Top 10 Best Female Singers of All Time

By far, Whitney has the most voice control ever. She has set the standards for singing that have not been matched. She is also the most influential singer in the world.

The first time I heard Whitney Houston sing, I thought I'd died and landed in heaven. Celine Dion is great, but whoever said that doesn't understand quality. However, if a 1-100 rating were to exist, with the higher the number the better the singer, Celine would be 78 and Whitney would be 97.

I was glad Barbara Streisand wasn't in the top ten. She's too unnatural, all the way Hollywood, and different for no other reason than trying to impart that idea. Whitney is the best ever. She could easily have sung opera, and the world of opera would have gotten unhinged, Maria Callas dethroned. Not only was she the best, but she was also beautiful, and I fell in love every time I saw or heard her.

Put simply, there is just no other singer in the world that can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up to the same degree as Mariah Carey. It's her range, her tonal sound, her accuracy of pitch, her trills (vocal runs), and her upper power when hitting high notes that made her one of the all-time greats.

Sure, there are many great singers, and she's perhaps not as good as she was in the '90s, but that's more due to her change in musical direction rather than a decline in ability. She has well and truly proved that with her 2010 Christmas Concert recorded in Washington last year. Plus, she writes all her own songs, when too many of the big names these days unfortunately don't!

Celine deserves the number one spot. Come on, she has recorded songs with some of the world's greatest singers and sings very well in five different languages. She sings like an angel and has such charm about her.

Stop talking about Beyoncé's looks here because we are talking about voices, and by far, Celine is number one. Mariah is number two, Whitney is number three, and of them all, Celine has been the most consistent with her records. She has passed Mariah to become the world's best-selling female vocalist of all time.

Firstly, I think the parameters for "Best Female Singer of ALL TIME" should be better defined and be broken down by genre: jazz, soul, R&B, pop, country, etc. There is a big difference between a singer and an entertainer/performer. For example, Christina Aguilera is a fabulous vocalist - perfect pitch, range, and projection. Britney Spears is an entertainer/performer. They are both successful pop artists, but I would not consider Britney Spears for this list. She's an okay singer, but she's much more of an entertainer.

"Of all time" - most of the artists listed here are contemporary and mostly pop. So, perhaps it should be best pop singers of all time?

With that said, Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul and a true singer. None of this autotune business. If you need a computer to make you sound better, backup singers, and dancers to entertain your audience, you're a performer/entertainer, not a singer.

Christina is clearly an extremely talented singer that puts her all into her music. Her vocal ability is absolutely outstanding. She sings because it's what she loves to do. Christina Aguilera is a very inspiring singer that will never lose her amazing voice.

She is the best singer of the generation and absolutely one of the best singers of all time. She sings to express herself, and she doesn't care if that means fewer album sales or less popularity. Christina, never stop singing.

There are a lot of people who criticize Christina Aguilera for her technique. Some criticize her for her melisma-filled runs. The way I personally see it is as singing full force with everything you possibly have. Christina Aguilera does not sing without feeling what she is singing.

She grew up listening to her favorite artist, Etta James. To blues singers like Etta, there is no "technique" to singing. You sing how you feel. Blues singers do all kinds of runs with trills, squeals, and even screams. People do not seem to understand this. She can sing calm and collected, with little melisma and runs, but that is not what singing is to her. I feel her emotion in every word she says, and that, to me, makes a great singer.

Adele has turned soul music into something magical. She has taken pure pain and tragedy and produced the most beautiful, gorgeous works of art that could ever portray such strong emotions. Her voice is so crisp and soulful, no matter where she was in her career.

Every single album is filled with so much pure and raw sensation that can really affect how you feel. You should listen to her songs that aren't as famous, like "Lovesong", "Strangers by Nature", "To Be Loved", "One and Only", "Cry Your Heart Out". They really pronounce how much talent she has, making such poetic lyrics and melodic music. You don't have to like her music, but you can't deny her talent. What she was able to do is beyond words.

Her vocal control and sense of melody are from another world, and she never "loses her breath" on stage. Her presence and performances are astonishingly amazing. Among the best female singers, she's probably the best dancer.

And if all this were not enough, she has a natural talent to compose super hits. I think we humans need time to recognize all the talent she has, especially her voice, which is masked by her extraordinary beauty. Despite her success, she always radiates humility and goodness. So yes, I think Bee is the best female artist of all time, and it's a matter of time before she is included at the top of this list, hand in hand with her own idol, Whitney, and with Mariah.

I saw Katy be a guest coach on American Idol once. Unlike most singers who just act as cheerleaders and tell the contestants how great they sound or how pretty they look, she actually gave them some advice! What a concept!

She pointed out to them that if they make it big, their life would change. They would have far less privacy, see their family far less often, and be away from home for months at a time. To me, this is much more important than whether they look nice in that dress or that sweater. It's obvious Katy is a good person who cared not just about whether the contestants could make it, but also about whether they were prepared for what's next if they do. Reality shows could use more coaches/judges like her.

Agreed, she hasn't got the vocal range like Whitney or Celine, but she has proven many times that she can sing, and pretty darn well at times. When she performs a ballad live and from the heart, it's always full of emotions, which makes the imperfections perfect. And let's face it, she is an entertainer who puts on a show like no one else. And when you dance your ass off, who cares if the singing bit isn't flawless?

Madonna is the Queen and deserves a much higher ranking, if only for the fact that she has left everyone else miles behind her in her thirty-something years as the most successful female performer of all time.

She can sing with her mouth closed. Enough said. If you don't believe me, look her up on YouTube.

A truly beautiful woman with an equally beautiful soul, heart, and voice to match. Her haunting vocals are also soft and sweet, and every lyric she sings sends a message. She is original and one of a kind, with a strong history and family background in music. Her vocal control and sense of melody are from another world, and she never "loses her breath" on stage. Her presence and performances are astonishingly amazing.

Every single album is filled with so much pure and raw sensation that it can affect how you feel. They showcase how much talent she has, making such poetic lyrics and melodic music. You don't have to like her music, but you can't deny her talent. What she was able to do is beyond words. She is the best singer of the generation and absolutely one of the best singers of all time.

She sings to express herself and doesn't care if that means fewer album sales or less popularity. She writes, produces, and sings all of her music. There are no words to describe her talent (I mean this as a compliment). Her voice is beautiful and angelic when she wants it to be, but also insanely powerful and versatile.

She isn't even in the top 10?! It is appalling that she is below such awful singers. Whether you like country music or not, you have to admit she has one of the best voices of all time. Her range speaks for itself, but she can also touch you with that angelic voice. I fell in love with her music and bought her album before I even saw what she looked like. And she's beautiful too.

She sings about herself and doesn't make up stories. She has so many "different" voices and can sing in many octaves. Seeing some of these artists above her? She is by far the best female artist who has crossed and been successful in more music genres than any female. This woman is never weak in her vocals, has tried (and succeeded) in many different genres, and has a mid-range, highly versatile voice.

Maybe not one of the singers ever, but certainly... more

Lady Gaga is a very talented performer! Want to know why? She writes, produces, and actually sings all of her own music. She acts, dances, runs around doing whatever the hell Gaga does, and doesn't lip-sync at concerts.

She might not be the best female vocalist in the world, but hands down she is pretty dang close to being the most talented. She can play a multitude of instruments such as the piano, keytar, synthesizers, and most recently the guitar. She also has amazing dance skills for someone who has barely any classical training. She is very original and has an explanation for every crazy idea and costume. She is also one of the most gorgeous people on this planet, with or without makeup. Gaga is an all-around mega star, idol, friend, and supporter.

When you think about it, Rihanna honored the first-ever "Icon Award". She was named the best-selling digital artist of all time, the biggest artist on Facebook, and the most viewed artist on YouTube, among other accolades. She was also named a "Fashion Icon" and received the first-ever "Most Desirable Women In The World" award. Additionally, she has won nine Grammys.

While her voice may not be the strongest, the whole world recognizes its special quality and the abundance of emotions it conveys. Rihanna possesses a very nice, simple, and strong personality, among other attributes that contribute to her status as the number one artist in history!

There are no words to describe her talent (I mean this as a compliment). While many of the people on this list do have immense talent and deserve fame, Ariana Grande does as well. Her voice is beautiful and angelic when she wants it to be, but also insanely powerful and versatile. All types of her voice are amazing (soprano, mezzo-soprano), including her older voice as well as her more matured voice.

She was talented enough to perform in Broadway musical theater. If you watch her Still Hurting Cover, as well as her live Dangerous Woman Tour and Sweetener Tour performances, she puts so much effort and passion into each performance. She genuinely enjoys making music and helping others, which is a quality that I thought was always very important in a singer. While her more mainstream songs such as Side to Side and No Tears Left To Cry are much more well-known, she is very underrated as a vocalist. Also, she gets so much hate for no apparent reason. Don't judge a person cruelly when everyone has flaws.

If this is a competition in vocal perfection, then we would need both Maria Callas, Anna Netrebko, and Randy Crawford at the top of this list. But in the pop-rock business, Pink is indeed recognized among her colleagues as one of the most naturally gifted and original vocal performers alive and well today.

Her voice is definitely one of the most recognizable and powerful female vocals I've heard, apart from Janis Joplin and maybe Diamanda Galas. Look up her blues-rocker "Free" or her cover of "Me and Bobby McGee" on YouTube if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Demi Lovato is one of the best singers of this generation. She has a great voice and incredible vocals. Seriously, she performs live better than any other singer of this generation.

When I first heard Skyscraper, I thought she was amazing but doubted if she could sing live exactly like the original song. However, when I saw her performing Skyscraper with high vocals and a very high pitch live, I felt she had real talent in singing, unlike Selena Gomez, who can't sing live without the support of a chorus. Vote for the great-voiced Demi Lovato.

She isn't even in the top 10?! It is appalling that she is below such awful singers. Though I must say, Whitney Houston can bring the house down, and I'm glad she's up there.

But so many great singers are being denied their rightful title. Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner should be up in the top 10. It enrages me that Etta James isn't even on here. Her voice is absolutely gorgeous.

Just because Janis doesn't sound like any mainstream, no-talent singer doesn't mean she's worthless. Her voice has soul and power, and I just sit back in amazement whenever I listen to her. It's raw and beautiful. She should be number one! You people have such poor musical taste. It makes me want to cry.

No, I'm not a random fan who votes Avril up just because she's lovable and all (even though, yes, she definitely is). I vote up Avril because I truly believe she is an amazing singer. She can sing with a weak, vulnerable voice, yet she can rock out and radiate young punk energy to the crowd. I don't believe she is given enough recognition as a singer.

You can say her vocal range is slightly above average and compare her to Whitney Houston in terms of vocal ability, but I argue for vocal emotion and performance. When she sings, she touches my heart if she sings a slow number and makes me excited when she rocks out with a sick beat. Another trait of Avril's amazing voice is that she always seems to enunciate each lyric precisely when she sings. I almost never mishear lyrics from Avril's singing. I love Avril, but that is not the reason I vote for her to be the best singer. I vote for her because she is.

Britney Spears started her career when she was 11 years old, making her a truly special singer. The vast majority of her albums have been ranked as the best on the Billboard 100, and they're also great and catchy. She's also a talented performer. Haters say she lip-syncs because she can't sing, but that's not true.

When she puts on a show, it includes heavy dancing, so how would she be able to sing? She's such an icon. This is why she is the true Queen of Pop. One of her performances may be more iconic than your favorite artist's entire career. That's why she's so memorable and will always be in our hearts.

Carrie Underwood has a strong, powerful voice and surely deserves to be in the top 10 at least. She is a total inspiration to many people and has the best voice I have ever heard.

Her new tracks on Blown Away are outstanding, and the vocal performances are unforgettable. Listen to songs such as "See You Again," "Two Black Cadillacs," or "Blown Away." You will change your mind immediately.

She has always been my inspiration, and I can't find someone who can match her vocal performance.

Whether you like country music or not, you have to admit she has one of the best voices of all time. Her range speaks for itself, but she can also touch you with that angelic voice.

However, the best thing about her is that, along with that voice, she is a true artist and entertainer. Don't take my word for it - she constantly receives praise from her peers.

At this pace, she will surely become a legend.

Tina Turner is such an interesting meld of styles. In almost anything she sings, she sings with a bluesy tinge, the energy and sexual fire that would stand up to any male rocker, all while she sings with the conviction of a church girl gone bad. Her voice, expressive and passionate, she is quite possibly one of the most versatile singers to ever set foot on stage.

From gut-bucket R&B to lush orchestral rock to reggae-influenced pop, to the explosive rock and roll records, to lush twangy country, Tina Turner is the singer's singer and embodies a woman able to reinvent herself and survive the test of time.

I definitely had to vote to get Stevie up the ladder! Putting people like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and Miley Cyrus above her is just plain insulting. These performers wouldn't have made it in Stevie's day because they don't have real talent. They're manufactured talent (even calling them manufactured talent is a compliment).

Put Stevie on stage with no music, and she'd still be amazing. Put any of the others on stage without music, and it would most likely be tragic.

Top 8 at least, in the real world. Though I suppose there'd be a lot more people still in their teens voting than people older who'd listened to many thousands of hours more music.

Nothing to get angry about. Sit down, put some Janis or Stevie on, and it all doesn't matter whether she's 26th or 1st. I might be getting older, but I'm sure grateful I grew up with the music I grew up with.

And if you want to take a listen to Stevie, Janis, Neil, and Robbie Plant, I could go on forever. But try it sometime, kids. If you're happy with the music you listen to now, wait till you hear this. It'll change your life.

Selena Gomez is not the most popular singer, but she was a few years ago. She has released Kiss & Tell, A Year Without Rain, When the Sun Goes Down, and Stars Dance all in four years. Her hit single, Naturally, was on top of the charts in 2009 with Kiss & Tell. On her second album, A Year Without Rain, was a sensation. Some of her top songs on this album were Round & Round, A Year Without Rain, and Live Like There's No Tomorrow, which was also used in the Disney Channel movie Ramona & Beezus.

On her third album, which came out in the summer of 2012, her hit songs were Who Says and Whiplash. Then, the wait was totally worth the while because Stars Dance came out in the summer of 2013. She released Come & Get It and performed it several times everywhere. Her other songs that were big on this album were Stars Dance and Birthday. Selena has been doing pretty good so far in her career. Don't give up, Selena!

Ella Fitzgerald is in a league of her own. Her virtuosity lies not only in her vocal control or fireworks in the whistle register but in the tremendous emotion in her voice and her unparalleled creativity. She had a sense of rhythm and harmony that has not been seen since the bebop era, and with every performance came powerful inventions that would leave you stunned every time.

Given current trends in music, it is impossible to see Ella at the top of this list, but it is equally impossible for a true genius like her to be left off of it.

Amy was the greatest voice of this time. Her time on this planet should be appreciated more. Her vocals were the most unique, and she inspired many upcoming artists and many amazing artists we have today, such as Adele, Duffy, and even, dare I say, Lady Gaga.

She should be remembered for her voice, her music, and her genius. She knew how to play guitar, drums, and piano. She wrote all of her songs and sang the most amazing acoustic sets. She was down-to-earth, sweet, funny, and a lyrical and musical genius. She may not have known it herself, but anybody with ears would be able to tell that. I love you, Amy. RIP.