Greatest female vocalists: A thread by Dale Wisely

Post by **Dale** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:05 pm

The greatest female non-opera vocalists of all time. List....and discuss.

1. Aretha Franklin
2. Joni Mitchell
3. Billie Holiday

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:16 pm

40 years ago Joan Beaz had the best pure voice combined with great power. I saw her perform 3 years ago and she's still got it.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:18 pm

Yoko Ono.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:46 pm

I think that Medeleine Peyroux is an up and comer. Even though her sound is very Billy Holiday-esqe (therefore not exaclty original) I fell in love as soon as I heard her... can't believe that voice came from such a young girl... I'm also a big Billie fan.

jkwest · Post by **jkwest** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:17 pm

all time?!

geez..

Hope Sandoval

Beth Gibbons

Billie Holiday

Sia

up and comer...

Amy Winehouse.

peteinmn · Post by **peteinmn** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:19 pm

dwinterfield wrote:40 years ago Joan Beaz had the best pure voice combined with great power. I saw her perform 3 years ago and she's still got it.

Beat me to it. I still have the hots for her voice.

Also Tracy Chapman's voice does something for me.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:30 pm

Eva Cassidy

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:48 pm

Patsy Cline.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:03 pm

How about the ones that helped get British and Irish folk music going?

Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention)
Maire Brennan (Clannad)
Jacqui McShee (Pentangle)
Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span)
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (Altan)

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:10 pm

Nanohedron wrote:Yoko Ono.

freak.

I would have to agree with Dale on his selections. Aretha Franklin can refresh your soul. But I would also add to that:

Ella Fitzgerald
Diana Krall, Not so much that she has such a powerful voice but that she reallllly knows how to treat a song.
Early Whitney
Early Mariah
Christina Aguilara is showing some amazing control in her last album.
I really like the pure and relaxed feeling from Karen Carpenter.
Janice Joplin did some things that haven't been done since.
Joan Jett... I know, I know, but her version of Love Hurts puts her in the list.

Oh, and Celine Dion and Shania Twain... For very different reasons...

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:16 pm

Ethel Merman

djm

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:20 pm

I second Patsy Cline... that should've been in my first post

I also love Triona Ni Dhomhnaill's voice.
I've always been quite a sucker for Cass Elliot's "Dream A Little Dream of Me".

ShadowBG625 · Post by **ShadowBG625** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:25 pm

For shame people...

...while they are all good...

....how could anyone forget Patti Labelle?!?!

Her range alone should push her all the way to the top.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:32 pm

1). Sinéad O'Connor. In her first album, "The Lion and the Cobra," her voice is at its best. She can go from a whisper to a scream to a lullaby to a deep wailing seemlessly. And she has such a natural volume and resonance on the album that you can't help but fall in love with her voice. In 1988 she released this, off of said album: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GpqlpjgGxCo to this day, her voice in that song still puts chills up my spine!

2). Céline Dion. I've heard her called "the best pop vocalist in the world" in an interview, and I almost believe it. There's no question that she has a splendid vocal mechanism, but, as a lot of of people have said in the on-going Céline Dion poll/thread, sometimes the choices of songs she sings don't show her voice off as well as they could.

3). Sarah McLachlan. I think she is an under-rated singer. She isn't controversial (like Sinéad) and isn't widely parodied (like Céline), so it seems fewer people know of her. Her album "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy" is one of my favorite CDs. Here's her "World on Fire" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzoNInZ2ClQ I don't know anybody who has watched that video and not admired her afterwards. I saw her perform live, and I cried. It was that good.

jkwest · Post by **jkwest** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:58 pm

Cranberry wrote: 3). Sarah McLachlan....

I'll second that vote....

she is amazing.

Also, put Sia Furler on my list...

she's amazing and puts so much emotion in her vocals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6PGrub3jUc