List your favorite female singers in at least 2 separate categories

In this topic, I am separating them, since vocals can be just as effective but different. I'm evaluating based on vocals, but I also enjoy the music of those I listed. I'm choosing these categories: pop & rock, R&B/soul, country, and alternative/other.

List no more than 15 per category, and no more than 30 total.

My faves:

Pop/rock

Susanna Hoffs
Debbie Harry
Cyndi Lauper
Stevie Nicks
Michelle Branch
Alison Sudol
Sarah McLachlan
Andrea Corr
Annie Lennox
Kelly Clarkson
Joan Jett
Kay Hanley
Harriet Wheeler

Country:

Patsy Cline
Neko Case
Alison Krauss
Patty Loveless
Emmylou Harris
Dolly Parton
Loretta Lynn
Natalie Maines

R&B/soul

Aretha Franklin
Dusty Springfield
Alicia Keys
Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Gladys Knight

Alt/other

Aimee Mann
Lucinda Williams
Loreena McKennitt

Rock/Pop

Janis Joplin
Joan Jett
Debbie Harry
Wendy O Williams
Tina Turner
Patti Smith
Annie Lennox

Country (sort of)
Loretta Lynn
Bonnie Raitt
Dixie Chicks
Patsy Cline

Soul
ARETHA!!!! (my fav of ALL time!)
Dusty Springfield

That's the kind of listing I meant. :thumbsup:

I'm putting together an "underrated female singers" topic to get to some others.

Etta James. Is she Soul? Pop? Easy listening? hmmmmmm....

Suppose you could go with that.

For starters....

Folk:

Dolores Keane (Irish folk singer)

Soul:

Aretha Franklin

Rock/pop:

Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs)
Marianne Faithfull
Kirsty McColl (and folk)
Dusty Springfield

Indie:

Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins)
Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays)

I tried, but it may not be perfect. The effort is worth something, I'd say.

And Ella Fitzgerald rules over them all!

Rock/Pop
1. Ann Wilson (Heart)
2. Eva Cassidy
3. Linda Ronstadt
4. Dolores Riordan (Cranberries)
5. Bonnie Raitt

Country
1. Mary Chapin Carpenter
2. Alison Krauss
3. Natalie Maines
4. Lee Ann Rimes
5. Nanci Griffith

Jazz
1. Ella Fitzgerald
2. Madeline Peyroux
3. Etta James
4. Dinah Washington
5. Diana Krall

Mary Chapin Carpenter is very underrated IMO.

and we went to see her at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. She is a great songwriter and performer. I was surprised that Digital Dream Door had her listed at #27.

Supposedly has a new album that could be released this year sometime:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Chapin_Carpenter#2000s_work

Operatic and adult contemporary: Sarah Brightman

Rock & Roll: Joan Jett, Janice Joplin, Sheryl Crow even though she only made one decent album

folksy: Judy Collins

Personally, I love all her albums.

Soul
Aretha, duh

Rock/Metal/Alternative
Tarja Turunen (Nightwish)
Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil)
Hayley Williams (Paramore)
Tracy Bonham
(God help me) Avril Lavigne (Not her MUSIC, I like her VOICE)

Pop
Kelly Clarkson (Again, voice, not music)

...Alice in Chains? ;)

Unfortunately, the kind of music I tend to listen to is short on female singers.

I love good pop.

Her songwriters suck.

It's not the music itself as much as the lyrics

They are smart pop/rock lyrics. I didn't expect Joni Mitchell lyrics. In music, you just have to say to each his own.

Opera:

Kathleen Battle
Deborah Voigt
Dawn Upshaw
Maureen O'Flynn

World:

Susana Baca
Angelique Kidjo
Marta Sebestyen

J-Pop:

Momoe Yamaguchi
Miwa Yoshida

Early and Baroque:

Emma Kirkby
Custer LaRue
Nancy Zylstra

:hi:

:scared:

:-)

and Momoe Yamaguchi (who has a genuinely good alto voice) was the most popular singer when I lived there.

I'd probably add Kay Hanley (from Letters to Cleo), and Emily Saliers & Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) to the pop/rock list though...

:hi:

I could have put the Indigo Girls in, but I think of them as duo magic so much - but wonderful singers individually. I guess some singers on certain days can replace ones in my list. :hi:

I got to see the Sundays in a little club right next to LSU's campus- They were really amazing. I respect their decision to want to lead a quiet life, but I do miss their work...

I too would like to see what they come up with.

They are on an indefinite hiatus to raise their children. No comments on when (or if) they'll ever reform.

:hi:

The green one in this clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig

She's in my top 10 for sure.

As with Joni Mitchell, I like her music more than her voice, though.

Diane Schuur


Anna Marie Jopek


Enya


Bjork

Her voice on "Paint The Sky With Stars" is just ethereal.

Bonnie Raitt
Barbra Streisand
Bette Midler
Madonna
Alanis Morissette
Aretha
Alicia Keys
Mary J Blige
Annie Lennox
Carly Simon
Carole King
Chaka Khan
Cher
Diana Krall
Emmylou Harris
Linda Ronstadt
Ella Fitzgerald
Gloria Estefan
Norah Jones
Joan Osborne
Joni Mitchell
kd lang
Tori Amos
Sarah McLachlan
Sheryl Crow

I like Cher. Agreed on Tori, too, though sometimes she draws out her words.

but here's my favorited female singers on last fm:

Janis Joplin
Sheryl Crow
Cyndi Lauper
Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries
Sade
Joni Mitchell
Annie Lennox
Dido
Edith Piaf
Sarah McLachlan
Sia
Shirley Bassey
Joan Armatrading
India Arie
Mama Cass
Nico
Norah Jones
Tracy Chapman
Beth Orton

My memory isn't so good with the amount of artists I hear. Of course, Janis's raw voice is always soulful.