The Greatest Female Pop Voice of All Time
- Thread starter mk_peters
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You and McNutt need to get your walkers out and duke it out.
Dionne Warwick? Anne Murray.
Bleeech . . . there are a hundred pop female voices better than either of them.
I'd agree with phyloe, but Ella was never a pop singer . . . she was far. far more than that.
Karen Carpenter and Carly Simon were my other two favorite female singers. Ann Murray, however, had the type of silky voice I like.
Please, don't encourage him to do his best Dionne Warwick impression . . . it's turrrible!
Best female singer/songwriter is easy-Joni and it isn't even close.
As for singers,who I don't necessarily consider singer/songwriters or pop singers but who still occasionally write their own material I'd go with Carly or "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes".In fact Judy Collins has a voice that is on another level,classically trained and near operatic quality.And of course she is the inspiration for one of the 100 greatest songs of the rock era "Suite Judy Blue Eyes"...
While Judy may be underrated as a songwriter,she also displays a unique talent for performing and interpreting songs from a diverse array of songwriters.From rock poets like Joni and Leonard Cohen to folk legend Ian Tyson and even someone who is known for creating magic on Broadway like Sondheim.
I love this cover,and think it would make the perfect intro for the GOP contenders as they make their way to the stage and prepare for their debates...Wrong forum,I know,but you gotta admit that show we witnessed on Wed night teed it up perfectly...
As for singers,who I don't necessarily consider singer/songwriters or pop singers but who still occasionally write their own material I'd go with Carly or "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes".In fact Judy Collins has a voice that is on another level,classically trained and near operatic quality.And of course she is the inspiration for one of the 100 greatest songs of the rock era "Suite Judy Blue Eyes"...
While Judy may be underrated as a songwriter,she also displays a unique talent for performing and interpreting songs from a diverse array of songwriters.From rock poets like Joni and Leonard Cohen to folk legend Ian Tyson and even someone who is known for creating magic on Broadway like Sondheim.
I love this cover,and think it would make the perfect intro for the GOP contenders as they make their way to the stage and prepare for their debates...Wrong forum,I know,but you gotta admit that show we witnessed on Wed night teed it up perfectly...
Most of this post is a fail. Come on guys - I'm beginning to think everyone is tone deaf, I've no doubt McNutt is. Anne Murray is a joke, she's not even worth mentioning. Judy Collins had a very limited range. Dionne Warwick? LOL ...
The only decent voices mentioned in this whole thread are Ella and Etta and they're not pop singers. Aretha, Janice, Emmylou, Mavis Staples .. ... though none of them are pop, they did some pop songs. Pure pop - and no mention of Whitney? Melissa Etheridge? Linda Ronstadt? I mean, WTF is wrong with your ears people?
The only decent voices mentioned in this whole thread are Ella and Etta and they're not pop singers. Aretha, Janice, Emmylou, Mavis Staples .. ... though none of them are pop, they did some pop songs. Pure pop - and no mention of Whitney? Melissa Etheridge? Linda Ronstadt? I mean, WTF is wrong with your ears people?
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Ella is know as a jazz singer now, but at the time, she was singing popular tunes, and thus, was a pop singer. Whitney was tremendous, and personally, I think Linda ronstadt was somewhat limited, ability wise. Melissa Etheridge is great, but was she in the realm beyond Janis Joplin? Closest to Ella for me is Joni Mitchell, as far as true ability. Incredible singer and her songwriting (and guitar playing) is unmatched. Maybe Aretha deserves to be in this convo too. It's hard to quantify ones opinion. I really like Lady Day.
Melissa Etheridge....not so much.
Gladys Knight
Mariah
Whitney
Aretha
Adele
Amy Winehouse
Celine
Barbra Streisand
Ella
Billy Holiday
Janis
Diana Ross
Dionne W
Pink
Donna Summer
Etta
Patsy Cline
Dolly
Annie Lennox
Not in in specific order.....though Gladys is one of my all time favs
Pure pop...I'd go with Whitney Houston (pre-drugs). No contest. Was just listening to her debut album in the car yesterday (think it was released in 1985). Her voice was absolutely flawless back then. Gave me goose-bumps at times....
I'm going with Whitney Houston. Lady Gaga actually has a pretty great voice, but you don't really know it with most of the song she puts out. ( Just saw Cap beat me to Whitney, but I concur).
Absolutely Whitney. What a colossal waste of her talent. I wanted to BE her, she was so amazing.Pure pop...I'd go with Whitney Houston (pre-drugs). No contest. Was just listening to her debut album in the car yesterday (think it was released in 1985). Her voice was absolutely flawless back then. Gave me goose-bumps at times....
Is Norah Jones pop? Her voice is amazing.
What about Stevie Nicks? Love that voice.
As mentioned above, what about Natalie Merchant? Especially with 10,000 Manics.
And for my money, the best female voice alive today is Alison Krauss. She always kills it live too. Seen her solo, with Robert Plant and of course with Union Station. She sounds better live than she does on any recording I've heard. And she recorded a tune with Phish once too!
What about Stevie Nicks? Love that voice.
As mentioned above, what about Natalie Merchant? Especially with 10,000 Manics.
And for my money, the best female voice alive today is Alison Krauss. She always kills it live too. Seen her solo, with Robert Plant and of course with Union Station. She sounds better live than she does on any recording I've heard. And she recorded a tune with Phish once too!
mk, this thread has shown that nobody agrees with your assertion of who that is, so thread hijacking has commenced.
It isn't really highjacking. It's still about great female singers. And, anyone that isn't tone deaf and aesthetically challenged knows it's not Dione Warwick. The answer is Whitney, (though there could easily be an argument for Aretha) ask any professional singer, they'll agree.
I have a lot of Union Station and Alison Krauss stuff - going all the way back to when she had Dana Stuffy on the mandolin pre-Jerry Douglas - and I think her voice is a niche voice that over time has become more grating to listen to. She's a good singer, but doesn't deserve to be in this discussion.
MrsSope singled out Whitney when I asked her about this question, when the thread first came up, and MrsSope is good authority on this type of stuff.
Nobody - that I know on anyway - has mentioned Nancy Wilson, who IMO is as good as anybody on the 2nd tier, including Linda Ronstadt who has been a personal favorite since her Stone Pony days. I'd also put a nod out for Eva Cassidy and Dusty Springfield, if for no other reason than I like blue-eyed soul a good bit . . . but then they could sing most anything, and Cassidy did before she died . . . which was before she became a star.
None of the white girls have the understanding of time the black gospel trained singers have. Most don't have the range or power either. Read Lomax's book as to why, it's cultural. The answer is Whitney and/or Aretha. 1a 1b. and, it's a no contest.
Glad to see someone finally included Billie Holiday (even if you spelled it wrong). I'm a big Janis fan, but not quite sure I'd call her either a pop voice or a great vocalist--maybe because she's not your typical female voice. Amy Winehouse is underrated, Ella and Etta are phenomenal, Allison Krause and Patsy Cline are high on my list, Peggy Lee, Nora Jones, Diana Krall would all be in the top 20.
Your janis comment is so stupid it invalidates any opinion you have about music. Learn what tone means
I don't really disagree with you, but I still like Eva Cassidy and Dusty Springfield. A lot.
Have you ever listened to Eva Cassidy's recordings? They're 2nd rate productions (both recording and the band backing her up), but she has a first rate voice and. . . . and I'd bet you'd be surprised by her timing . . .
. . . when she's doing some of her gospel stuff she's often mistaken for a black singer, even by black listeners . . . . https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search...youtube&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-003
. . . . and nobody's mentioned Sarah Vaughn or Mahalia Jackson, either . . . tsk tsk.
I was just going to say Linda Ronstadt. Besides, she was originally backed by your favorite band. *snicker*
Shut up moron. You're not the "best female vocalist sheriff" and your opinion of my opinion doesn't concern me. I like Janis Joplin, I don't think she has a traditionally great female voice. I believe I have every song she's ever recorded, including a bunch of her letters she just reads into the mic. Now go hump someone else's leg.
Lol, even dumber. You really don't know crap about music do you? And you actually have decent taste. fwiw - I don't question your taste, I only question your knowledge, because it's obvious you have NONE.
So, why do you pretend? Do I tell you how to dress for golf? No. Because I don't know crap about golf wardrobes. Maybe you should stick with what you know instead of blurting your ignorance out for everyone to see.
And, you just keep going on your ignorance of Janis and music in general.. Amazing. Here, maybe this will show you. It's basically like you just said "I don't know if Jimi Hendrix was a great guitarist because he used a wah". Do you get it now? Tone. God, you sound dumb....
I fit that category. Actually, I'm more of a song AND dance man, but you get the picture.
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