Another multi-talent we have here. A true songbird, the Russian-born artist has some interesting roots and as a child, was hugely influenced by Russian bard music, a unique kind of poetic folk music. Of course, growing up in America, she was also exposed to rock, pop, and blues. All of these musical ingredients make a lot of sense when listening to her intricate, even theatrical yet extremely catchy music.
With her 2006 hit “Fidelity” she completely blew up on charts everywhere. Since then the singer has gained worldwide fame, and though she hasn’t won a Grammy, her music has appeared in several film soundtracks.
Faith Hill
With sales of over 40 million albums worldwide and an obsessed fan base that swears by her, Faith Hill can easily be considered one of the most famous and successful Country musicians in the world. Together with her husband of 25 years, Tim McGraw (who's also a musical icon in his own right), the couple is a powerhouse of music and wealth.
Her first single, “This Kiss”, debuted in 1998 to popular acclaim and her Soul2Soul tour is one of the best-selling tours the genre has ever seen. The future looks very bright for this couple, as they currently have a combined net worth of over $80 million through their successful music careers and smart business decisions.
Martina McBride
Most country singers eventually crossover to pop and more mainstream versions of Country once they have attained a certain level of fame and success. Crossing over helps musical artists expand into much bigger audiences and multiply a singer’s fan base. In Martina McBride’s case, she crossed over to pop a few times, long before achieving her current popularity and acclaim.
The Kansas-born singer is highly talented and plays everything from piano to harmonica and even the tambourine. Her first major single “The Time Has Come” didn’t achieve the popularity she hoped, but with many tweaks to her musical style and approach, she seems to have found her groove and managed to stay relevant and hot in the billboards for almost three decades since.
The Dixie Chicks
This trio of country singers is the fantasy of every country music lover out there. Together, Martie Maguire, Emily Erwin, and Natalie Maines have more combined musical talent and beauty than we know what to do with. After about two decades of relative quiet, the Dixie Chicks are finally working on their fourth studio album, "Gaslighter," which will undoubtedly be a bestseller.
The three singers first started touring together in Dallas and have found popularity with the country crowded with their unique set of voices and talents. Despite their short time together and very long hiatus, the trio’s best hit singles “There’s Your Trouble,” and “Wide Open Spaces” helped them received three Grammy awards over the years and sell millions of albums over the years.
Kelsea Ballerini
A fairly new country star who appeared in the music scene in 2014, Kelsea Ballerini still made a huge impact in the biz. The singer is even a coach on The Voice, which is incredible seeing has her musical career is about 5 years old. Shortly after her debut, Ballerini signed with Black River Label and proceeded to release her first album, The First Time, which went on to receive positive reviews and decent sales figures.
Shortly after, she released a second album called Unapologetically, which unapologetically earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2017. During Ballerini’s short time in the music industry, she has already managed to get seven songs rated in the Hot Country charts with four of them reaching the number-one spot. Quite impressive, especially if you include the fact that she’s often being compared to Wynona Judd and Carrie Underwood for consistently managing to release #1 hit songs.
Maren Morris
The Grammy-winning Maren Morris is a wonderful country artist with a varied pool of talents and musical styles. The singer-songwriter has released some very successful pieces of music, including an album, Hero, which reached number five in the charts and number one in the Top Country Albums list.
Morris was born in Texas and also plays the guitar brilliantly. She signed on to Columbia Nashville label, then released her second album in her debut major album deal. Her most highly acclaimed and popular song so far has been “My Church” which reached #1 on the Country Digital Chart in 2016.
Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood is one of our generation’s most talented entertainers and managed to exercise her influence in many of today’s mainstream outlets and topics. The Georgia-born entertainer started out her journey to fame and fortune in the music industry with her debut song, “She’s in Love with a Boy,” which rocked the charts and became the number-one hit of the time, eventually selling over two million copies.
Yearwood then used that fame to launch her career in many other successful directions. She has also written a cookbook with her mother and sister that contains various recipes that her family enjoyed cooking and eating during her childhood. Today Yearwood hosts her TV show, Trisha’s Southern Kitchen.
Hayley Williams
Singer Haley Williams packs a powerful voice, and she's pretty bite-sized to boot. These days the singer leads a successful solo career but her career began with the American rock band, Paramore. The band was founded in 2004, in Tennessee. As of today, its made up of vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Their first album, 'All We Know is Falling', topped charts both in the US and UK.
Their second album, 'Riot!', was a huge success, and was certified platinum in the U.S., and their 2009 album 'Brand New Eyes' was an even bigger success, reaching number two on the Billboard 200. Then, in 2013, they released their self-titled album and went up to number one on the US and UK charts, and in several other countries. Paramore won a Grammy for their song "Ain't It Fun", in 2013.
Janelle Monáe
Honestly, Janelle Monáe has it all. An immaculate voice that can go as high as anything, killer rap skills, dance moves, and that X-factor swagger that give her a total star quality. It's a shame she's not bigger than she is right now.
The singer is famous for being quick to dismiss labels. Whether it be in her music or identity, Monáe embraces pretty much all styles, giving her music a distinct and colorful style.
Reba McEntire
Referred to as the queen of Country music, Reba McEntire is a musician and businessman that’s been around for longer than many of her male Country counterparts. The singer has dominated the genre with over thirty albums to date which almost all attained a gold status or better. She is one of the all-time best-selling Country singers and has over 75 million album sales to brag about.
Outside of her career as a musical artist, she has built a net worth of almost $100 million through smart business decisions and reinforcing and improving what’s been working for her throughout her long career. McEntire is the founder and manager of the RBI management firm and is also a successful actress. The actress has appeared in the classic monster comedy-horror film "Tremors" and was the leader of her own sitcom, Reba which showed off her spunky personality.
Loretta Lynn
Born before World War II, Loretta Lynn is certainly a soul that’s still very much infused with the simplicity and charm of older times. She was born in Kentucky and became a household name for everything country related. The veteran singer is still touring occasionally at 87-years of age but no longer records new music.
Lynn is certainly one of a kind, and if you’ve never heard her hit songs “Don’t Come Home,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” and her amazing “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” now would be a good time to take a listen. You definitely want to catch Lynn performing live while the opportunity still exists.
Florence Welch aka Florence and the Machine
This English singer has one of the most angelic yet powerful voices in the biz. Lyrically brilliant, Welche's music simply transports you elsewhere. The singer garnered attention when she began playfully (and a little a drunkenly) singing Etta James' "Something Gotta Hold On Me" in a bathroom of a club. Her now production manager took notice and the rest is history.
With hits like the majorly memorable "Dog Days Are Over" and "Shake It Out," the singer has clearly cemented her spot as one of the most iconic voices in history. Oh, and we love her style.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has created an empire for herself in the entertainment industry, as both a singer and actress, and songwriter. It all began in 2003 when she starred as Young Ruthie in Tim Burton's 'Big Fish'. Things began to really turn around soon after that, when she won the part in the Disney series, 'Hannah Montana'. In 2006, the Hannah Montana soundtrack reached number one on the Billboard 200.
Three more soundtracks later, Miley was once again topping charts, and at 16, she was the youngest performer in history to have four albums at number one. And that was all just her career as a kid. As an adult, she has become bigger than life itself. Her music has become more influenced by hip hop with the help of producers like Pharrell Williams and Mike WiLL Made-It. In 2020, 'She Is Miley Cyrus' hit the shelves.
Miranda Lambert
One of the most famous and successful Country singers in the United States, Miranda Lambert is frequently compared to other female stars in the non-country music industry such as Avril Lavigne and Amy Winehouse. Lambert’s songs are full of powerful and empowering messages and are beloved by many women who view her as an amazing role model. Amongst her best songs are, “The House That Built Me,” “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “Heart Like Mine,” and our personal favorite, “Gunpowder & Lead.”
Outside of music and activism, the fiery and confident Lambert is also an owner and manager of a wine brand named “Red 55 Winery”. In case you were wondering if she’s still available, we’re happy to say that Lambert is happily married to Brendan McLoughlin, an NYPD officer. This is a fairly recent marriage, as the couple married just at the start of 2019.
Björk
Whether you're a fan or not, Björk's extremely unique music has majorly influenced indie music in the last couple of decades and even if she's often been the target of cruel media buzz, she is armed with awards. The Icelandic songbird has 13 Grammy Award nominations, a feat considering how esoteric her style is.
The artist has embraced many genres over the years, from big band to Avant Gard, she also tackles interesting topics in her music like social topics, science, and nature. Not to mention she's also an Oscar winner.
Solange Knowles
Move over Beyonce. You're not the only Knowles around here. Solange, her younger sister has been climbing her way up in recent years with her own unique sound. While the two are often being compared, Solange has created a very different sound to her sister and is substantially less commercial, but in the best way possible way.
Billboard ranked her the 100th most popular artist in the dance genre of all time. Considering your sister is one of the most iconic singers that ever lived.
Regina Spektor
Another multi-talent we have here. A true songbird, the Russian-born artist has some interesting roots and as a child, was hugely influenced by Russian bard music, a unique kind of poetic folk music. Of course, growing up in America, she was also exposed to rock, pop, and blues. All of these musical ingredients make a lot of sense when listening to her intricate, even theatrical yet extremely catchy music.
With her 2006 hit "Fidelity" she completely blew up on charts everywhere. Since then the singer has gained worldwide fame, and though she hasn't won a Grammy, her music has appeared in several film soundtracks.
Fiona Apple
Moving onto the slightly more eccentric, Fiona Apple gave a voice to the real alternative girl in the '90s. While everyone was bopping their little heads to the Spice Girls, Fiona Apple came out with "Criminal" an intimate and hypnotic song that probably filled the rooms and headphones of many brooding teen girls.
Of course, since then she's only grown, with her recent album "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" being a massive success. The talented singer and musician plays the piano, though on hearing songs like "Every Single Night" you'll find that her greatest instrument is quite simply, her vocals.
Mary J. Blige
Making great music means breaking boundaries. And that's exactly what Mary J. Blige. Making her mark during the era of the Hip Hop and R&B cross over, Blige, with her feminine touch and great vocals, added a whole lotta soul, to what was quickly becoming a sub-genre of new urban music.
The singer's music about survival and heartache deeply affected a generation, ultimately landing her the title of Queen of Hip-Hop-Soul. The singer managed to forge a career that was both mainstream and also appealing to R&B purists.
Chaka Khan
Dubbed as the official Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan burst onto the Chicago music scene when she was discovered by the funk band and Rock n Roll Hall of Famers "Rufus." From then on it was only up. She even caught the attention of the notorious Ike Turner who asked her to become an Ikette. She declined and stuck to her own path.
The ten-time Grammy Award Winning vocalist is responsible for songs such as "I'm Every Woman" Tell Me Something Good, "Sweet Thing," "Tell Me Something Good," and much more.
Dionne Warwick
Thie dynamite singer that was hugely popular during the 60s caused waves in the music industry. As a frequent collaborator with legendary musician Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick brought us countless hits such as "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Walk on By."
Warwick is considered one of the greatest female singers in history, and her legacy continues to this day. According to the charts, she is ranked among the 40 biggest hitmakers between the years 1955 and 1999, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. That is an impressive career.
Carly Simon
With a net worth of $65 million, Carly Simon is not only exceptionally talented but incredibly wealthy. Known around the world as a very successful musician, singer/songwriter, and children's author, Carly Simon is New York-native that has a career spanning four decades. After dropping out of the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College to become a full-time musician, Simon wrote a number of hit songs in the 1970s.
With 13 of her songs becoming Top 40 hits, it's no wonder Simon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. Carly Simon became the first performer ever to win a Golden Globe, a Grammy and an Academy Award for one song written and performed by an artist. The song is the famous "Let the River Run," which was the featured song for the famous film, "Working Girl".
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is an actress, singer, and songwriter from Grand Praire, Texas. She started her career in 2002 as a child actor on the Disney Channel, with one of her earliest roles being on "Barney and Friends".
After her time with Disney, she went on to pursue a singing and songwriting career and has writing credits on over 40 songs. As of today, she enjoys a hefty estimated net worth of $75 million.
Shakira
The Colombian singer, songwriter, and dancer first made her recording debut at the age of 13! She is known for her yodeling-style singing and her hips that "don't lie." Before she made it in the U.S. market she was widely loved in the Spanish-speaking world, but once she started translating her songs into English she was well-received in the western markets as well.
As of today, she has produced 11 studio albums and has written over 70 songs, and if you've caught her last performance at the Superbowl, besides Jennifer Lopez, you can tell she's showing no signs of slowing down yet. At 43, she's still got a lot of music, and dance moves, to share with the world.
Lizzo
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, more famously known as Lizzo, is an American singer-songwriter. Those of you who are familiar with her music will know she is also a great rapper and flutist. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Houston, Texas, which is where she began her career as a performing artist.
Besides being a hit songwriter and a classically trained flutist, which she often incorporates into her live performances, she's also quite the dancer. Some even call her "the next Beyoncé." She sure has the skills, so she's well on her way. And with an estimated net worth of $10 million, the people seem to love what she has to offer. Go Lizzo!
Billie Eilish
For an 18-year-old, Billie Eilish's accomplishments are out of this world! So far, this 5-time Grammy winner has been enjoying great commercial success as a singer and songwriter.
She's known for the silent quality of her voice and somber content. She also has an unconventional sense of fashion, lucky for her, she has a bank account that can sustain her lavish taste. Her estimated net worth is around $6 million with no sign of stopping.
Gloria Estefan
With a net worth standing at $500 million to date, Gloria Estefan is one of the most successful musicians of all time. Born in Cuba, Estefan and her family immigrated to American during the Cuban Revolution, where she would eventually become a world-famous songwriter, singer, actress, and entrepreneur. Most of her fortune comes from selling over 100 Million records across the world.
Music critics widely regard her as the most successful crossover Latin music performer in the history of the industry. She started her music career as the lead singer in a band called the "Miami Latin Boys". As a solo artist Estefan has won as many as 7 Grammys Awards, MTV Video Music Award, and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Britney Spears
Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Britney Spears started her career in entertainment when she was 8(!) years old on the "Mickey Mouse Club". Spears was only 17 when she hit #1 on the U.S. pop music charts with her debut album, "Baby One More Time" (1999). The young southern belle would later be known as a world-class singer, songwriter, and dancer.
Besides co-writing most of her own songs, in 2011 she wrote the song "Whiplash" for Selena Gomez & the Scene, from their album "When the Sun Goes Down". As far as her wealth goes, Spears's albums sold over 100 million copies worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) data, she ranks as the 8th top-selling female artist in the United States.
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, the rapper, singer, and songwriter, was born in Trinidad and raised in Queens, New York City. Minaj has received numerous awards and accolades, including 4 Billboard Music Awards, 4 MTV Video Music Awards, and 10 Grammy nominations. The superstar has sold over 20 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and 5 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists in the world.
With all of her accomplishments, it's not surprising that she's also one of the highest-paid women in her genre. Minaj is listed as No. 15 on Forbes Magazine’s Hip-Hop Cash Kings. Besides music, Minaj was a judge on the twelfth season of "American Idol". She is also a philanthropist who has awarded dozens of college tuition scholarships to her fans.
Taylor Swift
Barely a teenager at the time, Taylor moved to Nashville to pursue her music career. Specifically, country music. It wasn't long before she got signed to Big Machine Records, becoming the youngest artist ever signed by Sony/ATV. Her debut album got to number five on the Billboard 200 and spent the most weeks on the chart over any other song in the 2000s.
Her second album, "Fearless", was released in 2008. "Fearless" became the best-selling album of 2009, mostly due to the success of her pop crossover singles. The album won four Grammy Awards, making Swift the youngest Album of the Year winner.
Nana Mouskouri
While she may not be a household name, Nana Mouskouri has one of the most impressive careers in the industry. During the entirety of her career, she has released 200 albums and singles in more than twelve different languages. Some of the languages include Greek, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, and many more.
She became famous throughout Europe for her song "The White Rose of Athens", which she recorded in German as "Weiße Rosen aus Athen" as a rendition of her Greek song "Σαν σφυρίξεις τρείς φορές" (Greek for "When you whistle three times"). This soon became her first album to sell more than a million copies.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is the youngest child in the Jackson family. She got her career started with the television series "The Jacksons", in 1976. She went on to appear in other shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including TV hits such as "Good Times" and "Fame". In 1982, she signed a record contract with A&M Records, and the rest was history. She soon became a world-renowned pop icon.
Her widely known collaborations with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, which incorporated rhythm and blues, disco, rap, and funk, helped Janet’s crossover success in popular music. She has sold over 100 million records, which makes her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Whitney Houston
Regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time, Whitney Houston held the Guinness Record for the most awarded female artist of all time. She has sold over 200 million records worldwide.
Her first album was released in 1985 and its success was immediate. It turned her into the first woman to have a debut album that reaches the first place in the Billboard chart. Her tragic death in 2002 left her many fans mourning the loss of her outstanding vocal cords.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklyn had a career spanning over 60 years and over a hundred charting singles. She was well known both as a songwriter and an interpreter of other people’s songs. Among her best-known singles are "Respect", "Chain of Fools", "Think", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", a duet with George Michael.
The Queen of Soul won the first eight Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Those eight are not even half of the grand total of 18 Grammys under her belt. With 75 million records sold worldwide, she is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Celine Dion
In the 1980s, Celine Dion was a teen star releasing multiple french-language albums. She knew there had to be more — it was then that she learned to speak English. After learning English, she was signed by Epic Records in the United States. She released her debut album in English, "Unison", which was able to establish her as a pop artist in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries.
Her music has been influenced by rock, R&B, and everything in between. Her recordings, though mainly in French and English, also include Spanish, Italian, German, and a multitude of other languages. Her releases often receive mixed reviews but she is still known as one of pop music's most influential voices. She has also won five Grammy Awards.
Adele
Even though this powerhouse singer is known by one name like Madonna, she is far from being a diva. She prefers the quiet life away from the spotlight and tries her best to create a normal childhood for her son. No diva mannerisms here!
Although it may not seem like it once she opens her mouth, releasing that amazing voice of hers, Adele admits that she still gets stage fright when performing, which actually gets worse the more successful she becomes. It’s never a surprise when Adele wins Grammy awards — after all, her music racks up awards every time she releases an album and so far has won 15 out of the 18 she was nominated for.
Mariah Carey
The Guinness Book of World Records named Mariah Carey the "Songbird Supreme". This is due in part to her unbelievable five-octave vocal range, power, style, and use of whistle tones. She got her start to fame in 1990, when she was signed to Columbia Records. She then released her debut album, which topped the US Billboard 200 for 11 weeks. Carey became the only artist to have their first five singles reach number one on the chart.
Carey became Sony’s highest-selling act, with the follow-up albums "Music Box" (1993), "Merry Christmas" (1994), and "Daydream" (1995). Billboard called her the most successful artist of the 1990s — at the same time the World Music Awards honored her as the world's best-selling recording artist of the 1990s.
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald is the woman who brought "Dream a Little Dream of Me" into this world, and that's more than enough in our book. But she has done a lot more than that over the course of her career.
Her career lasted for almost six decades and earned her several nicknames (Queen of Jazz, Lady Ella, and the First Lady of Song) and many accolades. Among these accolades you will find fourteen Grammys and presidential Medal of Freedom.
Barbra Streisand
Barbara "Barbra" Streisand is among the most iconic women figures in the music and film industry. In a career spanning 6 decades, she has been honored with accolades and awards in multiple fields of entertainment, including 9 Golden Globes, 2 Oscars, 10 Grammys, and 5 Emmys. She was even presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama! Needless to say, she is nothing short of a legend.
As far as her music career goes, she's sold more than 68.5 million albums in the U.S. and a total of 150 million albums and singles sold worldwide, some of which she has co-writing credits. She is among top-selling female artists recognized by the RIAA. Streisand holds the RIAA and Billboard record for the most top 10 albums of any female recording artist. Incredible!
Christina Aguilera
This vocal powerhouse has always had a talent for singing. She won her first talent show when she was only eight years old. Like many other 90’s stars, she started her career in Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club. Christina truly became known after she sang "Reflection" for the movie "Mulan". The song reached #19 on the Billboard Charts, making her famous.
After she signed with RCA Records her career took off and Christina topped the billboards with her hit singles from her self-titled album, such as "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants". Now, she has 8 albums out, was awarded 5 Grammys, and is a coach on the show "The Voice". She definitely grew up well!
Karen Carpenter
Karen and Richard Carpenter grew up surrounded by music, spending hours in their New Haven, Connecticut home listening to their father’s extensive record collection. Karen majored in music at California State University, where she began experimenting with instruments like the flute, the glockenspiel, and finally, the drums. It was only natural for her to join the school band.
She collaborated with her brother to form the successful pop duo, "The Carpenters". The two were critically acclaimed and had numerous fans. Karen's musical career came to an unfortunate end when she dies from anorexia complications at the age of 32. Her voice and talent will be remembered by many.
Tina Turner
Rising to fame with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, Tina Turner was one of the world’s best-selling recording artists of all time. Affectionately referred to as the "Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll", she’s sold over 200 million records globally. Turner began in 1960 as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The duo is well remembered for "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Proud Mary".
The pair married in 1962, but in a later autobiography, "I, Tina", she revealed that Ike was abusive towards her, which was her reason for her filing for divorce in 1978. As a solo artist, and as a new convert to Nichiren Buddhism, she was renewed, ready for her comeback. The 1984 release of her solo album "Private Dancer" was a worldwide success. Over the years, the artist has won 12 Grammys and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In May 2023, she sadly passed away.
Amy Winehouse
The downward spiral of Amy Winehouse was a difficult thing to watch, as the talented young singer could not harness her demons. Her substance abuse got the best of her and she died at the age of — you guessed it — 27. On July 23, 2011, the singer was found dead in her apartment after a relapse overwhelmed her body.
Winehouse won five Grammys, including the 2008 award for Best Album. “Rehab” had some telling lyrics that help explain why Winehouse was unable to kick her bad habits: “They tried to make me go to rehab. I said, no, no, no… Yes, I been black, but when I come back, you’ll know, know, know…” Her influence lives on with her deep voice still heard on radios all over the world.
Billie Holiday
Legendary jazz and pop singer Billie Holiday has had an influence on modern music that is impossible to calculate. She had lived in Harlem, New York since her teens, and had been a part of the city’s exciting jazz scene since the 30s. She is also the inspiration to the U2 song "Angel of Harlem."
A heroic and tragic figure, Billie Holiday could never seem to get her life in order. After a horrific childhood, she finally had a successful music career, which was sadly cut short due to her substance abuse, as well as abusive relationships. She died in 1959 at age 44, leaving us with her beautiful music to remember her by.
Donna Summer
Before disco music hit the pop charts, it gained popularity in gay dance clubs featuring D.J.s instead of bands. Donna Summer’s 1975 "Love to Love You Baby" was one of the first songs to make that transition. It hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. A more contentious transition occurred from clubs to the radio.
Widely known as the Queen of Disco, Summer gained popularity thanks to her impressive vocal range and her sometimes provocative materials. She has won five Grammys and globally sold over 100 million records.
Lady Gaga
Known by her stage name, Lady Gaga, this artist is a singer, songwriter, and actress. She is widely recognized for her wild fashion and provocative work. Getting her start performing in school plays and at open mics around NYC, Lady Gaga attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, before dropping out to pursue her music career full time.
Gaga soon began writing songs for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. That is where Akon got her a deal with Interscope Records and his own label, KonLive Distribution. She became a household name the following year, with her album, The Fame. She has sold over 27 million albums and 146 million singles, which makes lady Gaga one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Stevie Nicks
"At the ripe and totally young age of 70," as Ms. Nicks puts it, she became the first woman inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This time the rock icon entered the reverent Hall as a soloist. Fleetwood Mac was enshrined in 1998. Between the two, Stevie Nicks and Mac have over 40 chart-topping singles. Stevie Nicks is one of the best-selling musical acts ever.
She may be rock and roll royalty, but she looks just like an enchanted fairy goddess on stage. Her 1975 song "Landslide" continues to be one of the most popularly covered songs in rock. Stevie wrote the song with her guitar while watching the snow falling in Aspen. It took her about five minutes.
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys is one of the most revered musicians of our time. She is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist. She was trained to play the classical piano, started composing songs at the age of 12, and got her contract with Columbia records by age 15.
We could even say that she's a musical genius, but maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. What we can confirm is that Ms. Keys has an IQ of 154, which wasn't much of a surprise, given her musical achievements.
Annie Lennox
Sweet dreams are made of Annie Lennox's voice and people who say anything else are simply lying. Lennox is known as the lead singer in the band Eurythmics but she has a prolific career as a solo artist too.
She is greatly appreciated worldwide, but this England native is even more appreciated in her homeland. Who needs an Oscar and four Grammys when the late Queen Elizabeth herself asked that you come to perform at Buckingham Palace?
Etta James
Etta James rose from rags to riches. Her mother gave birth to her when she was only 14 years old, and little Etta (who went by Jamesetta at the time) was raised in foster care. She began singing as a child at church, and it wasn't long until people saw her potential.
During her decades-long career, James has released 29 studio albums, won three Grammys, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and of course, gave us the dreamlike song “At Last.”
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles did not gain her success overnight. She grew up in Texas where she lived with her parents. She was a student at a Performing Arts School, where she worked on her voice and other talents. It was there that she formed the beginnings of her girl group. She rose to fame in the 1990s as the lead singer of the ever-popular R&B girl group Destiny's Child.
Throughout her expansive career, Beyoncé has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She currently has 24 Grammy Awards and holds the record for the most nominations received by a woman in the history of the award.
Madonna
Everyone knows Madonna. She has been revered in the music world as the Queen of Pop since the '80s. Her music has always pushed the boundaries of songwriting, film, and mainstream art. The reason behind her being so successful throughout the years is her ability to reinvent her music, and herself, every time.
Her work has inspired hundreds of musicians today. She has sold over 300 million records across the globe, which makes her the top-selling female recording performer of all time, as recorded by the Guinness World Records. Not only is she filthy rich and famous, but she also has a high IQ of 140. Well, at least according to her.
Pink
Eight studio albums, 40 million records sold worldwide, and three Grammy Awards seem like a lot for a single person to accomplish in a single lifetime. But Pink has achieved all of these and a whole lot more.
At 4o years old, she is not showing any signs of slowing down. She keeps being innovative, touring with her wonderful music, and cultivating her impressive collection of awards, which now includes 130 wins out of 214 nominations!
Nina Simone
Nina Simone's impact on today's music stretches way beyond the realm of her own work. From Elton John to Christina Aguilera, from soul to pop to rock, she has influenced modern-day musicians of all kinds of genres.
It's hard to believe it, but Nina Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only in 2018, 25 years after she passed away. Among her many accolades, there is a Grammy Hall of Fame Award which was given to her in 2000.
Patsy Cline
Many singers and vocalists are nicknamed the 'queen of _____'. For some, that title is an exaggeration that can be traced back to a handful of overexcited fans. Patsy Cline is most certainly not one of those performers and fully deserves to be called Queen of Country Music.
Her legendary career had to be cut short when she was only 30 years old and died in a plane crash. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame ten years after her death and became the first woman to have gotten that kind of recognition.
Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews is an English actress and singer, who started her career as a child, appearing in the West End in 1948. She made her film debut in "Mary Poppins" for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the title role. She also starred in "The Sound of Music" in 1965, playing Maria von Trapp, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Julie Andrews became one of the biggest names in the industry in the ’60s, and she still is.
To this day, she is prominent in TV and film. She voiced the character of the Queen in all the “Shrek” films and Gru’s mom in “Despicable Me.” In 2017, she starred in Netflix’s “Julie’s Greenroom,” an educational series for preschoolers. Besides her musical career, she has authored children's books and published her autobiography titled "Home: A Memoir of My Early Years."
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson is known for her huge pipes, which turned her into the very first winner of "American Idol." Her winning the show was just the beginning of her musical career and it wasn't long until she performed for millions of screaming fans.
Almost twenty years after that win, Clarkson is now the proud winner of three Grammys. Her songs and albums have been selling worldwide like Kylie Jenner's latest lip kit.
Janis Joplin
An infamous member of the 27 Club and an overall rock icon, Janis Joplin has a voice you can't easily forget. One of the most successful female rock stars of her time, Joplin struggled with substance abuse which ultimately took her life in 1970.
her short-yet-meaningful career includes four albums, a performance at Woodstock festival, and several awards she was given after her death. That's right, she was soo good she didn't even manage to get all the recognition she deserved.
Shania Twain
Canadian country pop singer-songwriter and 5-time Grammy Award winner, Shania Twain, has an estimated net worth of $400 million. She has achieved major success as a singer-songwriter, winning 27 Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Songwriter awards. Twain credits the time she ѕреnt wоrkіng wіth hеr fаthеr’ѕ rеfоrеѕtаtіоn buѕіnеѕѕ for giving her the solitude she needed to spark her creativity.
In the mid-'90s with her hit album, "The Woman in Me", Twain became the most popular country music artist since Garth Brooks. That record became a multi-platinum phenomenon, selling over 9 million copies in America alone. Selling a total of 100 million records globally, Twain is the best-selling female artist in country music history and also one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton got her initial success by writing songs for other people. In 1967 she made her debut album, "Hello, I'm Dolly". She gained a pretty steady stream of success throughout the 1960s. She continued on as a solo artist and released a couple of duet albums as well. Her sales peaked in the 70s and continued well into the 80s. She released more albums in the 90s, but they did not do as well.
This didn't stop her, though. She made a comeback in the 2000s and released multiple albums on Independent labels, including albums on her own label, Dolly Records. Over the span of her career, she has 41 top-10 country albums, and she had 110 charted singles over the past 40 years.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda’s career began in folk-rock and country-rock music, where she used to play at the Troubadour. Afterward, she discovered her true talent and was quickly named the "Queen of Rock" and "First Lady of Rock" by the media. She has produced impressive 31 gold platinum records and won a whopping amount of 10 Grammys.
Since her singing days, Linda has sadly been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and was forced to put down the mic. Despite the diagnosis, she still managed to release her memoir that same year, which she titled “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir.”
Carrie Underwood
Not all winners of "American Idol" hit it as big as Underwood did, but some people just have the “it” factor, and she’s certainly one of them. She won the season, unsurprisingly, and from that point on released chart-topping hits, one after the other. Her debut album combined elements of country and pop that had fans crying for more.
Underwood has sold over 65 million records worldwide to this date. She’s also received countless accolades, including 12 Country Music Awards, seven Grammys, and an induction in the Grand Ole Opry. Just think, one audition changed her life forever. Today, Underwood is known as the most successful "American Idol" winner of all time.
Ann Wilson
Ann Dustin Wilson was born in 1950 in San Diego and was exposed to music from a very young age. She recalls listening to music with her family every Sunday as a kid "My dad would be conducting in the living room. We'd turn it way up and rock. There was everything from classical music to Ray Charles, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, bossa nova, and early experimental electronic music."
She grew up to start the musical duo Heart with her sister Nancy. Their rock band became highly appreciated. In 2006, Hit Parader Magazine called Wilson one of the "Top Heavy Metal Vocalists of All Time."
Judy Garland
Judy Garland is one of those stars of old who will never be forgotten. "The Wizard of Oz" is arguably one of her most famous films, and her acting and singing talents were surely passed on to her daughter, Liza Minelli.
Garland's vocal range was unbelievable. Her early rise to stardom marked her incredible-yet-short lived career. One of her breakthrough achievements is becoming the first woman to be awarded a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1961.
Sade Adu
Born in Nigeria in 1959 under the name Helen Folasade Adu, Sade was brought up in England and became incredibly successful. One of her most famous singles is "Smooth Operator," which came out in 1984 but is still being played on the radio all the time.
Other than singing, Sade has also pursued modeling and acting, but those aren't the vocations that earned her four Grammys, an American Music Award, and a Brit Award.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross found fame as the lead singer of “The Supremes,” one of the most influential bands in the ’60s. They produced multiple number one hits such as “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. Ross decided to go off on her own and came out with her self-titled album in 1970.
She found major success with her solo career and produced the number-one hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” To this day, she is still performing, and going on tours. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
Ariana Grande
Grande's impressive music career started in 2011, with the soundtrack from her hit Disney show, "Victorious". Grande has gone on to earn three number-one albums on the US Billboard 200. Her album, "Dangerous Woman", hit #2 in 2016. She has also gotten six Top 5 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first artist in history to have top ten singles from all 4 of her albums. She also had the most Top 10 singles out of any artist in the same year!
People have compared her enormous range to Mariah Carey. Her accomplishments include three American Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and six Grammy Award nominations!
Gladys Knight
Known to many as the "Empress of Soul", Gladys Knight is definitely a voice you want to add to your playlist. Assuming it's not on it already, that is. With a career that spans more than half a century, Knight has a substantial footing in the industry.
Two of her most famous hits are “That’s What Friends Are For” and "Midnight Train to Georgia.” Those two hits were number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of her many awards include no less than seven Grammys.
Cher
It’s hard to say whether Cher is more successful as a singer or as an actress. She’s definitely a master of reinvention. She’s the only recording artist with a No. 1 hit song spanning across six consecutive decades. She’s one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, and she’s won an Emmy, an Academy Award, a Grammy, and three Golden Globes.
She’s a pop culture icon who's impossible to pin down. Cher also supports many causes — from humanitarian organizations to medical charity groups, she’s been an activist throughout her career, mainly for LGBT+ related issues.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson had her big break in 2004 when she competed on “American Idol.” Oddly enough, she didn't win and only got to seventh place, but that was just the springboard she needed to have a full career as a respected musician.
Just a few short years after competing on "American Idol," Hudson won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress win for her performance in "Dreamgirls". The movie ha also won her a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award.
Sarah McLachlan
Born in 1968 in Canada, Sarah McLachlan released her first album, "Touch", in 1988 when she was only twenty years old. Not surprising when you hear that she learned how to play her first instrument (ukelele) at the age of four.
As she grew older, she learned to accompany her lovely mezzo-soprano vocal range with a variety of other instruments such as piano, banjo, and harp. Her musical talent has won her two Grammys.
Pat Benatar
Patricia Mae Giraldo professionally goes by her stage name, Pat Benatar. “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” is one of her most well-known hits, but her career, which spans more than 4 decades, encompasses a lot more than that.
The singer-songwriter has won four Grammys. Two of her albums are RIAA certified multi-platinum, five are platinum, and three are gold. What is she doing with all that metal?
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield may be familiar to some of you as the sweet voice singing "Son of a Preacher Man" but she was so much more at her time. She was born in England in 1939 and started her career in music in 1958.
Dusty was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her coiffed, platinum blonde hair and her personal style make her the poster child of the Swinging Sixties.
Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle's music career started with “Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles,” which was the original group to release "Lady Marmalade," a song no bachelorette party can be complete without.
LaBelle has rightfully earned her nickname as “Godmother of Soul”, as she did her two Grammys Awards and seven Image Awards.
Olivia Newton-John
Australian singer Olivia Newton-John was mostly known for playing Sandy in "Grease", but her career in music was just as successful. She had four Grammys to attest to that. Her singles and albums have been consistently rated high on Billboard Hot 100 singles and Billboard 200 solo albums.
14 of her albums, as well as eleven of her singles, got the gold certificate from the Recording Industry Association of America. In August 2022 Olivia sadly passed away after a long battle.
Enya
Don't let the picture fool you. This is not Courteney Cox's mother. After U2 and Liam Neeson, Enya is Ireland's pride and joy. Her personal life is incredibly private, but her work is world-famous.
Her work on "May It Be", the song from the successful film “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” has scored her nominations for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Some of her other awards include four Grammys and no less than seven World Music Awards!
Carole King
Muse is a tricky thing. It doesn't appear on demand, and for some, it only appears once or twice for a one-hit-wonder before disappearing altogether. Carole King has probably trapped her muse in her basement as it seems inspiration keeps coming for her. How else would you explain her 118 entries on the Billboard Hot 100?
Her career has made her a household name both in the States and Europe. In fact, she has written 61 hits that made it to the U.K. charts from 1952 to 2005. That's 50 years of success!
Sia Furler
Yes, Sia does, in fact, have a last name. For a long time, before rising to global fame, she wrote songs for A-list divas like Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. It was only a matter of time until she started being recognized as an artist in her own right.
When she started performing as a solo artist, people were in awe of her talent. Sia's signature rasp is instantly recognizable, as is her slurry diction. Her electro-pop music would be an ear candy anyone would enjoy.
Norah Jones
If you are ever in need of someone to sing you a lullaby, let us recommend Norah Jones for the part. As the daughter of the world-renowned musician Ravi Shankar, Jones knows her way around music.
Her smooth voice is internationally famous thanks to the 50 million records she sold globally. Critics obviously love her too or she wouldn't have won nine Grammy Awards.
Roberta Flack
When your career in music stretches over several decades you know you've done something right, and Roberta Flack has definitely done more than one thing right.
Since the beginning of her musical career in 1968, she has packed an American Music Award, thirteen Grammy nominations, and four Grammy wins. Two of those Grammys were for Record of the Year. She is actually the only solo artist to win this award two years in a row!
Toni Braxton
With a voice as low as an 8th grader's self-esteem, Toni Braxton is a must on every single playlist. The 67 million records she sold globally are also a great reason for why you should give her a listen.
Braxton's agent, LA Reid, once compared her to divas like Mariah Carrey and Whitney Huston. After listening to her hit "He Wasn't Man Enough," you'll see he's right.
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan's trophy case must have been a massive one. With four Grammy Awards, an NEA Jazz Masters Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, there is no denying her vocal talent.
Her impressive pipes and stage presence earned her nicknames such as “The Divine One” and “Sassy”. Critics loved her, and her voice was said to be one of the best of the 20th century.