Some good stuff here, and for me some new names to sort through. A couple more from me.
Skye Edwards- Morcheeba
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FmognvrztU[/video]

And a couple from Spain.
Bebe
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBu5l8W8SCk[/video]

The lovely, lovely Zahara.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om9LpKbPMjQ[/video]
Twas the tune for La Vuelta 2009.

Can I have this?
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwh_yOzJ6AY&feature=related[/video]
😆

Astrud Gilberto!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tzxXh9n4iM&feature=related[/video]

Here’s some slightly more alternative ones

Kim Deal (breeders / Pixies)
Courtney Love (Hole) (love her or hate her -she’s put out some qualla tunes)
Katie jane Gartside (queen adreena / DC) – ridic
Kirsten hersh (solo stuff)
PJ Harvey (first two albums !!!)

Craziest woman I saw live (apart from KJG) was the singer of Silverfish…made david yow seem sane

Most of mine seem to have already made this list:
Diamanda, of course,
Katie Jane Garside
Chan Marshall
Tori Amos
… but in the right place/time some of Lisa Gerrard’s stuff is like nothing else on earth – music to be buried to.

New to the list (I think) but also up for a mention.

Sandy Denny
Emmylou Harris (choose carefully, as some stuff just doesn’t make it).
Stevie Wishart
Emma Kirkby

I also *really* like this (but it won’t be for everyone – possibly a bit too much beard/sandal/singlespeed content).

Chan Marshall of Cat Power.

One day, I’m gonna ride the perfect singletrack in some woods, somewhere, and I’ll finish up sitting by a fire, with a beer, whilst she sings to me. Then I can die happy.

Others:

Kate Bush
Gillian Welch
Hope Sandoval
Beth Gibbons
Liz Fraser

Sia Furler is pure class, of that there is no doubt. A truly wonderful voice.

However for me, my favourite has shamefully not been mentioned yet. Gotta be Shirley Manson of Garbage fame. Aural sex.

Maria McKee
Florence
Debbie Harry

I was despairing of this thread to start with, but it’s picked up no end. Plenty that I love on here;
Maria McKee, (and what the hell is she doing nowadays? Even her website has gone dead. Last time I saw her was Bristol several years ago),
Aimee Mann,
Emmylou Harris,
Tori Amos,
Kate Bush,
Tanya Donelly,
Alison Goldfrapp,
Sandy Denny,
Joni Mitchell,
then there’s Joan As Police Woman,
Martha Wainwright,
Emma Pollock,
Thea Gilmore,
Dusty Springfield,
Keren Ann,
Cerys Matthews,
the fantastic Patty Griffin,
Gemma Hayes,
Laura Marling,
Shawn Colvin,
Beth Neilsen Chapman,
Mary Chapin Carpenter,
Nanci Griffith,
Eddi Reader,
Ricky Lee Jones,
Heidi Talbot,
The Indigo Girls,
The Wailin’ Jennies,
Karine Polwart,
Julie Fowlis,
Shelby Lynn,
The Dear Janes,
Judie Tzuke,
Sam Phillips,
Natalie Merchant,
Emily Hayes (Metric),
Kate Rusby,
Kris Delmhorst.
There’s probably more hidden away in my cd collection and on my iPod that I’ve borrowed, but that’ll do for now.

CountZero, I salute your taste and memory!

Best female vocalist ever in my opinion.. particularly near the end of this clip..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogdoEi64VzA

Well done CountZero, a formidable lineup there but your missing the one voice that tops that lot without breaking sweat….EVA CASSIDY. No longer with us but lorded by many.

Patti Smith, Nina Simone,Aretha, Karen Matheson
real music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3coSfks4rQ

Sarah Vaughan. Beautiful voice. Bjork, Ella, girl from Great Gig In The Sky

No matter what she does, Bjork always knocks me for six.

2nd Cat Power. Nearly fell asleep at one of her gigs cos her voice is that soothing.

Kate Bush. Quite simply the best ever!

Dorset’s own PJ Harvey is my favourite by a million miles.

Mention in Dispatches to:

Peaches
Louise Post/Nina Gordon (Veruca Salt)
Kim Deal/Kelley Deal/Tanya Donnelly (The Breeders/Belly/Throwing Muses)
Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

stevie nicks
joss stone

Loads of great stuff on here, my favourite not mentioned so far would be Mimi Parker of Low. My girlfriend’s been playing something called Elisane recently which is also very interesting. I’d confess to finding Enya a guilty pleasure occasionally 😳

shara nelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ZJJVFFACY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usiW9cHSLws&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eci5kbIG3-Y&feature=related

best vocals ever for me – patti smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3coSfks4rQ

Tracy Chapman
Hayley Williams
Taylor Momsen

Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Aretha Franklin
Amy LaVere
Diana Krall
Dido
Tori Amos
Etta James
Katie Melua
Nina Simone

If you like Ella Fitzgerald, please check out Sarah Vaughan. Ella called her

the worlds greatest singing talent

. Everyone mentions Ella and Billie but Sarah was divine.

I have lots of favourite female artists. Couple near the top of the list would be Kristin Hersh & Tanya Donelly.

Great voice but it really does stop there

true, but the same could be said for many of the others named in this thread 😉

besides, I only judge on voice

I like loads of female singers, but this young American Jazz singer can deliver her own distinctive renditions of songs sung by the greats.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-4iawLy9I[/video]

Amy Lee, Annie Lennox and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CenCvDKSRHE[/video]

Feel free to pop in to MC Elfin Safe T’s Friday Niteclub folks! 😀

Actually in recognition of this thread I’ll bung some choons up in there for youse…

ABBA & The Carpenter.

😛

Regina Spektor, fantastic songwriter and not a bad singer either. Also a big fan of Emmy the Great, she’s got a fairly limited lightweight voice but my word, she can use what she’s got.

One of my faves, but obviously before many peoples time on here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=751MTUaCq7g

She did the ‘Taggart’ theme as well.
Maggie Bell.

Just in from t’club. Jools is on. Have a listen for Rumer, fantastic new voice.

Otherwise I’d be happy to listen to Nathalie Merchant, Claudia Brücken, Julia Fordham, Judie Tzuke, Rita Coolidge and lots of other old skool singers as well as the new ladies. For sheer stage presence Siouxie Sioux and Pauline Murray were great in their day.

Billie Holliday

Dolly Parton of course !

Elfinsafety – Member

Feel free to pop in to MC Elfin Safe T’s Friday Niteclub folks!

Oi! Just seen this… No freakin advertising!!! 🙄

Some cheeky fekkers around here. 😆

Carah Faye of Shiny Toy Guns. I don’t like much other female vocals stuff, dunno why it just doesn’t work for me.

Just like to add Inara George, daughter of Lowell George, First Aid Kit, which I’m listening to at the moment, Swedish (I think) sisters of around 14 and 16, The Smoke Fairies, in case I forgot them before, I received their new album today and it’s excellent, oh, and Mechanical Bride, and the utterly stunning Juanita Stein, singer with Howling Bells, great band and one of my favourite band names.
Oddly enough my very earliest memory is of a song by a female singer, when I was around four I guess, or thereabouts, it’s Freight Train, by Nancy Whisky, and I managed to find a copy on the web, and I still love it.

Aretha is top of my list but love an awful lot of female vocalists, including Imelda May, KT Tunstall, Sarah McLachlan, Madeleine Peyroux Joss Stone(at times), Beth Orton, Billie Holliday and a bit of Whitney Houston!!

I used to be a little bit obsessed by Bonnie Tyler when i was a nipper……..not sure what that says about me.

Helen Terry the woman on Great gig in the Sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aLLDX7m68U
sorry about the other guys:-)

Sarah Mclachlan
Angel
building a mystery