Your top 5 female singers

[PJTHEDOORS]

Very underrated.

For todays generation I guess.

 

[Rockport]

Carrie Underwood can break some face.

 

[DallasEast]

Chaka Khan
Whitney Houston
Aretha Franklin
Anita Baker
Alicia Keys

This was an awfully hard post for whittling down to five personal favorites only.

 

[dogunwo]

I am surprised no one mentions Mariah Carey. Her vocal talent is elite.

 

[DallasEast]

Carey

I tussled choosing between Mariah and Alicia for a few minutes before finally going with Keys.

This thread gave me a headache.

 

[DallasEast]

I am surprised no one mentions Mariah Carey. Her vocal talent is elite.

Big Dog did.

 

[Leadbelly]

Sharon Van Etten
Corin Tucker (mainly Sleater-Kinney and earlier)
Florence Welch/Florence + The Machine
Valerie June
Annie Clark/St Vincent

They're no Aretha, Whitney Houston, Streisand, Mariah Carey, or Kim So-hyang. I'm basically putting those pure singers in a different category and the first four are the Mt Rushmore of female vocalists. Still, I will listen to my favorites over any of the technically great singers every time.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Some good selections here, allow me to throw in a few.

Joan Baez
Janis Ian
Joni Mitchell
Chrissie Hynde

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Can only have 5?

Humm.... in no particular order because I don't know how I could call one greater then the other:

Patsy Cline
Dolly Pardon
Shania Twain
Billie Holliday
Loretta Lynn

Most honorable mention would go to:

Dianna Ross
Madonna
Gladys Knight
Patti Smyth
Mary Chappen Carpenter
Adele
Joan Jett
Linda Ronstadt
Deana Carter
Lulu (for one song, To Sir With Love)

There are so many, it's almost unfair to have to pick only 5 but there you go and I'm certain I've left out several.

 

[DallasEast]

My favorite song belonging to each of my top five female singers:

​

I have several songs by Khan, Houston, Franklin and Keys loaded on my iPhone but I have EVERY Anita Baker song on my phone. I love each one of the aforementioned voices but I literally love Baker the person because of her voice. Even my wife has always known how I really feel about Anita.

 

[morasp]

Karen Carpenter
Ella Fitzgerald
Julie Andrews
Barbara Streisand
Aretha Franklin

 

[EGTuna]

Choosing 5 based on the music I enjoy (i.e., it's totally subjective):
- Amy Mann
- Courtney Love (awful person, but Hole has some great songs)
- PJ Harvey (Stories from the City Stories from the Sea remains an all timer album)
- Juliana Hatfield
- Fiona Apple

 

[Preoccupied]

1.Julie Andrews
2. Maria Carey
The rest

 

[dreghorn2]

It begins and ends with Ann Wilson for pop/rock vocals.

 

[Ranching]

I like that Bruno Mars chick, she's very talented. lol

 

[joseephuss]

Don't have a top 5. But Eva Cassidy has to be in the top 5.

Yep, she is great. Her version of Time after Time is incredible.

So many other greats already mentioned. I'll add Annie Lennox. Such a powerful voice.

 

[StarMan2112]

It begins and ends with Ann Wilson for pop/rock vocals.

Ann is my favorite female vocalist by far. I also like:
Stevie Nicks
Pat Benatar
Patty Loveless
Emmylou Harris

 

[Hardline]

1. Tarja Turenen

2.Simone Simons of Epica

3. Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil

4.Vibeke Stene of Tristania

Helena Iren Michaelsen of Imperia

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

Some good selections here, allow me to throw in a few.

Joan Baez
Janis Ian
Joni Mitchell
Chrissie Hynde

Love Hynde.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

Alison Krauss is a personal fave.