Female Singer with the Most Beautiful Voice? (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

I finally got around to reading this thread. Most of my choices have already been mentioned.I would add Charlotte Church. I don't necessarily care for her choice of songs, but that voice is angelic.Enya is one of those "absence makes the heart grow fonder" cases, where she releases new material only once every five years, and it always seems fresh and beautiful. I think "China Roses," "Exile" and "Hope Has A Place" alone secure her as one of my favorite female vocalists.Seems odd to me that Barbra Streisand has received few votes here, but I add mine now.Mary Chapin Carpenter does it for me, too. Check out "A Place In the World."Mary Fahl... yeah, awesome.Dar Williams is pretty wonderful, too.I much prefer the female singing voice to the male. Must be a Freudian thing.

 

[Stan]

Seems odd to me that Barbra Streisand has received few votes here, but I add mine now.I much prefer the female singing voice to the male. Must be a Freudian thing.

Haven't read the whole thread, but surprised Streisand hasn't shown up more. Her vocals, from the 60s through the 90s were wonderful, if she wanted to sing a song or hit a high note she just did it.

I also prefer female singers. There are a few male singers, Michael Buble, Adam Levine and a few more, but most of the time it's females I enjoy. Freudian perhaps, but who knows.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Todd,

The most beautiful voice, not the prettiest face.

Seriously, I do like her voice. And I especially love their rendering of Watching The Sky -- a gem that I never tire of hearing.

Debbi Peterson performs lead vocals on that song, Susanna does perform backup, though.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Susanna Hoffs singing an acoustic version of Raining.

 

[Ockeghem]

Debbi Peterson performs lead vocals on that song, Susanna does perform backup, though.

Todd,

Yes, thanks. That's why I wrote 'their rendering' above.

 

[Afiger]

I guess I have weird taste when it comes to women's voices, but I have to say the woman from The Cranberries has one of the best voices I've ever heard. I also love the woman from the The Sundays and Of Monsters and Men, they both have soothing voices to me.

 

[PatW]

Have any of you heard Hayley Westerna's "Prayer"? It simply melts me. One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard and sung to perfection.

Also her rendition of Dark Waltz. Just sheer perfection.

 

[Chrissie Augrandjean]

You have not heard angelic until you have heard Ariana Grande, she used to be in a nickelodeon show "Victorious" not even playing the main character,now she is not more talented and successful than the main character. She just released a new song last night called "Baby I" and in 1 hour reached number 3 in the charts. This is one of her songs, that will give you goosebumps, trust me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ud5wQeOCk&feature=youtu.be

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm not sure if this i a generational thing (it probably is, since the older I get the more issues I have with stuff like this)...but those kind of vocal acrobatics just aren't listenable for me.

Ariana has a lovely voice and I'm sure she can hit all the notes...but those forced vocal acrobatics are unnecessary, yet seem to be de riguer for most young singers nowadays. Every bit of shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent, etc (and since I don't watch them I have to admit I am responding to what I see on their advertising) are filled with young vocalists who think that if they run scales while singing a beautiful, simple lyric (often stretching one syllable into several) that it creates a positive effect. To me (and this is where the generational divide must come in), it does not.

For example, I found this off-putting (Idol winner Candice Glover singing the National Anthem at the 2013 MLB All-Star game):



Based on that performance, I'm not even sure she CAN even hit all the notes. But the point is the vocal runs (while not the centerpiece of this performance) are--to me--a distracting and unfortunate affectation for many young vocalists who should simply set them aside. Mariah Carey is the most popular performer I can think of who fits this category of singer. Christina Aguilera is another. Both have beautiful voices, but I don't find their music listenable.

I don't mean to be a hater. It's just something I'm not sure I fully understand.

 

[schan1269]

Mike, chalk it up to today's "I'll buy this song", where every singer that lives on the "success of every SINGLE", versus the success of an album...has to sing like each song shows their every capability.X-tina's nor Mariah need to sing that way...sad.

 

[Emanuel1]

The great Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebo, her voice is crystal-clear. Besides her, the Slovenian singer Alenka Gotar and the great Whitney Houston (in her "old times", when she sang I Will Always Love You).

 

[EricSchulz]

The great Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebo, her voice is crystal-clear. Besides her, the Slovenian singer Alenka Gotar and the great Whitney Houston (in her "old times", when she sang I Will Always Love You).

LOVE Sissel!

 

[Jeffery_H]

To the OP of this thread, you ask a very hard question because it will depend upon many factors. Most posts I have read simply don't span enough genres or go back far enough in history so the samples they are from is more popular. In order to truly understand your question, you REALLY have to know music and be able to go back as long as there are recorded tracks to listen to. Things like iTunes don't even have some of the old 78s, which date from 1898 to about the late 1950s.

Given the above, I would say recordings such as Patsie Cline, The Andrew Sisters, The Fountain Sisters, Peggy Lee among others.

It's hard to pick a SINGLE female artist as it will depend upon the era, genra, etc. that each person knows more or likes. Personally, I branch out in all different decades and try to collect many of those old 78 tracks as I can. So each era has an appeal for me and I can pick maybe one from each, but not from the entire history of music.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Don't miss out on Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Jeffery! Hers is the definitive version of Silent Night (Stille Nacht)!

She first recorded it in 1910. It stayed in the RCA Victor catalog until she reissued a second recording in the mid-1920s.

 

[Dick]

I'm not sure if this i a generational thing (it probably is, since the older I get the more issues I have with stuff like this)...but those kind of vocal acrobatics just aren't listenable for me.

Ariana has a lovely voice and I'm sure she can hit all the notes...but those forced vocal acrobatics are unnecessary, yet seem to be de riguer for most young singers nowadays. Every bit of shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent, etc (and since I don't watch them I have to admit I am responding to what I see on their advertising) are filled with young vocalists who think that if they run scales while singing a beautiful, simple lyric (often stretching one syllable into several) that it creates a positive effect. To me (and this is where the generational divide must come in), it does not.

For example, I found this off-putting (Idol winner Candice Glover singing the National Anthem at the 2013 MLB All-Star game):



Based on that performance, I'm not even sure she CAN even hit all the notes. But the point is the vocal runs (while not the centerpiece of this performance) are--to me--a distracting and unfortunate affectation for many young vocalists who should simply set them aside. Mariah Carey is the most popular performer I can think of who fits this category of singer. Christina Aguilera is another. Both have beautiful voices, but I don't find their music listenable.

I don't mean to be a hater. It's just something I'm not sure I fully understand.

I so totally agree with you about the "vocal acrobatics" you mention. So many young women with great voices and range go out of their way to screw around with their vocals. Seems like showing off to me, and it degrades the performance. The "Star Spangled Banner" video you include here is a perfect example. Yet, the crowds cheer this, which of course encourages other young singers to commit similar offences. Sarah McLachlan often does this also, so although I love her voice, there are few of her songs I care to listen to. I'm sick of it. Give me the damn song, sung without all the bells and whistles, the best way you can, and I'm happy.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sarah McLachlan often does this also, so although I love her voice, there are few of her songs I care to listen to. I'm sick of it. Give me the damn song, sung without all the bells and whistles, the best way you can, and I'm happy.

Sarah McLachlan's rendition of Randy Newman's When She Loved Me from Toy Story 2 is one of my all-time favorites, Dick. No bells and whistles. Just her pure voice which drives the emotion of the song.

 

[JohnMor]

Linda Ronstadt
Barbra Streisand
Ella Fitzgerald

There are other singers I love for how they sing (Doris Day, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and others) but the above are the ones with the most beautiful voices that I never tire of listening to.

 

[schan1269]

Not sure if she is on the list, but...

 

[Sam Posten]

Not usually my cup of tea but evidence that Lady Gaga can actually carry a tune without a boatload of electronic assistance;

 

[schan1269]

Not usually my cup of tea but evidence that Lady Gaga can actually carry a tune without a boatload of electronic assistance;

You are missing out on Gaga then. She is the real deal. Even though she has this "head in the clouds" persona going on with a tiny voice(when she talks)...her voice is the real deal.