Top Ten Greatest Female Soul Singers

She is a true legend... She is probably in heaven singing while all the people who died before her listen too the voice they all missed.

Although she's dead, she is and will be a legend forever.

At her peak her voice live was unmatched

The greatest voice Earth ever heard.

The feeling and depth with which she sings, soul singing is all about letting come from your inner most depths and let it go making a connection with the audience and the universe. Her song Natural woman is superb. Whitney was amazing look at her she is dead because she didn't make quite the same connection with her soul as what Aretha did. I feel you need to look at the whole picture when you are choosing a soul singer. At the end of the day who do you want to identify with a dead drug addict with a grand voice or a woman who changed the music industry for the better who in spite of her troubles is still standing. Wow what a woman. Such a powerful vice such deep music and lyrics

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, musicians and singers of all times!

The best soul music vocalist all times.

Well said! She defines Soul like no other female singer. Glady's & Chaka are next as well as Etta. Nice that they can go on just their first names. Whitney was a Pop artist.

I think Etta James should be number 1. She has one of the most unique voices in history. It was bluesy, jazzy, and rock and roll all in one. And it was also super gritty yet super powerful. No one sounded like her and no one will.

The best, except for Aretha, who was also the best.

She has the rarity that hits deep into the soul.. Just perfect

Etta james and aretha are just amazing...

A supreme soul tour de force, soaring sweet tones and fantastic range, an exciting voice that kicks you in the stomach and kisses you on the lips and strokes your ears all at the same time, if you cannot hear it your are senile... Or dead...

Patti Labelle makes lyrics alive. She has a great very flexible voice and masters perfectly emotions. It is something special to see her performing alive because she is an exceptional entertainer.

I love Patti Labelle she my favorite singer I wish she would come to Springfield Kentucky

A serious living legend, who gave the world hits such as; If only You Knew and Lady Marmalade just to name a few.

Hello where's Anita Baker?

Soulful voice

One of the greatest voices of all time. She created a new style of singing that many singers copied. You hear many singers doing runs in their songs, Chaka and Stevie perfected the riffs and runs.

This woman has more impact on the singers that followed her than any from her generation, Chaka has sung on so many different artist and most important she still sounds fantastic... She is her own categoru

Hands down the Queen of Funk!

Vocals that are unmatched!

Best soul singer of all time

One of the very very best

One of the worst girl singers ever.

ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE SINGERS OF ALL TIME

Surely, if we are talking about now, Florence Welch works very well and she proves it with each song. Those tunes and her voice just makes one shiver. She definitely belongs here.

She's amazing. Best singer of the century, hands down.

Talented, pretty and amazing voice!

I think Alicia should be at least top 5

I think Diana has the great potential she had her own group she stared in moves she became a solo and now has a movie made just for her and the Supremes /dream girls

Shes the est because her voice was diferenet but the heart was the same she was a soul singer loved the black culture and never felt used she always fouth for respect and love for everibody

Wow you"re right. She has charted every decade in various genres in every decade since her debut. Now a number 1 album on the Latin charts. One of the best and voices in the biz

Natalie Cole is the only Diva to have won Grammys in the categories of soul, pop, jazz as well as record of the year, album of the year and Best new artist. The first black female to sell a million albums [1 IN 77,1 IN 78, and has had a top 10 single or album in various categories in every decade since the 70's. SHE IS THE MOST DIVERSE OF ALL THE DIVAS.

Joss Stone has the most powerful, and biggest voice, alive today. When it comes to soul she is the one you should listen to. She deserves to be number 1, there is no doubt about that! I love all of her work!

Amazing will touch your heart!

She's the best. There are no other singers that could both sing and write with her depth and maturity at such a young age..

She was amazingly talented, there's something very real and special about her what vocalists lack these days

She was the best and most beautiful soul singer of all time and it is so sad how she died so young R.I.P.

25 really!

There has never been anyone with the amount of control that Toni has over her lower register PERIOD! Her voice is beyond soulful it's simply perfection! Toni Braxton is a unique talent whose vocal creativity is unmatched! The only other female vocalist who comes remotely close in regards to uniqueness is Phyllis Hyman!

She doesn't belong in this particular top 10. Wrong genre

I l love your inner spirit forever I like thank you

Mariah carey.. Oh my God one of the most beautiful spirits in the entire world... Filipinos love her... Her music... So touching. No one comes clost to mariah. The diva. The song writer and a producer...THE BEST SELLING FEMALE ARTIST IN THE HISTORY... VERY VERSATILE VOICE...

WE LOVE YOU MARIAH!

Mariah is not only a soul singer, she is a variety like Soul, Hip-Hop and R&B... Others r not as talented as her :3... But I agree that some others r better soul singers than Mariah sadly :( BUT STILL MARIAH IS #1!

Dionne is 2nd only to aretha is number of charted singles. Her inimitable voice coveys all emotional facets without resorting to the shouting so prevalent today. She is one of the few singers who can handle the key changes, time signature shifts, modulations, etc., of the Bacharach/David Songbook with apparent ease (e.G., check out "Promises, Promises"). Also,
She can belt out terrific emotional anthems --check out "His House and Me"
On You Tube or "All in Love is Fair".

She was very good too and had many hits.

Greatest

She was fantastik. all her songs were very good.
Bert Bacharach wrote many good ones for her.

Donna - natural talent, exceptional beauty, versatile and smart; she broke down barriers and paved the way for the Whitneys, Beyonces and Mariahs who came along after she broke really big in the mid-seventies. Underrated for sure, but, a lot of the reason for her not receiving the recognition she deserved was by her own career choices. She would often say that she wanted to be just an "ordinary girl" in this life. However, she was one of the chosen few who was gifted by our Higher Power with extraordinary abilities, singing being only one of them. She reared three exceptionally talented, beautiful daughters (much like Miss Ross) but, unfortunately for the rest of us, she was called away far too soon. After three years, I still can't get my head around the fact that Miss Adrian Donna (Gaines) Summer is no longer a part of this life. But, I will see you in Heaven! Donna (is) a legend in music history and an true icon in life (without a doubt). Humble and sweet, she will always ...more

I think I only know or or have had heard some of her songs but to me she is not the greatest singer or female singer ever but she deserves to be at #20.

She is the best singer

One of the newer legends, but undoubtedly The Queen B or her age!

I can't believe she's not on this list. She should definitely be in the top ten.