Top 10 Greatest Female Singer/Songwriters of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell, professionally known as Joni Mitchell, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Drawing from folk, pop, rock, and jazz, Mitchell's songs often reflect social and environmental ideals as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, disillusionment, and joy.

Joni just happens to be a genius and uses that special gift in the arts to explore and express her thoughts on the things in life that are important to her and somehow magically we, her audience in turn self identify and internalizes her words into our own lives. She will always have a special place in my heart like no other female songwriter or artist can.

The other nine on this list AND the contenders put together don't have the musical depth, breadth and imagination Joni has before she even wakes up. The same is true of the poetic quality of her lyrics. This is an artist - the rest are commercial constructs with varying degrees of backing making them SEEM TO BE what we see them as.

2 Carole King Carole King is an American composer and singer-songwriter. She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the USA, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1999. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making... read more

Just the best writer / performer, closely followed by Carly Simon - and where's Diane Warren in this list...?

The most important female singer/songwriter of our time!

Beautiful music. My favorite female songwriter-singer.

3 Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift is best known for writing personal songs and has won 13 Grammy Awards... read more

Lyrical genius. The words have the ability to make and break someone mentally. Personally, I feel that folklore and evermore depict the zenith of her songwriting skills, both are such lyrical masterpieces. She is one of the greatest and most intellectual songwriters of modern times.

Outstanding songwriter! The emotion she captures through her words are amazing, they're so deep and meaningful and if people would listen it's not all about her ex boyfriends. It's much more deeper. Should be No. 1 but all the women in the list are also amazing and talented!

4 Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums.

Her voice and songwriting, that's raw talent right there. Give her a microphone, and her sound and words will have you swept away into a spiritual and emotional journey.

The greatest song writer of all time man or woman! Both beautiful and brilliant! Her voice is pretty dam good to! Love, love Stevie!

Every mans dream woman mid seventies through mid eighties. I Remember when real women walked the planet with style and grace.

5 Patti Smith Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.

Maybe patti smith can top a list for once!

6 Janis Joplin Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was an American singer who rose to fame as the main singer of acid band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She was known for her eccentric hippie style and psychedelic rock music.

She was soulful, brilliant, cutting edge and phenomenal. Gone way too soon!

I can't believe someone like Taylor Swift is Higher Than This Legend Just Sad

7 Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music.

There is nothing cheap about Dolly's words and lyrics . Dolly's songs touch the heart , and will be around forever, and ever. While Dolly writes a lot of songs about Women , She also writes about growing up in the Appalachian Mountains , Faith, Family, Work , and Fun ( Two Doors Down ). Dolly's songs are about life and are relatable to ordinary people . These songs, along with her melodies and music cross gender, ethnicity, and age ! Dollyworld is more than a theme park !

Dolly Parton is an incredible show woman, singer, and song writer. Her music is a part of our history because it tells stories about growing up and living in Appalachia. She is amazing.

8 Carly Simon

Extremely honest, witty, even a bit brutal, but always catchy songwriting with a sexy, unique voice. Carly is the most underrated female pop singer of the 70s and 80s. She seems to have always been overshadowed by her peers - Joni, Carole and Linda. Carly is a powerful, original talent, but she is also humble and down to earth. God forbid! No wonder she didn't receive the recognition she deserved.

9 Hayley Williams Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She is best known as the lead vocalist, occasional keyboardist and primary songwriter of the American rock band Paramore. In 2020 she started a solo career.
10 Kate Bush

Only Joni Mitchell is Kate's peer among female singer songwriters. The depth of meaning and emotional impact of so many of her songs, the gorgeous music and her amazingly expressive voice are inimitable. On top of that, she is one of the first artists to seize control of her music from her label and is a pioneer in video and live performance excellence.
No one is as influential across genres, from Big Boi to Bjork, from Solange to St. Vincent, from Tori Amos to Lady Gaga, and so many more.

The most original, intelligent and creative singer-songwriter of all time - male or female. Not just an incredible talent in this field, either; she excels as a dancer, choreographer, pianist, producer, and director. Also - in spite of her protestations to the contrary - she can act. Finally, Kate is a modest woman who obviously cares far more for her family than she does for fame.

What more can be said?

Kate is in a different league from all the others.

The Contenders
11 Mariah Carey Mariah Carey, born March 27, 1970, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is one of the biggest best-selling women in the music industry, with 18 number 1 records to her name. She is regarded as a sex symbol through her songs and music videos, and she is "well known" for her over-the-top... read more

Trashy website indeed. I would put Mariah Carey on the top 3. So underrated even for how huge her success all throughout her career. She makes the melody, the runs, the lyrics, almost everything, except for the accompaniment for she is not into musical instrument. How can they not appreciate her talent? She's so underrated as a songwriter.

She has written all her songs except for the covers.. and by the way many of the singers who haven't written even one song are above this lady who wrote 17 #1 hits!

Mariah is the greatest of them all... Singer, song writer, producer.

12 Chrissie Hynde Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American-British musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alongside drummer Martin Chambers. She is the only continuous... read more

She offers something different in a male driven area of music.

Number 3, behind Joni and Carole.

13 Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. She is also a well-known member of the 27 Club, as she overdosed on alcohol at age 27.

Will never know how brilliant she could have been .But she still earns my vote.

Wow She should totally be higher, like her word play and her voice is amazing

14 Bridgit Mendler Bridgit Claire Mendler is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2004, she began her career in the animated Indian film The Legend of Buddha.
15 Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice.
16 Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper, known professionally as Lily Allen, is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and television presenter.
17 Lucinda Williams
18 Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. Graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006, Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year. She is best known with her international... read more

Adele is the best singer-songwriter of all time, and it's not even that close. Joni Mitchell? She has a self-described "helium voice". Bob Dylan? Again, songwriter..yes. Great singer..not exactly. Adele excels at both, and she has the record setting album sales and grammy wins to back it up too.

19 P!NK Alecia Beth Moore known professionally as P!NK, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress.
20 Ann & Nancy Wilson

Ann and Nancy are probably the most dynamic singer songwriters ever. They should follow the beauty and class, respectively, of Joni Mitchell and Carol King in the #3 spot light. No women have ever rocked harder than them though Tina Turner for sure has her place in history along side of the Wilson sisters.

21 Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian–French singer-songwriter and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million.
22 Sia Furler Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, referred to mononymously as Sia, is an Australian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album in 1997 but mainly gained mainstrem attention in the 2010s. In 2021, she released the highly controversial film "Music". The film has received negative reviews online.

Everything about her is amazing, her voice, her personality and her ability to be an amazing song-writer. It's amazing how she NEVER runs out of ideas (by writing many famous songs for the others e.g. Chains to the Rhythm, Diamond, Flashlight, Quit to name a few but have more than five pop albums herself that contain many good songs) and her songs all contain a unique style of hers but not that similar to each other. She is like a songwriting MACHINE I will say. Not many songwriters can match her level.

23 Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris is an American singer and songwriter. She is also known for her activism. Despite her diverse talents, she is best known for her contributions to the country music genre... read more
24 Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.

On the start of her career, she performed at an event called the Lollapalooza Festival during 2007 whereby a record label company Interscope found her due to her performance... read more

Why is this legend not on the list? Are you simply gonna ignore the very intelligent lyrics from bad romance, poker face, love game? Or the heart warming balads like speechless, TEOG, you and I? Vote for her

Definitely top 3. Modern pop singers should be based off amount of records sold. 1. Taylor Swift 2. Lady Gaga.

25 Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister... read more

The voice the piano skill the great songs,you believe every word she sings.

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