The top 10 greatest female singers of all time, according to GLAMOUR
Celine Dion fans were left furious that she wasn't included in Rolling Stone's recently released list of 200 Greatest Singers Of All. And honestly, we understand why. The Canadian songstress' catalogue of hit music, which has spanned decades, has helped us through life, love and heartbreak - so her snub felt deeply personal.
List or no list, it is clear that The Power Of Love hitmaker truly is one of the greatest singers of all time and joins a whole host of epic female legends as some of the best in the game. Whether it's the velvety smooth and hair-raisingly impressive vocals of Whitney Houston, the era-defining music of Madonna, aka. the Queen of Pop, the foot-tapping classics of Aretha Franklin or the current jams from Beyoncé, we're truly blessed to have such a powerhouse of female musicians to plug in our headphones to and listen to when the world around us gets too much.
So, while we won't compile a list of 200 incredible singers of all time (we truly will be here for ages as there's so much talent out there), GLAMOUR has listed our top ten female singers of all time that well and truly deserve some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
1. Celine Dion
The inspiration behind this list is the fabulous Celion Dion, of course. From Titanic's hugely popular theme tune, My Heart Will Go On, to the chillingly powerful It's All Coming Back to Me Now, Celion has always left us mesmerised with her unique vocals and nostalgic love songs. She is, quite simply, the greatest.
2. Etta James
Whether it was soft and sweet At Last or the powerful I Just Wanna Make Love to You, no one exuded emotive performance energy quite like Etta James. We bow down.
3. Madonna
Oh my gosh, where to start?! Madonna really paved the way for other female musicians in terms of authentic expression in music. With songs such Like a Prayer, Like A Virgin and Vogue and her exhilarating stage presence, Madonna will forever be an icon in our eyes.
4. Adele
There's no person who's quite got us through heartbreak like Adele. We bawled our eyes out at her pristine voice in Someone Like You and continued weeping with the release of Hello and Easy On Me. She's the only person we like for making us cry this much...
5. Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin's voice well and truly moves us to tears. The late icon was a trailblazer in the music industry with her hit catalogue of songs, including A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, and I Say A Little Prayer. We adore her.
6. Cher
From her beginning in Sonny & Cher to her astounding solo music career, Cher has proven time and time again that she is one of the greatest singers out there. Her deep, smoky tones have given us songs like Believe, If I Could Turn Back Time, and I Found Someone.
7. Whitney Houston
You will most definitely recall a few times when you've tried to belt out I Will Always Love You. And no matter how great of a singer you are, you will likely not match up to the powerhouse voice of Whitney Houston. Another icon that will forever be in our hearts.
8. Mariah Carey
No one can hit a high note quite like Mariah Carey. Her range is truly unbelievable and has given us legendary songs such as Hero, Fantasy, We Belong Together, and of course, the festive belter All I Want For Christmas Is You. She can do no wrong in our eyes.
9. Beyoncé
Where do we even start with Beyoncé? She is one of the most popular singers of our time because she always delivers. Whether it was from her early Destiny's Child fame or her recent songs going viral on TikTok, we have always been a part of the BeyHive and will continue to be a part of the community.
10. Tina Turner
Tina Turner has always turned our lives around with her showstopping vocals. During her heyday, she released iconic song after iconic song, and since then, we have always been belting out to the likes of Proud Mary and River Deep - Mountain High.
