The Industry Dot Biz:
Absolute Best Black Female Singers of All Time
Who Are the Top Black Female Singers of All Time? – Any way that you look at it black women singers have made an indelible mark on the history of soul music as everything from soul singers, to crossing over to pop music singers. Whatever genre you want to call it, R&B Music, race music, black music or pop music … black singers cannot be denied their own place in its history. These are the women who have taken the industry by storm since the inception of the music industry.
From the Blues to Jazz to R&B the riffs, scats, octaves, and emotion black women singers have mastered over the decades have without a doubt played an integral part in the music industry it’s a rich history. Like “Soul Food” we have, or at least HAD a plethora of Soul Music to choose from.
Black female singers were there during the highs and the lows of our community from the ins and outs of love go through the Civil Rights movement.If we were to close the music history books today and list the best black female singers of all time is this list complete? Absolutely not, you would literally have to write a book on all the great black women in music, but these are our choices in who we think the top ones are. Do you agree or disagree? Well, you can be the judge. Click NEXT below to see the next singer we picked
Whitney Houston
Only a fool could deny the late Whitney Houston’s amazing talent. She had one of the most spectacular voices of the century and sold millions of albums and singles in a career that spanned 30 years. No list would be complete without including her as one of the best black female singers of all time.
Aretha Franklin
The late Aretha Franklin had etched her space in history as the undeniable Queen of Soul decades ago. As one of the pioneering black women in the best singing category, her career spanned more than 50 years.
Nancy Wilson
The late Nancy Wilson was always a bit underrated but she made up for it with her Jazz tinged sexy vocals that won fans worldwide and earned her space as a great singer of many genres, including jazz and soul. She was the epitome of class and elegance and one of the few black women on our list that transended musical genres.
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick was the whitney houston of the 60s, teaming up with Burt Bacharach for some of the most memorable hits in the history of music like I Say a Little Prayer and Walk on By. She ranked high as one of the few black women on the pop charts in those days and her legacy continues to be one of the greatest black female singers of all time.
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight has one of the most recognizable and BEST voices in R&B. She is still going strong today
Chaka Khan
chaka Khan has solidified her space as one of the premier singers in R&B history. Her range and interpretation is second to none.
Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole was a multi-dimensional singer that can do standards, soul, jazz and even Latin music. Her troubled past and her poor relationships fueled her talent to incredible heights. Out of all the women on the list, Natalie and Mariah Carey probably has the best range.
Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle was never meant to be a gracious and plastic singer off stage or on. She never had a problem rolling on the floor and kicking off her shoes to the delight of fans and singing her heart out.
Mariah Carey
Mariah is not a soul singer or a pop singer she is JUST a GREAT singer. Her unique ability to sing in the whistle register is only matched by Rachelle Ferrell … Mariah is probably the wealthiest woman on the list as she wrote MOST of her smash hits so she will have a great payday for life.Best Black Female Singers
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis was so incredibly underrated and she deserved SO much more recognition for her amazing voice. ironically her music sounds just as good today as it did 20 years ago RIP.
Sarah Vaughn
Sarah Vaughn was so talented with such great range and wonderful jazzy style that there were times she could sing like a man and bridge a baritone key into a soprano with amazing ease. She was truly one of the best singers in the world.
BEST BLACK MALE SINGERS OF ALL TIME
Is there anything that can’t be said about the amazing Ella Fitzgerald?
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.
Where is the Donna Summer love!!!??? Amazing vocalist and really made dance music!
Disco don’t count
Donna could sing everythin so stop stereotypin on ere n will always be one of the greatest singers ever dahn our gaff.
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?
Tonya I agree 100% + more.
I must see a different list than many here because JLo isn’t in the list I just saw.
Since JLo is Porto Rican she also has Black blood in her like most of us in the island as we are a mix of Spanish, Taino, and Black people. I also think she should not be on this list as one of the greatest.
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
How could I forget Anita.
I thought the same thing, where’s Anita. Also, I’d quickly swap Minnie Rippleton (The Original) for ego maniac Mariah Carry any day.
Mavis Staples, Ruth Brown, Etta James.
Etta James “At Last” always gives me goosebumps……
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!
This sister knows her music. Go-head Tammy and say that, yes indeed. I do agree, and you must “blow/sang”!
Pauly
Also Paulys Copy Writing Business. Hit me up. You are “qualified” Tammy!
Oh yeah and Jennifer Lopez? I’m still scratching my head about that one!
I agree.Jennnifer Lopez / J.Hoe you got to be kidding.. she’s a beautiful and talented woman but please!! The list was supposed to be Black women how the hell did Jenny from the block becomes the topic of conversation..
Angela Winbush, Angela Bofill, Randy Crawford, Sharon Bryant from Atlantic Starr. I never thought of Jennifer Lopez as a singer nor as blaci