Top 10 Female Music Legends

1. K. S. Chithra

   

   Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, often credited as K. S. Chithra or simply Chithra, is an Indian playback singer from Kerala. She also sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. Chithra has recorded over 25,000 songs in various languages and is a recipient of six National Film Awards.

   This fantastic woman can sing everything from rock to opera, in any range, in any language, and using any singing technique.

   She is a genius in music. She is the god of music. She is the music itself!

   This is an angel who came with a great mission in this world. Her aura has a natural healing power. She is truly amazing!

   Incomparable. Best voice, range, and tone in the world!

2. 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

3. Ella Fitzgerald

   

   Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella. She was known for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, and improvisational ability. Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy Awards during her career.

   There has never been and will never be another female singer like Lady Ella. She is one of a kind. She's just incredible.

4. Barbra Streisand

   

   Barbara Joan Streisand, known professionally as Barbra Streisand, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker. She has won numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, ten Grammy Awards, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all... read more

   She's got it all. Listening to her is like listening to warm liquid velvet!

   Incomparable voice, tone, and range! The best there ever was!

   Incomparable. Best voice, range, and tone in the world!

5. Cher

   

   Cher is an American singer and actress. Described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has adopted a variety of styles... read more

   Best in the business! 72 and she's as fantastic as she was in her youth. Her voice is incredible!

   Her deep voice never ceases to surprise me.

   Greatest female legend of all time!

6. Whitney Houston

   

   Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. She holds the Guinness World Record as the most awarded female artist of all time, with over 400 career awards as of 2006, and was named the most awarded female act in 2009.... read more

   The greatest vocalist of all time. She will always be remembered.

7. Celine Dion

   

   Céline Marie Claudette Dion is a Canadian singer and businesswoman. She's best known for "My Heart Will Go On," the theme song of the 1997 film Titanic, which was the first film in history to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

8. Maria Callas

   

   Maria Callas, Commendatore OMRI, was a Greek-American soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. She was widely praised for her bel canto technique, her wide-ranging voice, and her powerful dramatic interpretations. Her legacy continues to inspire opera singers... read more

9. Mariah Carey

   

   Mariah Carey, born March 27, 1970, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She's one of the best-selling female artists in music history, with 19 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

   She's often regarded as a sex symbol through her songs and videos, and has been noted in the press... read more

   The best of all time.

10. Dolly Parton

    

    Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, primarily known for her work in country music. She has composed over 3,000 songs and received numerous awards, including 11 Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award... read more

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Marlena Shaw

    
12. ?

    Leontyne Price

The Contenders

13. Tina Turner

    

    Tina Turner, née Anna Mae Bullock, was a singer, dancer, actress, and author, whose career spanned more than half a century, earning her widespread recognition and numerous awards. She was known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Turner sold over 100 million records worldwide and won eight Grammy Awards... read more

14. Janis Joplin

    

    Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was an American singer who rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She was known for her powerful voice, emotive performances, and distinctive hippie style. Joplin remains an iconic figure of 1960s counterculture and... read more

15. Madonna

    

    Madonna Louise Ciccone, known professionally as Madonna, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She has influenced many artists, including Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Beyoncé Knowles, and Britney Spears. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pop," she has played a significant... read more

16. Alison Krauss

    

    Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of 10 and recording for the first time at 14. Krauss has released numerous albums and won over 25 Grammy Awards, making her one of the most awarded... read more

17. Sarah Brightman

    

    Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, musician, songwriter, conductor, and dancer. She rose to fame as the original Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Brightman is also known for her solo music career, having sold more than 30 million records... read more

18. 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. She joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, contributing to the success of their... read more

19. Patsy Cline

    

    Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia. She became a professional country singer in the 1950s and emerged as one of the most important artists in American music history. Patsy died on March 5, 1963, in a plane crash in Camden, Tennessee. She was... read more

20. Billie Holiday

    

    Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz musician and singer-songwriter with a career spanning nearly thirty years. She was known for her emotive voice and unique phrasing. Holiday's most famous recordings include Strange Fruit, God Bless the Child, and Lover Man.

21. Joan Jett

    

    Joan Marie Larkin, known professionally by her stage name Joan Jett, is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and occasional actress. She is best known for her work with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, including the hit song "I Love Rock 'n Roll." Before that, she found success with... read more

22. Diana Ross

    

    Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she rose to fame as the lead singer of the Supremes, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Ross later launched a successful solo career and has been inducted into the Rock... read more

23. Judy Garland

    

    Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. She rose to international fame with her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and had a career spanning over four decades... read more

24. Edith Piaf

    

    Édith Piaf was a French cabaret singer, songwriter, and actress who became widely regarded as France's national chanteuse, as well as being one of France's greatest international stars. Her signature songs include La Vie en Rose, Non, je ne regrette rien, and Hymne à l'amour. Piaf's music and life... read more

25. Amy Winehouse

    

    Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic blend of soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. She is a well-known member of the 27 Club, having died from alcohol poisoning at age 27 on July 23, 2011. Her album Back to Black remains... read more

    She deserves to be much higher. How does Marilyn Monroe top her?

    And really... do you think rank #27 is appropriate?

    Amy is so inspiring and deserves to be remembered for her talent forever.

26. Umm Kulthum

    

    Umm Kulthum was an internationally renowned Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s until her death in 1975. Her powerful voice and emotive performances made her a cultural icon across the Arab world. She remains one of the most celebrated and influential singers in Arabic... read more

27. Celia Cruz

    

    Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925-16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba."... read more