Bob Dylan and other artists we love, even if they can't sing

When the book is closed on the career of Bob Dylan, who continues his 2012 tour at the Barclays Center on Wednesday, it will read that the man born Robert Zimmerman was a music pioneer.

He was a man who turned lyrics to poetry and dragged folk music, kicking and screaming, into the rock sphere. Missing from the deification? References to his voice.

For all of the awards, the platinum records and the critical raves, no one will ever confuse Dylan’s voice with that of the angels. Thanks to his lyrics and songwriting talent, though, he’s become an icon and one of the most important artists of the 20th century.

He’s not the only one, of course. Every day, radio listeners hear voices on the radio (often times helped by Auto-Tune) that don't rise to the level of “great.” The history of music, in fact, is littered with artists, performers and “entertainers” who lack pristine pipes. Here are five of those names, along with the mitigating factors that gain them our respect.