Welcome to our gallery of the 25 best female singers of all time! It's impossible to be truly objective, but this light-hearted opinion piece celebrates our favorite voices. Explore the list and share your own favorite artists in the comments!
Ariana Grande is a Grammy-winning singer who seamlessly blends pop, R&B, and soul genres. She began singing at a very young age, but she has never trained as a vocalist, which sometimes leaves lapses in her technique... Still, iconic.
Britney Spears is a Madonna for the millennial generation. She's extraordinarily catchy, and combines genius songs with impeccable dance performances (or at least she did before the hard times).
Lana Del Rey is not everyone's cup of tea, but she can make you feel emotionally connected to another world. Her voice has this dreamlike quality, and her texts can make you feel love and pain on spiritual levels. So cool, so catchy, we love Lana!
Lady Gaga is a very consistent singer with an extraordinary talent for writing and singing. She has elevated pop music into an art form, combining charisma with musical innovations. She's also now a surprisingly good actress.
Taylor Swift is widely regarded as a trailblazer of the 21st century. She plays several instruments and writes her material, putting interesting Easter eggs and puzzles that keep the fan base engaged. Each of her albums is different, but each is indeed written about her life.
Rihanna is a real superstar who knows how to combine a distinctive voice with an always-fashionable appearance. Her ability to mesh multiple genres is a real strength that helps her discography have something for everyone. A certified legend.
Neither her hips nor voice lie. Shakira is an incredible vocalist with millions of fans worldwide, and besides that World Cup anthem, we've loved her work. She's certainly less active these days, but we might see one or two more Shakira bangers in our lifetime.
Amy Winehouse was a female singer with incredible technical skills who understood music deeply. She always gave her soul to music, and her life performances were amazing. It still hurts that we lost Amy so young.
Etta James is an early legend that walked so that the rest of these ladies could run. Despite heartfelt performances and great range, we think Etta hasn't had the lasting rep she deserves.
Celine Dion has used her wonderful voice to enjoy a very successful career; she has sold more than 220 million albums worldwide! And it's well-deserved, because out of all the ladies on this list, Celine would probably have one of the best odds going toe to toe with an opera singer in terms of raw skill and power.
So many bangers, but our favorite is her cover of Baltimore. Nina Simone was a profoundly gifted singer, musician, and songwriter. Her singing and piano playing were amazing, and her unique, deep voice had unrivaled emotional power.
Cher has presence, voice, and charisma, which made her perfect for becoming a pop culture legend. And it might surprise you to know Cher has been around since the 70s! But she really hit her stride with Believe in 1998.
Patti LaBelle was a powerhouse vocalist, with a strong and consistent voice that could sustain notes for an absurdly long amount of time. When it comes to delivery and interpretation, Patti did it with soul like no other!
Stevie Nicks is a very talented female singer with a superb talent for songwriting. And she has one of the greatest voices of rock n'roll, which is why she still resonates with younger audiences.
Surprised? Don't be! Janis Joplin is an incredible vocalist whose raw and powerful voice helped redefined pop music. Despite her short career and struggles with drugs, her unique style left an undeniable imprint.
Diana Ross has one of the longest careers on the list, and worked with the same tenacity throughout her whole life. The female vocalist released 25 studio albums, and numerous singles, in a unique, impeccable style.
Tina Turner has over 14 solo albums, and among them some certified bangers. Sadly, her music was pretty "of it's time", and we think she deserves more respect than she currently gets.
Billie Holiday was a great female vocalist with a deeply personal style which redefined jazz and blues singing. Billie sang about pain, longing, and love, and left us with music as beautiful as it is haunting.
Ella Fitzgerald, or the "First Lady of Song", was a talented singer who could effortlessly glide through jazz, swing, and pop. Her extraordinary vocal range made her one of the most influential singers of the 20th century.
Adele is a characterful, and powerful singer who also deserves credit for being an incredible live performer. Her music is a combination of soul and pop, with deeply personal lyrics, and heartfelt vocals.
Beyoncé is probably the most commercially successful lady on the list, and it's well-deserved. She's a hardworking modern icon with incredible voice control, talent, and charisma. This has earned Beyoncé a place in the top 5, for us.
Mariah Carey is a vocal phenomenon renowned for popularizing whistle register in pop music. Thanks to her great agility and tone, she topped the charts with numerous hits. But, like everyone, we have heard enough of that Christmas song.
In terms of vocal performance, Whitney Houston is one of the greatest singers of all time, either male or female, with unmatched range and emotional depth. She was able to hit high notes effortlessly, and she put that talent to fantastic use.
Yep, we have the Queen of Pop in second place. Madonna is one of the most iconic female singers of all time, and has consistently made catchy, well-written singles that stick in your mind. Her songs topped charts across decades and broke numerous records.
Who else? Aretha Franklin was remarkably talented and consistently powerful throughout her career. She could sing soul, rock, jazz, broadway, you name it! This is what sets her apart from other great vocalists.
Who are the best female singers who have left an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners worldwide? Dive into this guide as we rank the greatest female vocalists of all time, showcasing extraordinary talents that influenced music history.
