Top 10 Female Singers with Raspy Voices

The Top Ten
1 Grace VanderWaal Grace Avery VanderWaal is an American singer-songwriter from Suffern, New York. She is most well-known for winning the eleventh season of "America's Got Talent" singing her original songs at 12 years old. Her album, "Just the Beginning" was released in November 2017, and she has two EPs, "Perfectly Imperfect" and "Letters Vol 1". In 2020, Grace made her acting debut as Stargirl from Disney's musical... read more

Grace is barely 13 years old and has shown her talent by winning AGT and releasing her first EP, titled Perfectly Imperfect, shortly after. The title fits her perfectly. While she may be raw, she is a breath of fresh air in a sea of overproduced music. She doesn't sing about typical song topics and instead relates to us with emotions that we can all feel as humans - from trying to find herself to her special relationship with her sister, to fighting bullies, to a close friend's betrayal. We can all connect to the songs and realize we too, were born to shine. Her raspy voice shows us that you don't need to be perfect to make it... you can make it simply by being you.

I've not been able to listen to much of any other music since seeing Grace's audition on AGT. Her songwriting and lyrics are correct and right-on for a 12-year-old, but then her non-AGT music shows a maturity that women in the music industry wish they had. Grace is a phenom that was born to perform and loves every moment, which makes it more enjoyable for those watching and listening. Take a listen to the studio version of Beautiful Thing for a future classic.

Her voice is like no one else's, even though comparisons have been made to other singers. Her voice is Grace VanderWaal, distinct from the others.

And she's promised a full EP by Fall this year, so I'm looking forward to that as well. Love almost all of the rest of this list, but Grace is my #1 choice for making my day brighter.

2 Joan Jett Joan Marie Larkin known professionally by her stage name Joan Jett, is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and occasional actress, best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, preceded by success with The Runaways, including their hit song "Cherry Bomb".

I was hoping she would be first. Her voice on I Love Rock and Roll is very raspy and sexy.

3 K.S. Chithra Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, often credited as K. S. Chithra or simply Chithra, is an Indian playback singer from Kerala. Chithra also sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music.

She is always pitch-perfect and can sing live like no one's business. Her vocal range is amazing, and she uses just the right amount of raspiness to effect. Chithra makes you feel the whole emotions during her songs. And she can sing anything!

She can sing as clearly as an angel and then add a rasp that curls your toes.

4 Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Her self-titled debut album Melissa Etheridge was released in 1988 and became an underground success.
5 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.

When she belts out Cry Baby, my heart feels as though it will explode with an electric shock. There's so much power and emotion in her voice. She's incredible. She really is.

Janis Joplin knows what's up. I never listen to female artists, but she really shows who she is through her music. I feel as if I'm reading her mind when listening to her.

She is amazing! Just listen to Piece of My Heart.

6 Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer. She is known for her distinctive husky voice, resulting from an operation to remove vocal nodules in the mid-1970s.

Total Eclipse of the Heart is the best song that shows off her beautiful, raspy voice and talent.

It's a Heartache, Total Eclipse of the Heart, and I Need a Hero - all great songs.

7 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 is so distinctive. You know it's Stevie the first word she sings. Sometimes it's childlike, and other times it's angry. Love her voice.

She can't sing anything that I don't instantly love. She's beautiful and a bit quirky. I like that in a person.

Most beautiful, majestic raspy voice of all. I will always LOVE her music!

8 Nawal El Kuwaitia Nawal El Kuwaitia is a well-known female singer and musical icon in the Middle East. Nawal studied at the Music Institute in Kuwait. She is known as Shaikhat Al Tarab (The Queen of Classic Music) and Qaitharat Al Khaleej (Harp of Khaliji Song).

She is the legend, the diva Nawal. Her voice would take you to a beautiful, romantic dream with amazing lyrics and very fine music. Good luck, Nawal. We support you forever. ;*

I love your voice, Nawal. You are amazing. Really, I don't know what I should say, but you are the best ever. I don't know what you say because I'm from Türkiye. Love you, Nawal.

I know her. She is from Gulf Arabia and has a lot of classic songs.

9 Suzi Quatro Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American hard rock singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. She was the first female bass player to become a major rock star, breaking a barrier to women's participation in rock music.

She's the no. 1 Queen of rock music world!

10 Rindy Ross
The Contenders
11 Doro Pesch Doro Pesch is a German hard rock singer that started her career in native Düsseldorf in the early 80s with the underground bands Snakebite and Beast.
12 Alannah Myles Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter and the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles, who was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame in 1997.

Black Velvet is her most known song.

13 Haley Reinhart Haley Elizabeth Reinhart is an American singer, songwriter, and voice actress from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Really an amazing vocalist with great musicality. Haley has an amazing multi-dimensional voice with a beautiful natural rasp. She can sing as smooth as silk or really gritty and raspy down from the gut, and everything in between. In addition, she can do the most amazing growls and vocal runs. She is really very special.

Singer Melinda Doolittle on Haley in 2011: "I was watching the show last night with some of my favorite singers, and we were in awe of what her voice can do. She can go from a raspy tone to one that is as clear as a bell in a matter of seconds. She has the vocal flexibility of a singer twice her age. She is amazing."

Haley Reinhart is always pitch-perfect and can sing live like no one's business. Her vocal range is amazing, and she uses just the right amount of raspiness to effect.

Haley makes you feel the whole gamut of emotions during her songs. And she can sing anything!

14 Darby Mills Darby Phyllis Mills is a Canadian rock vocalist, former figure skater; known best as the lead singer of the Headpins.
15 Lita Ford Lita Rossana Ford is an English-born American rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways in the late 1970s, an all-female rock band formed by Joan Jett and Sandy West. In the 1980s Lita Ford embarked on a solo career.
16 Taylor Dayne
17 Lzzy Hale Elizabeth Mae "Lzzy" Hale is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the American hard rock band Halestorm, which she co-founded in 1997.

Lzzy's voice is among the most versatile ever. She can go from velvet to gravel in an instant and sound better than almost anyone doing it. Her voice is a force of nature, and her heart is as impressive as her vocals. She is seriously one of the nicest and most genuine people you would ever want to meet.

Her versatility is out of this world. She can sing as clearly as an angel and then add a rasp that curls your toes.

Lzzy is amazing. She can sing anything. She has such a strong voice.

18 Lauren Jauregui Lauren Jauregui was born on June 27, 1996 and in Miami, Florida. Lauren Jauregui is part of the girl group Fifth Harmony who are known for songs like Worth it, Work From Home, Bo$$, Sledgehammer, and All In My Head (Flex). Two of their music videos (Work From Home and Worth It) have both hit one billion views. She came out as bisexual.

Her voice is super raspy, especially on their soulful cover of Ex's and Oh's.

Her voice just calms me down every time I listen to her parts/solos or songs.

She has a naturally raspy, husky voice to begin with. She doesn't even have to try.

19 Kim Carnes Kim Carnes is a two-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. Born in Los Angeles, California, Carnes now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where she continues to write music.

"More Love" was her first top 10 hit in 1980. It's a wonderful take on Smokey Robinson's song. "Draw of The Cards" is also great and something different from her.

One-hit wonder, but so good. Betty Davis eyes. First time I heard the song, I thought it was Stevie Nicks.

Kim Carnes is so underrated. She deserves so much better.

20 Pink Alecia Beth Moore known professionally as P!NK, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress.
21 Debbie Harry Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known as the lead singer of the new wave and punk rock band Blondie.

This depends on the song. With One Way or Another, the husky growl is definitely there. Then you can hear it occasionally in other songs as well.

Come on, do you really need to know why I voted for Blondie?

22 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 hit singles like Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Hello, Easy On Me and the success of... read more

Awesome power and expression - a modern Alison Moyet, who should be on this list...

23 Sherine Sherine Ahmed Abdel Wahhab, mononymously known as Sherine, is an Egyptian singer and actress. Sherine was born in 1980 in Cairo, Egypt. She is one of the four coaches in the the Arabic version of The Voice. Nicknamed the Queen of feelings, she serves as one of the jury members.
24 Elise Testone
25 Kelis Kelis Rogers better known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and certified chef.
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