Who are your favourite female singers?
 

After watching Christina Carter the other night, solo and as part of Charalambides, and being rocked back on my heels by her intensity and beauty, ive been having a think about my favourite female singers.

I have to start with Billie Holliday, who ive had a lovely 2cd collection of since childhood, then Ella and Diana Ross, which is fairly typical i guess.

In recent years Ive always loved Lauren Hills first album, and a big soft spot for Lily Allen that i cant seem to shake

So yeah. Birds, they can sing, innit?

I feel like such a limited-scope hipster fuck whenever people ask me this, but yeah, the Kim's. Nico. Billie.

If I had to pick one, Ronnie Spector

these are more folk/folk-rock with a little blues/gospel

Sandy Denny (solo & with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay)
Shirley Collins
Anne Briggs
Jackie McShea (Pentangle)
Linda Thompson
Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span)
Mellow Candle (female fronted Irish folk-rock band)
Jean Ritchie
June Cater-Cash
Emmylou Harris
Karen Dalton
Vera Ward Hall
Sister Rosetta Tharpe




do we even need to say?:
Patti Smith

Chan Marshall

Ai Aso.


Kazu Makino





Besides the obvious Kim G.

Pj Harvey
Kate Bush
Björk
Kim Gordon
Betty Davis
Nico
Janis

and Taeyon Kim (from SNSD)

to add to my favorites already named...

grace slick
sara carter
kathleen hanna
etta james
rita lee (from os mutantes)
the lovely gals from grass widow
patsy cline
hannah healy
the lovely gals from sleater kinney
ari up
st. vincent
staples singers (the dad is the best though)

Karen Carpenter
Björk
Siouxsie
Kate Bush
Liz Fraser
Françoise Hardy
PJ Harvey
Laura Veirs
Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond)
Annie Clark (St. Vincent)
An Pierlé
Sharon Van Etten
Roberta Flack
Joni Mitchell
Nina Simone
Edith Piaf
Patti Smith
Beth Gibbons

Pj Harvey and Beth Gibbons are two of my favorites as well.

And Dusty Springfield is way up there.

Harriet Wheeler from the criminally neglected 90s group The Sundays. Check out "You're Not the Only One" for one moving example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0W-1C1o9v8 (higher quality versions out there, but I'm a lazy bastard)

80% of what's already been mentioned.

also, trish keenan.

Have to add Mariam Doumbia (she´s so great!)

Trish Keenan

Easily this woman.

jonathan davis

seconded, one of my fav female vocalists!

20

Kate Bush
Diana Ross
Tammi Terrell
Karen Carpenter
Sade
Martha Reeves
Chrissie Hynde
Billie Holiday
Joan Jett
Lauryn Hill
Debbie Harry
Patsy Cline
Ronnie Spector
Kim Gordon
Bjork
Laura Nyro
Chan Marshall
India Arie
Edith Piaf
Fontella Bass

Me, my mom, kim g, kim d, patty smith, ella fitzgerald, joan jett, pat benatar, lydia there r more hold that thought.