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The most important female singer in the last 40 years is.....


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Old 10-03-2013, 03:20
Kyliefan001
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Pat Benatar!!!!!!

Without her Debby Harry, Joan Jett, Madonna and a slew of other female singers would have had a much more difficult time achieving the success they all had!
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Old 10-03-2013, 03:23
ollie1004
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Pat Benatar!!!!!!

Without her Debby Harry, Joan Jett, Madonna and a slew of other female singers would have had a much more difficult time achieving the success they all had!
Perhaps, but the strides Madonna took as well as actually writing some of the most timeless hits of all time still leaves her out on her own, by quite a margin too I might add.
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Old 10-03-2013, 03:27
ollie1004
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...and to add to that, when comparing the best selling artists of all time, the list is as follows;

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis
3. Michael Jackson
4. Madonna

With 300 million (plus) record sales, she rightly belongs among those big top 3. There's no other female artist in that list by a country mile.
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Old 10-03-2013, 07:47
Revolution 909
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Madonna. Madonna. Madonna.

Obviously.
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Old 10-03-2013, 07:54
rbautz
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Madonna. Madonna. Madonna.

Obviously.
The headline was female singer.

We shouldn't forget the Hart sisters and Linda Ronstadt.

As influence for Debby, I think the friendship with Patty Smith was more important and to become first famous through UK.

Joan Jett - Suzi Quatro

Well Madonna is Madonna.
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Old 10-03-2013, 08:28
Glyn W
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Since 1973? It pains me to say it but it might actually be Dolly Parton.
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:28
mgvsmith
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Important in what way?

Madonna has sold a lot of records in the last 40 years but as a singer she isn't a patch on Whitney, Mariah, Chaka Khan, Sade, Diana Ross or Donna Summer. Also her success was only made possible by the work of earlier women.

But if you want to properly look at the development of women in pop you have to consider the history of soul music and the primary importance of African American women soul singers. Starting in 1973 is quite arbitrary Aretha and Dionne Warwick did their best work before that but have been influential on artists ever since.

If you only want to go back to the 70s then Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux must be contenders. But I reckon that Whitney Houston is the most important singer of the last 40 years as she actually was the best singer, was true to the soul tradition, sold more than a few records and was influential on other artists.
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:28
my name is joe
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Pat Benatar!!!!!!

Without her Debby Harry, Joan Jett, Madonna and a slew of other female singers would have had a much more difficult time achieving the success they all had!
you might accuse her of that but unless she's been found guilty in a court of law we have to give her the benefit of the doubt

all this crap about who did what first and nobody would have done as well after is just that..crap! even if Elvis & the Beatles hadn't happened something similar would have never mind Pat sodding Benatar and her dubious legacy
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:31
kimindex
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Carole King deserves a mention.
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:39
mgvsmith
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Carole King deserves a mention.
I would say Joni Mitchell rather than Carole King if the singer songwriters are in consideration and maybe even Carly Simon.
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Old 10-03-2013, 10:05
kimindex
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I would say Joni Mitchell rather than Carole King if the singer songwriters are in consideration and maybe even Carly Simon.
They're great legends, of course, but because of the songs that Carole wrote (sometimes as co-writer) for others (I realise the other two did as well), like the Loco-motion, Pleasant Valley Sunday, One Fine Day, Goin' Back, Take Good Care of My Baby etc and songs that have become standards like 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow', 'You've Got a Friend' and 'Natural Woman', I just think she is worth a mention when I think of influential women artists.

Not as better than Madonna, Kate Bush (how can that be really judged anyway) etc but not as much mentioned
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Old 10-03-2013, 10:55
RetroMusicFan
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Well, I think Madonna has a decent voice, especially on ballads so I'm going to choose her.
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Old 10-03-2013, 11:04
Deep Purple
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Pat Benatar!!!!!!

Without her Debby Harry, Joan Jett, Madonna and a slew of other female singers would have had a much more difficult time achieving the success they all had!
I'm sure Blondie had had huge success before Pat Benatar made her name, so I'm not sure how Debbie Harry would have had a difficult time without her.
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Old 10-03-2013, 11:55
RetroMusicFan
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I'm sure Blondie had had huge success before Pat Benatar made her name, so I'm not sure how Debbie Harry would have had a difficult time without her.
Yeah, Blondie were the 70s, PB was the 80s.

And i'm adding Amy W and Lady Gaga to the list.
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Old 10-03-2013, 12:19
Renegade Master
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Janet Jackson

She really opened the door for many artists
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Old 10-03-2013, 13:18
paulbax
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...and to add to that, when comparing the best selling artists of all time, the list is as follows;

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis
3. Michael Jackson
4. Madonna

With 300 million (plus) record sales, she rightly belongs among those big top 3. There's no other female artist in that list by a country mile.
That Madonna sales figure of over 300 million is grossly inflated. It's estimated that she has in fact sold just over 200 million, about 10-20 million more than Mariah Carey worldwide. Obviously that figure is still incredible and still puts her up there so I have no idea why her label would want to inflate it by so much!
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Old 10-03-2013, 13:23
paulbax
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In vocal terms (for women who really put focus on singing) I would say that Aretha Franklin is the most important of all. Without her there would be no Whitney, Mariah or Celine etc. I think the most influential female vocal greats of the last 40 years go Aretha > Barbra > Whitney > Mariah. Without Mariah girls would be singing very differently today!
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Old 10-03-2013, 13:59
Glyn W
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But I reckon that Whitney Houston is the most important singer of the last 40 years as she actually was the best singer
Not to me she isn't. I cannot stand I Will Always Love You because it makes me feel the same way fingernails down a blackboard does.
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:06
abrightyz
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Not to me she isn't. I cannot stand I Will Always Love You because it makes me feel the same way fingernails down a blackboard does.

others may actually call that BLASPHEMY!!
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:13
JohnnyForget
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In vocal terms (for women who really put focus on singing) I would say that Aretha Franklin is the most important of all. Without her there would be no Whitney, Mariah or Celine etc. I think the most influential female vocal greats of the last 40 years go Aretha > Barbra > Whitney > Mariah. Without Mariah girls would be singing very differently today!
As much as I love Aretha, she can't really be included as the OP is asking for the most important (whatever that's supposed to mean) female singer of the last 40 years, and her heyday was from 1967 to about 1972, so more that 40 years ago.

Also, as much as I love Aretha, if she really is the one responsible for there being a Whitney, a Mariah, a Celine or any of the other screaming, warbling, wailing, screeching harpies who have followed in their wake, then she (Aretha) certainly has a lot to answer for!
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:18
RetroMusicFan
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Not to me she isn't. I cannot stand I Will Always Love You because it makes me feel the same way fingernails down a blackboard does.
I never liked the song either, I never liked Whitney's voice, IMO she was too noisy!
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:21
The Rover
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Debbie Harry
Donna Summer
Madonna (as much as I dislike her music)
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:25
JohnnyForget
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Not to me she isn't. I cannot stand I Will Always Love You because it makes me feel the same way fingernails down a blackboard does.
I couldn't agree more!


others may actually call that BLASPHEMY!!
Then those others wouldn't have a clue what blasphemy is.

The real blasphemy (imo) is that Whitney "why sing it when you can scream it?" Houston now seems to be generally more highly regarded than (imo) far superior female singers of the past such as Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:26
grimtales1
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That Madonna sales figure of over 300 million is grossly inflated. It's estimated that she has in fact sold just over 200 million, about 10-20 million more than Mariah Carey worldwide. Obviously that figure is still incredible and still puts her up there so I have no idea why her label would want to inflate it by so much!

What about ABBA (ca. 350-400m AFAIK)?
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Old 10-03-2013, 14:27
rbautz
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I'm sure Blondie had had huge success before Pat Benatar made her name, so I'm not sure how Debbie Harry would have had a difficult time without her.
The first hit of Blondie was Denise, but in the UK (Patty Smith was the first to get famous)

Both Pat Benatar and Blondie got their first platinum albums in 1979 the US.

Both Pat and Blondie were the first women who were played on MTV.

And to that poster who said "Pat sodding Benatar" she was and is one of the finest female rock singer of the last 40 years.
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