On Barry Manilow's first album, to my surprise, he probably could have made a fairly impressive rocker.
But he went the pop's balladeer route.
No one else sounds like him either.
In that way, he may be the ballsiest.
But when you have heard him once, it gets irritating if heard soon after.
So that would make the best torture.

As far as Neil Diamond goes, my mother spun his records all the time when I was a kid.
I did'nt really get him at first, but fell in love with his music as I grew older.
Some musicians seem to be more of a grower musician that would be more of a treat upon listen.

Kiss in a sense is like a metal version of Barry.
Irritating if heard too much at once, but I have to listen to it again eventually.
The irritation oddly seems to be part of what makes it great.

http://www.f3music.com/444