Best Female Voices of All Time?

[LaydeeBug]

Any genre, alive or dead.

Arleen Auger

Renee Fleming

Tracy Chapman

Ann Wilson

Janis Joplin

Sarah Vaughn

Billie Holliday

Annie Lennox

Add to the list, I love being inspired

[arcane1]

1. Anneke van Giersbergen is the best!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneke_van_Giersbergen

[cwydro]

2. Whitney Houston.

[In_The_Wind]

3. Joan Baez, Carol King, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Nora Jones

[ailsagirl]

4. Grace Slick & Linda Ronstadt (back in the day) n/t

[Hoyt]

32. +1.

[ailsagirl]

33. "White Rabbit" comes to mind...

In fact, that whole album (Surrealistic Pillow) was excellent.

[Hoyt]

35. That whole period was very good. Somebody to Love was also great. If there is ever a time machine .

[ailsagirl]

36. And the crowning touch, "Coming Back to Me"

"sigh"

A very special and exciting time for music-- and other things!!

[PufPuf23]

75. Lilith

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Kiri te Kanawa.

[quickesst]

6. I think I have to go with...

... Mama Cass Elliot

[ailsagirl]

7. She had a beautiful voice!!

[quickesst]

43. I think she had what I call...

....a pure voice. Elvis Presley also had that pure sound. I think it's pretty rare, but of course that's just my opinion.

[hobbit709]

8. Maddy Prior and Sandy Denny

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

9. Sandy Denny and Patti Smith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Denny

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smith

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Judy Collins

[Glorfindel]

139. Yes! I think so, too

n/t

[Kingofalldems]

11. Karen Carpenter-- the best.

[genxlib]

45. My vote too

I was crushed when she died too young

[Thor_MN]

47. I've always liked the sound of her voice.

You can have every opera vocalist ever, and I'll take a scratched up LP of Karen over them,

[TexasBushwhacker]

54. Have you heard Rumer?

She sounds a lot like Karen.

[Kingofalldems]

56. Amazing likeness.

[elleng]

12. Elīna Garanča

[GaYellowDawg]

18. VERY NICE! Finally, someone posts classical. How about this for a higher register?

Sissel Kyrkjebø:

On edit: the smoking look your alto gave the conductor at about 2:08 sped my heart up considerably.

[elleng]

20. GOOD one!

Yes, Elina (mezzo-soprano) likes Gustavo. So do I!!!

[MH1]

13. Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell

Joan

Joni

I agree with several on your list. Especially Tracy Chapman.

[Smarmie Doofus]

28. Joni is the best lyricist on the list.

Great voice and musicianship also.... but her lyrics endure.

[MH1]

14. Bette Midler

[rug]

15. Chloë Agnew

[NewJeffCT]

16. Idina Menzel, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald

Bernadette Peters

[mnhtnbb]

17. Barbra Streisand

in a class all by herself.

[UTUSN]

41. The thread is looking up

[hamsterjill]

88. Thank you!

I thought it was just me!!! LOL

Barbra is phenomenal.

[lunatica]

19. Linda Rondstad with Blue Bayou

[UTUSN]

42. Linda yes, Bayou-NO. What about Linda/NEVILLE "I Don't Know Much"?

[Va Lefty]

70. +1

[shenmue]

21. Alison Moyet

[TexasBushwhacker]

53. Beat me to it!

Her voice is amazing.

[JudyM]

111. oh yeah!

[marked50]

22. Mini Riperton

[OriginalGeek]

67. Her daughter ain't too shabby either

but she's even funnier than she is a good singer. I'm glad she works both into her act.

[Trailrider1951]

23. Loreena McKennitt

She has the voice of an angel

[PufPuf23]

24. Add Natalie Cole to the singers in the OP and other posts especially

Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Grace Slick, Billie Holliday ......

Nice Father's Day tribute to one of the sweetest male voices of all time too.

[LaydeeBug]

71. The first song you posted was mine and Dad's song...yday (when I posted the OP)

was Father's Day. Today is the anniversary of his parting.

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT. In some way, it allowed me to think of him without losing it completely.

[PufPuf23]

74. You are welcome. Must be why I posted to your OP.

My Mom (gone 33 years now) was a huge Nat King Cole fan

When I was a child in the 50s and early 60s riding in the car, she would sing along with the radio with Nat King Cole.

So I followed Natalie Cole's career and really liked the clever duets with her father.

Just listened again for more misty eyes.

[rurallib]

25. Anne Murray

[PufPuf23]

26. Aretha Franklin

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. Literally just *voice*? KD Laing is way up there. nt

[CanSocDem]

98. Yes indeed!

[Aristus]

29. Annie Lennox could win just for this alone:

[sl8]

30. I'm not qualified to judge, but I'd think this girl must be among the most precocious:

9 year old Amira Willighagen:
(she starts at ~ 2:00)

[blue neen]

31. The one and only, Patsy Cline.

[Brother Buzz]

60. Definitely on my short list

She had the best ear too, she was pitch perfect

[athena]

34. Ella Fitzgerald, Cecila Bartoli, Barbara

Ella Fitzgerald:

Cecilia Bartoli:

Barbara:

[Orrex]

37. Nicki Minaj, obviously.

[GReedDiamond]

38. She's no longer with us...

...and you have probably never heard of her - Cecilia ± (Cecilia Plus Minus).

She was lead singer for the L.A. band Angel of the Odd, and I was in her solo backup band, when she performed as Cecilia ±.

This would be late 80s - early 90s.

[Crabby Appleton]

39. Eva Cassidy

[LaydeeBug]

40. Thank you for this. She is one of my faves. nt

[JudyM]

112. I was going to post Eva, too. Her somewhere over the rainbow was excellent.

[sofa king]

44. Stephanie Spruill will blow your mind!

[lastlib]

46. Annie Haslam, Renaissance!!

El Numero Uno!

Yeah, I love Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, and many of the others listed above, but I think Annie Haslam tops them all. Exhibit A:

Ashes Are Burning live

The band didn't have a lead guitar, but uses Annie's amazing voice to replicate one, and the result will send a chill down your spine! She purportedly had a vocal range of five(!) octaves, and used it here to blood-curdling effect! "Awesome" isn't a strong enough word for this!

Exhibit B:

"Mother Russia," (live) dedicated to dissident author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The studio version:

[Number9Dream]

57. I'll second Annie Haslam; Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays); Dianne Reeves

First saw Renaissance in '73, then Annie several times since.

[Marie Marie]

48. Phoebe Snow - what a vocal range she has.

[Jetboy]

49. Boswell Sisters

Andrews Sisters

Ella Mae Morse

Rose Maddox

LaVern Baker

The Bobbettes

The Chantels

The Ronnettes

The Shirelles

The Angels

The Shangri Las

Jackie DeShannon

Bette Midler

[Jetboy]

51. Forgot to add Wanda Jackson

Janis Martin

Lorrie Collins

Dolly Parton

Tanya Tucker

Tammy Wynette

Loretta Lynn

Patsy Cline

[Corgigal]

50. I love the song Black Velvet

Sung by Alannah Myles.

I don't know if she even sings anything else, but that chorus, womanly and raw. Perfect.

[Beaverhausen]

52. Cyndi Lauper is highly underrated.

[Still Blue in PDX]

63. So right! nt

[Fla Dem]

86. Just saw her in concert, it was phenomenal!

It was the Sunday night of the Orlando massacre. Sang True Colors as her closing song, walk off the stage with the Rainbow flag draped over her shoulders.

[Rhiannon12866]

55. My Dad was a musician and he always said Marilyn McCoo had a great voice.

[femmocrat]

58. Did anyone mention Sarah Brightman?

Voice of an angel.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

90. One of my favorites

A very versatile singer, with a phenomenal control of her range.

[SCantiGOP]

59. Joan Baez

from her teens until her 50s.

[StarlightGold]

61. Judy, Judy, Judy. n/t

[Still Blue in PDX]

62. I love Lara Fabian

?list=RD_zghquyoOZ0

[Fla Dem]

64. Barbara Streisand / Judy Garland

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[geardaddy]

65. Patti Smith

Shirley Bassey

Katherine Jenkins

Florence Welch

Nina Simone

Anita O'Day

Ella Fitzgerald

Edith Piaf

[Myrddin]

66. Lancastrian bias...

Lisa Stansfield

[madamesilverspurs]

68. Julie Andrews

Had phenomenal range before her vocal cords were trashed.

[cloudbase]

69. Patsy Cline.

[GentryDixon]

117. She has my vote. n/t

[DemFromPittsburgh]

72. Enya

[sakabatou]

73. Utada Hikaru

[KeepItReal]

76. Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Tina Turner, Anita Baker, Sade, Amy Winehouse, Adele

And Celine Dion

[peacefreak]

77. Emmylou Harris

[Still In Wisconsin]

134. for sure!

[kentauros]

78. With the exception of Loreena McKennitt,

no one else here has likely heard of many of the ones on my list.
Well, maybe the first one

Alison Krause

Sheila Chandra

Azam Ali

Anita Hegerland

Sarah Mclachlan

Loreena McKennitt

[LaydeeBug]

83. I have heard of most of them. nt

[kentauros]

84. That's great!

I was mostly surprised that with the exception of one, no one else had mentioned the rest

[Skittles]

79. what, no Dusty?

[Boomerproud]

80. I second your choice.

If I could sing, I would want to sound like Dusty, Patsy Cline or Karen Carpenter.

[Skittles]

81. heh, those are my three too

[Enrique]

82. Laura Branigan

[kwassa]

85. Gladys Knight, Rhiannon Giddens, Aretha, Ella Fitzgerald

[Va Lefty]

87. Alison Krauss

[Still In Wisconsin]

135. I love her- and her band.

[ghostsinthemachine]

89. Carolyn Wonderland

And she kicks serious ass on guitar. But that voice. Like Janis and Aretha on a ten day bender.

[TexasBushwhacker]

130. Love me some Carolyn

I've been going to her shows since she was a kid just out of high school. She was pretty great them but she has gotten so much better and she is really good with her guitar. I love it when she brings out her trumpet

I like this song a lot: Misunsterstood

[Reter]

91. Tracy Chapman?

Why is she on the list and not Whitney Houston?

[LaydeeBug]

102. It's not either/or...it's *AND* because you *know* Ms. Houston was amazing

just. amazing.

[TexasBushwhacker]

131. Whitney had range but Tracy's got soul! n/t

[Flaxbee]

92. Etta James, Kiri te Kanewa, Bonnie Raitt and my mom loved Anne Murray

Some people love Lucinda Williams or Judy Collins

[The Second Stone]

93. Ella and Billie

always did something really special for me.

[NobodyHere]

94. Tress MacNeille!

[Generic Brad]

95. I have always been partial to Ann Wilson

She has the voice I love to hear.

Christie McVie has a voice that blends with mine and is the artist I like to sing along with the most

[LaydeeBug]

96. Ann Wilson has one of the best voices of all time.

Did you *see* them do "Stairway"? Shuuuuuuut TFU

[Generic Brad]

101. I have a recording of that

Very rare that an act can "out Zeppelin" Zeppelin

[Aerows]

119. Holy fuck that was awesome. n/t

[LaydeeBug]

122. Heart started as a Led Zeppelin cover band *and* they have **Ann** **Wilson**

Last edited Sat Jul 2, 2016, 01:15 AM - Edit history (1)

one of the best voices of all time.

edit: typo

[One_Life_To_Give]

97. Kate Smith

Beverly Sills

Ethel Merman

[Xyzse]

99. Check out Lisa Wahlandt.

Her voice is amazing.

I went for Hylee Westenra too.

[hamsterjill]

100. I gotta put Gaga in this mix.

Certainly some GREAT voices have been mentioned on this thread already, but I just gotta put Gaga in here.

Her tribute to Julie Andrews' Sound of Music was simply amazing!

[BeyondGeography]

103. Melanie

So many great ones, but I think she has a place on this thread. Here she is at Woodstock. What guts:

[NanceGreggs]

104. Just to add to an already ...

... impressive list in this tread:

Mary Travers, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Deborah Harry.

[DemonGoddess]

105. adding to the list!

Maria Callas
Leontyne Price
Joan Sutherland
Lena Horne
Etta James

there are so many more!

And adding a video, appropriate to our candidate!

[Texasgal]

106. Ruthie Foster

and Bonnie Rait.

Oh, and Loretta Lynn.

[bikebloke]

107. Achinoam Nini

Or just Noa.

Her voice reminds me of Streisand.

[annabanana]

108. Nina Simone!

[LaydeeBug]

123. YYYYYEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!! nt

[xocet]

109. Luisa Tetrazzini, Bidu Sayão ...

Luisa Tetrazzini

Balduina de Oliveira Sayão

Amazing Coloratura sopranos

[pressbox69]

110. Cheno

[3catwoman3]

113. Enya

Sissel
Julie Andrews
Carly Simon
Jane Olivor

[mithnanthy]

114. Yma Sumac....

She became an international success based on her extreme vocal range, which was well over 5 octaves! Go to www.yma-sumac. com. She was born in 1922 and died in 2008. She was amazing and very beautiful. I've never heard a more enchanting, exotic voice.

[yuiyoshida]

115. I WOULD like to nominate TOMIKO VAN

[Upthevibe]

116. I'll add Pasty Cline N/T

[Aerows]

118. +1 to Annie Lennox and Ann Wilson is amazing

I have to add Adele to any list like this. Adele is phenomenally gifted.

[Aerows]

121. Adele, people. I can't believe she isn't on this list.

No list that includes singing is complete without her.

[Bryan]

124. Neko Case.

Full and clear and unaffected, with a singular ability to snap off a line with great rue.

[progressoid]

125. The Shaggs

[HughBeaumont]

126. Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance.

Likely one of the saddest videos you'll ever watch . . .

[SwissTony]

127. I was going to post The Host of Seraphim

a clip I describe as music from heaven, visuals from hell.

But a couple more upbeat...

Julie Fowlis with a bit of Scottish Gaelic MouthMusic

And Thea Gilmore

[Major Nikon]

128. Roseanne Barr

[Mendocino]

129. Joss Stone

Anita Baker

Pink

Shirley Manson

Leontyne Price

Lani Hall

[chknltl]

132. Jackie Evancho?

This lass once was compared to an angel in a child's body. Now in her mid teens, her voice has gotten better.

Is she the best of all time? Hardly! I do like Miss Evancho's voice but i also like a great many female voices equally well so even to my poorly educated and highly provincial ear it is impossible to judge.

Above this post are a great many voices that i love too, a couple more I would add are Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton ....oh and that gal from Evinessence, (sorry, although her name was forgetable her voice is not.)

[Still In Wisconsin]

133. Chrissy Hynde, Lucinda Williams, Kim Richey...

[denbot]

137. Chrissy..

Oh my!

[caraher]

136. My current favorite - Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive

[amerikat]

138. Sweet. Very Powerful. Always looking for new stuff.

Thanks.

[AntiBank]

140. Leontyne Price and Ella Fitzgerald

[tandot]

141. Edith Piaf

Non, je ne regrette rien

[AllenVanAllen]

142. so many wonderful voices already mentioned... so how about Jo Hamilton

she's a less well known favorite of mine and i'd love to see her live some day