Say what you may about today’s female singers and you still won’t come close to the black females singer style and skill of days gone by. While there are some great females singers out there today. A majority of the ones who will leave an everlasting impression are from days gone by. See the Radio Facts list of the Top Black Female Singers of All Time
Aretha Franklin
There is no denying that even though years of smoking have damaged The Queen of Soul’s vocals, she is undoubtedly at the top of the list for her many smash hits during the late 60s and throughout the 70s and 80s. It is most unfortunate that Aretha does not have a lot of writing credits for her material but her recordings are timeless and will certainly go down in history as some of the best music. You owe it to yourself to check out some of her earlier material like “Angel,” “Call Me” and more on YouTube.
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Most of those women didn’t write songs in the 1960s. If they did, those BMI Writers and Publishers checks would be nuts today.
You should add soul/disco singer Loleatta Holloway. Her voice was crazy.
Jennifer Lopez is not Black and I can’t believe you could compile a list like this and not include Nina Simone. Have you lost your mind?
Aretha wrote many songs and some of her own hits..”Think”, “Day Dreaming”, “Rock Steady”, “Since You Been Gone”, all sold well over a million copies each plus she wrote “Call Me” and “Dr. Feelgood”..
I think Jennifer Hudson and Oleta Adams belong on that list somewhere, although I can’t deny that for the most part it’s a pretty good lineup.
Great list… much respect to the wonderful singers you’ve listed; I just have to add a few you have overlooked: Ella Fitzgerald (the best female vocalist I’ve ever heard), Billie Holliday, and Sarah Vaughn. Not to mention Lena Horne, Shirley Bassey, Joesphine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, Ethel Waters, Mahalia Jackson, and Pearl Bailey.
this list is incomplete to me if Anita fuckin Baker aint on it re you crazy!!!!!!!!!! minnie ripperton, kim burrell, Sade, Shirley murdock definitely deserve honorable mentions and teena marie might be white but she aint no punk
Who complied this list? I understand you wish to pay homage to a few legends, where is Mahalia Jackson or Tina Turner if that’s what you’re doing? I read a few comments about those writing their own material….I don’t think that’s what the writer is trying to convey because ‘singer’ is the key word! Are you considering record sales? If so, then Beyonce should be on there (even tho I don’t think she’s a contender but she has paid her dues)! Also HOW IN THE WORLD could you not include Lisa Fisher, Minni Ripperton, Angela Bofill and Heather Headly? When you say undeniable you mean undisputed or incapable of being denied…correct? Well I can dispute a few of your choices. When I think of a black female that sing….I think quality!
Oh yeah and Jennifer Lopez? I’m still scratching my head about that one!
Angela Winbush, Angela Bofill, Randy Crawford, Sharon Bryant from Atlantic Starr. I never thought of Jennifer Lopez as a singer nor as blaci
Jennfer Lopez is the JOKE here folks
Here we go not reading and only looking at photo’s again lol. The J-Lo addition is a joke.