Best Female Vocalists

The Top Ten

  1. Minnie Riperton

    Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 - July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single "Lovin' You," her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register.

    The most musical 5-octave+ singer that I'm aware of to date. She had excellent motor control, was able to clearly enunciate lyrics in the whistle register, and could sustain notes for an extended period in all parts of that register. Her ability to do a walk down and up with seemingly effortless clarity is just one example of the skill she held.

    It was indeed her vocal skill that gave power to her voice. It allowed her to switch from upper to lower ranges with a quintessential dexterity that can render one to an Adventure in Paradise. Her lower range attributes were equally compelling, displaying emotive abilities like no other than the inimitable Minnie Riperton.

  2. 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.

    Even if I don't know the song, I can listen to the voice and know K.S. Chithra's. She has such a strong and deep singing voice that makes all of her songs so unique. So beautiful. Her voice is like an angel.

    When God designed what the perfect vocalist should sound like, he had K.S. Chithra in mind.

    She is, in my opinion, the best female vocalist.

  3. 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

  4. Joan Sutherland

    Joan Sutherland (November 7, 1926 - October 10, 2010) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano. She was known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s to the 1980s. She was the first Australian to win a Grammy Award, receiving it in 1962,... read more

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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... read more

  9. Adele

    Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, born May 5, 1988, is an English singer and songwriter. She graduated from the BRIT School in 2006 and signed with XL Recordings after a demo posted on Myspace gained attention. She's best known for emotional ballads like Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Hello, and Easy... read more

  10. Shirley Bassey

    Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey is a Welsh singer whose career began in the mid-1950s. She is best known for her powerful voice and for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker. Bassey was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire... read more

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Jeanette MacDonald

  12. ?

    Liva Weel

    13. The Contenders

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. Floor Jansen

    Floor Jansen (born February 21, 1981) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and vocal coach. She's currently the lead vocalist of Nightwish and was the founder and frontwoman of the band Revamp... read more

  16. Lara Fabian

  17. Elisabeth Grümmer

  18. Martha Mödl

  19. Marian Anderson

  20. Amelita Galli-Curci

  21. Lisa Fischer

  22. Barbara Bonney

  23. Julie Driscoll

  24. 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.

  25. Avril Lavigne

    Avril Ramona Lavigne (born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. At age 14, she won a radio contest singing with Shania Twain, performing before a large arena crowd. By age 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records, reportedly worth over $2 million.... read more

  26. Renata Tebaldi

  27. 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

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