female pop singers with the best voices

Elizabeth Fraser

Even in her declining years, the poignancy of her life in song was great.

I think Leona Lewis and Adele are the best female pop singer with the best voices we have nowadays.

Billie Holiday was great, but I have always preferred her voice in the early days. Hard living caught up to her vocal cords even though later in her career she was still Billie and still very good.

Mikhail said:

“I think Leona Lewis and Adele are the best female pop singer with the best voices we have nowadays.”

Not even the best in the UNITED KINGDOM.

You’d better recognise Great Kate.

Eva Cassidy!

Yes! She’s jazz, which is why I didn’t include her, but I consider her to be in the top five jazz vocalists of the 20th century.

Here’s my favorite Eva performance:

It brings me to tears…

she was so versatile

I heard that her parents would want Kirsten Dunst to play her in a movie. o_0! Kirsten Dunst is only good at playing bubbly and vapid so this would be awful….

OMG worst, worst choice ever. That would be terrible. Really all they have in common is being broad-faced blondes.

If Jennifer Lawrence was older or Emily Watson younger either of them would be perfect.

She doesn’t have the technical chops or versatility of some of the others, but I have a soft spot for Shirley Owens of The Shirelles because of the very things that make her voice technically imperfect. I like her flatness and somewhat nasal, raspy tone. It works perfectly for the songs she sings.

In my mind her voice is the early sixties.

As soon as I think of the above tune by The Shirelles, I think of this…

This song, along with “El Bimbo” by Bimbo Jet, are forever linked with this classic scene.

Kate Pierson…

(Song by John Lennon)

Nina Persson.

Luz Casal

Whitney Houston has a technically good voice, but I can’t stand oversinging.

I’ve always liked Nico’s style, and Neko Case. Or, for raw power, the girls of Sleater-Kinney.

Bridgitte Fontaine, for overlooked French singers.

You can have a thread like this without including Alison Moyet….better & better with age..

Sharon Van Etten.

I don’t care. Here’s Cher (w. La Tyler).

One of the most distinguished voices I have heard—Melanie Safka, also known simply as Melanie.

Do you want to know why I hardly (if ever) buy pop records made in recent times? Because not many sing ‘em like this anymore. Beautiful look into the camera at 3:20—what a joy to see and hear a woman who genuinely loves singing, as opposed to latter day prima donnas tossing temper tantrums and attempting to distract from their lack of vocal talent with bright, risque costumes. If my name were Lady GaGa, Kesha or Katy Perry, I’d be hanging my head in shame and refusing to call myself a singer after witnessing the above.

Here are is another from Melanie Safka:

If you would still prefer to listen to the rabble from Lady Blah-Blah, Christina Gorilla and Silly Allen after hearing Melanie Safka, you need a soul transplant. This woman is brilliance, sheer brilliance.

One last song, one that well-illustrates the gorgeous contradiction of Melanie’s voice—powerful yet fragile…

The Bee Gees ;)

Here are some proper ones:
Greta Salpeter (from The Hush Sound)

Hayley Williams (for being such a charming firecracker)
Nina Persson (from The Cardigans)
Robyn (she just makes great pop music)
Lykke Li (another great Swede, very different from Robyn)
Lissie (charmed me with her latest album)

And of course, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA.

Bjork
Maura Davis
Imogen Heap
Lauryn Hill
Regina Spektor
Beth Gibbons

Sorry I can’t post any youtube link.
I guess one can’t go wrong with Aretha, Debbie Harry, Janis Joplin or Astrud Gilberto.
Anyways, few from the top of my head (not in any order)…

Shirley Bassey
Etta James
Tracy Thorn (esp. pre-electronic Everything But the Girl)
Sade
India Arie
Roberta Flack
Elizabeth Fraser
Corrine Drewery (Swing Out Sister- I think she’s underrated)
Adele (I’m not up on current singers, but I thought she sounded great)