Who is your favorite all-time female singer?

[Liberal Veteran]

No offense to Babs, but I have to go with Karen Carpenter. Her voice is so damned pure and natural and soothing that it still amazes me to hear it.

[Dookus]

1. Ella Fitzgerald....

she could sing anything.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I second that

I'll take perfect pitch :D

[pmbryant]

16. Here's a third

Mesmerizing. Haven't heard anyone else like her.

--Peter

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. And on the classical side Leontyne Price

[BurtWorm]

114. I just saw her talking about her voice and career on a cable TV arts show

My favorite recording of her singing is Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915. It never fails to make me weep buckets. Michael Tomassini, the NY Times's music critic, mentioned it to her, and she told the story of how she came to record it. Her father had just died, she said, and Agee's poem (she called it) spoke right to her. It was fascinating to watch her face and eyes as she talked about that record; it was all still fresh (and painful) for her. No wonder it hits me so hard!

[VOX]

26. And a fourth, if I may...

I was very lucky to hear her live back in 1983 -- she sang an all-Gershwin program at the Hollywood Bowl.

Simply amazing.

[BlueJazz]

31. And a perfect 5th.... :)

NT

[bubblesby2002]

54. My first favourite

n/t

[sistersofmercy]

62. Me too, I'm almost obsessed with her voice.

I can hardly listen to other versions of songs she has sang. My favorite all time cd is Ella singing Gershwin tunes, it's fabulous!

[sistersofmercy]

63. My favorite is Ella hands down but for current artists it's

Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy (posthumously, that is)

[mac56]

66. Ella, no doubt.

Followed by Natalie Merchant, Joan Armatrading, and Roberta Flack.

[SOteric]

69. Yep. Definitely Ella.

[OneBlueSky]

70. absolutely . . . Ella was the best ever . . .

although for singer/songwriter, I'd go with Joni Mitchell . . .

[oxymoron]

74. Ella is the best!

I have a huge Ella collection and had the pleasre of seeing her live three times. Nobody could sing like Ella.

[tishaLA]

143. Nobody even compares.

My second and third go to Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington.

[stopbush]

2. Rosa Ponselle n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Stevie Nicks

A great song writer and singer.

[bigwillq]

52. Agree, was going to post her.

She's the best. Her voice is hypnotic and she has crazy sex appeal.

Also must give credit to Whitney Houston, before the crack stage, because I think her voice is golden.

[2bfree]

61. Yep, another vote for Stevie!

With Lucinda Williams being a close second!

[Kamika]

4. Tina Turner!! (and Whitney Houston)

O M G just listen to private dancer or we don't need another hero.


Tina Turner is a GOD

Another extremely good singer is Whitney Houston.

I really envy black women they have such wonderful vocal ability.. I wish I could sing like they do

[GainesT1958]

5. Gotta be Ella...

Greatest woman in the 20th Century to exercise her vocal cords!:D

B-)

[sweettater]

6. Patti Loveless

[Bertha Venation]

43. Also Mrs. Venation's favorite. :-) n/t

[Mrs. Venation]

133. Yep. Patti Loveless is My Favorite

followed closely by Emmylou Harris.

[travisleit01]

72. I love her new song, On Your Way Home! n/t

[bif]

7. Sarah Vaughn

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa comes in a close second

[TEXASYANKEE]

9. Can't pick just one.

Babs
Karen Carpenter
Roseanne Cash
Donna Summer

[Wickerman]

10. Billie Holiday

only lived to 44, but fantastic jazz singer

[bubblesby2002]

My second favourite

n/t

[King Coal]

11. Leane Rhimes

[King Coal]

15. And Jewel

[Robb]

12. Soeur Sourire

Dominique, nique, nique, over the land he plods
And sings a little song....

[Bluzmann57]

13. Sort of partial to Koko Taylor

Although Etta James is good too. And Ann Wilson of Heart is a pretty good Rock singer.

[Edge]

14. Amy Lee of Evanescence...

her voice is that of a Siren from "The Odyssey."

She's hot too. So that's a plus. :evilgrin: :)

[arcane1]

Cristina Scabbia

:loveya:

[arcane1]

17. dupe post

tends to happen when discussing this subject :)

[Liberal Veteran]

18. I'm shocked no one has said "Wing" yet.

http://www.wingmusic.co.nz/listen.html

[Semi_subversive]

19. Grace Slick

Absolute best female rock voice!

[CO Liberal]

20. Tie: Patsy Cline and Mama Cass Eliot

:-)

[Westegg]

21. Opera?

That's a whole different story. I love Ella, Billie, Gracie, Janis, Big Mama Thorton and Aretha, to name several.

[Cheswick2.0]

120. Opera/ Renee Fleming or Fiorenza Cossotto...... Pop/Bette Midler n/t

Flemings voice is pure and flawless. Cossotto's is Dark Chocolate on fire, a contralto powerhouse. Bette is interpretation perfection she sings the words and tells the story like no one else.

[soothsayer]

22. Debbie Harry

sigh

[BigDaddyLove]

23. Babs for me.

Her early stuff is untouchable.

[HEyHEY]

25. Connie Francis.......

Or Patsy Cline...I love Stand by you man...amazing vocals

[YellowRubberDuckie]

51. STand by your man was Tammy Wynette

[CrownPrinceBandar]

27. Chrissie Hynde...

with Shawn Colvin as a second, and Liz Phair third,

Nina Simone is great too.

[Champion Jack]

28. Janis Joplin

[MissMillie]

29. The best voice ever: Patsy Cline

followed directly by Karen Carpenter.

(I got a thing for altos... maybe because I find it easy to sing along with them.)

[SiobhanClancy]

33. Agree with Patsy....

what an amazing voice she had. I also love Maria Callas,Janis Joplin,and Bonnie Raitt...call me eclectic!:)

[stanwyck]

35. Usually, I'm ready to rock

with Debora, Chrissie, Pink, and Sheryl. But Patsy is THE voice.

[Mrs. Overall]

86. Patsy is the best!

It's tragic that she died so young. :(

[Skittles]

30. ditto for Karen

unequaled in purity; no gimmicks whatsoever

[tigereye]

32. Sarah Vaughn for sheer beauty of voice

Patti Smith for content and exotic vibes.

[Mr. McD]

34. Judy Collins or Mary Black

:shrug:

[nuxvomica]

109. I'll sign in here for Judy Collins

She's the best. Also, I prefer Christine McVie over Stevie Nicks but I like them both.

[izzie]

36. Patsy Cline

n/t

[Wcross]

38. I second that! (Also love loretta Lynn) N/T

[pretzel4gore]

37. i've been trying to find a song/singer

maybe someone here has an idea: the song was getting radioplay back in late 70's early 80's (?) and the woman singer had a soft, knowing quality (it's hard to describe a singing voice) anyway, all that stands out from the song, which, remember, had enough cachet to get regular radio play, were the words 'oyster bay' as in ...'?? down to oyster bay' or '...a place down on oyster bay' or maybe 'sailing down to oyster bay, etc'
I thought her name was 'Roni Abrahamson' but a google of that name brings up nothing....lyric finders sites do give hits on words 'oyster bay' but it's not it. The singer had another 'hit' a little later after the 'oyster bay' song, but that's all i recall....her voice was very distinctive, and her singing was wonderful.
If anyone has any idea of who this is, PLEASE post a response
(btw there was a song from early 70's which i easily recall that i've NEVER HEARD on radio in almost 30 years, despite it's astute message: the words were 'it's nature way of telling you, something's wrong! etc' and a google on it brought it up...the song was by group called 'spirit'
Thanks in advance (any good sam of musicology):-)

This singer is/was THE BEST woman singer in the Milky Way!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

39. Are you sure it was Oyster Bay not Brewster Bay?

Brewster Bay was by Minnie Riperton.

Here's some of the song's lyrics:

Watch the fire die
see the snowflakes fly
hear the geese out honking on the bay


thinking of you, my love alone in Brewster Bay

Minnie had good airplay in the 70's until she died of breast cancer

[pretzel4gore]

55. My...you're probably right....

Minnie Ripperton eh...wow. Thanks nothingshocksmeanymore!
btw I have a story about Patsy Kline. many years ago, in late 80's, i was on a europe bound vessel that had a box of videos and the Patsy Kline movie with Ed Harris as her hubby (Sweet Dreams was title) was there. One evening, several crewmen were debating what show to watch, and as I'd seen 'Sweet Dreams' and truly impressed, I put it on for them. They all hated idea, as 'Sweet Dreams' sounded....well overly sweet lol. And these were blood and guts merchant sailors, many were hard core drifters and even ex cons and so on, but the movie started, and gradually they all became engrossed in it. Patsy Kline had the quintessential country voice, w/out the hokey whine that makes country music unlistenable (to me). When the scene where Patsy sang her most famous song occured, the crew were gathered around, completely taken by that extrordinary movie. After the scene of plane crash, I remember how many of them toughs guys were fighting tears, and how quietly the audience broke up.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

75. Great story

BTW..the song Brewster Bay is on her Adventures in Paradise CD which unfortunately is only available as a Japanese import so it's about 30 bucks.

40. here's some more trivia

Nature's Way. The 12 dreams of Dr. sardonicus is the album it was on.

When Randy California (the guitarist for Spirit) was 16 he was practicing a guitar in a record store & Hendrix was in the store and asked him if he would go over to England to play with him. California's mother wouldn't let him go cause he was too young....


Regarding the Oyster Bay song, I don't know why I'm thinking this, it's not an actual memory, but for some reason I'm wondering if the singer might be Maria Muldaur... that's what my unconscious is telling me. Just a wild guess though.

[pretzel4gore]

136. thanks!

i remember Maria's 'Midnight at the Oasis' (otis garret was on guitar)from 1973 and would have recognized her voice, i think, but i will check it out.
:-)

[NightTrain]

41. Aretha Franklin, dammit!

A woman has to earn a nickname like the Queen of Soul, y'know!

[Missy Vixen]

77. Thanks, Night Train

I couldn't believe I didn't see Miss Aretha Franklin on this list...

:eyes:

I told my DH that if we had ten minutes to grab whatever in the house in order to flee, it would be him, the cats, our photos, and the Aretha Franklin box set.

My other favorites are kd lang and Annie Lennox. I also enjoy the vocal stylings of Norah Jones, and anticipate that her voice will get even more beautiful as she gets older.

Julie

[fortyfeetunder]

155. Aye Aye for Aretha

I just heard an NPR clip of her filling in at the Grammy awards when Pavarotti was unable to sing...that sent chills up and down my spine like it did when I first heard her as a wee one! There is not one Aretha tune that I don't like!

[corporatewhore]

42. NINA SIMONE !!! and regarding bands Bikini Kill

When she talks, I hear the revolution
In her hips, there's revolution
When she walks, the revolution's coming
In her kiss, I taste the revolution

-Bikini kill Rebel Girl

[ohiosmith]

44. The Little Sparrow - Edith Piaf

[Sapphocrat]

45. Judy Garland...

And that's not just my Inner Uncle Arthur talking. Judy's right up there with Sarah Vaughn ("Black coffee, feelin' mighty lo-owww...") when it comes to expressing pure pain ("No more his eager call, The writing's on the wall...") -- and is also the one singer who makes me feel genuinely patriotic (as opposed to nauseated) when belting out, e.g., "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

[Cheswick2.0]

121. do you have her concert at Carnegie Hall?

She also did a version of "What Will I do" that will rip your heart out. I love her too.

[ronnykmarshall]

127. A great CD.

I wish there was video of that performance.

[Dogmudgeon]

46. Shelby Flint

I'd also put Petula Clark up there with the greats.

Same with Lani Hall (from Sergio Mendes' band).

More recently, Amy Rigby. Her voice is probably the best folk-music voice there is now.

Along the same lines, Christine Lavin and Jill Sobule.

--bkl

[solinvictus]

47. Maria Callas

[qwertyMike]

48. Billie - sigh

Ella a close 2nd

and Patsy

Modern? - kd laing

[NashVegas]

49. Kate Bush

Not just her voice but her whole musical approach.

[eek]

108. Talk to DU'er Norton about Kate Bush fandom.

He luvvvvvvs her!

Me too.
One of the few artists I regret never having seen live.
She's fab.

[Norton]

110. Yea Kate Bush!!!!

Toss out all these women who can't write a large body of powerful timeless songs and/or play a very great piano and Miss Kate stands alone.. PERIOD!

[Snow]

50. Kathy Battle - really obnoxious person, but I don't have to hang

around her, so who cares - her voice is this incredibly silvery thing. And in the lower range, Federica von Staade - who has the added quality of being a very nice person.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

53. Every Offense to Babs. Hate Barbra Streisand...Going with Jewel

Or Sarah McLachlan.
Duckie

[populistmom]

56. There's too many

I usually don't respond to these threads because I can't pick a favorite. My musical tastes kind of grow and change and then I go back and forth. Contemporary favorites include Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Melissa Ethridge, some Jewel (more late 90's than her current pop stuff), and some of Sheryl Crow's stuff.

More classic stuff includes Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, and Stevie Nicks (although I like her songwriting more than her singing).

[TennesseeWalker]

57. Toby Keith. :)

I'm sure the "Shock 'n Y'ALL" Super Bowl Halftime Show is going to be a beautiful display of the sensitivity of the American Public. How inspirational it will be.

Sigh.

[Lostmessage]

58. Joan Armatrading, Kate Bush & Marianne Faithful

I also like Marianne Faithful.

[MrScorpio]

59. Sade, without a doubt, my fave.

eom

[meti57b]

60. Barbra Streisand

[LincolnMcGrath]

64. Boy George

[Lostmessage]

73. LOL

.

[Fleshdancer]

65. Peggy Lee n/t

[peterh]

67. The one and only….The Divine Miss M

Great voice, a lot fun…and her harlets aren’t too shabby either…

[Kathy in Cambridge]

68. Edith Piaf, Julie London, Deborah Harry, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald

Chrissie Hynde, Patsy Cline.

[Missy Vixen]

79. Rational Rose

My mom named me after Julie London ;-).

The only resemblance I have to her is that I'm actually a blonde.

Julie

[NightTrain]

80. I love Edith Piaf!

"La Vie En Rose" still send shivers up my spine. :yourock:

[Redneck Socialist]

84. Deborah Harry and Billie Holiday...

in the same sentence, that's cool.

[Catshrink]

71. Ella, Kiri Te Kanawa, Aretha

[lpbk2713]

76. I've always liked Gladys Knight.

Great singer and a nice lady as well.

[Cheswick2.0]

123. I had a friend that played for her in Florida whenever she toured there

He loved her and said she was the best singer he worked with, a true professional. My favorite of hers is "Help Me Make It Through the Night".

[DoctorBombay]

78. Too many too pick just one....

Aimee Mann
Joni Mitchell
Lucinda Williams
Ani DiFranco
Liz Phair
Patty Larkin
Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney)
Neko Case
Joan Osbourne
Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power)
Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Joan Armatrading


..that's just a few off the top of my head..

[ButterflyBlood]

81. Beth GIbbons from Portishead

n/t

[mitchum]

82. Sandy Denny

followed by
my wife
Gillian Welch
Patti Smith
Natalie Merchant
Lucinda Williams
Nina Simone
Ella Fitzgerald

[bhunt70]

83. Nina Simone

[corporatewhore]

87. Nina Simone was one badass chica ihmo

[Redneck Socialist]

85. Allison Kraus n/t

[Norbert]

88. Linda Ronstadt

She can sing anything with perfection.

Some other ones I like:

Joni Mitchell
Tina Turner
Sandy Shaw
Billie Holiday
Cilla Black
Rosemary Clooney
Marni Nixon

God, there are just too many.

[Kat 333]

137. Absolutely ...

would be my choice also. She can wail like no other. Rocks, does ballads, opera ... to name a few. I love that girl.

[UnAmericanJoe]

89. Kim Shattuck

of The Muffs!!

[Lindsey]

90. Patsy Cline, Karen Carpenter

Sarah McLaughlin, and a friend just turned me on to Eva Cassidy (who apparantly died of cancer at the age of 33-I'm not sure when) but her voice was incredible. I got a cd called Live from Blues Alley and her voice..OMG

[electricmonk]

117. Roison Murphy of Moloko, Neko Case

Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power), and about a million others, but those are who I've listened to the most recently.

edit: Ment to mention how much I love Kim Shattuck too, that's why I responded here then didn't even mention her. :dunce:

[UnAmericanJoe]

125. Neko Case seriously rocks.

nt

[lazarus]

91. Annie Lennox

Voice of an angel.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

92. Yes !

I agree ! Listen to her song from the " The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King " Original Soundtrack . No Audiotune there . Pure .

[spooky3]

93. Linda Ronstadt was one of my favorites.

[Cheswick2.0]

124. "Keep Me From Blowing Away"

Is still one of my favorite songs to play when I am sad. I had all her albums in the seventies and I even bought Trio with I listened to obsessively for months.

[non sociopath skin]

94. Country / Roots

... Gillian Welch or Mary Gauthier

Jazz: Dinah Washington or Peggy Lee

Opera: Liliane Berton, a little-known French singer of the 50s and 60s. Most distinctive and invigorating voice I've ever heard.

The Skin

[Whitacre D_WI]

95. Chrissy Hynde = pure sexiness.

Patsy Cline, Billie Holliday, MARIAN ANDERSON.


For the sheer pipes of the woman (less so for the synth-pop band she sang for): Terri Nunn.

[Dees]

96. Dusty Springfield, Melissa Manchester and Sara Vaughn..n/t

.

[jimbo fett]

97. RuPaul

[Loonman]

98. Suzanne Vega

[Wonco_the_Sane]

99. Tori Amos

ex-girlfriend got me hooked. I also like Eddie Breckell (can't spell) you know...Paul Simons wife. :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

100. Shawn Colvin

"Fat City" is one of my favorites of all time.

[rbnyc]

101. Kristin Hersh, of course. (nt)

[Beaker]

102. Johnette Napolitano, Etta James, or Billie Holiday

to name a few.

Suzanne Vega, Dido, Ella Fitzgerald to name a few more.

[arwalden]

103. Karen Carpenter, Then Barbra, Then Judy

[soleft]

105. Babs, Karen and Robin Gibb

[psychopomp]

104. Souixie Souix or Sade

n/t
edit: spelling, of course

[noonwitch]

106. Nina Simone

Her voice is so soothing.
But Aretha, Janis, Patsy, Ella and company are all good choices.

[eek]

107. Patti Smith!

n/t

[Norton]

111. I had an amazing dream about Patti Smith once...

so erotic I remember every second of it! Great kisser that one...
at least in my dream!

[peekaloo]

112. Mahalia Jackson

gave me a true appreciation of gospel music.

[LynneSin]

113. Annie Lennox

I love her voice - she's just so real when she sings and her music just touches my soul!!!

[snobird]

115. Ditto to Patsy Cline and...

Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Mahalia

[BurtWorm]

116. Ella Fitzgerald, Leontyne Price, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday,

Aretha Franklin, Mary Ford, Annie Ross, Grace Slick, Natasha Atlas, Brenda Lee, kd lang... even Nina Hagen!

PS: Kate and Cindy from the B-52s!

[Iverson]

118. Billie Holiday

but my answer may change tomorrow.

[Red_Storm]

119. Roberta Flack

[Butterflies]

122. Linda Ronstadt

I still listen to "Different Drum" and sing along - - but my singing doesn't compare. I love her voice and her choice of songs.

[chiburb]

126. Holly Near.... n/t

.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

128. Kiri Te Kanawa

and Ella... :-)

[geniph]

129. Aretha, Aretha, Aretha!

where the hell is the Queen of Soul in this poll! It's rigged, I tell ya, rigged!

[NightTrain]

140. Check out post #41

I think you'll like what ya see!

[geniph]

149. Oh good. I thought I'd fallen into the Twilight Zone,

some horrible alternate dimension that didn't have the Queen in it! Nothing else could explain her absence from this list!

[MrSlayer]

130. Wendy O. Williams

The only female singer I listen to. The Plasmatics were killer in their day and the shaving cream bikini was brilliant.

[Redneck Socialist]

144. Alas poor Wendy...

she is to missed.

[YNGW]

131. Karen Carpenter, "Mama" Cass Elliot, & Billie Holiday

nc

[Kazak]

132. Mary Hansen

'Doesn't get more angelic!

[av8rdave]

134. Natalie Merchant!!!

Although I have hard time arguing with some of the other choices on here (particularly Annie Lennox and Patsy Cline).

av8rdave

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

135. Shirley Manson

[DEM FAN]

139. Mine. Patsy Cline, Madonna,

Really. :-)

[kskiska]

138. Billie Holiday

Never sang a song the same way twice. Fantastic phrasing. Sinatra cites her as his inspiration.

[Spirochete]

141. Martha Davis

Karen Carpenter
Cher

[mvd]

142. Patsy Cline

Best vocals IMO. She could sound very country while not having a twangy voice. I sure do wish she was with us longer..

[tishaLA]

145. Chaka Khan!

wake up people!

OK--I say up the thread that Ella is my fav, followed by Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. But that's cause I LOVE jazz.
Chaka MUST be mentioned with these other people. She is sexy, saucy, and the girl can go from growl to wail like nobody's business.

[Mrs. Venation]

148. Chaka Khan Sang At Equality Rocks

That was the concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, during the Millennium March on Washington. Chaka was amazing! In fact, the whole program was amazing! :thumbsup: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :wow:

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

146. Joanie Mitchell had

one the the prettiest voices before she ruined it sucking on cigerettes.

[buddhamama]

147. Ella Fitzgerald

n/t

[yellowdawgdem]

150. Holly Near.. n/t

[Odessey]

151. I really enjoy

Sarah Brightman. Such a lovely voice.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

153. There is something mystical about her voice and her music ...

I really enjoy her work .

[Lostmessage]

152. Coco Taylor

:kick:

[beevul]

154. Annie Wilson

and Heart.

[montana_hazeleyes]

156. Etta James

.