Amy Jade Winehouse was born on September 14, 1983, in London, England, and was famous for her deep, alto vocals and refreshing mix of blue-eyed soul, blues, and jazz. The 1980s were a decade full of musical surprise from catchy pop hits to rock gems and new electronic sounds. Known for having a four-octave range and four Grammy Awards, Williams has been compared to the likes of Mariah Carey. Watch on YouTube Watch on There are many great female singers out there, but these 10 ladies mentioned below have truly left their mark on the music industry. She quickly rose to fame after releasing her debut album, The Barbra Streisand Album, in 1963. In this post, we're going to take a look at the lives and careers of 15 of the greatest and most famous female singers of the 1970s. Jamesetta Hawkins (stage name Etta James) is known worldwide as one of the most iconic jazz and blues singers of all time. Who are some of your favorites? Archduke of Belgrade 122K subscribers Subscribe 15K views 2 years ago List was made based on commercial success charts and overall popularity. Welcome to Hello Music Theory! She began pursuing music at age 14, performing in a folk trio with her brother and sister. The 80's and 90's turned up some real pop gems, some great pop singers that had a handful of hit singles (or in some cases just the one) and then disappeared from view. Here is a singer who knew what she was doing. This phenomenal songstress has won five Grammy Awards, nineteen World Music Awards, and ten American Music Awards and is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 1. The United Kingdom has produced countless female virtuosos, and many went on to enjoy international success. While a lot of people mostly remember her from her 1983 hit She Works Hard For The Money, she had several other great 80s songs, like Love is in Control, On the Radio, and Who Do You Think Youre Fooling? The world mourned her death in 2012 from lung cancer. Also, their music still inspires musicians around the world, even though some of them arent active anymore. Madonna moved to NYC in 1978 to pursue her career in music, and now shes one of the best-selling music artists of all time. #11-20 11. Since then, she has sold over 300 million records globally, allowing her to lay claim to the title of the best-selling female artist of all time. 80s Female Singers - 80s Women - playlist by Dany ES | Spotify She joined the rock band Fleetwood Mac, as lead singer in 1975 and pursued a separate solo music career, releasing eight studio solo albums. Yvette Marie Stevens, better known as Chaka Khan, or the Queen of Funk, has sold more than 70 million copies during her illustrious career. Cementing her place as one of the best 80s female singers, she reached the top of the US R&B charts on a number of occasions, not least with the era-defining Aint Nobody (recorded with her first band, Rufus) and an equally memorable cover of Princes I Feel For You. Vocally and visually, Lennox cut an androgynous figure whose range and delivery was a perfect match for Dave Stewarts electronic-pop productions, and subsequent singles such as There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) and the Aretha Franklin collaboration Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves forever ensured Lennoxs place as one of the best 80s female singers. Celine Dion 5. Aretha Franklin. As a teenager, MIA was attracted to the sounds of rap and dancehall music that she would hear coming from the other apartments in the complex where she lived. Who are the greatest female vocalists ever? 80s Black One Hit Wonders 80s Black Soul Singers British Black Singers of the 80s 80s Male British Singers 80s Female British Singers Forgotten Black Singers of the 80s Wrapping Up For Our 80s Black Singers List Top Best Black Singers of the 80s She eventually became the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time. It was only natural that Clark would go on to have a successful singing career. Favorite songs: What's Love Got to Do with It (Private Dancer; 1984) Pround Mary (Workin' Together; 1971) I Don't Wanna Fight (What's Love Got to Do with It; 1993) We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; 1985) River Deep - Mountain High (River Deep - Mountain High; 1966) Top 35 best female singers - IMDb Winehouse paired her vocal prowess with an edgy retro look that included a tall bouffant hairdo and winged black eyeliner. The 80s was a big decade for music. Christina Aguilera. Talk about making your mark. Clark showed musical talent from early childhood. But she has also released countless popular hits and number one singles. She achieved success with No Doubt as well as a solo artist, and she also gained popularity as the coach on The Voice. Her album Blue is iconic, but she also released great albums in the 1980s. And the band wouldnt be the same without Belindas voice and energy. The 10 Best Black Female Singers of All Time, The 10 Best Online Music Production Courses. Any purchase that a visitor makes for a product mentioned or directed to by Music Grotto, may result in us receiving a commission.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. She had also been singing through that decade too, with tunes like I Paralyze and I Found Someone.. Whitney Houston Hailing from Beverly Hill, California, first, we have 80s legend Whitney Houston who was a top-selling R&B female music artist of the 20th century. But she also made a mark with her solo projects. Ella Fitzgerald or as many call her, the Queen of Jazz, was born on April 25th, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. That iconic album had memorable hits such as Material Girl, Like a Prayer, La Isla Bonita, Hung Up, and Like a Virgin.. Summing Up Our List Of Famous Female Singers From Britain, 13 Amazing Bands Similar To Matchbox Twenty. She achieved greatness in her solo career, winning six Grammy Awards, seventeen Blues Music Awards, and earning spots in the Blues Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. With her musical DNA evident in everyone from Beyonc to Norwegian DJ Kygo, Turners legacy is as insurmountable as it is influential. She won numerous awards, including 18 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, and inductions into the National Womens Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She began her musical career at 14 when she joined an all-girl group with three of her friends, Sol Four. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and is also known as one of the best female guitarists in the music industry. Top Best Female Rock Singers of the 80s Early, Mid, Late 80s Female Rock Singers Early 80s Female Rock Singers Mid 80s Female Rock Singers She still wears the crown today. As years went by, Bassey performed in traveling stage shows and eventually recorded successful singles. She also established herself as one of the best-selling music artists, selling more than 100 million records. After thoroughly reviewing and listening to countless female singers from various genres belt their hearts out, weve selected the artists we feel outshine all the rest. She is best-known for her Titanic song My Heart Will Go On, but she has released many hits ever since. She has been involved in activism for animal rights and HIV prevention. She has won an astonishing seven Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a host of other awards. Her soulful voice captivated people during the decade of the 80s. She is the recipient of a Brit Award (Critics Choice, 2009) and a Silver Clef Award (Best Female 2017) and has been nominated for many more. Whitney Houston. Thanks to the show's soundtrack, her 80s hit "Running Up That Hill" climbed the charts again in 2022, and became the most streamed song on Spotify in multiple countries. Bonnie Lynn Raitt was born to sing the blues and is one of the best female vocalists of all time. Hopefully, now you have the necessary knowledge to create a fantastic playlist featuring the best female singers of all time. Her 2012 debut Hot Right Now, was the first of many dance-pop bangers to come from this Albanian-born, London-raised artist. Florence Welch, who hails from Camberwell in London, emerged on the music scene at a fairly young age and has displayed impressive staying power within the realm of indie rock. Her most successful songs include I Found Someone, Believe, and If I Could Turn Back Time.. In 2002, she signed a deal with 19 Management and began recording and releasing music in 2003, including hits like Stronger Than Me, Rehab, and Back to Black.. When the 80s ended, it seemed like the sky was the limit for her. [1] The following is a list of the world's best-selling female music artists of all time. And some of the singers who emerged in the 80s are still relevant today. This naturally gifted singer has won six Grammy Awards, sixteen Billboard Music Awards, and two Emmy Awards. She now resides in California where she works as a session and live performer. Shes famous for her blend of folk, rock, and country music and unique voice. Eunice Kathleen Waymon, also known as Nina Simone, began her legacy on February 21st, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina. Mariah Carey boasts an incredible five-octave vocal range, easily making her one of the best female singers of all time. Madonna 2. Without these influential famous female singers of the 1980s, the era, and the genres they sang in simply wouldnt be the same. Top 35 best female singers. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is a British pop/soul singer-songwriter with a soulful voice and incredible vocal control. Kate Bush is probably one of the most popular female singers of the 80s, thanks to Netflix's Stranger Things. Related: More musicians and singers who died aged 27. She demonstrated that she was a Material Girl and got us Into The Groove. While she was a marketing genius, she also had vocal chops to back her up. And her rendition of I Wanna Dance With Somebody is one of the greatest covers of all time. At 18, Ronstadt moved to L.A. and signed with Capitol Records. In 1982 she found immense success with Columbia Records, recording one of the all-time best-selling singles, Total Eclipse of the Heart.. The Londoner was only 21 years old at the time, yet had already run into many setbacks in her recording career. Liams lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. In November 2022, Pat Benatar was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Fitzgerald also received many opportunities to collaborate with other famous musicians like Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. 18 Best Online Music Lessons: Learn To Play Music Today. Their song, I Got You Babe, soared to #1 on the U.S. and UK charts, which gave her a platform to launch her solo music career. Known as the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan is widely regarded as one of the most influential 80s female singers. Jessica Cornish, known professionally as Jesse J, is a Redbridge, London-born R&B singer. In 2013, she was also ranked as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. He loves researching, writing and editing music content for Music Grotto. Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980 in Staten Island, New York City, New York to musician Shelly Loraine Fidler Kearns and U.S. Army sergeant Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera Monge. Eventually, she would take those early inspirations and create the unique sound that would make her an international star. Lipas debut album was a massive success, and the next few years saw her career take off even more. The highly-talented singer was a survivor of domestic abuse when she was married to Ike Turner. Songs like Slave to the Rhythm, Private Life, and Pull Up to The Bumper made her a must-listen. From the early days of Madonna and Cyndi Lauper to the height of Whitney Houston's career, this list includes all the ladies who made the 80s such a great decade for music. Over the years, she has cemented herself as a musical legend. This was good news for Bexleyheath-born singer-songwriter Kate Bush, who, since her pre-teen years, had been writing music that didnt quite fit into the pop genre. And while the 70s are often thought of as a male-dominated decade in music, there were also many amazing female singers making their mark on the world. During her career, Winehouse won a British Female Solo Artist award at the 2007 Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello awards, and five Grammys. In 1966 her career began to take off, but she changed her appearance and style around 1983 and never looked back. Next: Top female singers from the 1960s (our list). She now resides in California where she works as a session and live performer. She achieved peak success in the 90s, but she was also a star in the 80s. A few of her popular tracks include Id Rather Go Blind, At Last, and A Sunday Kind of Love.. That was apparent in her appearance at the MTV Video Awards in 1984 when she performed Like a Virgin in a wedding dress and writhed around on the ground. When people think of Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders, they might only think of Back On The Chain Gang, but that is far from the only good song that helped display her vocal range. The birth of many iconic artists took place during the 80s, which paved the way for many of the industrys best afterward. The ethereal Stevie Nicks, who always loved wearing frilly dresses, first became famous for being part of the group Fleetwood Mac, where she joined Christine McVie on vocals. 1. Donna Summer was a woman of many different musical talents. Stay up-to-date with the latest music news, new releases, special offers and other discounts! In the late 1970, Lita Ford was the lead guitarist for the famous Joan Jetts rock band the Runaways. Have fun listening to these wonderful female voices of the 80s! Youve heard the decades most iconic female singers, now listen to the best 80s albums. Laura has over 12 years experience teaching both classical and jazz saxophone and clarinet. Heres our list of the 25 best female singers of all time: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is the actual name of singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, born on March 28th, 1986, in Manhattan, New York. The 25 Best Female Singers of All Time. Some of her best hits include Nasty, Rhythm Nation, and Feedback.. The 80's era saw the birth of dance music, and along with it many artists, and many more genres that swept during this musical stage. 1. Joan Jett was far from that image. In addition to music, the Aberdeen-born singer is also an activist for HIV/AIDS awareness. Andrews was a talented actress as well, starring in stage productions and, eventually, films. Some may have issues with Debbie Gibson being here, but she was such a fresh find when her 1987 debut song Only In My Dreams came out. This talented musician is known for her powerful vocals and cool bohemian clothing style. She amassed 60 nominations for awards and collected 23 awards, including Grammys and Brit Awards. Newton-John would release her debut studio album, If Not for You. Catherine Bush, better known professionally as Kate Bush, has her roots in the United Kingdom. Soon, she was one of the most well-known musicians in the world. Lipas sultry voice and striking beauty eventually won her the attention of an agency that helped her focus her talents and advance her career. However, she is best known for the song Proud Mary, which was actually originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Her 1984 debut album, Alf, set the pace by going to No.1 in the UK on the back of singles such as Love Resurrection, All Cried Out and the ever-anthemic Invisible. Top 50 Favorite Female Singers. 15 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Female Singers Of The 1980s She could go from disco to rock while captivating people with her singing voice. Related: For more on Dusty, read our list of lesbian female singers article here. Rolling Stone called Joni Mitchell one of the best songwriters ever and we agree. All of these women defined the 1980s pop culture music scene through their unparalleled talent and empowering hit songs. She was also the only artist to have a#1 Billboard single in six consecutive decades (1960 to 2010). While she did make sweet music with Dave Stewart as the Eurythmics, she has also made her mark as a solo artist, with memorable songs like A Thousand Beautiful Things and Into The West., Next: Top vocalists that are women of all time (best female singers ever). Since then, Tyler has continued to work steadily and released her seventeenth studio album in 2019. In 1984, her album Lets Hear it For the Boy featured the hit single with the same name, which rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her voice and songs like Im Every Woman helped cement her place. Alison Moyet first found fame as one half of the British synth-pop duo Yazoo, but after splitting almost as soon as theyd formed (leaving hits such as Only You in their wake), Moyet embarked on a far longer-running solo career. Even today, the era holds a firm spot in the hearts and minds of many and thanks in no small part to these ten best 80s female singers, all of whom helped define the decade as much as anyone else. Women singers of the 80's that you should know. Following the smash success of Wuthering Heights and its parent album, The Kick Inside in 1978, a teenaged Kate Bush entered the 80s as one of the most talked-about young artists in years. We are in that category. Clarks flair for languages allowed her to record music in French, German, Spanish, and Italian as well as English. With her unapologetic lyrics and attitude, Pat Benatar won the hearts of people around the world. At the age of six, MIAs family moved from England to Sri Lanka and ended up displaced by the war that broke out there. Bruce Springsteen One of the biggest 80s rock artists, Bruce Springsteen's landmark Born In The USA album yielded seven US hits. With New Romantics leading the synth-pop revolution in the 80s, the Annie Lennox-fronted Eurythmics made their mark with 1983s club-ready anthem Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Deniece Williams has been deemed one of the worlds greatest soul singers. From the banks of Little Pigeon River to the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee, Dolly Parton has transcended music to become an entrepreneur, author and ambassador for everything from literacy to bald-eagle conservation. Most people know her from Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and later, The Princess Diaries. Some of her most beloved songs include The Best, Better Be Good To Me, and I Dont Wanna Fight.. After all, her music was heavily influenced by 80s music, but at the same time her music was refreshing. As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. As one of the most successful female singers of all time, Gloria Estefan paved the way for the success of many latin singers. Other 80s songs like When Am I Going to Make a Living? and Love is Stronger Than Pride also showcased her stunning vocals. Finally, on The X-Factor, with the support and coaching of Simon Cowell, Lewis was able to win the show and launch a successful career. Madonna, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush. Im Dan and I run this website. Though Houston remained a force well into the golden age of 90s R&B, her 80s output set a standard any artist would be envious of. Related: Our post on other female singers of the 1960s. The US pop-rockers emerged in the early half of the decade, enjoying moderate success until scoring a support slot on Cyndi Laupers Fun tour across 1983 and 1984. Madonna Soundtrack | A League of Their Own Tyler has a very distinct voice, citing Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles as her inspiration growing up. With one of the most powerful voices in blues, rock and roll, R&B, and Soul combined, Jamesetta Hawkins (known professionally as Etta James) was one of the greatest female musicians of all-time, having been ranked as number 22 on Rolling Stone Magazines 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time list. Belinda Carlisles 1987 song was a big hit when it came out, and its still one of the most popular 80s songs. Let us go down our list of famous 80s female singersin no particular order. Raitt has since received ten Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also won twelve World Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, six American Music Awards, and fifty Felix Awards. Ann (Annie) Lennox, hailing from Scotland, is most famous for her association with the Eurythmics and Dave Stewart. Warwick is the second most-charted female vocalist from the rock era of 1955 through 1999. In the media, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop and we understand why. The glam metal singer was also married to Ozzy Osbourne, and she released a duet Close My Eyes Forever with him in 1989. Hopefully, youve enjoyed this list of female stars from across the pond. She also showed off her Queen status when she appeared in Mad Max: Thunderdome and belted out the anthemic We Dont Need Another Hero., Next: Greatest female country singers in history (our complete list). She did not just intimidate people with her scowl but her pipes are also a force to be reckoned with. Her debut album The World Starts Tonight was a mix of pop and country music. 35 Best 80s Female Singers (Most Famous) - MidderMusic - Learn, Listen Tina Turner The charismatic "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" is the first on the list. Suzy Bogguss, an American country music singer/songwriter, began her solo singing career in the 1980s. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities in the same year. Lipa was born in London, England, to Kosovo-Albanian parents. The adults in Shirleys life recognized her powerful voice at an early age but were not particularly supportive of the talented little girls potential. She and the other band members got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. She was born on March 27th, 1969, in Huntington, New York, and grew up trying to mimic her mothers operatic voice. She began performing with her then-husband, Sonny, in their folk-rock duo, Sonny & Cher. The song had the famous line Its Janet Ms. Jackson, if youre nasty. Along with Madonna, she helped bring in a new wave of female musical artists who were entirely comfortable with their own sexuality. Create playlist. Hayley Nichole Williams is one of the best pop-rock singers in music history, with her high, intense belting and contagious energy. For a while, she battled Tiffany for the title of Teen Queen. This female artist boasts a wide range of accolades, including thirteen Grammys, sixteen Guinness World Records, and eighteen MTV Video Music Awards. She also established herself as a fantastic performer, and her choreographed videos as well as live shows have always been on point. Doubtless one of the greatest female rockers of the decade, Pat Benatars legacy can still be traced in the countless underground rock artists that emerge every year, while her songwriting talents are apparent throughout her entire catalogue. Bonnie Tyler. She wore a biker jacket and a scarf and snarled into the mic with songs like I Love Rock N Roll. Jett helped change the idea of what a woman could look like and how they could grab rock by the throat and give it as much energy as any man. Madonna was far from just being a Lucky Star, which was her first hit song. Few artists can compare to the powerhouse vocals and stage presence of Whitney Houston. She won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2003 and Album of the Year Award in 1978 with Fleetwood Mac and has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards as a solo artist. In her early days, she performed at clubs and eventually scored record deals with labels like Columbia, Vocalion, and Decca. When people think of Cyndi Lauper during the 80s, they might just remember the red-haired girl with unique hairstyles and clothes that goofed around with Captain Lou Albano in music videos and took part in the earliest versions of Wrestlemania. Linda Maria Ronstadt was born on July 15th, 1946, in Tucson, Arizona. It was a big leap from being a flute player in an obscure band to being one of Britains most treasured musicians, but Lennoxs hard work and talent earned her that place. Lauper has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and her hairstyles and clothing have made a mark for years. And besides being a popular and talented musician, she also had successful projects as an actress and businesswoman. While she found initial success in the 60s as Porter Wagoners writing and singing partner, Parton scaled the charts as a solo artist in the latter half of the 70s and throughout much of the 80s. Lauper found success on the International stage with this album, and her singles She Bop and Time After Time were a hit. Anna Mae Bullock (stage name Tina Turner) is widely regarded as the Queen of Rock n Roll and was born on November 26th, 1939, in Brownsville, Tennessee. Her single Bleeding Love was the number one selling single of 2007. She emerged as a teen star, and eventually became a global superstar and the best-selling Canadian recording artist. Throughout the 70s, she enhanced her vocal abilities and learned how to play several musical instruments at the London Royal Academy of Music. Bush was introduced to music at a young age because her father was a pianist and her mother was an Irish dancer. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. She is best-known for her songs 9 to 5, Jolene, and Island in the Stream.. Often referred to as a Princess of Pop, Kylie Minogue also deserves a spot on our best 80s singers list. The 50+ Top Female Singers of the Decade - Ranker - Lists About Top 100 Greatest Female Singers by joud_555 | created - 06 Aug 2011 | updated - 21 Nov 2012 | Public Sort by: View: 100 names 1. They span various musical genres and styles, representing the eclectic culture of the United Kingdom. Sade has many 80s songs that still sound amazing. During the 1980s, Parton created three chart-topping hits: Old Flames Cant Hold a Candle to You, 9 to 5, and Starting Over Again.. Among her most famous songs are The Power of Love, Because You Loved Me, and Im Your Angel.. Best 80s Female Singers - Top 80s Women Music Hits - YouTube This greatest female singers list contains the most prominent and top females known for being singers. 1. So in a way, she does belong on this list. From Debbie Harry to Karen O, Stevie Nicks to PJ Harvey, see how these . Many regarded her as the true Queen of Pop, and through her music, she has impacted and has forever changed pop music with her musical contributions. She has collaborated with many other famous musicians like Iggy Azalea, Tiesto, and Calvin Harris. Although the '60s played a pivotal role in launching and shaping the careers of women in rock, it was the '80s that bestowed commercial success and fame for a number of female musicians.