best female vocalist of all time?

who you think is the best :P?

Me!

Kidding.

This is too difficult for me- I am incapable of choosing one.

In no particular order:
Ella
Sarah
Chaka
Aretha
Janis

Whitney Houston. Duh.

dailyheights wrote: Whitney Houston. Duh.

/off his cool list.

Celine Dion

i second aretha and ella! and would add billie and nina. rrrrr....

Last names? I recognize Ella, Aretha, and Janis, but not the others. (Unless Sarah is Sarah McLachlan?)

Anyway, Ella's definitely on the list. Her voice is like silver.

Kathleen Battle has a beautiful voice, if you like opera singers.

Billie Holiday

sprite wrote: Last names? I recognize Ella, Aretha, and Janis, but not the others. (Unless Sarah is Sarah McLachlan?)

Anyway, Ella's definitely on the list. Her voice is like silver.

Kathleen Battle has a beautiful voice, if you like opera singers.

Definately NOT Sarah McGlochenspiel. Sarah Vaughan. Butter.

Forgot about Billie, definately Billie.

to move to more modern singers, Neko Case and Corin Tucker ROCK IT. i would listen to Neko Case sing my grocery list and be entranced.

(and despite the fact that my avatar and nic are of Jane Birkin, i'm not putting her in that category;)

My new favorite is Mercedes Sosa. Listening to her makes me cry.

One of my mom's favorite singers. Appropriate for mother's day no?

Ella and Billie, absolutely. For contemporary Jazz, Jane Monheit also has a fabulous voice. Joni Mitchell also has to be on my list for sheer brilliance...

While I enjoy their music very much, I have a hard time considering Aretha, Chaka and Whitney as some of the best vocalists of all time, though Whitney's breath control is AMAZING. Celine has a nice voice true, but is too schlocky and sappy for my taste.

I can't pick a name, but in general I would agree with my father's assesment of female singers:

"I don't like a voice that makes it sound like she could break glass -- I like a voice that makes it sound like she could eat it."

Amen.

I agree with the Ella and Billie fans. For a more contemporary vocalist
k.d. lang gets my vote. I don't know how many times I've seen her but she literally gives me goosebumps.

Joan Baez will always be one of my favorites. As for recent stuff, Charlotte Sometimes is on the top of my list. She's a swell one.

billie holiday, if allowed one vocalist. but if given more, I'd add ella, aretha, sarah vaughan, peggy lee (because she could swing)...and kd lang (I can't bear the histrionics of celine, & mariah...bleh)

modern songstress: Feist

and co-sign on billie & peggy

I know I'm not supposed to post here, but...oh well. This seems like a bi-gender topic to me.

A lot of the ones I would say are already listed on here, including my selections for the all time best. But one I would add to the list is Nina Simone. And as for modern I would offer Annie Lennox and Sinead O'Connor.

ewww a boy!!

tho i'll have to agree with you on annie lennox.

Best of all time - Billie Holliday

Worst of all time - Yoko Ono

ch_smooth wrote: modern songstress: Feist

and co-sign on billie & peggy

+1 for Feist as well

daver wrote: I know I'm not supposed to post here, but...oh well. This seems like a bi-gender topic to me.

A lot of the ones I would say are already listed on here, including my selections for the all time best. But one I would add to the list is Nina Simone. And as for modern I would offer Annie Lennox and Sinead O'Connor.

Oh Daver, c'mon, grab a seat at the girly bar, and have one on me, ok babe? I want everyone to be relaxed around here, I mean, it's girl oriented, but not girl exclusive. Shit, I'm not trying to seperate people here people, I just wanted to have an option.

And you know, not for nothing, for all the suppossed open-mindedness of some of the people around here, there is so much negativity to the point of oppression! I mean, PLEASE! Chill out!

(I am posting this on the oter What is Chicklynian thread as well)

Jane Monheit is a terrific vocalist.. check her out.. lots of stuff on utube.

Tina Turner, Shirley Bassie, Debby Harry and Linda Rondstat

+1 for Ella

The woman's voice is audible velvet.

aretha, aretha ,aretha

queencallipygos wrote: I can't pick a name, but in general I would agree with my father's assesment of female singers:

"I don't like a voice that makes it sound like she could break glass -- I like a voice that makes it sound like she could eat it."

brody dalle

bruklinboy wrote: [quote=queencallipygos]I can't pick a name, but in general I would agree with my father's assesment of female singers:

"I don't like a voice that makes it sound like she could break glass -- I like a voice that makes it sound like she could eat it."

brody dalle
Haha! I wouldn't think of her for a thread like this, but I can't argue with it!