performances like these!

Edited May 1, 2020 by JOMZ

[+Spurrious]

I'll not take a shot at which is "the best" but the hands down winner for cutest battle is:

 

Madilyn Paige vs Tanner James - "Everything Has Changed"

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9gmuGRbmRk

 

[AngelaKD]

You can’t make a list of Best Battles without including the 2 that are generally acknowledged to be the reason why the Steal was introduced in Season 3.

 

Season 1: The Niki vs Vicci Battle. CeeLo paired Niki Dawson and Vicci Martinez to sing Pink’s (F#$kin’j Perfect. He chose Vicci and she ended up in 3rd place, but it was the hardest and closest decision.

 

season 2:The Battle of the Bald Black Guys. Xtina paired Anthony Evans and Jesse Campbell to sing Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. She chose Jesse and apparently regretted it. There were tales of his BTS diva behavior. She cut him in a Coaches’ Choice that seemed to have been designed just to get rid of him. Anthony ended up working for production for several years as a consolation prize.

Edited May 1, 2020 by AngelaKD

[JOMZ]

7 minutes ago, AngelaKD said:

You can’t make a list of Best Battles without including the 2 that are generally acknowledged to be the reason why the Steal was introduced in Season 3.

 

Season 1: The Niki vs Vicci Battle. CeeLo paired Niki Dawson and Vicci Martinez to sing Pink’s (F#$kin’j Perfect. He chose Vicci and she ended up in 3rd place, but it was the hardest and closest decision.

 

season 2:The Battle of the Bald Black Guys. Xtina paired Anthony Evans and Jesse Campbell to sing Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. She chose Jesse and apparently regretted it. There were tales of his BTS diva behavior. She cut him in a Coaches’ Choice that seemed to have been designed just to get rid of him. Anthony ended up working for production for several years as a consolation prize.

Of course we remebered it. Xtina's so good at pairing black guys. See Brian Bautista Vs. Malik Heard "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" if you don't remember it and I will wait for what you will say.

[VintageVoice]

S18:

Joei Fulco vs. Todd Michael Hall - The Best 

From flipping the expected who takes which harmony (given Joey's stronger lower register and TMH's ridiculous range) to the fact both of them looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves during the performance, this is the one I rank as my favorite this season - of the 1.8M views it currently has on YouTube, I'm probably personally responsible for ~1000.

Todd Tilghman vs. Jon Mullins - Ghost in this House

Things I was not expecting to do during the battle rounds - start tearing up. Things this battle made me do - start tearing up. Jon's power + Todd's emoting = I felt things I wasn't expecting. Both of them deserved to move on and thank goodness for the steal.

 

S17:

James Violet vs. Kyndal Inskeep - I Could Use a Love Song

Kyndal's vibrato and tone both fit the song really well, James got to show off the top part of his range, and the on-stage chemistry was fantastic.

Katie Kadan vs. Destiny Rayne - Tiny Dancer

Destiny had the delicacy and Katie brought the power, and their voices blended well when they needed to.

 

S16:

Beth Griffith-Manley vs. Jej Vinson - Jealous.

*chef's kiss* - need I say more? 

Maelyn Jarmon vs. Savannah Brister - When We Were Young

This was beautiful in terms of literally everything; Savannah held her own against Maelyn, which is especially impressive given the hindsight about how the season would play out and how the latter had ~a decade of experience on her. 

 

S15:

SandyRedd vs. Cody Ray Raymond - Cry to Me

Legend has it shoes are still flying at this battle to this day. SandyRedd earned that triple steal (even if she should've won, JHud was better suited for her as a coach).

Dave Fenley vs. Keith Paluso - I'm a One-Woman Man

Dave's bass notes dipped into the basement while Keith soared to the rafters, both guys had a blast on stage, and as a "picky about my country music" fan I really enjoyed this.

 

S14:

Jackie Foster vs. D.R. King - Sign of the Times

Those harmonies were gorgeous, the chemistry on stage was great, the song choice suited both singers, and Jackie earned that triple steal.

Terrence Cunningham vs. Livia Faith - Stars 

If they could've stolen Livia, they should have; Terrence's piano playing was the icing on top of a beautiful performance - rewatching it makes me get emotional all over again.

 

S13:

Karli Webster vs. Addison Agen - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

A moodier take on a Cyndi Lauper song everyone knows, it's hard to believe both singers were just 20 & 16,  respectively. I agree with Miley picking Karli; Addison was really, really good before Adam's mentoring but he helped her blossom to her fullest potential in a way I don't know if would've happened to the same extent with Miley.

Keisha Renee vs. Noah Mac - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

A pairing that looked odd on paper worked beautifully in practice - finding a song that suited someone happiest with alt-rock and a singer who was a country/soft-rock fusion couldn't have been an easy task, and Blake/TPTB nailed it. Also, bless JHud and her last-second steal.

 

S12:

Chris Blue vs. RJ Collins - Adorn

There should've been a ban on using this as a battle song after this; this season's version didn't even come close to topping this.

Vanessa Ferguson vs. Autumn Turner - Killing Me Softly With His Song.

Things Vanessa did: THAT. Autumn was also really solid, and for a season where I don't remember much of the pre-lives this sticks out pretty clearly.

 

S11: 

Aaron Gibson vs. Sa'Rayah - I'll Take Care of You

Say what you will about Miley as a coach, but this song choice was genius. 

Jason Warrior vs. Christian Cuevas - Hello 

Dudes singing Adele and nailing the runs at the end? Yes, please.

 

S10:

Alisan Porter vs. Lacy Mandigo - California Dreamin'

Alisan was a force to be reckoned with, but Lacy showed she was a worthy opponent. 

Bryan Bautista vs. Malik Heard - It's a Man's Man's Man's World 

If any battle in the history of the show was triple steal-worthy, this was it 100%. 

 

S9:

Regina Love vs. Jordan Smith - Like I Can

Jordan's little run/vocal embellishment in the middle of the song was incredible, and I'm a sucker for powerful female voices taking lower harmonies while the man gets the falsetto.

Andi & Alex vs. Chance Peña - Wherever You Will Go

A four-chair turning duo vs. a one-chair turn solo artist should've resulted in Chance's annihilation - instead, they created a moment so beautiful it earned its rightful spot atop the battles in terms of song sales this season.

 

S8:

Paul Pfau vs. Meghan Linsey - Don't Let Me Down

Meghan earned that triple steal; it's not a song I would've chosen for a crooner-type and a country-rocker, but it worked out beautifully.

India Carney vs. Clinton Washington - Stay

Yes, the song is overdone, but this battle was fantastic.

Hannah Kirby vs. Sarah Potenza - Gimme Shelter

I tried to just pick two per season, but this battle between the first and last contestants that we met in the season was a revelation in terms of how good Hannah was.

Sawyer Fredericks vs. Noelle Bybee - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? 

It's my favorite Sawyer performance from the show, and Noelle was just as impactful here as he was. Sadly, Pharrell was the only one with a steal left, but if they had it, I'm sure a coach would've used it for her.

 

S7: 

DaNica Shirey vs. Toia Jones - Halo

Y'all. This is how you do a Beyoncé song as a battle song.

Amanda Lee Peers vs. Taylor John Williams - Jolene

I know TJW is a bit divisive around here, but this was a battle I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

S6:

Biff Gore vs. Sisaundra Lewis - It's a Man's Man's Man's World

Sisaundra's voice is not from this planet/galaxy. I'm still a little upset she didn't make it past the top 8; if that was the topic of this thread, I could go for hours. Since it's not, let's swing the focus back to Biff; his voice was just as strong. If he'd been pitted against literally anyone else, he would've been just fine.

Madilyn Paige vs. Tanner James - Everything Has Changed

Is this the best vocals of the season? Maybe not. Is this the most cavity-inducing adorable thing I've seen on this show? Absolutely. For that alone, it goes here.

Delvin Choice vs. Josh Kaufman - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours 

Also known as the time Adam handed Usher the winner, their voices came together and worked better than I expected; you have to have the right amount of control, funk/passion, and power to pull this off, and did they ever pull this off.

 

S5:
James Wolpert vs. Will Champlin - Radioactive

This was really great; as the show has proven, Imagine Dragons songs are not easy to pull off, but this was incredible and suited both singers well. 

Matthew Schuler vs. Jacob Poole - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)

Fall Out Boy is tricky to pull off for a number of reasons (the way Patrick Stump uses his range, the wordiness of the songs, and more) but both singers handled this with ease.

 

S4:
Judith Hill vs. Karina Iglesias - It's a Man's Man's Man's World

Judith = amazing, Karina = just as good.

Amber Carrington vs. Sasha Allen - Try

Shakira stealing Sasha is one of the smartest steals I've seen someone make; the pairing was unexpected but both women deserved better than they got with the rest of the show. Hard to believe Amber was a one-chair turn.

 

S3: 

Trevin Hunte vs. Amanda Brown - Vision of Love 

The first triple-steal in the show's history and Amanda was absolutely worthy of that honor. This is one of the best battles in the history of battles.

 

S2:
Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You

I mean, it's basically scientific fact this is the reason we got steals in the battle rounds.

 

Top 5 of All Time (as of Season 18):

1. Sisaundra & Biff - It's a Man's Man's Man's World
2. Bryan & Malik - It's a Man's Man's Man's World
3. Trevin & Amanda - Vision of Love
4. Delvin & Josh - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
5. Maelyn & Savannah - When We Were Young

 

[JOMZ]

19 minutes ago, VintageVoice said:

S18:

Joei Fulco vs. Todd Michael Hall - The Best 

From flipping the expected who takes which harmony (given Joey's stronger lower register and TMH's ridiculous range) to the fact both of them looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves during the performance, this is the one I rank as my favorite this season - of the 1.8M views it currently has on YouTube, I'm probably personally responsible for ~1000.

Todd Tilghman vs. Jon Mullins - Ghost in this House

Things I was not expecting to do during the battle rounds - start tearing up. Things this battle made me do - start tearing up. Jon's power + Todd's emoting = I felt things I wasn't expecting. Both of them deserved to move on and thank goodness for the steal.

 

S17:

James Violet vs. Kyndal Inskeep - I Could Use a Love Song

Kyndal's vibrato and tone both fit the song really well, James got to show off the top part of his range, and the on-stage chemistry was fantastic.

Katie Kadan vs. Destiny Rayne - Tiny Dancer

Destiny had the delicacy and Katie brought the power, and their voices blended well when they needed to.

 

S16:

Beth Griffith-Manley vs. Jej Vinson - Jealous.

*chef's kiss* - need I say more? 

Maelyn Jarmon vs. Savannah Brister - When We Were Young

This was beautiful in terms of literally everything; Savannah held her own against Maelyn, which is especially impressive given the hindsight about how the season would play out and how the latter had ~a decade of experience on her. 

 

S15:

SandyRedd vs. Cody Ray Raymond - Cry to Me

Legend has it shoes are still flying at this battle to this day. SandyRedd earned that triple steal (even if she should've won, JHud was better suited for her as a coach).

Dave Fenley vs. Keith Paluso - I'm a One-Woman Man

Dave's bass notes dipped into the basement while Keith soared to the rafters, both guys had a blast on stage, and as a "picky about my country music" fan I really enjoyed this.

 

S14:

Jackie Foster vs. D.R. King - Sign of the Times

Those harmonies were gorgeous, the chemistry on stage was great, the song choice suited both singers, and Jackie earned that triple steal.

Terrence Cunningham vs. Livia Faith - Stars 

If they could've stolen Livia, they should have; Terrence's piano playing was the icing on top of a beautiful performance - rewatching it makes me get emotional all over again.

 

S13:

Karli Webster vs. Addison Agen - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

A moodier take on a Cyndi Lauper song everyone knows, it's hard to believe both singers were just 20 & 16,  respectively. I agree with Miley picking Karli; Addison was really, really good before Adam's mentoring but he helped her blossom to her fullest potential in a way I don't know if would've happened to the same extent with Miley.

Keisha Renee vs. Noah Mac - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

A pairing that looked odd on paper worked beautifully in practice - finding a song that suited someone happiest with alt-rock and a singer who was a country/soft-rock fusion couldn't have been an easy task, and Blake/TPTB nailed it. Also, bless JHud and her last-second steal.

 

S12:

Chris Blue vs. RJ Collins - Adorn

There should've been a ban on using this as a battle song after this; this season's version didn't even come close to topping this.

Vanessa Ferguson vs. Autumn Turner - Killing Me Softly With His Song.

Things Vanessa did: THAT. Autumn was also really solid, and for a season where I don't remember much of the pre-lives this sticks out pretty clearly.

 

S11: 

Aaron Gibson vs. Sa'Rayah - I'll Take Care of You

Say what you will about Miley as a coach, but this song choice was genius. 

Jason Warrior vs. Christian Cuevas - Hello 

Dudes singing Adele and nailing the runs at the end? Yes, please.

 

S10:

Alisan Porter vs. Lacy Mandigo - California Dreamin'

Alisan was a force to be reckoned with, but Lacy showed she was a worthy opponent. 

Bryan Bautista vs. Malik Heard - It's a Man's Man's Man's World 

If any battle in the history of the show was triple steal-worthy, this was it 100%. 

 

S9:

Regina Love vs. Jordan Smith - Like I Can

Jordan's little run/vocal embellishment in the middle of the song was incredible, and I'm a sucker for powerful female voices taking lower harmonies while the man gets the falsetto.

Andi & Alex vs. Chance Peña - Wherever You Will Go

A four-chair turning duo vs. a one-chair turn solo artist should've resulted in Chance's annihilation - instead, they created a moment so beautiful it earned its rightful spot atop the battles in terms of song sales this season.

 

S8:

Paul Pfau vs. Meghan Linsey - Don't Let Me Down

Meghan earned that triple steal; it's not a song I would've chosen for a crooner-type and a country-rocker, but it worked out beautifully.

India Carney vs. Clinton Washington - Stay

Yes, the song is overdone, but this battle was fantastic.

Hannah Kirby vs. Sarah Potenza - Gimme Shelter

I tried to just pick two per season, but this battle between the first and last contestants that we met in the season was a revelation in terms of how good Hannah was.

Sawyer Fredericks vs. Noelle Bybee - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? 

It's my favorite Sawyer performance from the show, and Noelle was just as impactful here as he was. Sadly, Pharrell was the only one with a steal left, but if they had it, I'm sure a coach would've used it for her.

 

S7: 

DaNica Shirey vs. Toia Jones - Halo

Y'all. This is how you do a Beyoncé song as a battle song.

Amanda Lee Peers vs. Taylor John Williams - Jolene

I know TJW is a bit divisive around here, but this was a battle I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

S6:

Biff Gore vs. Sisaundra Lewis - It's a Man's Man's Man's World

Sisaundra's voice is not from this planet/galaxy. I'm still a little upset she didn't make it past the top 8; if that was the topic of this thread, I could go for hours. Since it's not, let's swing the focus back to Biff; his voice was just as strong. If he'd been pitted against literally anyone else, he would've been just fine.

Madilyn Paige vs. Tanner James - Everything Has Changed

Is this the best vocals of the season? Maybe not. Is this the most cavity-inducing adorable thing I've seen on this show? Absolutely. For that alone, it goes here.

Delvin Choice vs. Josh Kaufman - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours 

Also known as the time Adam handed Usher the winner, their voices came together and worked better than I expected; you have to have the right amount of control, funk/passion, and power to pull this off, and did they ever pull this off.

 

S5:
James Wolpert vs. Will Champlin - Radioactive

This was really great; as the show has proven, Imagine Dragons songs are not easy to pull off, but this was incredible and suited both singers well. 

Matthew Schuler vs. Jacob Poole - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)

Fall Out Boy is tricky to pull off for a number of reasons (the way Patrick Stump uses his range, the wordiness of the songs, and more) but both singers handled this with ease.

 

S4:
Judith Hill vs. Karina Iglesias - It's a Man's Man's Man's World

Judith = amazing, Karina = just as good.

Amber Carrington vs. Sasha Allen - Try

Shakira stealing Sasha is one of the smartest steals I've seen someone make; the pairing was unexpected but both women deserved better than they got with the rest of the show. Hard to believe Amber was a one-chair turn.

 

S3: 

Trevin Hunte vs. Amanda Brown - Vision of Love 

The first triple-steal in the show's history and Amanda was absolutely worthy of that honor. This is one of the best battles in the history of battles.

 

S2:
Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You

I mean, it's basically scientific fact this is the reason we got steals in the battle rounds.

 

Top 5 of All Time (as of Season 18):

1. Sisaundra & Biff - It's a Man's Man's Man's World
2. Bryan & Malik - It's a Man's Man's Man's World
3. Trevin & Amanda - Vision of Love
4. Delvin & Josh - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
5. Maelyn & Savannah - When We Were Young

 

Are you copying me?? LMAO. Just kiddin.

Anyways, I find Brian Vs Malik better than Biff Vs. Sisaundra coz I think they oversung the song although it was good.

[indii]

My favorites of all time, in no particular order

 

Christiana Danielle vs. Shana Halligan - "Use Somebody"

Siahna Im vs. Ivonne Acero - "You Keel Me Hangin' On"

Ali Caldwell vs. Courtnie Ramirez - "Hit or Miss"

Lilli Passero vs. Lauryn Judd - "Every Little Bit Hurts"

Amber Carrington vs. Sasha Allen - "Try" (Probably my favorite battle. Amber bodied that.)

D.R. King vs. Jackie Foster - "Sign of the Times"

Taylor John Williams vs. Amanda Lee Peters - "Jolene"

Addison Agen vs. Karli Webster - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

Menlik Zergabachew vs. Troy Ritchie - "Maneater"

SandyRedd vs. Cody Ray Raymond - "Cry to Me"

Brennley Brown vs. Lauren Duski - "Better Man"

[thevoiceisthetop]

My opinion over the 18 seasons with top 2

 

S1 - TBH i didnt watch this season nor really cared when i watched it on youtube

S2 - Jesse Campbell vs Anthony Evans and Tony Lucca vs Chris Cauley

S3 - Melanie Martinez vs Caitlin Michele and Trevin Hunte vs Amanda Brown

s4 - Judith Hill vs Karina Igleasias vs Danielle Bradbery vs Caroline Glaser

s5 -  Jacquie Lee vs Brianna Cuoco and Grey vs Nic Hawk

s6 Round 1 - Madilyn Paige vs Tanner James and Bria Kelly vs Tess Boyer

s6 Round 2 - Christina Grimmie vs Sam Behymer and Bria Kelly vs Madilyn Paige

s7 - Ryan Sill vs Jessie Pitts and Sugar Joans vs Jean Kelley only because of Gwen´s reaction 

s8 - India Carney vs Clinton Washington and Lowell Oakley vs Kimberly Nichole

s9 - Ellie Lawrence  vs Tim Atlas and Jordan Smith vs Regina Love

s10 - Bryan Bautista vs Malik Heard and Alisan Porter vs Lacy Mandigo

s11 - Christian Cuevas vs Jason Warrior and We McDonald vs Lauren Diaz

s12 -  Johnny Gates vs Sammie Zonana and Jack Cassidy vs Hunter Plake 

s13 - Noah Mac vs Keisha Renee and Addison Agen vs Karli Webster

s14 - Christiana Danielle vs Shana Halligan and D.R. King vs Jackie Foster

s15 - Abby Cates vs Delaney Silvernell and Reagan Strange vs Emily Hough

s16 - Jej Vinson vs Beth Griffin Manley and Maelyn Jarmon vs Savannah Brister

s17 - Myracle Holloway vs Elise Azkoul and Kyndal Inskeep vs James Violet

s18 - Roderick Chambers vs Joanna Serenko and Allegra Miles vs Michael Williams

 

The best battles imo come from s8,s10,s13

[ATX29]

I think Mia Boostrom v Genesis Diaz " Because of You" deserves some love here.

Mainly bc of Mia.

[FloorWax]

1 hour ago, ATX29 said:

I think Mia Boostrom v Genesis Diaz " Because of You" deserves some love here.

Mainly bc of Mia.

 

I wanted to put it on my list but I don't think the song was suited for Mia. Even if she did outsing Genesis.

[thevoiceswimmer]

I'm only gonna do Top 2 of each season because my favorite round is the Battles so this is super hard. First one is favorite of season, second is second favorite

S4

- Judith Hill vs Karina Igelsias "It's a Man's World" Tom Jones

- Amber Carrington vs Sasha Allen "Try" P!NK

S5

- Amber Nicole vs Timyra Gray "Listen" Beyonce (Favorite Voice Battle of All Time)

- Nic Hawk vs Grey "Domino" Jessie J

S6

- Melissa Jiminez vs Brittnee Camille "Give It To Me Right" Melanie Fiona

- Paula Deanda vs Sisaundra Lewis "Do What U Want" Lady Gaga and Xtina

S7

- Toia Jones vs Danice Shirey "Halo" Beyonce

- Elyjuh Rene vs Maiya Sykes "If I Ain't Got You" Alicia Keys

S8

- Mia Z vs Ashley Morgan "Put the Gun Down" ZZ Ward

- Kimberly Nichole vs Lowell Oakley "Hound Dog" Big Mama Thorton

S9

- Alex & Andi vs Chance Pena "Wherever You Will Go" The Calling

- Cassandra Robertson vs Viktor Kiraly "Nobody Knows" The Tony Rich Project

S10

- Alisan Porter vs Lacy Mandigo "California Dreamin" The Mamas and The Papas

- Tamar Davis vs Shalyah Fearing "Lady Marmalade" Patti Labelle

S11

- Sa'Rayah vs Aaron Gibson "I'll Take Care of You" Bobby Bland

- We McDonald vs Lauren Diaz "Maybe" The Chantels

S12

- Vanessa Ferguson vs Autumn Turner "Killing Me Softly" Lauryn Hill

- Lauren Duskoi vs Brennly Brown "Better Man" Little Big Town

S13

- Janice Freeman vs Katrina Rose "WOMAN" Etta James

- Addison Aggen vs Karli Webster "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Cyndi Lauper

S14

- Brynn Cartelli vs Dylan Hartigan "Ready For It?" Tayler Swift

- Kelsea Johnson vs Jordyn Simone "Don't Let Go (Love)" En Vogue

S15

- Jake Wells vs Natalie Brady "Closing Time" Semisonic

- Patrique Fortson vs Colton Smith "God's Country" Blake Shelton

S16

- Lisa Ramey vs Besty Ade "The Joke" Brandi Carlile

- Jej Vinson vs Beth Griffith-Manley "Jealous" Labrinth

S17

- Marybeth vs Dane & Stephanie "Burning House" Cam

- Khalae Lynne vs Zoe Upkins "The Boy is Mine" Brandy and Monica

S18

- Nelson Cade vs Darius Lyles "Come Together" The Beatles

- Joana Seranko vs Roderick Chambers "when the party is over" Billie Eilish

 

[David68]

23 hours ago, thevoiceswimmer said:

-- Patrique Fortson vs Colton Smith "God's Country" Blake Shelton

 

You finally said it. That high note that Patrique hit and JHUD, KC, and BS leaned back all at the same time

[Misirlou]

Just now, David68 said:

You finally said it. That high note that Patrique hit and JHUD, KC, and BS leaned back all at the same time

I love that battle. It got a lot of hate in IDF but I still listen to it to these days.

[VintageVoice]

7 minutes ago, David68 said:

You finally said it. That high note that Patrique hit and JHUD, KC, and BS leaned back all at the same time

 

For reference, that high note comes in right around 1:20 - I just rewatched this again and I did the exact same lean back in the seat move when it happened. Holy wow.

[Feder]

I only watch full season from S13 so:

 

S13: 

 

Hannah Mrozak & Brandon Showell - "Cold Water" - no steal for Brandon here was so unfair

 

S14:

 

Kyla Jade & Jesslee - "One Last Time"  

Mia Bostroom & Genesis Diaz - "Because Of You" - Mia was my favourite singer that season i love her voice so much and Genesis was really good here, Alica should have stolen her

Justin Kilgore & Molly Stevens - "Burning House" - no steal for Molly and Justin eliminated in the KOs 

 

S15:

 

Patrique & Colton - "God Give Me You" - Top 3 of all time for me. Absolutely amazing

Jake Wells & Natalie Brady - "Closing Time"  My all time favourite battle 

 

S16:

 

Gyth & Rod Stokes - "Drunk Me" - love this battle

LB & Ciera - "Done For Me" - Still mad about Ciera being so underrated that season... she was gorgeous and deserved much better 

 

S17:

 

Jake HaldenVang & Caroline Reilly - "Just Like a Pill" - Top 3 of all time for me, Jake is probably my favourite male singer ever on the show... 

Zach Bridges & Cory Jackson  "Should Have Been a Cawboy" - I love this country battles haha 

 

S18: I dont love any battle TBH... but the best for me was:

 

Joanna Serenko & Roderick Chambers - "when the party's over"

 

HM:

 

S3: Amanda Brown & Travis Hunte - "Vision of Love" - Thank God steals were introduced that season

S9: Regina Love & Jordan Smith - "Like I Can"

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Feder

[Hamza Tufail]

Edited January 30, 2021 by Hamza Tufail

[B-B]

Jordan vs Regina. I’ve seen nothing like it

[B-B]

Oh I should add Kymberli and OneUp, and Patrice and Colton

[Jordan Smith Fan]

On 7/23/2020 at 12:50 AM, B-B said:

Jordan vs Regina. I’ve seen nothing like it

SLAYYY with the taste!

[Jordan Smith Fan]

1. Jordan Smith vs Regina love - "Like I can"

2. Jessie Campbell vs Anthony Evans - "If I Ain't got you"

3. Matt McAndrew vs Ethan Butler - "Yellow"

4. Jackie Foster vs D.R. King - "Sign of the times"

5. Trevin Hunte vs  Amanda Brown - "Vision of love"

6. Delvin Choice vs Josh Kaufman - "Signed sealed delivered, I'm Yours"

7. Jej Vinson vs Beth Griffith Manley - "Jealous"

8. Alisan Porter vs Lacy Mandigo - "California dreaming"

9. Kymberli Joye vs One up - "Mercy"

10. Tessanne Chin vs Dona Allen - "Next to me"

11. John Holiday vs Julia Cooper- "Summersoft"

12. Maelyn Jarmon vs Savannah - "When we were Young"

13. James Wolpert vs Will Champlin - "Radioactive"

14. Thunderstorm Artis vs Cedrice - "Stay"

15. Cam Anthony vs Emma Caroline - "10,000 hours"

[SNI2]

Not popular at all, but Joei Fulco vs Todd Michael Hall is the unsung hero of battles. Both Todd and Joei had such a blast, vocals apparently pitch perfect and all coaches stood on their feet, in the end. It was a joy, the contestants were so in awe of each other and at the end of the day, it wasn't a battle but a fun and generous duet. 

Edited May 20, 2021 by SNI2

[Angeles]

6 minutes ago, SNI2 said:

Not popular at all, but Joei Fulco vs Todd Michael Hall is the unsung hero of battles. Both Todd and Joei had such a blast, vocals apparently pitch perfect and all coaches stood on their feet, in the end. It was a joy, the contestants were so in awe of each other and at the end of the day, it wasn't a battle but a fun and generous duet. 

I LOVED this battle.