Sitting here this morning enjoying the music - not the equipment as John says.....Some of my favorites are by female singers. Of course they sound so clear and pure on the 60's. Just to start a list:

Deborah Harry - the particular song this morning was Shayla
Marilyn McCoo - Wedding Bell Blues
Melissa Manchester - Midnight Blue
Gwen Stefani - Early Winter

and many more

Oh, Jeeez. Charles will OWN this thread!

Loreena McKennett
Eva Cassidy
Nina Simone
Joan Baez
...

Yeah, I'd have to list too many. I'd better not start.

Grace Potter
Norah Jones
Sarah Bareilles
Diana Krall
Sue Foley
Janiva Magness
Vicci Martinez
And Ella Fitzgerald, without whom none of the others would be possible.

The Motels- Suddenly Last Summer. Martha Davis. Maybe not my favorite but wanted her on the list.

Julie Andrews.

my all time most/best expressive singer is Billie Holiday.

Besides some of the already named.

Alison Krauss
Sarah Mclachlan
Enya
Bonnie Raitt

Karen Carpenter.

Alison Krauss
Erin McKeown
Sheryl Crow
Natalie Maines
Gillian Welch
Lucy Kaplansky

Joss Stone
Janis Joplin
Adele

to Billie Holiday, i would like to add those two singers:
Mercedes Sosa
Chavela Vargas

Tarja Turunen. Ex lead singer "Nightwish".

I'm a softie! "Heart"

Loreena McKennitt
Sade
Norah Jones
Eva Cassidy
Melody Gardot
Renee Olstead
Jane Monheit

...off the top of my head

Okay, so I'll ignore my own advice.

Regina Spektor
Marina Diamandis (of Marina and the Diamonds)
Melora Creager (of Rasputina)
Emily Wells
Luísa Hanae Matsushita (AKA Lovefoxxx from Cansei de Ser Sexy)
Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Béatrice Martin (AKA Cœur de pirate)
Cerys Matthews (formerly of Catatonia)
Emily Haines (of Metric)
Kristin Gundred (formerly of Grand Ole Party, now of Dum Dum Girls)
Linnea Jönsson (of Those Dancing Days)
Sinéad O'Connor
Dolores O'Riordan (of The Cranberries)
Tori Amos
Emma-Lee Moss (AKA Emmy the Great)
Monique Powell (formerly of Save Ferris)
Stéphanie Sokolinski (AKA SoKo)
Bianca Casady (of CocoRosie)
Shirley Manson (of Garbage)
Fiona Apple
Maia Hirasawa
Annika Norlin (of Hello Saferide)
Karen Lee Orzolek (AKA Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Lykke Li
Katharine Whalen (of Squirrel Nut Zippers)
Keely Smith
Jemma Griffiths (AKA Jem)
Louise Amanda Harman (AKA Lady Sovereign)
Jessibel Suthiwong (formerly of FannyPack)
Kimya Dawson
Ashlin Phillips (formerly of The Eames Era)
Leslie Feist (AKA Feist)
Emilíana Torrini
Annie-Claude Deschênes (of Duchess Says)
Anna Waronker
Natasha Khan (of Bat for Lashes)
Elly Jackson (of La Roux)
Kathleen Hanna (of Le Tigre)
Harriet Wheeler (of The Sundays)
Nellie McKay
Nelly Furtado
Lourdes Hernández (AKA Russian Red)
Shawn Colvin
Maya von Doll (of Sohodolls)
Tegan and Sara Quin
Tigarah
Becky Ninkovic (of You Say Party)

I could keep going, but I'm tired, and you get the idea. My ears are phelpsing in an ocean of estrogen.

Charles, bravo for that one.

I'm not a big opera fan, but I do like Anna Netrebko's voice, plus she's easy on the eyes.

Nora Jones
Natalie Maines
Natalie Merchant
Amy Lee
Alison Krauss
Kate Smith
Karen Carpenter
Sarah Bareilles
Diana Krall
Sheryl Crow

Excellent submissions, although CV wins the obscurity prize so far. It will take me quite a bit of time to experience all those leads. I am grateful for them because - like Charles - I readily admit my preference for female singers.

I forgot Susan Tedeschi. Love her.

I don't want to pick on Ken and Scott, but I'm absolutely baffled by Sheryl Crow. I completely understand her inclusion as an "artist" and maybe even as a "musician", but considering her in the same category as the other "singers" or "vocalists" that have been mentioned just doesn't make sense to me. I've always thought of her as an accomplished (and fairly pleasant) recording artist, and have also consistently found her singing talent to be unremarkable, at best. So, I'd be grateful if someone could point me to a Sheryl Crow song where her singing conveys extraordinary levels of power, nuance, style, tone, interpretation or whatever other qualities you like.

Plus extra more:

Karrin Allyson
Koko Taylor
Etta James
Diane Schuur
Ernestine Anderson
Imelda May (thanks, Bob)
Melissa Etheridge
Nancy Wilson (not Ann's sister)
Dinah Washington
Sarah Vaughan
Linda Ronstadt

She's cute and she has nice boobies?

Oh, I just like her music. I didn't realize we were rating on voice qual--WHAT THE &!$* JANIS JOPLIN?!

Shakira
Idina Menzel
Taylor Swift
Ana Gabriel
Norah Jones
Sade
Stevie Nicks
Corinne Bailey Rae

Hi Tom,
Try this link with Sheryl Crow and Susan Tedeschi performing together.

I am not an aficionado for female vocalists like many of you are (though Sarah McLachlan always has my vote and I find her CD's to be very well recorded), however I have the Crossroads 2010 BRD where the youtube link is from. When I saw her performances in this concert I realised that she is very talented. I recall commenting on this to my wife who gave me her usual "you mean you didn't know that?" look.

Cool thread. I'll have to check some of these ladies out.

My list, heavy on the 1990s:

Juliana Hatfield (solo, Blake Babies, Some Girls)
Tanya Donnelly (belly)
Liz Phair
Alanis Morrissette * THE most powerful voice I have heard in person.
Shirley Manson
Natalie Maines
Chrissie Hynde
Deborah Harry
Johnette Napolitano
Dolores O'Riordan
Sarah McLachlan
Dolly Parton
Pat Benatar
Natalie Merchant
Jenny Lewis
Feist

This song shows a bit of what you're looking for:

Difficult Kind

I ripped this from this Eric Clapton and Friends concert DVD.

Let me take a stab:

• Patti Smith
• Siouxsie Sioux - the Banshees
• Annie Holoien - the Soviettes
• Cinder Block - Retching Red / Tilt
• Bif Naked
• Penelope Houston - The Avengers
• Kim Gordon - Sonic Youth
• Roxy Epoxy - the Epoxies

Bren R.

Thanks, gentlemen.

I appreciate the links. About five minutes after hitting "submit", Mark's point sunk in; we're talking about favorites, which is not the same thing as technical proficiency.

I apologize for the unappreciative post.

"Favorite" threads are way better than "best" threads.

I've never heard her in person, but that comment made me think of Amy Lee from Evanescence (whom Scott already mentioned)

Erika Wennerstrom of the Heartless Bastards

Watch the video for Parted Ways from their new album. Very unique voice.

Wow, you caught me about two seconds before I was about to submit a "Best Politician" thread.

So I went with "Favorite Politician" instead. "Fixed it", as the kids say.

But tomorrow, I still plan to go with "Best Religion".

Well....Sure glad this took off - I will be with Tom chasing down new opportunities as I have not heard of most of these. Excellent!! I was going for the Pure and Powerful but favorite works too.
I'll add a couple more

T.V. Carpio - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Yvonne Elliman - most of JC Superstar

Those who like Allison Krause should check out
Sierra Hull

A few faves not necessarily in the pure and powerful
The Andrews Sisters
Mary Travers
Belinda Carlisle

Didn't SC start out as a back up singer for Michael Jackson? Shemust have gone through a grueling audition to get that job.

Sarah Mclachlan

How many of you have bought an album, unsure if you'll actually like the music as much as you hope, only because the female artist is really cute?

Since I usually hear an artist on the radio well before I get to see what they look like, the "really cute" aspect is just icing on the cake.

The flip side of this is Lady Gaga - great voice, but she wears a whole lot of makeup and head gear for a reason - imo

Certainly not a powerhouse, but there's just something about the slight raspiness (just finished a cigarette and a shot of tequilla...) tone that I like...

Guilty.

CNN had a photo spread on Sunday of Lady GaGa before she was GaGa. It was mostly black and whites with here posing suggestively on a piano. I thought she was rather attractive.
http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/24/before-she-was-gaga-the-unseen-photos/

i had a look here, to get an idea, and the first thought that crossed my mind was: "she's a circus on feet":
http://www.google.ca/search?q=images+lad...16&bih=1088

Not guilty.

No. Don't even!

If it's a guy and he's (someone's idea of) "cute," I KNOW that what's on inside will be complete crap.

I have been sucked in by cover art, though. It's why I bought Disraeli Gears (and got way lucky).

Let's see. Who have I bought since Janis, Grace, Linda and Joni? Cindy, Pat and Debbie? Leanne Rhimes? I really like Imelda May and Shirley Manson, but I wouldn't walk across the street to see either as a solo. "Their" bands are more important to me. Gaga and Katie. Dance music definitely isn't my thing, but I really like some of the their ballads, especially Gaga.

And it really is sick, but I could listen to Whitney Houston sing the line: "and I-----------ee-I---will al---wa-ays love you" a couple dozen times in a row, and maybe three consecutive Star Spangled Banners. There are a lot of amazing female voices out there. I just don't care for their music/styles.

Plus, listening to that stuff makes me feel too gay.

How could I have overlooked HER!

Toni Tenille

Loved her on Pink Floyd's The Wall.

I think I mixed up Sheryl Crowe with Sarah McLaughlin. Still don't have them straight. Either way, I like both of them.

Who's that singer from Eurythmics? She's got a VOICE.

Annie Lenox. Love is a Stranger.

Hi,

In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

Sarah Vaughn
Ella Fitzgerald
Esther Phillips
Dinah Washington
Aretha Franklin
Alberta Hunter
Bessie Smith
Linda Hopkins
Dianne Schurr
Nina Simone

I'm not sure Alan, but, according to Terry, I think that list pretty much qualifies you for mudshark membership.

How could I, too, forget Annie L.!

Oh, that woman who sang lead in YES for 30 years.
She was great.

And Sweet! They sang in registers no Celtic Woman could even see.

Forgot Emilie Claire Barlow on my list. Also Joni Mitchel.

A Money Making Circus. I'd wear those "get ups" for a 10th of what she is taking in.

OOOH!! Stacey Kent!!

I forgot:

• Laura Litter and Lynda Mandolin - Fabulous Disaster
• Kirsty MacColl (RIP)

Bren R.

Margo Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies has a vevety voice.

Hey Bob,

I'm not at all certain what "mudshark" means!! Explain. . .

There are some great female singers from my folk/pop/rock youth whom I seldom listen to now-- Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin, Sylvia Tyson (part of the folk duo of Ian and Sylvia; I always loved her voice). I've got albums by all of these ladies plus lots of others on vinyl but seldom play now.

Cheers,
Alan

Bob, you prompted me to put on a best of "Whitney Houston" while working.

I don't really like anything that falls under the category of Pop, but she really DID have an amazing voice early on.

I'll put on Yes soon to check out that other chick.

Adrian,

I'd put Stacey Kent in a group of New York cabaret singers--she is excellent-and I was remiss in not including another one who died quite young but is wonderful, Nancy LaMott.

That "New York cabaret" group would also include Jane Monheit and Karin Allyson and some others whose names excape me.

Anyway, if you like Stacey Kent, give a listen to Nancy LaMott.

Alan

Alan, I just wanted to say Thank You for the suggestions. I am exploring some of them already, and really appreciate you helping me broaden my appreciation of genres that I already enjoyed.

Thank you CV. "I could keep going, but I'm tired, and you get the idea. My ears are phelpsing in an ocean of estrogen." Your words are simultaneously memorable and opaque. Thank you.

And thank you CatBrat for Corinne Bailey Rae. I couldn't think of her name when I posted. She has a beautiful voice.

That was one of those CD's on the shelf at Sam's Club that I just looked at and took a chance on. That one turned out good.

You're welcome, Tom.

Delighted you're doing some vocal exploration from my list.
It's great when you can share enthusiasms for particular vocalists.

Alan

I've found many gems through recommendations here as well. Sometimes they lead to others via amazon...I was checking out some of Stacey Kent's work and came across Eliane Elias...very sultry, smoky voice, reminds me of Diana Krall.

Kate Bush
Rickie Lee Jones
Annabel Lamb
Joni Mitchell

My favorites from 70's and 80's

I'll have to endorse Linda Ronstadt as well. Although she's seemingly been covert over the past 10-15 years or so Linda was quite amazing no matter what genre of music she chose.

Since you are all exploring new female singers, I will plug a local girl whose song "one Way" from her new album is features on USA Today's Track of the Week. That's a pretty big deal as although she is well known on the Canadian East coast, US exposure is very hard to come by around here.

Rose Cousins - USA Today's Track of the week.

If you have trouble with the iTunes link on the above page, you can listen at her own web page here.

Rose Cousins

Thanks, Andrew, she has a beautiful voice. First time I've heard of her.

Thanks, Andrew. I just bought her "We Have Made a Spark" album because of your link.