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The 5 Most Important & Influential Female Musicians / Singers Of All Time

1. Joni Mitchell, I think this is a given. I think even people who dislike her music accept her influence. talent and importance, so who takes the other 4 places?

2. Kate Bush, Hounds of Love was decades ahead of its time, her experimentation with mainstream art pop to the degree and sonic success is astounding.

3. Tori Amos, a prodigious talent, perhaps the most valid musical genius the the truest sense of the word, out of the box persona, the impressionistic and lyrical architecture of her 4 90s albums, mixed with incredibly technically ability have influenced more musicians than people realize.

4. Billie Holiday, I don't know much about her, other than her amazing idiosyncratic and stirring vocals, so it feels right for her to be placed on the list.

5. Madonna, I dislike her and her music greatly, but accept that she has had a huge influence of pop culture / celebrity and its relationship with music, perhaps more than anyone else

by Anonymousreply 239December 20, 2018 12:42 PM

Joni Mitchell - Furry sings the blues.

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by Anonymousreply 1December 11, 2018 5:05 PM

Connie Francis, she is America's first pop star whose style of singing songs emotionally set the trend you all's five copy/mimick.Madonna dosen't even belong on that list,quite frankly.With her,music became watered down,machine made and cheesy. Madge helped destroy real music,not establish it.

Note...Joanie Mitchell loves Connie Francis and credits her for showing her "How its done"...end quote

by Anonymousreply 2December 11, 2018 5:12 PM

What about Carole King, Carly Simon, Stevie Nicks, Patsy Cline, Siouxsie Sioux, Loretta Lynn, Lauryn Hill or the many great singers from every genre of music?

by Anonymousreply 3December 11, 2018 5:13 PM

All great singer and great vocalist and songwriters r3, but they didn't really advance music, I guess Billie Holiday could be replaced by Tina Turner.

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by Anonymousreply 4December 11, 2018 5:18 PM

Why ain't I on dis damn list? I be impo'tant.

by Anonymousreply 5December 11, 2018 5:20 PM

I agree R5 - But Carole King's Tapestry was the first solo female artist to win a Grammy both for record off the year and song of the year... that alone is pretty amazing

by Anonymousreply 6December 11, 2018 5:24 PM

Every post new-wave rock chick was inspired and influenced by either Chrissie Hynde or Joan Jett.

by Anonymousreply 7December 11, 2018 5:26 PM

Ella Fitzgerald was

Black, unique, and popular in an era when being a combination of those things wasn’t easy.

by Anonymousreply 8December 11, 2018 5:29 PM

I may have the last two wrong, and other artists are more deserving, maybe someone like Pattie Smith I guess, but I honestly think Mitchell, Bush and Amos deserve their places in the top five.

by Anonymousreply 9December 11, 2018 5:29 PM

I think Whitney Houston was one of the greatest vocalist ever, pop or not, but even if one doesn’t care for her voice it’s undeniable that she was incredibly influential on the next few generations of singers that came after her mimicking her style.

by Anonymousreply 10December 11, 2018 5:30 PM

People, people who need Barbra, are the luckiest people...

by Anonymousreply 11December 11, 2018 5:32 PM

Yes, I agree with this. I am ALL that and a bag of potato chips. A bag of potato chips the size of a small planet, that is.

by Anonymousreply 12December 11, 2018 5:35 PM

I don't Joni's personality, I think her songwriting is awesome, but is she really an arrogant cow?

by Anonymousreply 13December 11, 2018 6:02 PM

LA BABS

THREAD CLOSED

by Anonymousreply 14December 11, 2018 6:05 PM

Madonna on a singer's list? That bitch can't sing to save her life.

by Anonymousreply 15December 11, 2018 6:16 PM

I'm made for now. So why is my cooing ignored again?

by Anonymousreply 16December 11, 2018 6:17 PM

Dolly Parton needs to be here.

by Anonymousreply 17December 11, 2018 6:20 PM

Janis Joplin has to be in the top five.

by Anonymousreply 18December 11, 2018 6:27 PM

I sing about the teenage angst we've all felt, so where's my name?

by Anonymousreply 19December 11, 2018 6:29 PM

Amy Winehouse.

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by Anonymousreply 20December 11, 2018 6:35 PM

OP, you have a very limited knowledge of popular music.

by Anonymousreply 21December 11, 2018 6:40 PM

I can't think of a single female classical music composer.

by Anonymousreply 22December 11, 2018 6:48 PM

Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

by Anonymousreply 23December 11, 2018 6:56 PM

Laura Nyro

Miss Peggy Lee

Jo Stafford

by Anonymousreply 24December 11, 2018 7:02 PM

Sistah who?

by Anonymousreply 25December 11, 2018 7:06 PM

Carly Simon

by Anonymousreply 26December 11, 2018 8:44 PM

Judy Garland!

by Anonymousreply 27December 11, 2018 8:47 PM

A lot of people don’t even know who Kate Bush is.

I get Carol King and Carly Simon mixed up. Looking forward to reading that other thread when it beefs up a little.

by Anonymousreply 28December 11, 2018 8:47 PM

If you do a male version of this list, Little Richard needs to be at the top. He influenced so many people it’s ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 29December 11, 2018 8:48 PM

Carole King and Carly Simon’s music is very different from each other. That’s like saying I get Beyoncé and Nikki Minaj mixed up.

by Anonymousreply 30December 11, 2018 9:04 PM

Aren’t they in the same singer/songwriter genre?

by Anonymousreply 31December 11, 2018 9:05 PM

This is a 20th century list.

by Anonymousreply 32December 11, 2018 9:06 PM

Joni's gift is as a singer/songwriter- principally songwriter poet- I think she was sublime. As oppose to someone like Ella or Streisand (composed and wrote a bit) who are primarily singers. I think Amy Winehouse was headed for greatness in the singer/songwriter mode. (oops she's not 20th material). She like Whitney was cut short (although Whitney lived as long as Garland but did not produce close to the musical catalogue as Garland. )

by Anonymousreply 33December 11, 2018 9:40 PM

With how many instruments & styles is Bush proficient, and how did she get to be?

by Anonymousreply 34December 11, 2018 9:40 PM

Carole King needs to be on this list

by Anonymousreply 35December 11, 2018 9:59 PM

Billie Holliday Dolly Parton Carole King Chrissie Hynde Tina Turner

by Anonymousreply 36December 11, 2018 10:03 PM

1. Billie Holiday 2. Aretha Franklin 3. Joni Mitchell 4. Judy Garland 5. Janis Joplin

by Anonymousreply 37December 11, 2018 10:03 PM

It's weird to have a list that purposes to combine musicians and singers.

For example, Joni Mitchell has been influential as a songwriter, but not as a singer.

Many of the names on here are ONLY singers.

And hardly anyone knows who the fuck some of them are. Just because you liked them when you were young, doesn't make them important.

by Anonymousreply 38December 11, 2018 10:15 PM

No one for Bessie Smith? She influenced all the others.

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by Anonymousreply 39December 11, 2018 10:43 PM

Laurie Anderson; Britney Spears

by Anonymousreply 40December 11, 2018 10:46 PM

Peaches

by Anonymousreply 41December 11, 2018 10:46 PM

Amy Winehouse was just an imitation of American singers in the 60s.

by Anonymousreply 42December 11, 2018 10:47 PM

Pleading my case for Siouxsie Sioux

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by Anonymousreply 43December 11, 2018 10:55 PM

Shitty Shit

by Anonymousreply 44December 11, 2018 10:57 PM

1. Connie Francis

2. The Next Gal Who Imitated Connie Francis, Judy Garland.

3. The Next Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated Connie Francis, Barbra Streisand

4. The Next Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated Connie Francis, Aretha Franklin

5. The Next Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated the Gal Who Imitated Connie Francis, Rhianna.

by Anonymousreply 45December 11, 2018 11:01 PM

Debbie Harry

by Anonymousreply 46December 11, 2018 11:02 PM

Possibly the most influential female singer of the twentieth century was Mahalia Jackson. On DL, she's probably best known as the woman who sings "Trouble of World" at the end of the 1959 version of "Imitation of Life." She combined the power and range of Bessie Smith with an intense, florid singing style you can hear in Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and countless others.

R22, well, there's Hildegard of Bingen, Barbara Strozzi (highly recommended for fans of the baroque), Thea Musgrave, and Lili Boulanger, to start.

by Anonymousreply 47December 11, 2018 11:06 PM

Janet Jackson

by Anonymousreply 48December 11, 2018 11:09 PM

I was just listening to this today, r47. Sublime.

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by Anonymousreply 49December 11, 2018 11:11 PM

Is this a stealth Madonna thread. Cause, I mean Madonna? Really?

by Anonymousreply 50December 11, 2018 11:12 PM

What ever happened to Rihanna?

by Anonymousreply 51December 11, 2018 11:13 PM

Not OP and I'm not a Madonna fan, but "influential" she sure is.

by Anonymousreply 52December 11, 2018 11:16 PM

I remember being so excited to see Madonna perform live when i was young (after loving her studio-produced hits). It was an eye-opening moment. Not only was she bizarrely nervous for a so-called professional entertainer, she couldn’t sing on key. This is Madonna’s legacy: you don’t have to have any talent to be fanous just a willingness to do anything for attention or money. Not only is she responsible for all the pop tart singers of today who are more provacative than talented, she also seems responsible for things like Kardashian fame and the Trump presidency. The era of the shameless, sociopath who doesnt apologize or self reflect. Fuck her.

by Anonymousreply 53December 11, 2018 11:20 PM

Judy/Ella

by Anonymousreply 54December 11, 2018 11:30 PM

Judy Garland is only influential at memorial services for gay men.

by Anonymousreply 55December 11, 2018 11:36 PM

Aretha. Nobody is even in the same league.

by Anonymousreply 56December 11, 2018 11:45 PM

r52, you can be "influential" in a bad way as well.

by Anonymousreply 57December 11, 2018 11:57 PM

No opera?

by Anonymousreply 58December 12, 2018 12:03 AM

Aretha. Nina Simone. Judy Garland. Marian Anderson. Patsy Cline.

by Anonymousreply 59December 12, 2018 12:07 AM

Kate Bush? Many people are not that familiar with her. I've got a coupled of singles by her and while she's okay she isn't one of the all times greats - That spot belongs to a wonderful singer called PATSY CLINE.

by Anonymousreply 60December 12, 2018 12:12 AM

No jazz?

by Anonymousreply 61December 12, 2018 12:14 AM

Patsy. Her voice was impeccable - a gift from God. One of the all time greats, period.

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by Anonymousreply 62December 12, 2018 12:15 AM

Most people don't even know who the fuck Kate Bush is.

And, no, that doesn't make her influential because other singers don't give a shit about her either.

by Anonymousreply 63December 12, 2018 12:18 AM

Love her or hate her, Celine Dion took the world by storm in the early 1990's and is still going strong today. A very strong, unusual voice.

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by Anonymousreply 64December 12, 2018 12:23 AM

k.d. Lang. That voice, that look, that persona. The greatest lesbian singer!

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by Anonymousreply 65December 12, 2018 12:25 AM

Music is subjective. Your list only applies to you.

by Anonymousreply 66December 12, 2018 12:29 AM

Karen Carpenter. A heavenly voice divine that left us far too soon.

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by Anonymousreply 67December 12, 2018 12:30 AM

Straight men have no idea who Kate Bush is.

by Anonymousreply 68December 12, 2018 12:35 AM

I'd have to agree with Siouxsie Sioux. First female punk rocker who transitioned into pop and had hits for many years - but always with an edge and dark lyrics. Her work still holds up today - and I believe are classics. Particularly the live album Nocturne, which is unbelievably good.

by Anonymousreply 69December 12, 2018 12:38 AM

Can we edit this title to add the words Pop to it - because the likes of Rosa Ponselle, Ella Fitzgerald, Beverly Sills and Dolly Parton would beg to differ? Even then, Madonna? A star to be sure, but a mediocre artist. Her legacy is a template for how to become an influential superstar with a passable voice, community theater level dancing ability coupled with genius level skills for reinvention and self promotion. More than a few female pop stars in the ensuing decades have copied the template with varying degrees of success. Her success has nothing to do with being an influential singer or musician.

by Anonymousreply 70December 12, 2018 12:40 AM

R69, Whoosie Who?

by Anonymousreply 71December 12, 2018 12:40 AM

Nina Simone...Sarah Vaughn....Ella for sure.

by Anonymousreply 72December 12, 2018 12:44 AM

Aretha, Patsy, the Divine Sarah, Judy, La Callas.

by Anonymousreply 73December 12, 2018 12:45 AM

Diana Ross. The Leader of the Supremes and a great solo career. A unique voice that is recognized anywhere.

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by Anonymousreply 74December 12, 2018 12:46 AM

[quote]Her legacy is a template for how to become an influential superstar with a passable voice, community theater level dancing ability coupled with genius level skills for reinvention and self promotion. More than a few female pop stars in the ensuing decades have copied the template with varying degrees of success. Her success has nothing to do with being an influential singer or musician.

I totally agree!

Madonna is not musician, she's marketer and promotion mogul. She's not an innovator or influential artist.

Madonna's innovation was in the field of marketing. She made artifice in music more important than the actual MUSIC. This important fact seems to be lost on so many of her fans. Her 'music' always took a back seat to her absurd scandals, videos, SEX book and every other nonsensical thing she's done to garner attention.

Madonna was always about artifice and scandal in place of true talent. As my late grandmother used to say, "You sure don't see all that nonsense on the record". She was 100% correct.

Madonna sure doesn't belong on any influential singer or musician list.

by Anonymousreply 75December 12, 2018 12:47 AM

R74 What about ME?! A Star!!

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by Anonymousreply 76December 12, 2018 12:50 AM

Dusty Springfield. That sultry voice and that look! Legendary. And another great lesbian singer.

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by Anonymousreply 77December 12, 2018 12:55 AM

Loretta Lynn should be on that list. She wrote songs and sang about topics way ahead of her time, especially in Country music. She laid the groundwork for an entire generation of female Country singers.

by Anonymousreply 78December 12, 2018 12:55 AM

[quote]Dusty Springfield.

Dusty Springfield was NOT an influencer. She was INFLUENCED by American, black singers. She imitated them. Yes, she was good at it. But she wasn't original.

by Anonymousreply 79December 12, 2018 12:58 AM

Suck my tit, bitches!

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by Anonymousreply 80December 12, 2018 1:04 AM

Follow this, you bitches!

by Anonymousreply 81December 12, 2018 1:05 AM

Lena Horne

Aretha Franklin

Kate Bush

Loretta Lynn

Carol King/Joni Mitchell

by Anonymousreply 82December 12, 2018 1:15 AM

Sorry ^ Carole

by Anonymousreply 83December 12, 2018 1:16 AM

Cleary limiting this list to just the top 5 doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of influential female singers.

by Anonymousreply 84December 12, 2018 1:17 AM

That word above can also be spelled this way:

Clearly

by Anonymousreply 85December 12, 2018 1:18 AM

Madonna had some great songs.

by Anonymousreply 86December 12, 2018 1:19 AM

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

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by Anonymousreply 87December 12, 2018 1:24 AM

Mariah Carey. 5-octave range. And from the link at R87:

[Mariah] has had 18 number one singles in the US, where “One Sweet Day” was number one for 16 weeks between 1995 and 1996, a record that hasn’t been beaten since. And her songwriting ability is her most overlooked skill: she either wrote or co-wrote 17 of those 18 US number ones.

Of course, everyone knows about her vocals. Her glass-shattering yet somehow silky smooth upper register is the stuff of legend. The sound of Ariana Grande and even Rihanna clearly reflect her vocal influence.

by Anonymousreply 88December 12, 2018 1:26 AM

Oh god, is there a Marbot on the thread?

by Anonymousreply 89December 12, 2018 1:29 AM

Oh fuck, do we have a Marbot on this thread now?

by Anonymousreply 90December 12, 2018 1:29 AM

No, just Madbots.

by Anonymousreply 91December 12, 2018 1:30 AM

r89/90, we heard you the first time.

Mariah. Every female singer who has a decent voice aims to be her, but never succeed.

Mariah also did the Fantasy remix with Ol Dirty Bastard which is the template for every hip hop/female singer song now.

by Anonymousreply 92December 12, 2018 1:30 AM

Aretha Franklin. Lady Soul - the title says it all. A Legend. Unsurpassed.

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by Anonymousreply 93December 12, 2018 1:31 AM

Screw Mariah's 5 octave range, I always liked Whitney's tone much more than Mariah's.

by Anonymousreply 94December 12, 2018 1:32 AM

R79 How wrong and racist you are. Dusty had a one of a kind voice that didn't need to be influenced by anyone. Nina Simone once threw a glass of booze in her face because she was jealous of her. Dusty was the real deal.

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by Anonymousreply 95December 12, 2018 1:36 AM

Annie Lennox speaking about being on stage with Mariah Carey and watching her sing "O Come All Ye Faithful":

"Whatever you feel about Mariah Carey, when you hear her sing, ohh my God! I've never heard a voice like that!"

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by Anonymousreply 96December 12, 2018 1:38 AM

Dusty is probably my all-time favorite female singer. She was something else.

by Anonymousreply 97December 12, 2018 1:39 AM

Mooey does not have a 5 octave range. That's bullshit.

by Anonymousreply 98December 12, 2018 1:41 AM

How is saying that Dusty Springfield wasn't influential racist?

I liked Dusty. She sang well and I enjoyed her music, but I don't think she was any great influential artist either.

Guess I'm racist.

by Anonymousreply 99December 12, 2018 1:42 AM

Tori Amos---you've got to be kidding. Awful voice. Prenetious as all get out.

Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn outclass most of the women on your list.

by Anonymousreply 100December 12, 2018 1:43 AM

I agree with R23. Sister Rosetta Tharpe influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley ,Jerry Lee Lewis and some of the early British blues bands. These guys influenced almost every rock and roller who came after.

by Anonymousreply 101December 12, 2018 1:43 AM

Mariah's first television appearing singing America the Beautiful at the NBA Finals.

Look at and listen to the reaction of the basketball players, the audience and the TV announcer.

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by Anonymousreply 102December 12, 2018 1:43 AM

^appearance

by Anonymousreply 103December 12, 2018 1:44 AM

They say that this is Mariah's absolute best performance. It's at an SNL rehearsal and the song is called "Vanishing" which Mariah wrote.

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by Anonymousreply 104December 12, 2018 1:46 AM

I like this SNL Mariah appearance the best. The song is called "If It is Over". Mariah co-wrote it with Carole King.

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by Anonymousreply 105December 12, 2018 1:50 AM

Grace Slick should be on the list.

Joni Mitchell is a cunt. Great lyricist, but a cunt.

by Anonymousreply 106December 12, 2018 1:51 AM

Yup, Grace Slick. That whiplash voice and persona. One of a kind.

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by Anonymousreply 107December 12, 2018 1:57 AM

OP- your list is pretty spot on. I agree with every one. I don't agree with everything you said but yes, those are great musicians and influencers. Great singers in their own way. A great singer has nothing to do with technicality but versatility and how they can emote. Most popular singers are just passable. But the ones who stand out have something unique about their voices. Fuck all the bellowing of this American Idol/ The Voice age. I hate that shit and I'm only 33.

by Anonymousreply 108December 12, 2018 1:58 AM

Patti Smith pretty much invented Punk Rock.

by Anonymousreply 109December 12, 2018 1:59 AM

Definitely Grace Slick and Janis Joplin, who both got famous at the same time. Before Grace and Janis, female singers were Patti Page and Connie Francis. They changed everything.

by Anonymousreply 110December 12, 2018 2:00 AM

Janis Joplin. That voice! A legend.

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by Anonymousreply 111December 12, 2018 2:02 AM

Big Mama Thornton influenced a lot of female singers and even Elvis. Janis Joplin was directly influenced by Big Mama,,,her first big hit Ball and Chain was written and recorded by Thornton in the early 1960s. From Wikipedia:

"It was not until Janis Joplin covered Thornton's "Ball 'n' Chain" that it became a hit. Thornton did not receive compensation for her song, but Joplin gave her the recognition she deserved by having Thornton open for her. Joplin found her singing voice through Thornton, who praised Joplin's version of "Ball 'n' Chain", saying, "That girl feels like I do."

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by Anonymousreply 112December 12, 2018 2:02 AM

Mariah Carey & Luther Vandross singing Endless Love.

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by Anonymousreply 113December 12, 2018 2:02 AM

R113 I like it better than the original with Diana and Lionel. Mariah's voice is peerless here. Gorgeous song.

by Anonymousreply 114December 12, 2018 2:05 AM

Whitney trumped Mariah by a mile and Mariah has too many payola/sketchy shit. She has never been that highly regarded as an artist by other artists except her singing which has suffered for 15 plus years now.

I like OP's list. I would not keep Tori as much as I love her. Top 10, yes.

by Anonymousreply 115December 12, 2018 2:05 AM

Kelly Clarkson. She does great covers, too. Here doing "Creep" by Radiohead.

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by Anonymousreply 116December 12, 2018 2:05 AM

Safe to say that without Elizabeth Cotton there would be no modern folk revival and no Rock music as we know it today.

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by Anonymousreply 117December 12, 2018 2:09 AM

When VH-1 did all those "Best artist of all time" lists as voted on by like 400-500 other artists, you can see who other artists consider the greats.

OP's list is similar to theirs. People like Mariah, Whitney and Janet never figured very high even in an all female version.

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by Anonymousreply 118December 12, 2018 2:10 AM

Here is their top of all time compiled in 2010 as voted on by other artists.

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by Anonymousreply 119December 12, 2018 2:12 AM

R118 and r119 is interesting. Voted on by critics and other artists. You see some damning critiques of some artists here (really all get shit on by someone here) yet when their own peers vote, it is clear whom THEY feel are the greats. It is very consistent.

Many of you have such hate for some artists and have allowed criticism of other artists to cloud your judgement of them. I wonder if some of you fell for Russian propaganda because some of you seem the kind to fall for such shenanigans.

And there is too much "stanning" going on. You posting over and over about your "fave" well, the true artists have spoken. And the lists VH-1 has put out are very consistent as to who is among the Greatest Artists of All Time. I know some of you will try to spin it but it is pretty clear.

by Anonymousreply 120December 12, 2018 2:18 AM

Annie Lennox

Donna Summer

Patti Smith

Deborah Harry

Aretha Franklin

by Anonymousreply 121December 12, 2018 2:23 AM

Eh, the "true artists" aren't the last word on everything.

For example, they have Beyoncé at #52. Below her is Janis Joplin at #72. Artists are just as prone to "stanning" and having a bias towards more current artists just like regular people.

Also, some people completely disregard artists of genres they dislike. "True artists" might also have this same bias. After all, "true artists" are not necessarily great music critics who are familiar with a wide variety of music.

by Anonymousreply 122December 12, 2018 2:26 AM

Martha Reeves. A strong, unique soulful voice, head and shoulders above Diana Ross, but Berry Gordy didn't utilize her properly and she fell by the wayside.

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by Anonymousreply 123December 12, 2018 2:38 AM

r122 The spinning starts.

by Anonymousreply 124December 12, 2018 3:17 AM

Babs screams too much for me

by Anonymousreply 125December 12, 2018 3:20 AM

A good singer doesn't need to scream like a cat getting fucked by the neighborhood Tom to be good. That is such a turn off.

As someone said, most singer/songwriters are average singers. Which is fine with me. As long as your voice conveys something, I don't need a 10 octave voice. Adele has a limited range (2 octaves) and she is perfections.

by Anonymousreply 126December 12, 2018 3:24 AM

R126 Very true.

Anne Murray. A soothing, honey-like voice. Love her and her songs. Timeless.

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by Anonymousreply 127December 12, 2018 3:38 AM

Teena Marie is CRIMINALLY underrated. Even by the gays.

Not only did Teena produce most of her stuff and have one of the best pop/r&b voices in the game she also WROTE or co-wrote all her classic songs and hits. She's kind of the female Prince

You get a lot of people on this thread who are either great singers, song stylists, writers or produce their own work--- but rarely do you get it ALL in obn package. Teena was a triple threat.

If she's been a gay porn actor she'd of had the great face, the perfect body AND the big dick.

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by Anonymousreply 128December 12, 2018 3:51 AM

And I forgot to mention Teena was a fucking great multi-instrumentalist as well. None of these bitches mentioned had all that in their arsenal.

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by Anonymousreply 129December 12, 2018 3:55 AM

r127 I am a little young but my grandma listened to her and YES I agree. Just sing to me, give me emotion. Keep the screaming and showing off for the bedroom or something. Not on records.

by Anonymousreply 130December 12, 2018 3:56 AM

Judy Collins. Crystal clear voice and hitting all those high notes that is a joy to listen to. Both Sides Now and Send In The Clowns are timeless classics. She made songs sound better than they actually were.

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by Anonymousreply 131December 12, 2018 4:02 AM

Looking at the VH-1 list, while of course it isn't going to be perfect, they interviews over 400 critics and artists and the lists are very similar. They lean heavily male for the all time list but the top females are still at the top. Some of those females are ripped to shreds on here but I think are unfairly maligned. It is obvious, if you are near the top on these VH-1 lists (and they are similar to other publications lists) you are highly respected and regarded for being a musician.

Here is a list compiled by the comprehensive acclaimedmusic site. This site doesn't allow any but the top tier of critics. Look at this list, compared to the VH-1 list, and again, the Greatest Artists are still near the top.

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by Anonymousreply 132December 12, 2018 4:08 AM

Doris Day. Aretha Franklin and Berry Gordy both loved her as well as millions of others. Good set of pipes and will always be remembered.

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by Anonymousreply 133December 12, 2018 4:15 AM

Sarah Vaughan, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Celia Cruz, Ella, Janis, Chrissie Hynde

by Anonymousreply 134December 12, 2018 4:51 AM

Barbara Cook!

by Anonymousreply 135December 12, 2018 5:52 AM

I love you for your top five, OP. That’s all I have to say.

by Anonymousreply 136December 12, 2018 5:56 AM

1/3 of a WW for r100.

by Anonymousreply 137December 12, 2018 5:58 AM

R100 has questionable hearing. I get why a person wouldn’t like Tori Amos’s music, but “awful voice”? Seriously?

Listen to the quality of her voice, live, with no backup singers or tracks played behind her here. Imagine Madonna or frankly just about any other singer with a live voice of this quality—not even to mention that she composes and plays her own piano music, writes all her own lyrics, produces and publishes herself.

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by Anonymousreply 138December 12, 2018 6:05 AM

This year, the Tori Amos troll tried to guide me through some of her work, r138 (maybe that's you), but I couldn't stand her voice, either. Nor did any of her songs, some of which I'd heard before, appeal to me.

by Anonymousreply 139December 12, 2018 6:13 AM

R139 I’m not trying to recruit fans for her. I didn’t like the tone of her voice at first, either. She was an acquired sound for me. (That was 20 years ago, mind you.) But after about six months I was drawn back and since then I have loved her voice. Even when I didn’t like the sound of it, I couldn’t deny her technical prowess. She used to have an extraordinary range and a resonance that most popular singers just don’t have, at least not without power-belting. She fills venues with just the sound of her piano and her voice and I do defend her abilities because compared with other professional singers who can’t sing nearly as well and who aren’t musicians, I just think she is tremendously under-recognized.

Kate Bush’s voice was much more off putting to me and for longer, but I eventually came to appreciate her songwriting and then my ears adjusted to her sound, as well. Wuthering Heights is about the worst sounding charting vocal I can think of...but now I like it. The songwriting on Hounds of Love was my entree to Kate Bush. Again, to consider that Madonna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry et al., are considered as more popular counterparts to Bush and Amos is just a difficult pill to swallow once you crawl inside brilliantly composed and poetic music by people who can simultaneously play and sing well, versus Madonna who can hit her notes when she really concentrates, and Spears who lip synchs like a Drag Race contestant.

by Anonymousreply 140December 12, 2018 6:22 AM

R47 don’t forget Abbess Leonora d’Este, daughter of Lucretia Borgia.

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by Anonymousreply 141December 12, 2018 7:58 AM

I nominate Harriet Wheeler for the list of influential singers. Voice like a teardrop.

For musicians, why not some of the women related to by eclipsed by ‘great’ men typically on these lists? Wendy & Lisa spring immediately to mind; as do Nico, Kim Gordon, Hope Sandoval, and Meg White.

R132’s list is disappointing. I guess non-musical incel dullards compiled it. No female artist even appears until #25 Aretha, and she is somehow ranked below Led Zepp, U2, Nirvana, Elvis Costello, Bob Marley and Radiohead? Nah, son.

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by Anonymousreply 142December 12, 2018 8:14 AM

[quote] A lot of people don’t even know who Kate Bush is.

And so what? A lot of people are ignorant in general.

by Anonymousreply 143December 12, 2018 9:15 AM

Teena Marie should've been a huge star in the 80s. She was wonderful, but never got her due.

by Anonymousreply 144December 12, 2018 11:49 AM

Lucy. When she sang who could compete with her...……??!!

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by Anonymousreply 145December 12, 2018 2:58 PM

All the general public knows about Teena Marie is "Lovergirl." It's perfectly ok, but a "female Prince" would've been able to get more than one song into the public consciousness.

by Anonymousreply 146December 12, 2018 3:01 PM

...if only Eva Cassidy hadn't died so young...what a tremendous voice.

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by Anonymousreply 147December 12, 2018 3:24 PM

No, Madonna was the only influential one on your list.

You would have to include Jo Stafford on any list of influential singers of all time.

The problem is there are not many that actually influenced it but most of them merely reflected it

Karen Carpenter, Carole King, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick(e), Aretha Franklin, and the queen of them all, Olivia Newton-John, achieved great success by either being in the right place at the right time or being able to change with the times (Ross, Newton-John).

by Anonymousreply 148December 12, 2018 3:37 PM

Olivia Newton John helped usher in the multi media female pop singer: big albums, singles, music videos, hyped movies.

by Anonymousreply 149December 12, 2018 3:45 PM

R128 I’m still calling things “square biz” or asking people to “hip me to the tea”, a reference which not one among my straight Top 40-loving friends & coworkers get.

by Anonymousreply 150December 12, 2018 6:50 PM

I don't know why Teena Marie didn't get a big marketing push into the top 40 when she moved to Epic (Michael Jackson's label) in the early 80s. They certainly had the money and resources.

by Anonymousreply 151December 12, 2018 7:06 PM

Was Teena Marie a lesbian?

by Anonymousreply 152December 12, 2018 7:41 PM

R129 I hear a lot of scorching flute embellishments on TM cuts, almost Eric Leeds’ calibre. Did she play those herself?

by Anonymousreply 153December 12, 2018 8:06 PM

R132 these lists remind me of high school arguments about bands. Certain genres were considered "cool" (i.e. rock) while others were mocked (i.e. disco).

There was no real evaluation of actual talent. I think women artists are completely underrated or outright ignored due to most of the critics being male or having a bias towards male artists.

by Anonymousreply 154December 12, 2018 8:39 PM

No r152. She liked guys.

by Anonymousreply 155December 12, 2018 8:40 PM

R155 Nope. Lots of rumors that she was into the ladies. People in the music world kind of knew.

by Anonymousreply 156December 13, 2018 2:39 AM

Crystal Gayle with the long, long hair. Despite being Country she was a very sophisticated singer, very different. And believe it or not, Loretta Lynn is her sister.

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - a massive, timeless hit, and she got it in one take!

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by Anonymousreply 157December 13, 2018 2:43 AM

Where is Lady Gaga, u idiot, OP ?

by Anonymousreply 158December 13, 2018 2:57 AM

R158 We aren't talking about the 5 biggest flameouts.

I do like the compiled lists posted above. This has made me rethink several people so I now agree with OP's list.

by Anonymousreply 159December 13, 2018 2:59 AM

Thalia Zedek, not many people know her, but she is hugely influential, even more so that Smith, She was one of the pioneers of the seminal North East college / indie rock scene, in bands like White Women in the late 70s, Dangerous Birds, Live Skull, Uzi and Come. She was a big influence on Frank Black, Kristen Hersh. who went of to influence Cobain and so many 90s alt bands. But Zedek was one of the originators of the scene. so her influence is actually much bigger than you'd realize.

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by Anonymousreply 160December 14, 2018 6:06 PM

Dangerous Birds at the very beginning of the Boston Indie rock scene.

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by Anonymousreply 161December 14, 2018 6:09 PM

OK don't worry last one,Dangerous Birds - Smile On Your Face, you can hear the early Boston sound so clear;y here.

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by Anonymousreply 162December 14, 2018 6:16 PM

Crystal Gayle? LMAO! Add Sylvia to the list too.

by Anonymousreply 163December 14, 2018 7:31 PM

I will give it to Mariah Carey, who had 18 number one hits -- more than any other female.

Also, if you add Diana Ross' 6 number ones to her twelve #1s with the Supremes, that's pretty impressive.

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by Anonymousreply 164December 14, 2018 7:40 PM

I would place Kate Bush on top. Joni Mitchell is hardly relevant now,

by Anonymousreply 165December 14, 2018 7:42 PM

Joni Mitchell is too folksy

by Anonymousreply 166December 14, 2018 7:50 PM

Carole King

by Anonymousreply 167December 14, 2018 7:54 PM

R163 Crystal Gayle received a Grammy Award for Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, many awards, and has sold millions of records - she's nothing to sneeze at.

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by Anonymousreply 168December 14, 2018 8:00 PM

What about me ?

by Anonymousreply 169December 14, 2018 8:02 PM

Where’s Janet ?

by Anonymousreply 170December 14, 2018 8:03 PM

Influential and important of all time! Crystal Gayle? Hardly....

by Anonymousreply 171December 14, 2018 8:06 PM

What about Ella Fitzgerald?

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by Anonymousreply 172December 14, 2018 8:11 PM

Ella was poor man’s Billie Holiday

by Anonymousreply 173December 14, 2018 8:12 PM

Ella was in poor health just like Billie.

by Anonymousreply 174December 14, 2018 10:58 PM

Janie Frickie

by Anonymousreply 175December 15, 2018 12:24 AM

Emmylou Harris

by Anonymousreply 176December 15, 2018 12:36 AM

Skeeter Davis

by Anonymousreply 177December 15, 2018 12:38 AM

R177 Skeeter Davis's big hit End Of The World was one of the most beautiful songs of all time.

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by Anonymousreply 178December 15, 2018 2:03 AM

Loretta Lynn did cornball Country songs but she was a force to be reckoned with.

"And don't you dare say nothin' bad about my little sis, Crystal Gayle. She's great!".

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by Anonymousreply 179December 15, 2018 2:07 AM

173 - go to your bed and stay there- grown folks talking.

Also it is quite obvious that you know nothing about the Musical Family Tree, or different styles of Jazz. And "scat" aint just shitting onto someone or witnessing them shitting , sake of a sexual thrill. Nothing worse than an ignoramus ( probably a racist one, too) who is ignorant of Culture and then exposes themselves with their wrong and strong self. "Poor man's Billie Holliday"......don't you feel no shame? ( That's a rhetorical question by the way. I'm on Datalounge, after all).

by Anonymousreply 180December 15, 2018 3:15 AM

Ella Fitzgerald is widely regarded as the greatest female vocalist of all time.

by Anonymousreply 181December 15, 2018 3:45 AM

Edith Piaff. She was one of France's most celebrated singers - sang all her songs in French. Nicknamed 'The Little Sparrow'. I have some of her records and she's different to say the least.

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by Anonymousreply 182December 15, 2018 3:50 AM

R181 What nonsense. You and your racist claptrap can go to bed now.

by Anonymousreply 183December 15, 2018 3:52 AM

R178 What a stupid nonsensical song.

by Anonymousreply 184December 15, 2018 3:54 AM

R184 You have no taste. It was the biggest crossover hit of all time.

by Anonymousreply 185December 15, 2018 3:56 AM

r183 what is racist about saying Ella is the greatest female vocalist?

by Anonymousreply 186December 15, 2018 4:16 AM

R185 So the sun shouldn’t go on shining etc etc and it’s the end of the world just because...? How silly is that ? Think about it.

by Anonymousreply 187December 15, 2018 5:02 AM

that Skeeter (shit) Davis song is stupid. A lot of early pop songs are stupid and nonsensical.

by Anonymousreply 188December 15, 2018 11:43 AM

Peggy Lee popularized Torch.

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by Anonymousreply 189December 15, 2018 4:39 PM

Def Leppard

by Anonymousreply 190December 15, 2018 7:38 PM

Peggy Lee had an unusual whispy, mesmerizing voice that was put to excellent use in such classics as Fever and Is That All There Is.

One of the all time greats.

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by Anonymousreply 191December 15, 2018 8:10 PM

Shitty Asshole

by Anonymousreply 192December 15, 2018 8:19 PM

R192 You're possessed.

by Anonymousreply 193December 15, 2018 8:23 PM

PJ Harvey did a brilliant cover of that's all there is. I think Polly is one of the greatest, if not the greatest female musician of all time, but she's probably not that influential, but she def top 5 greatest.

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by Anonymousreply 194December 16, 2018 12:10 PM

How soon they forget.

by Anonymousreply 195December 16, 2018 12:31 PM

Laura Nyro

by Anonymousreply 196December 16, 2018 1:20 PM

I like Tori Amos but she's hardly on the most influential of all time.

Madonna may be influential in some cultural ways, and her packaging and marketing has been copied endlessly. Hard to copy her artistry when there is none....

by Anonymousreply 197December 16, 2018 1:25 PM

Linda Ronstadt was one of the biggest names of her era, but is half-forgotten today. Younger generations really don't know who she is.

by Anonymousreply 198December 16, 2018 3:02 PM

Tori Amos had a huge influence, esp. on female artists, more than people realize.

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by Anonymousreply 199December 16, 2018 5:25 PM

A lot of the younger generation think of Tori Amos as 90s. Not influential to popular artists of today.

by Anonymousreply 200December 16, 2018 5:29 PM

Someone above must have nominated "Empress of the Blues", Bessie Smith, for a place on your list. It wouldn't be easy to overstate her influence on blues, as well as rock and popular music.

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by Anonymousreply 201December 16, 2018 6:04 PM

True r200, but she is have somewhat of a revival, he last album was reviewed by sites that 10 years ago totally ignored her, and she's already done her influencing, so acts that are almost unknowingly being influenced by her almost unknowingly. Like Swift said Amos was a huge influence on her, so acts that get influenced by Swift are in turn being influenced by Amos, same as Annie Clarke, who cites Amos as a big inspiration.

Also what's odd about Tori is there are a number of young straight male acts especially EMO bands pointing to early Amos particularly Boys For Pele as impacting their music.

by Anonymousreply 202December 16, 2018 6:28 PM

R202 is a big tori fan. Toribit in our midst. She’s passé, honey and thought of as 90s.

by Anonymousreply 203December 16, 2018 6:52 PM

Here's Linda Ronstadt. One of the great singers of the 1970's and 1980's. An amazing voice.

She's 72 now and can't sing anymore because of health problems. But she left lots of good stuff behind.

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by Anonymousreply 204December 16, 2018 7:41 PM

Linda Ronstadt had a pretty incredible singing voice.

No use for autotune on her vocals.

by Anonymousreply 205December 16, 2018 8:28 PM

They all sang live back then and were fantastic. You needed to have real talent to have a significant career in music back then.

by Anonymousreply 206December 16, 2018 9:17 PM

Don't you guys know about the Latin music scene as well? I'd say Spanish singer Rocio Durcal should be amongst the top 10 at least.

She sold hundreds of millions of albums during her 40 year career and influenced many of her contemporaries and those who came behind her.

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by Anonymousreply 207December 16, 2018 9:51 PM

Miss Patti Labelle!

by Anonymousreply 208December 16, 2018 9:56 PM

Pussy

by Anonymousreply 209December 16, 2018 11:47 PM

Because of her family background Linda Ronstadt could speak fluent Spanish, recorded Spanish albums, and sometimes had Spanish only concerts. She was quite innovative.

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by Anonymousreply 210December 16, 2018 11:55 PM

R210 she wasn't innovative- she was diverse. She interpreted different genre of music. She was wasn't the first. Bing Crosby was probably the first. But she had an excellent voice. And so to hear a song sung well and authentic it takes a great talent. She did something that most of the other women on the list couldn't or were afraid to do.

by Anonymousreply 211December 17, 2018 12:01 AM

Little Miss Dynamite was Brenda Lee's nickname when she had her first big hit at only 15 years of age. She was a little lady with a big voice and was the best selling female artist of the 1960's. When her pop music career started to fade she moved over to Country Music where she had a second career. She's 74 now.

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by Anonymousreply 212December 17, 2018 12:04 AM

She was also a big bitch. She hates her records now.

by Anonymousreply 213December 17, 2018 12:05 AM

[quote]the queen of them all, Olivia Newton-John

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

by Anonymousreply 214December 17, 2018 12:10 AM

Wasn't Linda Ronstadt mostly sing cover songs? She was a bit before my time.

by Anonymousreply 215December 17, 2018 12:47 AM

Whoops......DIDN'T Linda Ronstadt mostly sing cover songs?

by Anonymousreply 216December 17, 2018 12:48 AM

Yes, so?

by Anonymousreply 217December 17, 2018 12:48 AM

Brenda Lee is back every Christmas with her classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", originally done in 1958.

by Anonymousreply 218December 17, 2018 12:50 AM

We know and everyone hates it too

by Anonymousreply 219December 17, 2018 12:56 AM

R218 I love that song, one of my Christmas favorites. She got a gold record for it years ago.

by Anonymousreply 220December 17, 2018 1:02 AM

Donna Summer

Without Donna and Georgio Moroder there would be no electronic music. No disco, no house music etc. They spawned an entire genre that is still going in a variety forms today.

THAT is what you call influential.

by Anonymousreply 221December 17, 2018 1:09 AM

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing that R117.

Speaking of Latin singers. R207, Celia Cruz definitely deserves a spot on any top 5 list.

by Anonymousreply 222December 17, 2018 1:10 AM

I gotta add the Go-Go's. Played all their own instruments, wrote all their own songs, had several hits. There's not really been an all-female group since then that's had big success and still going.

by Anonymousreply 223December 17, 2018 1:42 AM

R203, Tori wouldn't be in my personal top 5 favorite musicians, but even if she is passé like so many other great influential artist in this thread it doesn't void their influence from whatever era they were at their career high.

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by Anonymousreply 224December 17, 2018 1:12 PM

Surely Annie Lennox! That voice!!

by Anonymousreply 225December 17, 2018 10:07 PM

You bitches have ignored Vicki Carr!

by Anonymousreply 226December 17, 2018 10:32 PM

VH1 says differently, OP

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by Anonymousreply 227December 17, 2018 10:35 PM

Nobody gave a shit about me when I was alive but none of these bitches mentioned could touch me vocally.

by Anonymousreply 228December 19, 2018 2:25 AM

Stevie Nicks.

Fleetwood Mac is listed as top 100 artists in that link on R132 (that list is a sham, btw, hardly any female artists) Stevie was a huge driving force behind that band. When she left, they hardly survived. She went on her own in the 80s and became an even bigger star.

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by Anonymousreply 229December 19, 2018 4:11 AM

One of the greats - Annie Lennox. Her androgynous look and That Voice! She could wail like a banshee.

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by Anonymousreply 230December 19, 2018 2:29 PM

Annie Clarke, AKA St Vincent, reinventing music right now.

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by Anonymousreply 231December 19, 2018 4:57 PM

R231, she’s not an all-time anything yet.

by Anonymousreply 232December 19, 2018 4:59 PM

Actually r232, if that's your real name, she's been named as the successor to Bowie.

by Anonymousreply 233December 19, 2018 5:05 PM

She’s not all-time yet. Sorry

by Anonymousreply 234December 19, 2018 7:32 PM

It's odd the real lack of musical knowledge that is expressed by the choice of these singers. Doesn't anyone listen music from the beginning of the early twentieth century. It sad when anyone believes they can express an uninformed opinion with so much dignity.

by Anonymousreply 235December 19, 2018 9:39 PM

Hadn't seen this before and I don't want to read all 235 posts so I am just hoping that someone has said that OP is clearly either 15 years old, an idiot, or a troll.

by Anonymousreply 236December 19, 2018 9:44 PM

Could be all three, R236.

by Anonymousreply 237December 19, 2018 9:48 PM

Pussy eater!

by Anonymousreply 238December 19, 2018 10:53 PM

Especially for r 236 & R237, something from your past; I'm sure you are both old enough to have there for the live show.

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by Anonymousreply 239December 20, 2018 12:42 PM
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