Best female voice

[skywolf25]

Best Female Voices

This is easy...there are some really great musicians that people have mentioned, but they don't have great voices. An example of this is Sarah McLachan. She is a great overall musician, she can write, sing, and all that. But when you have just pure voice there are only a few great ones. These fall into two categories, pop type and folk type. In the pop category we have Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and that's that. In the folk category, Charlotte Church, Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westenra, and Enya. Sarah Brightman maybe, but I haven't heard enough of her.

For all those that like Enya type...check out Hayley, she is awesome.

 

[glen55]

I have read that Julie Andrews had a 5-octave range (before she lost her voice). I also think she deserves to be on the list. With . . .

Karen Carpenter
Linda Ronstadt
Ella Fitzgerald
Shirley Manson
Chrissie Hynde

I'm trying to keep the list short, so I'll stop here with my favorites.

OK, now I'm editing my own post, because I realize that the title of the thread is "Best female voice," not "Best female singer." Those are two entirely different categories.

For best voice, I'd have to take Shirley Manson off the list, maybe Chrissie Hynde as well, and insert, as the above poster correctly noted, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. To be clear, however, I think Mariah Carey is an abysmal singer who has tragically wasted a phenomenal talent, and Whitney Houston is not all that much better.

 

[Stro]

Guys, it's funny to read all your tales here about 5-and-above-octave range. If you don't really understand what it means, at least don't be such fools to believe everything what is written in papers/magagines/internet on the theme.

Give me any one record with 5-octave range and I'll show you that it's more probably 3 or 3.5 octave.

 

[Khellandros66]

Lisa Gerrard ~ She was haunting in the soundtrack to Gladiator
Sarah Brightman ~ Christine Daae and the Voice for the blue chick in Fifth Element
Des' Ree ~ Kissing You, from Romeo and Juielete the newer movie with Leonardo DeCaprio
Diane Krall

~Bob

 

[annunaki]

Guys, it's funny to read all your tales here about 5-and-above-octave range. If you don't really understand what it means, at least don't be such fools to believe everything what is written in papers/magagines/internet on the theme.

Give me any one record with 5-octave range and I'll show you that it's more probably 3 or 3.5 octave.

Please do.


If a person can sing from say 80hz to 2,560hz that would be a five octave range as would 100hz-3,200hz. The human range of hearing represents a 10 octave range from 20hz-20khz. Please tell me how it is not, unless I am missing something?

 

[shokhead]

I have read that Julie Andrews had a 5-octave range (before she lost her voice). I also think she deserves to be on the list. With . . .

Karen Carpenter
Linda Ronstadt
Ella Fitzgerald
Shirley Manson
Chrissie Hynde

I'm trying to keep the list short, so I'll stop here with my favorites.

OK, now I'm editing my own post, because I realize that the title of the thread is "Best female voice," not "Best female singer." Those are two entirely different categories.

For best voice, I'd have to take Shirley Manson off the list, maybe Chrissie Hynde as well, and insert, as the above poster correctly noted, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. To be clear, however, I think Mariah Carey is an abysmal singer who has tragically wasted a phenomenal talent, and Whitney Houston is not all that much better.

Linda Ronstadt is the best of the bunch.

 

[warnerwh]

You guys should hear Madaleine Peyroux, voice like Billie Holladay. Ella Fitzgerald has to be considered up there.

 

[zumbo]

Beth Hart.

 

[gene]

Besides Barbara Streisand - shes like butter; check out Lara Fabien, great voice and shes a babe too

http://www.larafabian.com/

 

[MBauer]

Margo Timmons

Margo Timmons of Cowboy Junkies - Listen to her on the Trinity Session Album (yes it was an album originally)

 

[shokhead]

I'll add Martha Davis of the Motels.

 

[BobbyT]

Christina Scabia from the band Lacuna Coil from Italy. There are too many to pick just one.

 

[Polkfan]

Alison Krauss - Aside from her instrumental virtuousity, she has a great voice.

Absolute ditto!

 

[Ragnarok]

Shirley Manson. She can sound angry, sad, and she always sounds sexy And man, just listen to The World Is Not Enough to see how powerful her voice is.

Madonna. Wikipedia says she's a lyric mezzo-soprano with a 3.5 octave vocal range, and that's pretty good... right? Her songs are great too.

Christina Aguilera. Not a big fan here, but you gotta admit she has an awesome voice (4 octaves, I heard, but I'm not sure).

 

[Cwaters]

Most of my favs have been posted already. I'll add:
Edie Brickell
Fleming McWilliams

thanks,
it's been a fun thread.

 

[Eventual]

A select few,

1. Alison Krauss
2. Harriet Wheeler
3. Sade Adu
4. Tracy Thorn

but have to mention these too!

1. Annie Lennox
2. Dolores O’Riordan
3. Imogen Heap
4. Jo Dee Messina
5. Marie Fredriksson
6. Margo Timmons
7. Martina McBride
8. Natalie Merchant
9. Stevie Nicks
   
10. Barbara S., Karen C., Linda R.

 

[mfabien]

Besides Barbara Streisand - shes like butter; check out Lara Fabien, great voice and shes a babe too

http://www.larafabian.com/

Agree for both choices. I treasure my concert DVDs for both.

You can hear Barbra Streisand Live (first time since the January 1, 1994 concert in LA) in October/November throughout North America. Here's the list of dates and venues:

http://www.ildivo.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=14879

Her special guest is the *Il Divo* group.

 

[HPower]

I just went through all 10 pages and noticed most, if not all
of my favourite female voices.
The one voice that I did not see was that of Emmylou Harris.
I know she is probably most respected as a fantastic harmony singer
(see Gram Parsons) but I have to have Emmylou near the top of my list.

 

[HPower]

As well as Emmylou, I have been lately enjoying:

Alison Krauss
Nanci Griffith
Joni Mitchell
Etta James
Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
Lucinda Williams
Sarah McLachlan
Marianne Faithfull
KD Lang
Annie Lennox

 

[BostonMark]

I was surprised

that Billie Holiday was only mentioned once, she is a legend. On her last album her voice sends shivers down my spine, its so hauntingly beautiful.

Another singer I didn't see at all who I just saw last night in a small club in Boston is Suzanne Vega

She can really use her voice as an instrument, and sang several acapella songs that sounded great!

Some of my other favorites.

hey for rock I'm a child of the eighties so Pat Benatar and Ann Wilson of Heart absolutely! Also like to mention Deborah Harry (Blondie), she had quite a style

Melting voices or other voices I like: K.D. Lang, Jewel (also not mentioned that I could see), Nina Pearson (the Cardigans)

for Jazz, I love Diana Krall, and Kendra Shank is quite a good singer (one good non snake oil thing you can buy from Maple shade)

R& B I really like Alicia Keys

but how is it that NO ONE mentioned Paris Hilton? (lol)