100 Greatest Female Vocalists

A voice of pure heartache...she moves me with her raw spirit. She may not have had the most beautiful voice, but her soul was her true instrument, anyway. Highlights: Strange Fruit, Fine and Mellow, My Man

Fred Astaire referred to Judy as "the greatest entertainer that ever lived"..and I couldn't agree more. Her voice went deeper than any man's and she beckoned you with her vulnerability. She made you want to put her arms around her and just listen...listen to the voice of a difficult life. Highlights: The Man that Got Away, Smile, Through the Years

Often mistaken for a country vocalist, Ms. Raitt couldn't be more indicative of the blues. She could play her slide guitar with the best men, and frequently outdid them. A voice with just the right amount of grit and warmth, she found worldwide recognition late...late in a long, illustrious career that continues to this day. Highlights: Angel From Montgomery, Love Me Like A Man, I Can't Make You Love Me

The voice of God, if you must know, is Mahalia Jackson. Highlights: How I Got Over, Nearer My God To Thee, Trouble Of The World

A voice that can best be described as "legendary" or "mythical"....Maria Callas is just simply beyond the musical vocabulary of many people. Too many people, really...and that's a shame because Maria had the ability to convey absolutely any emotion through sheer force of her instrument. She told the most epic stories and lived them simultaneously. Highlights: Casta Diva, La Mamma Morta, Il Dolce Suono.

Its not really a coincidence that so many women on this list are figures of tragedy, but Amy might just take top honors in that category. She was tragic in life, and somehow lesser so in death. She knew what pain was, and she infused her music with it effortlessly. She could never have been as well known as she was without her demons pushing her...and perversely, I'm glad she had them. We were all blessed with her short tenure on this planet, and I will forever refer to her as my one and true "Goddess". Highlights: Wake Up Alone, Love Is A Losing Game, You Know I'm No Good.

The one and only Aretha, perhaps the epitome of the hype living up to the talent. She has a gift for both supreme soulfulness and incredible versatility in her performance. I don't think I've ever heard her attempt a genre she didn't completely excel at. With a flawless musical pedigree, even her troubled youth couldn't stand in the way of this meteoric career. Highlights: The House That Jack Built, Dr. Feelgood, Until You Come Back to Me.

More than any other woman on this list, Sade was truly gifted with an amazing, and natural, sound. She has, in my opinion, little actualy skill...and rarely uses vibratto, but I would rather listen to no other woman sing softly into my ear. While many have voices that personify sex...few have been bestowed with voices that personify love. Sade is one member of that elite circle. Highlights: No Ordinary Love, Cherish the Day, Is it A Crime?

Many ladies have been compared to this first lady of rock/blues....but few can match her ability to lose herself in a performance. Songs were often barely recognizable when she belted them out, and yet the always sounded superior. She came out of the gate with this filthy tone, and was not ashamed of it. She lived and died a 60's ideal, and nobody has ever had such impact with so few albums to her name. Highlights: Ball and Chain, Summertime, Mercedes Benz.

A voice made of tears, Patsy was an artist with a story to tell. She used her incredible, juicy, rich tone to beat your heart to a pulp. She represented everything that country isn't (and should be) today.

Once referred to as "the greatest white soul singer alive", Annie has the benefit of a voice as deep as an ocean but as precise as a scalpel. She needs nothing but a stool and a stage to captivate an audience. An audacious and often imitated sense of style only adds to th legend that is Annie Lennox. Highlights: Why, Little Bird, Would I Lie to You?

"Showmanship" is a word that springs to mind when thinking of Ella. Her talents went beyond simple vocals and contributed to a career marked by an incredible sense of performance. She could tackle em with the big boys, and often did it better. Like a female Sinatra, Ms Fitzgerald understood her capabilities, and used them precisely and playfully. Highlights: How High the Moon, Mack the Knife, Love is Here to Stay

All one must do is watch an archived Fleetwood performance of "Rhiannon" at The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1976 to behold the incredible fire this woman packs. Usually a bit demure and mysterious, that performance is evidence of the talent. Her voice is sandy and a little imperfect, a testiment to a tough life of rock and cocaine, but its what gives her perfomance its character. Highlights: Silver Springs, The Chain, If You Ever Did Believe

Nobody quite conjures memories of my childhood quite like Ms. Fugee herself. I can think of nothing but sitting by an open window, trying to memorize her music, hoping a talent scout would hear me while they just HAPPENED to walk past my house at that precise moment. I believed in that just as much as I believed in Lauryn and her power. Even after all the negative press that surrounded her, I refused to let it affect my relationship with her music. Highlights: Ex-Factor, Tell Him, Just Like the Water

More than anyone on this list, Sarah has the most incredible way with lyrics. Listening to her coffeehouse albums, its quite easy to get completely lost in that moment, in that song. Pair that with a hypnotic voice, and you have a performance quality like nobody else on this Earth. Highlights: Possession, Full of Grace, Do What you Have to Do.

That TONE....that rich, smoky, feline tone! Nina is easily the most underrated artist on this list...in fact, I think I underrated her too. Instead of injecting herself into music she would twist a song around her voice. She had the ability to induce musical comas with the sheer weight of her performance. Not easily understood, but truly gifted. Highlights: Sinner Man, Feelin' Good, Summertime.

Smacking us in the face, right out of the gate, Fiona has a musical sensibility like a dagger. She just thrusts it inside your soul and twists it unmercifully. Would you have her any other way, though? Highlights: River Stay Away From My Door, Extraordinary Machine, I Want You (feat. Elvis Costello)

Quite simply one of the purest voices on the whole of this Earth. Her timbre ranges from deep and resonant, to agile and exuberant. Nobody sings soprano in a dramatic role quite like Jessye, and with that, she has the power to move a nation. Beyond that, her unsurpassed knowledge behind her craft only serves to highlight how painstaking she is with every note. Highlights: Im Abendrot, When I am laid in Earth, Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix.

Funny and quirky at first glance, Barbra is the last person you'd expect to sing like a siren. Her tone is pure and soaring...even able to compete with sizeable orchestras in her legendary stage appearances. She's the ultimate entertainer, with talents that transcend all forms of media. What does it say when one keeps a, shall we say "substantial" nose, in order to preserve one's unique vocal signature? Highlights: Evergreen, People, Send in the Clowns

One's first encounter with k.d. might involve a double take...or a raised eyebrow. However, to hear her voice...the disbelief grows even more intense. That's part of her appeal, though, the contrast from image to vocal impact. K.d. has succeeded, even flourished, regardless of what she portrays to the world. Crystal clear tone, exceptional control, and remarkable showmanship, those are the hallmarks of a true star. Highlights: That Lucky Ole Sun, Constant Craving, Crying.