Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin’s voice is unmistakable: it’s powerful and raspy and conveys emotions flawlessly. She was famous at the peak hippie era, but unfortunately her time was cut short, as she passed away when she was only 27.
Janis Joplin
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood is one of the most successful American Idol winners. She won season 4 back in 2005 and has since become one of the most well-known country singers of all time. Her album Some Hearts earned many accolades, including being the best selling country album of the previous 17 years, and also three Grammys including Best New Artist.
Carrie Underwood
Britney Spears
Britney Spears is the undisputed Princess of Pop, with some of the most successful albums and singles in pop history. Her top hits include “Baby One More Time” and “Oops! I Did It Again,” with countless more to her name.
Britney Spears
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys started learning classical piano when she was a child and by age 12, she already began writing her own music. When she was just 15, she signed her first record deal and produced her album Songs In A Minor. She has since gone on to become one of the most successful artists of all time.
Alicia Keys
Cher
Cher is often called the Goddess of Pop, as she is known for representing female autonomy in an industry that has been historically male-dominated. She became famous with her first husband Sonny Bono early in her career and went on to have one of the most successful solo careers of all time, and even branched out into acting.
Cher
Shakira
Shakira has been called the Queen of Latin music thanks to her success both in the realm of Latin music and outside of it. She has sold over 80 million records and is one of the top selling Latin artists of all time. She has won three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammy Awards.
Shakira
Beyonce
Beyonce is one of the most successful artists of all time. She started out in the group Destiny’s Child and went on to achieve huge success as a solo artist, selling over 120 million solo records by 2010. She has won a stagger 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Music Video Awards, 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Awards, more than any other artist for any of those awards.
Beyonce
Pink
Pink’s first solo album Can’t Take Me Home from 2000 became double-platinum, catapulting her to fame. After being featured in the hit “Lady Marmalade” cover, her fame was solidified. She sold over 13 million copies of her next album Missundaztood, which included hit songs “Get the Party Started” and “Just Like a Pill.”
Pink
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper’s career has spanned over four decades. Her 1983 album She’s So Unusual became the first album by a female artist to achieve four top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “She Bop,” and “All Through The Night.” Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Cyndi Lauper
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday, also called Lady Day, was one of the most influential jazz singers and her was known for her improvisation and vocal delivery. She won four Grammy Awards, though they were all won posthumously for Best Historical Album. She was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as well as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Billie Holiday
Etta James
Etta James started out her career in 1954 and became known for hit songs like “The Wallflower,” “At Last,” “Tell Mama,” “Something’s Got a Hold On Me,” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” She won 6 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Grammy Fall of Fame in 1999, which called her “one of the greatest voices of her century,” and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001.
Etta James
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse was known for her expressive contraltro voice and her genre-bending music that blended soul, jazz, and R&B. Her album Back to Black, released in 2006, became one of the best selling albums in UK history and won her 5 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. Sadly, she passed away at only 27 after succumbing to her substance abuse.
Amy Winehouse
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is known for her work with her band Fleetwood Mac as well as her solo career. She was called the “Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll” by Rolling Stone magazine, who also included her in their list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She has garnered 8 Grammy Award nominations and two American Music Award nominations.
Stevie Nicks
Kelly Clarkson
The first, and arguably most successful, winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson has become one of the most successful artists of all time, selling over 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide. Since 2019, she has also been the host of her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Kelly Clarkson
Diana Ross
Diana Ross was the lead singer of Motown group The Supremes, which had many hit songs including “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” and “Love Child.” She then had a successful solo career as well as an acting career. In 1976, she was called the “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard.
Diana Ross
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand’s impressive career has spanned over six decades. She is one of the few people in the world to achieve EGOT status, meaning she’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. She has sold over 150 million records and is the second highest certified female artists in the United States.
Barbra Streisand
Ann Wilson
Ann Wilson is known for being the lead singer of the rock band Heart, which had hit songs like “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” and “Barracuda.” In 2006, she was listed as number 78 on Hit Parader’s list of “Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists of All Time,” and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Ann Wilson
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift started out her career as a country singer but has crossed over to many other genres, namely pop and folk. She has sold over 200 million records online, making her one of the best selling artists ever. She has won 11 Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, 34 American Music Awards, 29 Billboard Music Awards. She is regarded as a pop icon.
Taylor Swift
Donna Summer
Donna Summer was a prominent singer of the disco era, being known as the Queen of Disco. She had 42 hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, 14 of them reaching the Top 10. She sold over 100 million records, won 5 Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Donna Summer
Tina Turner
Tina Turner, who is often regarded as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” became known as the lead singer of Ike and Tina Turner before becoming a solo artist. Her hit songs include “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Better Be Good To Me” and “I Don’t Wanna Fight.” She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, 12 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and has a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Tina Turner
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga first became known in 2007 after the release of her album The Fame, which included hits like “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” and “Alejandro.” She has sold over 125 million records, won 13 Grammy Awards, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, 16 Guinness World Records, and was named Billboard’s Artist of the Year in 2010 as well as Woman of the Year in 2015.
Lady Gaga
Katy Perry
Katy Perry became famous after the release of her second album in 2008. One of The Boys contained hit songs like “I Kissed A Girl,” “Hot n Cold,” and her third album Teenage Dream included 5 U.S. number one singles, the first by a solo female artist to do so. She has sold over 140 million albums worldwide and all of her studio albums from Capitol have reached one billion streams on Spotify.
Katy Perry
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera has been called the “Voice of a Generation,” and is known for her four octave vocal range. She became famous early on as a member of the Micky Mouse Club, and then went on to become a teen sensation. She continued her success throughout the years, outgrowing her teen idol status and becoming one of the best selling artists of all time. She also served as a judge on The Voice and has also dabbled with acting.
Christina Aguilera
Nina Simone
Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, and activist. She is best known for her hit single “I Loves You, Porgy,” and she’s known for spanning over genres including classic, gospel, folk, blues, jazz, R&B, and also pop. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Nina Simone
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald was called the “First Lady of Song,” as well as “Queen of Jazz,” and “Lady Ella.” In addition to her solo career, she is known for her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots. She has won 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP’s Inaugural President’s Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ella Fitzgerald
Adele
Adele’s first album 19 included the hit songs “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love,” which helped the album become 8 times certified platinum in the UK and triple platinum in the US. Since then, she has become one of the best selling artist of all time, selling over 120 million albums worldwide, and she has won 14 Grammys.
Adele
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range and is often regarded as a pop icon and triple threat entertainer. She has sold over 85 million records worldwide, and all of her albums have been certified platinum or higher. She is the most streamed female artist of all time and the most subscribed female artist on YouTube.
Ariana Grande
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey, who is called the “Songbird Supreme,” and “Queen of Christmas,” is known for her impressive five octave vocal range and her signature whistle register. She has sold over 220 million records around the world, with 19 of her songs topping the Billboard Hot 100.
Mariah Carey
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was often referred to as “The Voice,” and is one of the best selling artists of all time, having sold over 200 million records around the world. She won 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammys, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Whitney Houston
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is often called the “Queen of Soul,” is one of the best selling artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone has twice named her 9th in their “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Aretha Franklin
Celine Dion
Celine Dion is the best selling Canadian artist of all time, and she is known for her technically skilled vocals and powerful voice. She is one of the best selling artists of all time, having sold over 200 million records around the world. She has won 5 Grammys, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Celine Dion
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is known for her social and philosophical songs. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and has won 10 Grammy Awards. She has been credited as “one of the greatest songwriters ever” by Rolling Stone.
Joni Mitchell
Madonna
Madonna is often referred to as the “Queen of Pop,” being known for constantly reinventing her image and being incredibly versatile. She is one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. She is the best selling female artist of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide.
Madonna
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is one of the most successful country artists of all time, with 25 of her songs reaching number 1 on the Billboard country music charts. She also has 110 career-charted singles over the last 40 years. She has garnered over 50 Grammy nominations, winning 11 Grammy Awards.
Dolly Parton
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight is known as the “Empress of Soul,” first starting out her career with the group The Pips, and later as a solo artist. She has won 7 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the Pips.
Gladys Knight
Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter was the leader singer of The Carpenters alongside her brother Richard. The Carpenters went on to great success and she then continued on to have a successful solo career. She sadly struggled with anorexia and eventually in 1983, at just 32 years old, died of heart failure due to complications from the disorder. This helped raise awareness on eating disorders and body dysmorphia. In 2010, she was included on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest singers of all time.
Karen Carpenter
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox first began her career with the band the Tourists, but after moderate success, she went on to perform with Dave Stewart as Eurythmics, finding success with the song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” She then had a successful solo career, and was named “The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive” by VH1.
Annie Lennox
Carole King
Carole King is a singer and songwriter who is considered one of the most significant musicians of all time. She is the most successful female songwriter of the later half of the 20th century. She co-wrote 118 pop hits that have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. She has sold over 75 million records worldwide.
Carole King
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry is the lead singer of the band Blondie, who achieved number 1 hits in the US and the UK between 1979 and 2017. She also had a successful solo career before reuniting with Blondie in the late 1990s.
Debbie Harry
Florence Welch
Florence Welch is the lead singer of Florence and the Machine, with whom she released three albums that reached chart success. Their first album, Lungs, topped the UK Albums Chart and won the band the BRIT Award for Best British Album.
Florence Welch