New Poll: The Great Female Singers
Published November 13, 2003
I was listening to a marvelous female vocalist today, and thought to myself "Self, what would all those folks at BlogCritics think of this woman? She sure can sing!"
Much has been made of the Rolling Stone Magazine Top 100 Guitar List. BlogCritics has beaten it to death for quite some time, and it remains one of the more popular subjects on this website. The great guitarists of all time is one of my favorite subjects, and is what drew me to this site in the first place. Since I had created a poll to determine who BlogCritics think are the great guitarists, I figured I'd do another one for Great Female Singers.
What music provides as much inspiration and longing as that of the female singer? What art form is as beautiful as the art of the songstress? Most importantly, who are the greatest female singers ever?
Take the poll here and leave your comments below!
A few rules:
Do not place more than one vote for a single songstress. All entries that stuff the ballot box will be discarded.
Do not enter junk in the form. If you cannot remember the name of 10 great female singers, buy some CDs featuring female vocalists, listen to them, then come back and fill the form out later. If you enter garbage in the form your entry will be discarded.
Try to spell names correctly. It takes a lot of time that I don't have to clean up sloppy typing.
Do not enter males, or non-singers. If you enter Eddie Van Halen, Jenna Jameson, or other names who aren't female singers, all your votes will be discarded.
I have a couple of suppositions about this poll:
1. It won't get anywhere near as much attention as the great axemen.
2. It will be a much tighter race than the BlogCritics guitar poll was. There will be no female vocalist "way out in front" like Jimi Hendrix was for guitarists.
Let's see if I'm right.
As a result of Eric's first comment to my Guitar Poll post, I'm putting recordings by both female vocalists I love and those I hate in the products area below. I ain't sayin' which is which.
For a while.
I originally had posted this using the word "Diva" to mean female singer, but it caused confusion. Hope this reworded post clears things up.
- New Poll: The Great Female Singers
- Published: November 13, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Writer: Taloran
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Comments on this articleComments
Yeah, I'm very confused by this poll. "Diva" to me means Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and those cohorts. But it really appears this is just a "best female singers" list. Tal, maybe you should change the scope of this so it's a little more clear?
From hyper dictionary.com:
Diva
Definition: [n] a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star
Synonyms: prima donna
I mean it to be "female singer." I will change the post to reflect that. My apologies for the confustication.
Great, thanks Taloran.
I think this is a bit harder than the guitarists poll, because aside from Segovia, all the winners of the previous poll were from the jazz/pop/blues tradition, and perhaps rightly so. Not that Christopher Parkening or Liona Boyd couldn't cut it against Edward Van Halen, but I'd personally rather hear Van Halen than Parkening.
But since some of my favorite female vocalists are from the classical tradition, and on a technical level they beat the hell out of most great pop vocalists, I have to come up with a way to rate Jessye Norman relative to Kathleen Hanna. Hel-lo, lowered productivity in the workplace!
Just placed my list. I love female vocalists. You don't know how many times I have been referred to negatively because I not only like Tori Amos, but also Natalie Merchant. This is a cool poll.
Johno reported an error when submitting his choices.
Seems like every time I do something neat on my website, the server goes south. Happened just after I created the guitar poll too. I'm working on it - sorry for the difficulty.
Something is amiss with the poll. Tried to send in my votes a couple of times, and they just would not go through. I sent email to the sysadmin to try and get it straightened out. But just because I have toiled and agonized over this for quite some time -- expended a great deal of energy; this was tougher than guitarists -- I will share my top 20 here:
- Sarah Vaughan
- Aretha Franklin
- Billie Holiday
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Bessie Smith
- Dinah Washington
- Etta James
- Janis Joplin
- Joni Mitchell
- k.d. lang
- Grace Slick
- Kate Bush
- Emmylou Harris
- Sandy Denny
- Bonnie Raitt
- Joan Armatrading
- PJ Harvey
- Kat Bjelland
- Dusty Springfield
- Karen Carpenter
Honorable mentions in no certain order: Cass Elliott, Joan Baez, OHMYGOD I FORGOT PATSY CLINE!, Gillian Welch, Miriam Makeba, Annie Haslam, Diane Schuur, Annie Lennox, Patti Smith, Nina Simone, Patti LaBelle, Lucinda Williams, Roberta Flack, June Carter, Delores O'Riordan, Lena Horne, Diane Reeves, Diana Krall, Allison Krauss, Cyndi Lauper, Sinead O'Connor, Chaka Khan, Lene Lovich, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Cook (I couldn't live without mentioning her by name), Ethel Ennis, Marianne Faithfull, Martha Wash, ... I could go on all day.
Goddess forgive me for the inevitable omissions, brain freezes, etc.
Oh, and I must note that my brain just could not rank operatic singers with rock, jazz, and blues singers, just could not do it. So in the interest of sanity I decided to focus on the latter. Super props to the great operatic and Broadway divas whom I revere no less than those mentioned above.
I had in no particular order:
Natalie Merchant
Tori Amos
Annie Lennox
Aretha Franklin
Barbra Streisand
Chrissie Hynde
Gladys Knight
Bjork
Janis Joplin
I can't remember the others, but I had 11 to start... these are my favorites. For the record, I was raised on Barbra Streisand to a certain extent. I take no credit (blame) for knowing her work. ;-)
1. Chick from Arch Enemy
2. Chick from Lacuna Coil
3. Chick from No Doubt
4. Chick from Sugarcubes
5. Chick from Eminem "Stan" song
6. Chick from Joan Jett n' Blackhearts
7. Pink
8. Chick from Nightwish
9. Chick from Tsunami Bomb
10. Chick from Thor's Hammer
wow, great lists. Barbra Streisand drives me insane as a singer, though I know she is "great," she is far too mannered for me. I would add
Peggy Lee
Sarah McLachlan
Patsy Cline
Beth Orton
Donna Summer
Diana Krall
Cassandra Wilson
Judy Garland (early)
Dionne Warwick
Enya
11. Chick from the Darkness
12. Chick from L7
13. Chick from Belly
14. Chick from Superchunk
15. Christina Aguilera
16. Chick from Vixen
17. Chick from Girlschool
18. Chick from Tori Amos' band
19. Chick from the Breeders
20. Chick from Walls of Jericho
Nuts, I should not have filled in my choices so early. I can't believe that I left Eva Cassidy off of my list. I kind of want to quibble with the choice of Bonnie Raitt. I love Bonnie Raitt, she ranks high up there with the purveyors of the blues that are dear to my heart. She never struck me though, as much of a vocalist. I'm far more impressed by her skill on the slide guitar.
I wonder if we have any Charlotte Church fans here.
oops, I see Natalie already mentioned many of these in her honorable mentions. You rock Nat!
"Chick from Tori Amos' band"
I want to be angry BRICKLAYER, but this is so funny on some level that I can't stop laughing.
There is no greater singer than Maria McKee... well maybe Dolly Parton.
love them both, Dude, great call
Diamanda Galas
And speaking of ethereal freak-women, how can we forget Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins or Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance?
I love female vocalists... once I get home I'll compile my list.
Craig... yeah, that made me laugh. I was about to tell Bricklayer that Bjork was the singer for The Sugarcubes... then after reading that I figured that if he doesn't know, then he probably doesn't care.
but i suspect he knows.
The chick from Slaughter was way better than the chick from The Darkness.
After some jumping though hoops, my database (at least the polls part of it) is now functioning again. I apologize to those of you who had difficulty with the poll. Natalie, I can't enter your choices as described above, or I'll cut off my own IP from completing the poll, and I'd like to fill in my own choices when I get a chance.
I've now lost all of the data I entered about my music collection, however. It was kind of fun entering 900 vinyl albums by hand and 350 CDs automatically - I guess I'll just have to do it again.
I had to give some props to Merry Clayton on my list, who sang backup for the Rolling Stones on "Gimme Shelter."
It's biased and partisan of me to bump other deserving singers off my list for the sake of one song, but I gotta be honest. Sarah Vaughn never peeled my scalp back, and Merry Clayton has.
It took 4 days for anyone to notice this post, but now it's getting lots of attention! 10 people have taken the poll already!
I changed the date of the post after removing the word Divas from the post subject - that might have been turning people off.
I guess I think of "Diva" in a positive way, like Annie Lennox describing herself in the title of her first solo release. I had no idea it had such negative connotations. Guess I have to get out of the house more.
I can't believe Eric's the only one to put Sarah McLachlan on his list. That voice haunts me.
Let's also not forget:
Joan Osborne (just nevermind "One Of Us," the girl can flat-out sing. Check out Standing In The Shadows Of Motown to hear her really belt it out on some classics.)
Lisa Gerrard
Emmylou Harris
Paula Cole (but I burned out on her when that damn "Cowboy" song was played everywhere, all the time. Still, a great voice. She does some stunning vocal work on Peter Gabriel's "live" album Secret World.)
Bjork
The interesting thing with vocalists is that there will probably be a conflict between those that technically sing well and those that emote well. Emoting is generally more powerful in rock - it is, afterall, about being individual, and a less technically proficient singer who sings truly soulfully is worth as much as, say, a great jazz singer who can handle both duties well. This should have some interesting results.
Taloran, I think it may have been the confusion about whether it was a "diva contest" or a poll about female singers that caused the lack of response.
Sarah McLachlan? She's got a pretty voice, I guess, but next to greats like Fitzgerald and Franklin, she's a passing memory. Besides, all of her songs make me want to get a bowl of granola or something.
Tal, it's the connotations rather than the denotations of "diva" that carry the baggage. "Diva" now implies "histrionic."
Oops, I missed Eva Cassidy, shame on me! I was privileged enough to interview her ages ago. She's an angel. Perhaps it's a good thing my votes did not go through -- when I re-input them, Eva's in. But who is out? Sheesh.
Oh, goddess, and Judy Mowatt.
And Sarah MacLachlan is terrific. Oooh, and "the chick from Belly." And the "Sugarcubes chick," putting aside the matter of that swan outfit. And many more of those mentioned above. Y'all have great taste. (Merry Clayton, yes!) Oh -- Oleta Adams! And Chrissie and Dionne (remember "The Theme from the Valley of the Dolls"?)! Damn, this is going to keep me up all night.
You know, I actually considered Xtina.
Toldja this was tough. Except for choosing Sarah as number one. She makes my skin melt.
Exactly my point, Kurt. Maybe she doesn't stand up to the jazz greats, but her voice and the emotion behind it moves me nonetheless. That's why these polls are interesting but, essentially, pointless.
I was kinda wondering why nobody noticed the post. Now I know - poor choice of words.
re Tom's comment 26 -
Why would there be a conflict between emotive singers and technically proficient ones? That never happened in the guitar discussions!
Vocals mean much more to people than instruments do. People connect with the emotions behind a singer in a way they don't with guitars. And since we are tuned by nature to pay attention to voice, we perceive the emotions behind them much more clearly. Rock is not about being perfect at what you do, unlike virtually any other musical genre out there. It's about getting your message across. I mean, only in rock would a singer with an "odd" voice like Damien Rice be considered powerful. Were he to try and pull that off in jazz he'd be laughed off the stage. But his anguish and passion make his vocals important to us. Jazz is more about emotion, but it's also about singing "well." That's why I think there may be a conflict of sorts.
Take me, for example - much as I love jazz, when it comes to singing I want to hear rock people. It's what speaks to me because I find emotion that means something to me in it. I totally agree with many of the singers listed, but they're not something I listen to, and my list wouldn't include them. So I'm biased toward rock in this instance. Likely, there will be others like me who identify more with rock singers than jazz singers. It looks like we have a lot of jazz singer oriented people on Blogcritics, so it will probably lean heavily toward them. Not that that's bad - I'm not saying Sarah McLachlan should be above Aretha Franklin, I'm just saying that, for me, she's more powerful and meaningful.
Chick from Belly would be Tanya Donelly.
I quite enjoy Lisa Loeb, she's one of the few people, in my opinion of course, that can make music just from her voice. Yeah she has herself and a band that actually plays the music, but the rhythm of almost all her songs rests entirely on the way she sings it.
visualsimplicity:
I feel kind of similarly listening to Ella Fitzgerald. She uses her voice like a musician would an instrument, with the ability to vocally "jam". And she has incredible musicians backing her up, but that's all that they are: backup. They're usually doing their best to keep up.
I was kidding, Tom. There's been a gigantic undercurrent to the guitar discussions about whether B.B. or Carlos is better than Vai, Malmsteen and other technical wizards because they put so much emotion into their playing. Which is "better," technique or emotion, in any instrument? There has been some passionate argument on both sides. I imagine it will be much the same with this subject.
21. Chick from Blake Babies
22. Chick from Lullacry
23. Chick from Jucifer
24. Chick from Tatu
25. Sophie B. Hawkins
26. Other Chick from Tatu
27. Chick from Ike Turner's old band
28. Maria (you're on fiah)
29. Chick from Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
30. Chick from GWAR
31. Chick from Guano Apes
32. Chick from Sonic Youth
33. Peppa
34. Chick from Otep
35. Chick from Fleetwood Mac
36. Old gospel chick from the Moby song
37. Chick from From Autumn to Ashes song
38. Salt
39. Private Jessica Lynch
40. Shania (you're on fiah)
there are so much girls that i like. here are my favorites...top ten.
Deborah Harry/Blondie
Liz Phair
Chan Marshal/Cat Power
Tori Amos
Elizabeth Esselink/Solex
Ani Difranco
Bjork
Shirley Manson/Garbage
Fiona Apple
Delores O'Riordan/The Cranberries
and so much more.. patsy cline i like. Norah jones isn't so bad. i guess. gwen stefani. ERICA BADU!!! GOAPELE! they should have been up there but. i;m lazy and don't feel like fixing it. I like girls.
Yes, Ani. Jill Scott. Erykah. Yes, Tanya. (Which chick from Fleetwood Mac, Bricklayer? I say Christine is Perfect.) LAURYN HILL.
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughn
Carmen McRae
Nancy Wilson
Dinah Washington
Etta James
Dakota Staten
Gloria Lynne
Betty Carter
Annie Ross
Nina Simone
Roberta Flack
Chaka Khan
Marlena Shaw
Erykah Badu
Barbra Streisand
Whitney Houston
Cleo Laine
Melba Moore
Patti Austin
How about Edie Brickell, despite the one hit wonder? (in Bricklayer language, Chick from New Bohemians)
And Mariah Carey (pre-ho years).
very learned lists, I can't believe I forgot Norah - she's young! - Siouxsie Sioux rules as well, very distinctive. Also, in country, Loretta Lynn (chick from "Coal Miner's Daughter") and Kitty Wells.
I also love the cool deadpan of Nancy Sinatra and Astrud Gilberto
And imagine 30, 20 or even 10 years ago a list like this not including Diana Ross. No one has mentioned Sheryl Crow or Madonna either - pretty amazing.
41. Chick from Portishead
42. Chick from Santana video
43. Other chick from Fleetwood Mac
44. Chick from Pixies
45. Chick from Massive Attack
46. Fiona Apple
47. Chick from the Supremes
48. Old dead hippy chick who od'd
49. Neneh Cherry
50. Chick from the Sopranos
Chick from Chic (or is it Chic from Chick?)
Other Chick from Chic
51. Diana Ross
52. Sheryl Crow
53. Madonna
54. Chick from Kittie
55. Chick from Nickelodeon show
56. Chick from Lita Ford Band
57. Ms. Jackson if you're nasty
58. Chick from Miami Sound Machine
59. Chick from Whitesnake videos
60. Old lady from my church
This is much harder for me than the Top Guitarists list, which I nailed. A lot of the best singers were at their peaks 50 years ago or more. So my exposure is limited. I'm guessing that the same is true for a lot of posters, though it is nice not to have Madonna or Janet Jackson in the running. Here is my list, although it's bogus for the reason just given. Where appropriate, I am borrowing Mr. Bricklayer's style, with all due respect.
Sarah Vaughan
Barbra Streisand
The Singing Nun (not really)
Etta Fitzgerald
Judy Garland
Linda Ronstadt
Harriet Wheeler (chick from The Sundays)
Ann Wilson (chick from Heart)
Kate Bush (chick who will not tour the US)
Connie Francis
Vanity (just kidding)
Joni Mitchell
Aretha Franklin
Pebbles (just kidding...no, wait...yeah, just kidding)
I am really torn on Linda Ronstadt: at her best she is heartbreaking ("Long Long Time," much of the '70s) - at her worst (most crap from '80s on) she is strident, generic, off-putting.
jean stapleton!
aretha franklin
big mama thornton
roberta flack
janis joplin
christina aguilera
diana ross
chick from the pips
charlotte church
ella fitzgerald
maria kuznetsova
no one seems to remember Small Mama Thornton, Big Mama's sister
oh, i love betty carter! and siouxsie sioux! and cleo laine! and tori amos! and oh my goodness, kitty wells... and the chick from ike turner's band. can't believe i forgot big mama thornton. would have to add koko taylor. and norah jones is just wonderful, as is beth gibbons.
harriet wheeler has a lovely, haunting voice.
edith piaf.
dolly parton.
yma sumac.
gotta give it up for rita marley too.
and kate pierson!
and the oh so cool julie london.
did anyone mention laura nyro?
problem with madonna is, much as i love her, she doesn't sing that well. same with ms. jackson, who is neither nasty nor exceptional. and linda ronstadt has great technique, but demonstrates very little soul. same with whitney houston.
My judgement of Linda Ronstadt has no doubt been clouded by the fact that I think she is (was) a fabulous babe, and that I'm still knocked out by the Hasten Down the Wind album. Later on, I know that she received a lot of criticism for her foray into torch songs with the Nelson Riddle orchestra, during which time I became aware that there used to be singers in Yon Olden Days who could sing Linda under the table. But I still like that stuff, and I forgive her.
I'm surprised to see Kate Pierson showing up here. I like her a lot.
And let's not forget Gigantic Mama Thornton, Big Mama's sister-in-law, formerly named Gigantic Mama Jones, before marrying into the Thornton family.
Anyone remember Karla Bonoff? Her style and phrasing was similar to Ronstadt's, but she could sing Linda under the table.
oh, i love karla bonoff. interestingly that one of ronstadt's few astonishing performances was a bonoff song, "someone to lay down beside me." (it's part of my own performance repertoire; helluva song.) does anybody remember karla's "trouble again"? so much heart... yep, sings ronstadt under the table.
speakng of karlas... does anyone remember karla devito? whatta set of pipes on that one.
But Karla's original version blows Linda's away...
Madonna only rarely sings - she usually squeaks.
All right, all right, leave Linda alone...criminy. If I were a woman, I would kill to be able to sing like her. And she's very down to earth, besides.
Karla DeVito...you mean the waitress chick from Cheers that married Danny DeVito? I didn't know she could sing.
"Karla's original version blows Linda's away..."
You are absolutely right about that, Tal. Of course, Linda got the notice for it (and JD Souther to boot), and that sucks.
Karla DeVito is most famous as the female voice of Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" tour (Ellen Foley sang it on record). She also worked with Jim Steinman on a number of projects, sang with Orchestra Luna, did background vocals for groups including Blue Oyster Cult, replaced Ronstadt in the Broadway production of "The Pirates of Penzance," and performed in the musical "Big River." DeVito released her own LP, "Is This a Cool World or What?" in 1981. Monster voice; I liked the album a lot back in the day.
Shirley Horn
Gladys Knight
Natalie Cole
Nancy Wilson
Sarah Vaughan
Dianne Reeves
Ella Fitzgerald
Aretha Franklin
Patti Austin
Roberta Flack
Randy Crawford
Nina Simone
Patti LaBelle
Carmen McRae
Rene' Marie
Rachelle Ferrell
Chaka Khan
Sharon Bryant
Carla Cook
Honorable Mentions: Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Peggy Lee, Ledisi, Diane Schuur, Annie Lennox, Candi Staton, Jocelyn Brown, Martha Wash, and Blossom Dearie.
Whew!!!
61. Chick from Crash Test Dummies
62. Chick from Pretenders
63. Chick from Blondie
64. Chick from Heart
65. Chick from S Club 7
66. Carly Simon
67. Chick from American Idol
68. Chick from Low
69. Chick from Dixie Chicks
70. Gemma Hayes
71. Avril
72. Holly Golightly
73. Chick from Destiny's Child
74. Chick Paul Simon married
75. Chick from Eisley
76. Chick from Mazzy Starr
77. The incomparable Nell Carter
78. Pink
79. Chick Johnny Cash married
80. Chick from Abba
81. Chick from Brownie Mary
82. Chick Johnny Depp married
83. Other chick from Abba
84. Chick Russell Crowe married
85. Chick from A-Teens
86. Neko Case
87. Chick from Josie & the Pussycats
88. Kathleen Edwards
89. Chick from Fire Bug
90. Melissa Lefton
91. Chick from Massive Attack
92. Chick from B-52's
93. Toni Basil
94. Other chick from B-52's
95. Chick from Dancehall Crashers
96. Other chick from Destiny's Child
97. DJ Rap
98. Chick from Fugees
99. Freda
100. Chick from Hole
Nice list, James! Looks scarily similar to my own, though it leans a bit further towards jazz, where mine leans a bit towards blues. but a couple of name changes here and there and they're pretty darn close.
love Karla B - her first album is really great, very Linda, but karla actually wrote her own songs
"chick from american idol"? which one, bricklayer? kelly? tamyra?
101. Other chick from American Idol
102. Chick from Today show contest
103. Alanis Morisette
104. Chick from Moon Theory
105. Moon Unit Zappa
106. Chick from the Runaways
107. Chick from Chemical Brothers song
108. Beth Orton
109. Chick from Spencer for Hire
110. Dolly Parton
I heard Janis on the radio on my way in to work this morning, and I happen to be wearing the Janis t-shirt that I found at the Blues and Bones Festival in 2002. There's a fabulous photo on the front, taken by a blues photographer named Dick Waterman. The back says "You know you got it if it makes you feel good."
I laughed when I remembered the last time I wore this t-shirt.
On a beautiful day this past summer, I went outside from the highrise I work in to have a cigarette. I finished my smoke and came back inside, waited for the elevator, and got on with several other people. This young kid, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with a pierced nose and eyebrow, wearing a black t-shirt featuring some band I'd never heard of, looks at me and sneers "Who the hell is Janis Joplin?"
Then an older black man, maybe in his late 50s, sees the t-shirt and this look of divine ecstasy crosses his face. He delivered a line I'll never forget- "Ah, Janis. A 400 pound black woman stuck in the body of a skinny white girl."
a long time ago...i was driving somewhere with my wife.
"Mercedes Benz" came on the radio and she says "what is this? amateur hour or something?"
...make that ex-wife.
ex-wives are notoriously stupid
Here are the initial results from the Great Female Singers poll (22 entries):
Top 50 vote-getters shown.
1 Ella Fitzgerald (248 / 12 / 3 / 8)
2 Billie Holiday (272 / 11 / 2 / 5)
3 Aretha Franklin (283 / 11 / 3 / 5)
4 Janis Joplin (304 / 10 / 2 / 4)
5 Sarah Vaughan (354 / 6 / 1 / 4)
6 Patsy Cline (373 / 6 / 1 / 2)
7 Bessie Smith (385 / 5 / 0 / 1)
8 Etta James (386 / 5 / 1 / 2)
9 Grace Slick (390 / 5 / 1 / 1)
10 Nina Simone (391 / 5 / 1 / 3)
11 Ann Wilson (393 / 5 / 0 / 1)
12 Linda Ronstadt (400 / 4 / 0 / 1)
13T Bjork (404 / 4 / 0 / 1)
13T Tori Amos (404 / 5 / 1 / 2)
15T Annie Lennox (405 / 4 / 0 / 1)
15T Emmylou Harris (405 / 5 / 0 / 1)
17 Lena Horne (407 / 4 / 0 / 0)
18 Chrissie Hynde (411 / 4 / 0 / 0)
19 Dusty Springfield (412 / 5 / 0 / 0)
20 Peggy Lee (416 / 3 / 0 / 0)
21 Whitney Houston (417 / 3 / 0 / 1)
22 Rosemary Clooney (418 / 3 / 0 / 1)
23 Gladys Knight (421 / 3 / 0 / 1)
24 Shirley Horn (422 / 2 / 2 / 2)
25 Sinead O'Connor (423 / 3 / 0 / 0)
26 Karen Carpenter (424 / 3 / 0 / 2)
27 Barbra Streisand (428 / 2 / 0 / 1)
28T Donna Summer (429 / 2 / 0 / 1)
28T Kate Bush (429 / 3 / 0 / 0)
30 Nancy Wilson (430 / 2 / 0 / 0)
31 Debbie Harry (431 / 2 / 0 / 0)
32T Judy Garland (432 / 2 / 0 / 1)
32T Natalie Cole (432 / 2 / 0 / 1)
32T Sarah McLachlan (432 / 3 / 0 / 0)
35 Nancy Sinatra (433 / 2 / 0 / 0)
36 Bonnie Tyler (434 / 2 / 0 / 0)
37T Bonnie Raitt (435 / 2 / 0 / 1)
37T Dinah Washington (435 / 2 / 0 / 0)
37T Julie Driscoll (435 / 2 / 0 / 0)
40 Stevie Nicks (436 / 2 / 1 / 1)
41T Phoebe Snow (438 / 2 / 0 / 0)
41T Shirley Manson (438 / 2 / 0 / 0)
43T Roberta Flack (439 / 2 / 0 / 0)
43T Sheryl Crow (439 / 3 / 0 / 0)
45 Liz Phair (440 / 2 / 0 / 1)
46 Patti Labelle (441 / 2 / 0 / 0)
47T Bette Midler (442 / 1 / 1 / 1)
47T Natalie Merchant (442 / 1 / 1 / 1)
47T Vestel Goodman (442 / 1 / 1 / 1)
50T Big Mama Thornton (443 / 1 / 0 / 1)
50T Dotty Rambo (443 / 1 / 0 / 1)
50T Joan Armatrading (443 / 2 / 0 / 0)
Sorry - forgot one line in the above comment. Results are arranged as follows:
RANK SINGER NAME (total votes / first place votes / top three votes)
I'm flabbergasted that someone else remembered Julie Driscoll. I had voted for Julie Tippetts (her married name) but changed my vote (since I have access to the database) when I saw that someone had remembered her by her maiden name.
Julie Driscoll was the singer for Brian Auger, a British organ player whose band The Oblivion Express wrote some fabulous, fiery pre-fusion rockin' jazz.
She also sang for Steampacket, a British r&b outfit featuring Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart, and Auger.
Number 1: Dionne Warwick
Number 2: Ella Fitzgerald
Number 3: Sarah Vaughn
Number 4: Dinah Washington
Number 5: Doris Day
Number 6: Aretha Franklin
Number 7: Gladys Knight
Number 8: Loretta Lynn
Number 9: Patsy Cline
Number 10:Nancy Wilson
Number 11:Patti Labelle
Number 12:Whitney Houston
Number 13:Dolly Parton
Number 14:Ruth Brown
Number 15:Roberta Flack
Number 16:Rosemary Clooney
Number 17:Mahalia Jackson
Number 18:Shirley Caesar
Number 19:Barbra Streisand
Number 20:Patti Page
more to come....
How's 'bout an honorable mention for all
these sexy,scintillating,sultry,sirens
of Blues and Sooooooouuuuul?????????????
1-Sugar Pie De Santo
2-Erma Franklin (Aretha's Sister)
3-Koko Taylor
4-Fontella Bass
5-Lyn Collins
6-Barbara Lynn
7-Valerie Wellington
8-Ronnie Spector
9-Little Esther Phillips
10-Marva Whitney
11-Lydia Pense
12-Betty La Vette
13-Irma Thomas
14-Marcia Ball
15-Jean Knight
Just thought they were worth a mention.
Wow. It never ocrossed my mind to check the meaning of Diva. I had a vague idea but not the strict meaning. Well, none of the pop stars, etc are Diva's then. The likes of Sarah Brightman are the Divas.
I'm waiting for breakfast so this is a good excercise. I will take you on your word and list the great female singers, in my opinion. Not the most technically proficient, but the great female singers in my opinion because having seen some names here, I believe that is what people must be doing. Not in any particular order..
1) Anouk
2) Etta James
3) Roberta Flack
4) The lead female singer from K's choice, I forget her name:)
5) Dolores O'riordan
6) Sinead Oconnor
7) Madonna
8) Mary Black
9) Bonnie Tyler
10) Xtina
11) Jill Scott
12) Tracy Chapman
13) Macy Gray
14) Dido
15) Anastacia
16) Diana Ross
17) Delta Goodrem
18) Vanessa Williams
19) Sade
20) Regina Belle
I'm sure we can all go on to many more, but these 20 were the first to come to my mind:)
There may have been some misunderstanding - listing your choices here is very nice, but if you want to participate in the poll you have to follow the link in the original post. I don't have the time or energy to copy your lists appearing here and fill out the poll for you.
Participation in this poll has been pretty weak - only 24 entries (two since 11/25) while the Great Guitarist Poll has received over 150 entries.
Please follow the link and record your choices! Thanks.
Well, I'm obviously one of the ones who did misunderstand:) I have no interest in any poll so I'm sorry if I took up space on this thread. I find polls pointless and their results useless. Are we supposed to proclaim the winner of this poll, the greatest female singer? I find it far more interesting to read who people think are their top 20 singers for whatever reason. Shows variety and atleast if I am in a record shop and I see a CD with a name I might have seen on here, I might pick it up for a listen if I have never listened to her before. I dont think anybody ever agrees to the final result of any poll. So, I find them an exercise in futility.
No problem, Sandra. The poll is obviously voluntary.
I think Sarah Brightman has the most dynamic voice in music today! She crosses from classical to jazz to rock with ease.
To me the best vocalist of all time today has to be Mariah Carey. She could hit those notes unlike any singer. What's good about her voice is that she could sing anything she wanted. She can go from the lowest range to a really high F note which is rare. She's the best!
Dear, dear Jesus. Yes, Mariah Carey is the best ... uh ... except for about 1,550 other women and about 1,450 other men. You should know that. God!
we deities also do not like all-italics
I have two separate lists. One is who I consider to be the best current female singers and the second is who I think the best of all time are.
CURRENT BEST
1. Christina Aguilera (Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas)
2. Alicia Keys (If I Ain't Got You)
3. Tamia (You Put a Move On My Heart)
4. Leanne Rimes (The National Anthem)
5. Sarah McLaughlin (Angel)
6. Faith Hill (Breath)
7. Jessica Simpson (Your Faith In Me)
8. Jewel (Foolish Games)
9. Evanescence/Amy Lee (My Immortal)
10. Avril Levign (I'm With You)
BEST OF ALL TIME
1. Whitney Houston (Didn't We Almost Have It All)
2. Patti Labelle (Somebody Loves You Baby)
3. Celine Dion (It's All Coming Back To Me)
4. Rachelle Ferrell (With Open Arms)
5. Mariah Carey (Vanishing)
6. Stephanie Mills (Home)
7. Regina Belle (If I Could)
8. Bonnie Raitt (Something To Talk About)
9. Toni Braxton (Unbreak My Heart)
10. Tina Turner (What's Love Got To Do With It)
While I definitely think that Mariah Carey is one of the best singers and has the best range of any singer, I don't think she is the very best singer. Her voice can occassionally sound strained (particularly in recent years). I think that both Minnie Ripperton and Rachelle Ferrell can match or surpass Carey on the upper register whistle notes. Whitney Houston and Celine Dion have stronger voices in the mid-range than Carey, Stephanie Mills and Rachell Ferrell can both hold notes longer than Carey and Christina Aguilera and Tamia have better transitions from high to low than Carey does. Having said all that, Mariah is still a fantastic singer with more vocal variety and versatility in songwriting and singing styles than any of the other singers mentioned. Therefore she has to be considered one of the best.
I'm trying to remember the name of a female blues singer. Used to appear on tv variety shows, Flip Wilson, etc. She was famous for her gesturing with her hands, which were slim, long and lovely. Had a rather deep voice for a female and I think was married to a white horn player. E-mail me at: winkelj@msn.com...I'm about nuts trying to come up with it!
I think you meant Anne Wilson, Nancy is the guitar player in Heart, thouhg she does sing, nowhere near as well as Anne does.
This is far too broad a category, it's like comparing apples to oranges.
Alright! I just filled out the poll and my choices are sure debatable, but, there is one that is not up for question.
My #1 choice is PATSY CLINE. Without a doubt. That gal had the most powerful, in tune pipes of anyone, period. If you have had the chance to see her sing on some old B&W footage, its like she isn't even struggling to hit the notes she does. With power.
And, she was a "diva" by definition of our modern pop culture.
Also, I don't know who it was, but back in about '82 I saw this gal in the Seattle Opera (us punx would go see the final dress rehearsal, cheap tix!) who just would blow trees over. Amazing. Can't remember any names or opera details. But this gal was amazing...
peaceloveguidance
Eric, regarding comment #73, thank you. I really need validating of my current crisis.
So, back on the subject, I saw a vote for Big Mama Thornton. Excellent! Lots of votes for AnnWilson (Heart). She actually gained points in my book when here in Seattle she sang the national anthem for the opening of the new football stadium. Quite good. Mariah Carey at the SuperBowl a few years ago was quite good also. The national anthem is a good test of singing ability.
peaceloveguidance
Maria Muldaur deserves some props here. Gorgeous sexy spooky voice. Chrissie Hynde's the only other girl rocker that ever moved me.
Karen Carpenter was a great performer who was very disliked in rock music. how sad and how hypocritical. I think the music world like people today are very elitest and shallow. may God forgive them.
Grace Slick? Stevie Nicks? Neither could carry a tune in a bucket tied to a crane.
Most of these lists suffer from:
1) a knowledge of musical history that begins in 1980 or so. Feh.
2) restriction to the pop genre.
-- which is too bad, because one of the few constructive purposes of these lists is to TURN PEOPLE ON to relatively obscure and/or underexposed 'greats' whom they might not be exposed to while being spoon-fed fecal capsules from the Great Corporate Hand of Pop Culture.
ie. -- Most of you kids need to expand your horizons -- both historically and musically.
xxoo,
an elitist who knows history
PS: ADD Cecilia Bartoli, Frederica VonStrade, Maria Callas, Lena Horne, Bessie Smith... fer starters.
Bonus Essay:
In 25 words or less, explain the difference between Greatness and Popularity.
~go!
Whoops. Noticed Bessie Smith and Lena Horne are on the 'official list'.
Okay, then... add Blossom Dearie!
Twice!
The greatest female singers in my opinion (in particular order):
Patricia Holt/Patti Labelle
Wynona Hendryx/Nona Hendryx
Sarah Dash
Nina Simone
Beyonce Knowles
Mary Wilson
Michelle Williams
Aaliyah
Alicia Keys
Celine Dion
Fantasia Barrino (American Idol winner)
Jill Scott
Mahalia Jackson
I hate to say this but i think Karen Carpenter was the best at least the last thirty years. look at her jazz vocals. Are look how she peformed the song Rainy Days and Monday. You know she sang a duet with Ella Fitzgerald. It was said that Elvis Pressley was imtimidated by her voice and personality. Plus she could play any kind of instrument, and every female musician tries to copy her style. was she ahead of her time, are was she born to early.
ten best female singers;
barbra streisand
mariah carey
whitney houston
karen carpenter
aretha franklin
celine dion
diana ross
patsy cline
gladys knight and chaka khan
Good Lord, you've chosen so many wonderful singers I forgot to add to my votes.
However, I'm quite disappointed so many people have forgotten about Judy Garland, considering her huge talent/voice/charisma and her influence on many of the singers you've chosen!
This is my choice of who I feel are the finest female vocalists of all-time. I made these choices not on how they dress or look. But strictly on their ability as a vocalist. The ability to sing on key, range, tone, pitch, depth, ease of style.
This is what I came up with:
1. Karen Carpenter (some of the others on my list may technically be better singers than Karen. But Karen beats them all for having such a true sense of natural purity in her voice and also for her one of a kind unique style.
2.Donna Summer
3. Aretha Franklin
4. k.d. lang
5. Ella Fitzgerald
6. Gladys Knight
7. Sade
8. Roberta Flack
9. Sarah Vuaghn
10. Sarah Brightman
11. Barbra Streisand
12. Billie Holiday
13. Dusty Springfield
14. Patsy Cline
15. Chaka Khan
best singer of them all do use remember taylor dayne love her
My top twenty best females singers of all genres in no particular order:
1. Aretha Franklin
2. Barbra Streisand
3. Whitney Houston
4. Ella Fitzgerald
5. Ann Wilson of Heart
6. Sade
7. Donna Summer
8. Mariah Carey
9. Sarah Vaughn
10. Celine Dion
11. Tina Turner
12. Christina Aguilera
13. Beyonce'
14. Janis Joplin
15. Sade
16. Pat Benatar
17. Rachelle Ferelle
18. Patsy Cline
19. Martina McBride
20. Mahaila Jackson
I've included a few personal favorites:
Eva Cassidy didn't leave much behind, but she sounded fantastic. Really a jazz/blues singer. Did a lot of slow stuff though.
Ambrosia Parsley sings with Shivaree. A super Billie Holiday-influenced warbler. Sade for the smarter set.
Puma Jones sang with Black Uhuru. Had to come up with ten. She wasn't always in tune actually.
And I must protest at the inclusion of Diana Krall! She can play piano well, but her voice? Ugh! Sounds like my grandfather after he wakes up coughing!
the best vocal voices:
1.patti labell
2.aretha franklin
3.maxine(envouge)
4.fantasia
5.beyonce knowles
6.aaliyah
7.christina agulera
8.donna summer
9monica
10.mariah carey
11.alicia keys
Nona Hendryx, Patti Labelle, Sarah Dash, Baby Jean Kennedy, Chaka Khan, Scherrie Payne, Ann Wilson (Heart), High Inergy, Nina Simone
My all-time Top 20 female vocalists are:-
1. Aretha Franklin
2. Patricia Hyman
3. Nancy Wilson
4. Fantasia Barrino
5. Dionne Warwick
6. Millie Jackson
7. Gladys Knight
8. Ella Fitzgerald
9. Sarah Vaughn
10. Celine Dion
11. Mahalia Jackson
12. Keeley Smith
13. Patti Labelle
14. Karen Carpenter
15. Roberta Flack
16. Nina Simone
17. Billie Holiday
18. Stephanie Mills
19. Whitney Houston
20. Etta James
I have ranked Fantasia so highly because I feel she is so uniquely talented and has all the attributes to eventually take over from Aretha as my number one.
Some of the Best Female Singers ever in my opinion:
#1 Laura Branigan
#2 Patrice Rushen
#3 Olivia Newton-John
#4 Amy Grant
#5 Stephanie Mills
#6 Carole King
#7 Peaches
#8 Pebbles
#9 Carly Simon
#10 Jennifer Holliday
I'm a bit surprised that Lee Wiley doesn't seem to be on anyone's list. She defines the difference between greatness and popularity.
1.Connie Francis
2.Celine Dion
3.Barnra Streisand
4.Donna Summer
5.Cyndi Lauper
5.Diana Ross
6.Lesley Gore
7.Anastacia
8.Taylor Dayne
9.Nina Hagen
10.Delta Goodrem
It's funny to see the divisions as to age and taste.
Growing up my mother constantly played her era of music so I have an appreciation of Sarah Vaughn ( Check out her version of Poor Butterfly- amazing !),Vera Lynn and of course Etta . I didn't notice anyone mentioning Gogi Grant. Very talented ! Thanks Mom !
It's easy to throw out the FM radio friendly mainstays like Joplin or Mitchell( " Clouds !")but theres some major really talented women that perhaps aren't as trendy or cool to admit liking. The woman's a mess- but good lord Whitney Houston can sing! Her range reminds me of Celine Dion. Laugh away but great singers !
Anyone remember Allison Moyet ? Great pipes for a pop singer. Stevie Nicks singing " Landslide" always hits a nerve. I could listen to Maria McKee sing the phone book! Unless you are tone deaf you can't not be blown away by Sarah Brightman.
LOL ! Right now in my truck's CD player I've got some Lone Justice ( Mckee) along side some Alice in Chains and Matt Good!
My favourite singers of all time are:
1*Céline Dion
2*Barbra Streisand
3*Sarah Connor
4*Shania Twain
5*Whitney Houston
#1 Sarah Vaughan
No Particular Order
Ella Fitzgerald
Stephanie Mills
Pattie LaBelle
Mariah Carey
Whitney Houston
Aretha Franklin
Nancy Wilson
Dionne Warwick
Feist (the build up -KOC)
Nina Simone (released)
Carmen McRae (Straight No Chaser)
Etta James (I'd rather Go Blind)
singer from AIR (all i Need)
Bjork (So Broken)
Joanna Newsom (Bridges and Balloons)
Roisin Murphy (Ruby Blue)
I think Nina is the best though. Never can over listento her- love it every time.
Maria Callas is the original Diva, and the term has just been cheapened by overuse since then. Especially when routinely applied to Ethyl Merman lookalike belters.
Ann/Nancy Wilson. Not only can they rock the stage, but they manage to sound identical both live and in studio. How many singers do you hear nowadays that sound just as well live? Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston in her early career, Celine Dion, Stevie Nicks, Lisa Fischer, and a couple others.
The greatest female singers to perform in the last 75 years are:
Jeanette MacDonald
Barbara Streisand
No one is anywhere near those 2, period!
DS
Aretha Franklin is the best female singer
I would have to say Mariah Carey would be streaks ahead of the rest of these:
1) Mariah Carey : Her first album (Mariah Carey) has awesome vocal ability and her song-writing is immense, as always (Her new album TEOM is also brilliant).
2) Joss Stone, hers a girl so young but so talented. Brilliant.
3) Janis Joplin. True legend
4) Eva Cassidy - brilliant voice!!!
5) Joni Mitchell - again ace!
6) Katie Melua , her voice is just soo soooothing!!!
7) Kelly Clarkson - love a nice rock chick ;)
8)Christina Aguilera - Nice voice
9) LeAnn Rimes - brilliant, wish she did more stuff!!
10) dusty - what else can i say?
Can i care to mention that i have left Madonna out. She is an entertainer - NOT a singer.
After years of listening to music mostly pop/rock from the 70's onwards,I enjoyed studying the lists and comments.There are so many different styles out there that comparisons are almost pointless.I do think though there is one voice that is so pure,flawless,full of
mystery that to me stands out above the others.
She looked like the girl next door.
She sang like an angel.
She is Karen Carpenter.
The best singer by far is Rebekah DEl Rio who has not even started her career yet.I've been up all night listening to "Llorando" which she sang in the movie "Mulholland DR."You will recognize it as the spanish version for Roy Orbinson's classic "crying".I've never cried listening to a singer before,until I heard REBEKAH DEL RIO.
She's even better than Karen Carpenter.
REBEKAH DEL RIO #1
I found this female singer from the Philippines named Regine Velasquez. When I heard some of her mp3s i was totally amazed. You should try to listen to her. Just google her. Can make some popular female singers nowadays a run for their money!
My favourites start with,
1. Whitney Houston
2. Christina Agulira
3. Aretha Franklin
4. Karen Carpenter
5. Beyonce Knowles
6. Lucia Paniker
7. Annette Philip
8. Mariah Carey
Elis Regina is the best singer ever.
Once Ella Fitzgerald said ELIS REGINA IS OF THE TOP FIVE FEMALE SINGERS EVER, but she was wrong. Elis Regina is the best. You do not know her! I am so sorry for you... I have heard all these singers you mentioned, but if they just listened to Elis regina they would be ashamed of having the mere intention to be called singers. They would swallow their albums and promise never to sing again. After that they would kneel down and pray HAIL ELIS REGINA!
I once was able to watch the concert of regine velasquez here in los angeles. I was really blown away! She's great. On of the best voices I ever heard or maybe the best one.
My Top 5
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughn
Barbra Streisand
Karen Carpenter
Judy Garland
Ummmm HELLOOO?? MARIA CALLAS anyone??? True, many of the women listed are indeed fantastic singers, but there is no one who has lived in this century who can surpass this talented beauty. There is no one who will ever be able to top her, probably at least for the next two hundred years. Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera are all good, but they are BUBBLEGUM compared with La Divina, Madame Callas.
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
#1 Jody Watley
#2 Teena Marie
#3 Evelyn "Champaign" King
#4 Karyn White
#5 Lisa Lisa
#6 Alicia Myers (of One Way)
#7 Mary Davis
#8 Angela Winbush
#9 Tracie Spencer
#10 Tawatha Agee (of Mtume)
While maybe not the best to many, they are all very talented, often under-rated artists, an unfortune case...
Now go listen to "Juicy Fruit" from Mtume tell me thats not the $H^! ;)
What??!! No Ricky Lee Jones???? I'm going to faint. Shame on You's!!!
How about Maureen McGovern? . . . she could bring tears to your eyes just singing the phone book.
And I didn't see Jonatha Brooke . . . soulful.
More applause for Nancy Wilson - a true artist.
And Eva Cassidy . . . she lives on!
REGINE VELASQUEZ!!! The best asian diva! They call her Asia's songbird! Truly deserves to be recognized in the international scene. Just try to search her name in youtube and you'll find her amazing performances!Here are just some of them.
Regine Velasquez
youtube.com
youtube video
well I know I'm no expert on whos the BEST and personally I dont believe that theres one best because you have to remember that to some people the best singers are the unusual ones and some just like a pretty voice and some like the most
powerful voice possible as the best singer
personally I like a voice with variety and
complete uniqueness: so my top 2 are fiona apple
and shakira because their voices are so unusual but also so completely vast and thats amazing and a
talent that few other artists possess(I know bjork has an unusual voice but I'm not going to claim I know anything about someone I dont listen to)
christina aguilera and sarah brightman would be on my "most powerful voices" listalong with pink and...sh*t theres so many others, well you know the drill
mariah carey is in the pretty sounding voices category though she counts for powerful I suppose too. (and I again wont claim I know more about any other artists to put them up here but I know others can choose for me)
but my alltime favorites are fiona apple and shakira at this moment because shakira can do so much with her voice and every song shows more of her vast talents. she was in a list on psychology today of people with perfect pitch. some people think she doesnt sing right or something but its because she never holds back and belts out her raw voice and then can soften it into something quiet and lilting in a second which is very powerful
fiona apple cause her voice can seduce and sedate and simplify: I have no idea how she does it but its like she has my heart in her hands every time I play one of her songs. in criminal it seems like she just doesnt have the right voice or even the right face to sing a happy song ever but in extraordinary machine she shows how she can completely reverse the mood to blissful and careless and her voice is always so perfect for what the song means everytime, it changes every song!
I hope someone got something outta this cause I just did a sh*tload of typing :)
I think the best singers ever are these below.They shocked the Universe,they are really the greatest in the Universe,I say in Universe because,you know you have heard, some people say that there may exist UfOs,but if they really existand if they have singers too.Still these three singers are the greatest in Universe.They are blessed by God,and even we may be alittle blessed because God put them in this world for us , so we must thank God.
1.Anastacia[she has the strongest and most emotional voice,pop.rock Qween ever.]
2.Beyonce Knowles[she is a perfect singer in general, too profesional& emotional R'n'B Qween ever.]
3.Christina Aguilera[she has a perfect voice, POP Qween ever. ]
Tey are multy talental, they are really the three exceptions in the history of music.But there are a lot of other singers that people likeand they sing pretty good.
whitney
ok you have some people who have made it big, who ar enot singers eg madona and britney.
they just have appeal beacue they are good hit makers and that they are white, it is the truth. In order for a white girl to geta contract, she must be pretty abnd have an average voice.
A balck girl, she must be able to belt her ass of and lok pretty on top of that, but the voice is more important.
it is almost impossible for a black girl with an average voice to get a contract. look at the youn singers.
britney vs alecia. miss keys blows her away
even in the past barbara vs aretha. come on, do i need to say who the winer is there.
but thereare white gilrs with exceptions
hers is my list of the two categoires All time, and o be legends
all time legends in no order
aretha
gladys
bessie
dinah washington
sarah vaughn
etta james
etta fitzgerald
billie holiday
minnie ripperton
taylor dayne
teena marie
mariah carey
toni braxton
sade
annie lennox
celine dion
pattie labelle
chaka khan
stephanie mills
mahalia jackson
shirley ceaser
janis joplin
fure legends
christina qulera
alecia keys
jojo
beyonce
JOSS STONE(she is like a young aretha)
OK, the link to the poll is dead. So, my thoughts: Sometimes it's about pure technical ability, and sometimes it's about knowing how to use the tools you have. Which means that not all great singers are literally "great singers." I agree with all the nominees mentioned by everyone above, and I'd like to add and/or underline the following (in no particular order) --
1. Shakira (especially on the Pies descalzos, ¿Donde estan los ladrones?, and Unplugged albums)
2. Alanis Morissette
3. Kelly Clarkson
4. Linda Ronstadt
5. Susanna Hoffs
6. Belinda Carlisle
7. Dusty Springfield
8. Shirley Bassey
9. Skye Edwards
10. Sass Jordan
11. Andrea Echeverri
12. Malissa Sutherland
13. Nellie McKay
14. Fiona Apple
15. Nicole Scherzinger
16. Kate Bush
17. Melanie Joy
18. Daisy Martey
19. Melissa O'Neil
20. Suzanne Vega
I know I've missed plenty of fabulous, talented female vocalists, but those are the first 20 that came to mind.
I've found another original song of Regine Velasquez that I want to share. It really captured her angelic and powerful voice. It's a rare gift. I'm a canadian but I discovered this Filipino singer through my friened who also happens to be a Filipino. Ever since then, I fell in love with her voice. Please try to listen to her and your opinions about her will be greatly appreciated. Here's the link and oh by the way, the composer of this song is Mark Feist, the one who composed Emotions revived by Destiny's Child, which she also sang in the same album.
hey guyz...for me the greatest voice ever is regine velasquez(a.k.a."asia's song bird"),she's from the philippines... other hollywood singers know her! in fact! mostly of them got a duet with regine velasquez,and all of these hollywood divas and singers hands down to regine velasquez! because they saw the talent, effortless belting, and perfectly high notes hitting and etc. from regine.other of these singers are brian mcnight,98 degrees,coco lee of asia,mandy moore and many more.she also compares to mariah carey,but they are both great in singing but of course on the two of them one is a way better (i am is not allowed to say who's better,but you know who's im talking about)
if you want to hear and see more of regine just search her in youtube
or for her vocal prefferences search on google.
[Personal contact info deleted]
also kyla, of philippines is also a good singer she got a duet from blue and they said shes the best singer theve ever worked on! she can also hit high notes and have a good singing style also compared to mariah carey. you can also search kyla (not the blonde one and not the child one)on youtube.
[Personal contact info deleted]
if you want to hear and see more of regine and kyla just search her in youtube or for her vocal prefferences search on google.
[Personal contact info deleted]
CHRISTINA AGUILERA CLEARLY HAS AN AMAZING VOICE. SHE PUTS ALL SINGERS TO SHAME. SHE HAS THE STONGEST, MOST POWERFUL VOICE IN THE WORLD. WHY IS IT THAT BARELY ANYONE HAS HER WRITTEN DOWN? THINK PAST THE 80'S PEOPLE!
greatest singer is Alison Krauss
Best female singer? I must say that I know who they are.
(In order from 10 (great) to 1 (greatest))
10. Alicia Keys (Fallin')
9. the Dixie Chicks, good laed singer, great backing vocals).
8. Donna Summer (I Fell love)
7. Celine Dion
6. Ani-Frida (from ABBA)
5. Carrie Underwood (belts out huge vocals)
4. Enya (celtic lady)
3. Gwen Stefani (No Doubt)
2. Agnetha Falstog (blonde ABBA woman)
1. MADONNA (her amazing voice can soar)
i dont like Cher and Christina and the Duffs, they're gross.
There are many great female singers and its impossible to pick the best, because each is unique in her own way. The best way to compare singers is to compare how well they perform THEIR own songs live, and how well each performance compares to their last.
Here are some of my favorites, listed in no particular order.
1. Leann Rimes
2. Donna Summer
3. Annie Lennox
4. KD Lang
5. Sarah McLaughlin (sp)
6. Mariah Carey
7. Whitney Houston
8. Christina Aguilara
9. Patti Labelle
10. Kelly Clarkson
All of these women know how to sing!
has anyone heard of TINA TURNER!!!?
OH, I can't believe that this gal im talking about is a very good singer--she's regine velasquez from the philippines. lately, ive been listening to her audio at youtube.com, especially she sings the highest note which most singers nowadays can rarely do is very amazing and powerful. maybe it happens that my fave singer is (Earth, Wind and Fire)which she sings with quite different version yet powerful rendition..she's one of my faves these days..i think for this gal from the Philippines in Asia to explore in the Hollywood world...
best singer
patti labelle
regine velasquez (philippines)
EWF
mariah carey
barbra streisand
whytney houston
celine dion
....
Rather than dig through the esoterica, I'll just deal 'em out of my iTunes pop/rock/soul oriented playlist:
Ann Wilson of Heart
Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders
Chaka Khan (thereby citing the root source of far too many inferior imitators)
Natalie Merchant
Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls
Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac
Christina Aguilera (no, really!)
Shirley Manson of Garbage
Janis Joplin, of course
Alison "Alf" Moyet (and her twin brother, Jimmy Sommerville)
Ella Fitzgerald
Karen Carpenter
Barbra Streisand
kd Lang
Dusty Springfield
Annie Lennox
Sarah Vaughn
Aretha Franklin
Joni Mitchell
Alison Moyet
***Guadalup Pineda***
I first heard her voice while sitting in a small cafe in San Blas, Mexico. Since then I've collected everything I can find. This senorita was BORN TO SING.
top 10 female vocals are not in order:
Beyonce
mariah
whitney
alicia keys
aaliyah
anastacia
kelly clarkson
norah jones
aretha
barbra
does anybody play Karaoke Revolution on atari? playing this game was fun, embarassing. i think i actually improved my singing. but more importantly, it made me look at famous vocalists like i would fine wines-one should appreciate the finer points and complexities and then compare and contrast them as an obsession!
my list after after playing the game for the last 6 months (i used to be a indie/rock junkie):
mariah carey
whitney houston
k.d. lang
christina aguilera
jojo? (she's only about 15)
these types of singers have so much skill with good tone, i'm not exactly sure how could anyone with reason not give them props. give mariah her props!
i'm also just going to assume that operatic and jazz greats will blow away rock/pop/country singers 95% of the time from the technical aspects of the game.
in fact these singers would need their own level of difficulty for the game such as "gifted", "genius" or just "insanely talented"
as far as some most appealing/or sad voices to me:
karen carpenter
abba
fiona apple
stevie nicks
corinne bailey rae is neat
janis joplin
and many others
some of the earlier nominations on this website are the equivalent of cheap beer or swill. but hey i guess thats within the spirit of rock n roll!
BEST FEMALE SINGER???
REGINE VELASQUEZ!!! Hands down... the BEST!!!
My favorite is her own rendition of
"I DON'T WANNA MISS A THING" by Aerosmith (always gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it...turn up the volume, TRUST ME,YOU WON'T REGRET LOOKING FOR IT and listening to it!)
Google it or find it on Youtube, or Limewire (perhaps?) Look for her versions of other songs too, like
1. I'll Never Love This Way Again (Dionne Warwick)
2. Weekend in New England, Could It Be Magic, Even Now, If I should Love Again (Barry Manilow Medley)
3. Moon River, Two for the Road, Moment to Moment (Henry Mancini Medley)
4. On the Wings of Love (Jeffrey Osborne)
5. Say That You Love Me
6. Sometime, Somewhere
7. You'll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
8. With You I'm Born Again (Billy Preston & Syreeta)
9. Butterfly (Mariah Carey)
10. I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston)
But of course, I love these gals too:
1. Mariah Carey
2. Madonna
3. Barbra Streisand
3. Beyonce
LONG LIVE MUSIC!!! :)
My list of the greats:
Sarah Vaughn
Diahann Carroll
Barbra (though sometimes I can only take so much of her)
Sarah Dash (formerly of Labelle)
Patti LaBelle (of course!)
Martha Wash
Donna Summer
Connie Francis (when she was young)
Dinah Washington
Gloria Lynne
k d lang
Randy Crawford
Karen Carpenter (highly underrated)
check this filipina singers at you tube
regine velasquez
kyla
lani misalucha
jaya
and nina
they are indeed... fantastic!!!
truly "diva"
check them out at google or you tube....
enx...
1) Anastacia
2) aretha franklin
3) chaka khan
4)Christina Aguilara
5)mariah carey
6)celine dion
7)janis joplin
8)mariah carey
9)Pat Benatar (Rock vocal)
10)pattie labelle
whats wrong with you barbra striesand was not a good singer listen to coloring book by sarah vaughn then by barbra not the same ball park.
sarah vaughn
ella fitzgerald
billie holiday
whitney houston(bodyguard soundtrack)
Mrs. Baker
Etta James
Agnetha Faltskog from Abba has the voice of an angel, and was the voice of abba, she is surely one of the best female vocalists of our generation.
I can't provide a list... I've come here because I'm trying to create one.. looking for the best female singers in the world... because I recently listened to my 3000 track collection of music and found it all tedious, predictable, humdrum, boring....
I've found a few new names and tried them and, to my vast surprise some of them are so incredibly predictably the same, whichever song they're singing. (loreena mckennitt, say?). You couldn't say they were great - they really only sing one song, they've only got one sound.
And, looking at this list, going back three years! I just find more of the same - for the most part. How depressing. How deprived we are. How limited. Me too, me too, don't get upset, me too, remember... I'm looking. What a paucity of talent we think of as 'great'.
I think we just miss the point. We're just not looking, not trying, not growing, not seeking, not finding. The singers are in the classical field. That's where they are.
I'm sorry many 'ordinary' talents will never get there, that's true, and I'm sorry so much of the classical repertoire sounds so weird to the modern ear perhaps... but if we really want to appreciate human beings with great talent doing great things with their voices we need to get away from this humdrum 'pop' stuff....
mark my words... one day you'll go back to your collection, too... and you'll go 'yawwwwwnnnn'
:)
REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ REGINE VELASQUEZ
Do you mean beautiful or moving/highly lovable voices?
Marianne Faithfull seems under-recognized on this list. Like Joplin, Faithfull's rebirth recordings are moving/highly lovable, but beautiful, no. Yet Faithfull's North Country Maid (1966) for me competes with Barbra Streisand, who's at this top five level as well... IMHO. Her Sunny Goodge Street sounds more beautiful to me than Judy Collins' version.
Dusty Springfield is without a doubt the greatest female singer, or singer in general, of all time. She sang all genres and her voice could be both soft and sensual and powerful and strong. I still believe 'Son of a preacher man' to be the sexiest song of all time and if you want versatility listen to 'I close my eyes and count to ten',no other singer possesses the vocal range and skill to sing that song.
Greatest rock/pop vocalist today is Allison Crowe. Here's ten of the greatest singers of all time (in no particular order):
1) Allison Crowe
2) Edith Piaf
3) Billie Holiday
4) Ella Fitzgerald
5) Dinah Washington
6) Joni Mitchell
7) Mahalia Jackson
8) Nina Simone
9) Barbra Streisand
10) Janis Joplin
I still believe you're all wrong and the really good singers are classical (i.e. like in opera) singers...
But I had another thought, too. Singers change very much during their careers. I used to love Dean Martin and went out to collect some records and had a hell of a time getting the sound I loved - it seemed they were all different recordings from different times/studios/arrangements/backing groups.
The same with Patsy Cline who I once thought was the world's (the universe's?) greatest. I collected and found myself with heaps of stuff that fell short.
The same with Celine Dion. I got caught, rapt and started to collect and found heaps of stuff I didn't want, didn't like.
All of that happened before I gave up on them all and started following John Cargher's 'Singers of Renown' (an Australian Radio show on national radio) and allowed him to show me what real singing is.
What I would really like to see (or hear, really) is some classical singer doing a pop song. Doing some of the pop people's stuff, so's we can do a direct comparison.
It is true that some pop singers get something in their voice (or the recording engineers manage to do something) that reaches out and grabs you. Sometimes. But never all the time.
How about Sinatra (Saw on tv last night that he was a front for the mob!!!)? What enormous variation in his sound.
That magic 'something', wonderful as it is, is not enough to brand them as 'great singers' for all time - not when you call to mind all the world's singers.
So what am I saying?
. Remember the enormous variation in one singer's output.
. Remember you are talking about 'pop' singers and that's a very specialised area.
This thread should be 'who is the greatest female pop singer because of at least one song during their career?'
ab
:)
REGINE VELASQUEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its a shame not many people seem to know who Martina Mcbride is. If they did she would be on everyones list...If you don't beleive me just check her out on YOUTUBE, and you will see what talent and stage-presence is all about.
My top five
Whitney Houston or Martina Mcbride tough to choose from.
The OLD Mariah Carey. Lost her vocal ability years ago.
Celine Dion.
Regine Valasquez
Aretha Framklin.
they all professional!!! but i have some opinion.. maybe REGINE VElAQUEZ, MARIAH CAREY, CELINE DION..
OUT about SITTI NHURNALIZA???
Music is so varied, it is impossible to list these in order, but they are in order of how they came to mind!
Aretha Franklin
Joni Mitchell
k.d. lang
Bonnie Raitt
Dionne Warwick
Annie Lennox
Karen Carpenter
Janis Joplin
Ann Wilson
Linda Ronstadt
Judee Sill
Cass Elliot
Carly Simon
Deborah Harry
Grace Slick
Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday
Judy Garland
Chrissie Hynde
Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister)
Donna Summer
Barbra Streisand
Dusty Springfield
Kate Bush
Sinead O'Connor
Aimee Mann
Bobbie Gentry
Etta James
Gladys Knight
Nina Simone
Carole King
Laura Branigan
Olivia Newton-John
Whitney Houston
Dolly Parton
Emmylou Harris
Chaka Khan
Carly,
Joan Armatrading,
Sarah Vaughan,
Thelma Houston and
Randy Crawford
I pulled up the voting poll (6am) and it was too much to deal with. I will stagger down to the Starbucks down the street and wake up.
ANYWAY, best female vocalist. Let me put it this way, how about best vocalist, period. And the winner is PATSY CLINE!!!!! Yes, that woman had the best set of pipes in the biz. I mean, better than Paverotti (sp?), etc.
No kidding, ever seen video tape of her singing? She will go thru these amazing pitch changes like it was nothing at all. No flinching, struggle, etc.
Patsy Cline is my vote for the smoothest highest horsepower voice in the biz. Ella, Janice, I think you gals are outstanding also, but I give it to Patsy.
best,
DM
Not to get all detail-oriented, but... are you looking for the best bitchy, hard-to-handle divas or the best female singers regardless of temperment and glam quotient? I'm a huge fan of Lotte Lenya and Janis Joplin and wouldn't count them as divas in the Aretha-Jennifer Lopez mold, for example.