Here’s the first half of the first round of our best female+ voice in music. I chose music clips for each person through a combination of using your suggestions, going with my personal opinion, and just googling and picking the first song on YouTube.
Please for these first rounds at least, try to listen to each voice at least once before you vote. If you can’t listen to the whole of all 64 songs I get it. But hearing each voice for at least a few seconds is hopefully not an impossible task.
Voting shall end at about 9 PM EDT on Wednesday, 10/26.
Below is the entire list of 128 qualifying artists, listed alphabetically, in case you’re worried that your favorite isn’t on here when they’re really just in Part 2.
[spoiler title=Artists]
| Aaliyah |
| Adele |
| Christina Aguilera |
| Tori Amos |
| Julie Andrews |
| Fiona Apple |
| Erykah Badu |
| Joan Baez |
| Anita Baker |
| Sara Barielles |
| Shirley Bassey |
| Pat Benatar |
| Beyoncé |
| Björk |
| Mary J. Blige |
| Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) |
| Kate Bush |
| Mariah Carey |
| Brandi Carlile |
| Belinda Carlisle (The Go-Gos) |
| Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters) |
| Neko Case |
| Mama Cass (The Mamas and the Papas) |
| Tracy Chapman |
| Kristin Chenoweth |
| Cher |
| Neneh Cherry |
| Petula Clark |
| Kelly Clarkson |
| Patsy Cline |
| Sheryl Crow |
| Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention) |
| Dido |
| Celine Dion |
| Missy Elliott |
| Enya |
| Feist |
| Ella Fitzgerald |
| Roberta Flack |
| Aretha Franklin |
| Lady Gaga |
| Judy Garland |
| Beth Gibbons (Portishead) |
| Alison Goldfrapp |
| Leslie Gore |
| Emmylou Harris |
| Debbie Harry (Blondie) |
| PJ Harvey |
| Lauryn Hill (The Fugees) |
| Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) |
| Billie Holiday |
| Whitney Houston |
| Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes) |
| Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) |
| Janet Jackson |
| Etta James |
| Joan Jett (The Blackhearts) |
| Norah Jones |
| Sharon Jones (The Dap Kings) |
| Janis Joplin |
| Alicia Keys |
| Chaka Khan |
| Carole King |
| Eartha Kitt |
| Gladys Knight (Gladys Knight and the Pips) |
| Alison Krauss |
| Patti LaBelle |
| k.d. Lang |
| Cyndi Lauper |
| Peggy Lee |
| Amy Lee (Evanescence) |
| Annie Lennox (The Eurythmics) |
| Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) |
| Lizzo |
| Darlene Love |
| Courtney Love (Hole) |
| Loretta Lynn |
| Madonna |
| Aimee Mann |
| Shirley Manson (Garbage) |
| Loreena McKennit |
| Sarah Mclachlan |
| Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) |
| Idina Menzel |
| Natalie Merchant |
| Joni Mitchell |
| Janelle Monáe |
| Alanis Morissette |
| Kacey Musgraves |
| Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) |
| Karen O |
| Sinead O’Connor |
| Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries) |
| Dolly Parton |
| Nina Persson (Cardigans) |
| Édith Piaf |
| Kate Pierson (B-52s) |
| Bonnie Raitt |
| Martha Reeves (Martha and the Vandellas) |
| Rhianna |
| Linda Rondstadt |
| Diana Ross (The Supremes) |
| Sade |
| Lea Salonga |
| Shakira |
| Nina Simone |
| Nancy Sinatra |
| Grace Slick (Jefferson Starship) |
| Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes) |
| Regina Spektor |
| Dusty Springfield |
| Hope Standoval (Mazzy Star) |
| Mavis Staples (The Staples Sisters) |
| Barbara Streisand |
| Siouxie Sue (Siouxie and the Banshees) |
| Donna Summer |
| Taylor Swift |
| Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) |
| Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) |
| Tina Turner |
| Bonnie Tyler |
| Suzanne Vega |
| Dionne Warwick |
| Martha Wash (The Weather Girls) |
| Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine) |
| Ann Wilson (Heart) |
| Cindy Wilson (B-52s) |
| Amy Winehouse |
[/spoiler]