Top 50 Most Popular Female Singers Of All Time

Selena Gomez launched her acting journey on the children’s show Barney & Friends, but achieved widespread recognition portraying Alex Russo on Disney Channel’s hit series Wizards of Waverly Place.

This iconic role established her as a beloved teen sensation and paved the way for her music career. With her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, she released three albums—all landing in the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Beyond music and acting, Gomez produced the acclaimed Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. In 2017, Billboard honored her as Woman of the Year, and she remains one of the world’s most-followed musicians on social media.

Remarkably, Selena Gomez is also credited with breaking 15 Guinness World Records.

Lady Gaga stands out as one of the few modern artists who have excelled not only in music but also in acting. Renowned for her extraordinary versatility and ever-evolving image, she burst onto the scene with hits like "Poker Face," "Bad Romance," "Telephone," and "Judas."

She made her acting debut in the miniseries American Horror Story: Hotel, quickly impressing both audiences and critics. Gaga continued to win acclaim with her film performances in A Star Is Born and House of Gucci.

As a highly decorated musician and a confident screen performer, Lady Gaga has sold an impressive estimated 170 million records worldwide, affirming her status as a true global superstar.

While it may seem premature to include Billie Eilish among America's all-time most popular singers, her meteoric rise in popularity, especially among younger listeners, is impossible to overlook.

As the youngest artist ever to win all four major Grammy categories—Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year—Eilish captured worldwide attention with her debut single, "Ocean Eyes," in 2015.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Billboard both recognize her as the 26th-highest-certified digital singles artist and one of the standout success stories of the 2010s.

Widely known as the "Goddess of Pop," Cher has become an iconic figure who has illustrated just how much women can achieve in an industry once dominated by men. Her unique contralto voice and dynamic stage presence have allowed her to leave an indelible mark across multiple fields of entertainment, including film and television.

Cher's rise to stardom began in 1965 with the folk-rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher. Together, they sold over 40 million records worldwide, with many of their hits topping both US and UK charts. Renowned for her outspoken political views, Cher remains the only artist to earn a number-one Billboard single in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.

Jennifer Lopez made history as the first Hispanic actress to earn over $1 million for a film, cementing her status as a global icon. Renowned for her exceptional singing and dancing abilities, she ventured into acting early in her career, showcasing her versatile talents.

Lopez first gained attention as a Fly Girl dancer on the 1990s sketch comedy show In Living Color. She further established herself as a leading screen star with notable roles in films like Anaconda and Out of Sight, solidifying her reputation in Hollywood.

In addition to starring in movies that have grossed over $3.1 billion worldwide, Lopez has sold approximately 70 million records, making her one of the most successful female singers and entertainers of all time.

Mariah Carey, known as the "Songbird Supreme," was one of America's most renowned singers at the height of her career. Celebrated for her remarkable five-octave vocal range and her iconic use of the whistle register, she rose to international stardom after releasing the smash hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

She became the first artist in history to have her debut five singles all reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Today, her aforementioned Christmas anthem continues to be a staple, filling the airwaves every holiday season.

Carey has served as an inspiration to countless pop and R&B artists over the years. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her as the fifth greatest singer of all time, while VH1 placed her second on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Barbra Streisand stands among the rare group of performers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. With a career spanning more than sixty years, she remains an iconic diva and continues to delight fans with live performances even today.

Her unwavering commitment to her craft is evident in her astonishing sales of over 150 million records worldwide. Renowned for her unique voice and boundless energy, Barbra has garnered countless awards and the enduring admiration of audiences everywhere.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognizes her as the second-highest-certified female artist in the United States. Signature tracks like "Memory," "Somewhere," and "The Way We Were" showcase her immense talent and unforgettable legacy.

No compilation of today’s most popular musicians would be complete without including the exceptional singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Celebrated worldwide for her remarkable vocals and magnetic stage presence, Swift rose to stardom at a remarkably young age.

Embarking on a career in country music at just 14 years old, Swift has written and performed numerous hit singles, many of which draw inspiration from her personal experiences and life stories.

Known for both her talent and charisma, she is among the most influential and wealthy female celebrities of our time. As a leading crossover artist, her music has sold over 200 million copies globally, firmly establishing her status as one of history’s top-selling artists.

Beyoncé first rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the iconic group Destiny's Child, and has since established herself as one of the most celebrated performers in music history.

In addition to her vocal talents, Beyoncé is a songwriter, producer, and actress. From a young age, she participated in various singing and dancing competitions, honing her performance skills long before entering the entertainment industry professionally.

Today, Beyoncé is among the most influential and followed mainstream musicians globally. Remarkably, she became the first solo artist to see her first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200, a record unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.

She founded her own management company, Parkwood Entertainment, and released experimental visual albums like "Beyoncé" and "Lemonade," which explored themes of womanism, feminism, and relationships.

With more than 200 million records sold worldwide, Beyoncé continues to rank among the best-selling artists of all time.

Janet Jackson is celebrated for her trailblazing music, which blends innovation, social consciousness, and provocative themes. While she occasionally collaborated with her famous brother Michael, Janet carved out her own impressive path as a solo artist in the 1980s, proving her unique talent within the legendary Jackson family.

Her status as a pop and R&B icon stands firmly on her own achievements. Janet's hit single "Nasty" earned her the Favorite Soul/R&B Single award at the American Music Awards in 1987, cementing her influence on the genre.

Throughout the 1980s, Janet Jackson released numerous successful MTV videos and garnered multiple awards for her music. Notably, her distinctive sound and dynamic choreography played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of MTV and the music video industry.

Dolly Parton has always seemed destined for fame, with her passion for music evident from a young age. She began performing on local radio as a child, showcasing her remarkable talent early in life.

At just 13, Parton secured a spot on the Grand Ole Opry, marking the beginning of an extraordinary career. With 25 number-one country singles, she remains one of the most successful country-pop crossover stars and a true country music legend.

In addition to her musical achievements, Parton has tried her hand at acting and is widely recognized for her significant philanthropy through The Dollywood Foundation.

Rihanna is a multifaceted talent—singer, actress, and businesswoman—who first captured the public's attention with her debut albums, Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me. Blending Caribbean influences, both albums soared into the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart, launching her rise to fame.

Her 2007 release, Good Girl Gone Bad, transformed Rihanna into a global icon and established her as a sex symbol in the industry, thanks to its vibrant dance-pop sound. Today, with over 250 million records sold worldwide, she holds the distinction of being the second-best-selling female music artist in history.

As of 2022, Rihanna remains the richest female musician globally, boasting an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. Her enduring success cements her legacy as an unstoppable force in both music and business.

Camila Cabello is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter who first found fame as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, recognized as one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

She parted ways with the group in 2016 to launch her solo career—a decision that quickly paid off. Her debut studio album, "Camila," soared to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, making her a prominent name in the pop music scene.

The album's lead single, "Havana," became an international hit, topping charts in several countries and earning a Diamond certification from the RIAA. With billions of streams on various music platforms, Cabello has also collected multiple accolades, including two Latin Grammy Awards.

Known as the undisputed "Queen of Pop," Madonna was one of the most influential figures in music and fashion during the 1980s. Her impact inspired countless fans to embrace bold styles like blue eyeshadow and black plastic pants, making her an undeniable trendsetter.

An emblem of unstoppable girl power in the 80s, Madonna is renowned for her musical versatility and constant reinvention of her image. Many of her works sparked controversy by exploring bold themes and pushing cultural boundaries.

Her projects often tackled topics such as politics, sexuality, and religion, which contributed to their lasting impact and debate. Although she's not as prolific today, Madonna remains one of the most significant and thoroughly examined icons in pop culture history.

Her enduring influence is evident in the fact that there is an academic field—Madonna studies—dedicated solely to analyzing her legacy and impact.

Britney Spears’s first two studio albums quickly rose to become some of the best-selling records of their era, propelling her to the status of the fastest-selling teenage artist in music history. This remarkable achievement solidified her presence in the music industry early on.

Renowned for her dynamic performances as both a singer and dancer, Spears is often hailed as the "Princess of Pop." She is credited with bringing teen pop into the mainstream and has sold over 150 million records worldwide. Billboard named her the eighth-biggest musical artist of the 2000s, further cementing her legacy.

Like many iconic musicians, Britney's career has been marked by immense success as well as a number of public controversies.

Celebrated as the "Voice of a Generation," Christina Aguilera is a dynamic singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality whose powerful talent has inspired many contemporary artists. With her impressive four-octave vocal range and the ability to deliver soaring high notes, Aguilera fearlessly explores important social themes like feminism, sexuality, and domestic violence through her music.

Aguilera began her career at a young age, appearing in various television shows before skyrocketing to fame in 1999 with her self-titled debut album released under RCA Records. This pivotal release marked her arrival as a major force in pop music.

Globally, Christina Aguilera has achieved immense commercial success, with more than 90 million records sold to date—a true testament to her lasting influence and star power in the music industry.

Katy Perry, often hailed as the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue, began her musical journey with a gospel album at just 16, releasing her debut in 2001. Although her initial effort didn’t achieve commercial success, Perry soon transitioned to secular music and achieved worldwide fame with the breakout hit "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008.

From that point forward, Perry became unstoppable, releasing a series of chart-topping hits. She has since become one of the best-selling female artists in history, accumulating over 143 million record sales across the globe.

Notably, every studio album she has released under the Capitol label has individually surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. Furthermore, her electrifying Super Bowl halftime show in 2015 holds the distinction of being the most watched in the event’s history.

Olivia Rodrigo quickly rose to fame after the release of her breakout single "Drivers License," becoming an online sensation almost overnight. The overwhelming response to the song paved the way for her debut album, "Sour," which dominated the charts for weeks.

Her meteoric rise in the music industry brought her remarkable success and recognition she never anticipated at such a young age. Olivia also made her first appearance at the prestigious MET Gala, showcasing her influence beyond music.

Honored as Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2022, she originally captured audiences in the late 2010s with lead roles on Disney's "Bizaardvark" and "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."

Ariana Grande first captured attention with her role as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon TV series "Victorious" and its spin-off, "Sam & Cat." Beyond her career in television, Grande has consistently made headlines for her personal life while also earning respect for her incredible four-octave vocal range.

Impressively, Grande holds 27 Guinness World Records and is among the most streamed female artists ever on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. Her achievements solidify her as a powerhouse in the music industry—way to go, Grande!

Cardi B's debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, launched her straight to the top, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. This remarkable achievement signaled the arrival of a powerful new voice in rap music.

The album earned both critical and commercial acclaim, making Cardi B the first woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album as a solo artist. Before this breakthrough, she had already built a strong following as a social media influencer on Vine and Instagram.

Cardi B also gained attention as a regular cast member on VH1's reality series Love & Hip Hop: New York. With more songs surpassing a billion streams on Spotify than any other female rapper, Billboard named her Woman of the Year in 2020, recognizing her immense impact on the music industry.

Arguably the greatest Indian playback singer of all time, Lata Mangeshkar's contribution to the music industry gained her well-deserved honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the Millennium." While she was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, France also conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour in 2007.

One of the first Indian playback singers to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, Lata recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages.

There are quite a few reasons why Lauryn Hill is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as one of the most influential musicians of her generation.

Credited with breaking the artistic barriers for female rappers, she is best known for her 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which became one of the best-selling albums at the time.

Hill, who brought hip-hop and neo-soul to popular music, has won eight Grammy Awards, which is the most for a female rapper to this day. She has several Guinness World Records to her name and has been inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Not many are aware of the fact that Avril Lavigne's debut studio album, Let Go, continues to be one of the top-selling albums of the 21st century by a Canadian artist.

The singer/songwriter is considered to be a significant figure in the development of pop-punk music. It is not in the least bit surprising then that her smash hit singles from her maiden album earned her the well-deserved title of "Pop Punk Queen".

One of the few female singers to have best represented 2000s rock music, Avril is known for her "rocking" fashion sense that has gone on to influence a wide array of musical artists.

The multi-faceted Kylie Minogue is reportedly the highest-selling Australian female artist of all time. Aside from being a singer and songwriter, she has also tried her hands at acting. She is known to have reinvented her music and fashion sense over the years.

Often called the "Princess of Pop" by the European media, she has been a recipient of a Grammy Award, three Brit Awards, and eighteen ARIA Music Awards.

Minogue first made a name for herself by playing the part of Charlene Robinson in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Her professional musical journey also began during the late 80s. And, by the time the mid-90s arrived, she already had several successful singles topping the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Today, she happens to have sold over 80 million records worldwide. That being said, the artist is also known to have appeared in movies such as The Delinquents, Street Fighter, and San Andreas, to name a few.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Diana Ross took the music industry by storm as she established herself as Motown's most successful act during the 1960s. Not only that but she went on to become an integral part of one of the world's best-selling girl groups in history, The Supremes.

She embarked on a solo career in 1970 and can take pride in the fact that she is the only female artist to have had number-one singles as a solo artist, in a duet, as a member of a trio, and in an ensemble, respectively.

Named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976, Ross has also achieved mainstream success and recognition as a competent screen performer.

Anna Mae Bullock, or Tina Turner as we know her, was one of the finest female singers of the 1980s. This statement means a lot considering that she had been out for a while in the bygone decade.

However, her phenomenal rise during the '80s was seen as her comeback, and with the release of her album Private Dancer in 1984, a lot of things changed for the better.

She followed the success of her aforementioned album with the release of Break Every Rule in 1986 and Foreign Affair in 1989, respectively. Needless to say, Turner was back and hungry for more.

Trust the eccentric Miley Cyrus to thrive on her distinctive raspy voice and inimitable persona to deliver chartbuster music time and again. With a total of thirteen entries on the list, the sensational performer has managed to attain the most US Billboard 200 top-five albums in the 21st century by a female artist.

Easily among the most talked-about singers of the new millennium, Cyrus started her career by playing the main lead in Disney Channel's much-loved Hannah Montana; a show that helped the multi-genre artist turn into a "Teen Queen" in no time.

Needless to mention, she has had a following since then.

Another modern-day singing sensation who has been rocking the charts of late with the help of her mezzo-soprano vocal range is the lovely Dua Lipa. Known for her signature disco-pop sound, she has gone on to deliver instant chartbusters such as "One Kiss", "No Lie", and "New Rules".

Her debut album, Dua Lipa, continues to be the most streamed female album with over 10 billion streams on Spotify. Lipa won British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year awards at the Brit Awards in 2021 for her critically and commercially successful album, Future Nostalgia.

She was included on the Time 100 Next list in 2021.

Demi Lovato rose to prominence after working as a child actress in Disney and Nickelodeon shows such as Barney & Friends, As the Bell Rings, Camp Rock and its sequel.

Lovato began her musical journey with the debut duet, "This Is Me", which was a part of the movie Camp Rock. It went on to peak at number nine on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100. Not long after that, the artist signed up with Hollywood Records and released her pop-rock album Don't Forget, which debuted at number 2 on Billboard 200 charts.

Lovato has sold over 24 million records in the United States alone and has released albums in different genres of music.

Nicknamed "The Voice" for her unmatched vocals and improvisational skills, the beloved Whitney Houston continues to be one of the best-selling artists of all time with her music selling an estimated 200 million records globally to date.

A recipient of numerous accolades, the amazing vocalist has inspired a generation of aspiring singers. Even though her music and public appearances made a whole lot of money for everyone involved, her personal life also fetched its fair share of inevitable controversy.

Be that as it may, the fact that Houston is the only artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 perhaps overshadows the frailty of her life.

Known for her effective and technically skilled vocals, Celine Dion is one of the most popular singers of all time. Her song, "My Heart Will Go On", which was recorded for the global blockbuster film Titanic, is arguably the most popular song to have ever been included in a motion picture.

With estimated sales of over 200 million records, Dion is not only the best-selling Canadian but also the best-selling French-language recording artist of all time. Besides English and French, the singer is also known to have sung in Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Japanese, and Chinese languages.

One of the most popular soul singers to have ever lived, Aretha Franklin was the first female music artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She began singing in church and released a gospel album when she was just 14 years old. The artist, who has sold over 75 million records and won an astonishing 18 Grammy Awards, has delivered such as "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Respect", and "Chain of Fools", to mention a few.

The "Queen of Soul” received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.

One of the best-selling female artists in country music with over 100 million records sold, Shania Twain released her self-titled debut album in 1993, but it failed to find listeners.

However, its failure didn't stop her as her comeback album, The Woman in Me, emerged as a hit. While many of her critics do not consider her to be an out-and-out country artist, there are plenty of others who acknowledge her as the "Queen of Country Pop." Her songs, which are a mix of mainstream pop and country music, carry themes of feminism and female empowerment.

"The Queen of Country", Reba McEntire, is one of the most successful female country singers of all time in the United States of America. She has sold over 75 million records worldwide and has released over 100 singles that have been placed on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

It is imperative to mention that her most famous album, From My Broken Heart, was produced after she, unfortunately, ended up losing eight of her band members in a plane crash.

While her musical roots began in country music, she also matured as an artist and explored a variety of genres. She is one of those rare country singers whose solid vocal control enables her to sing incredibly complex melodies.

One of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Joni Mitchell started her professional musical journey by singing in cafés and nightclubs across Canada. The unbelievably talented artist wrote many of her songs on the piano but played them on the acoustic guitar.

Her music sounded distinct owing to the fact that she applied her own open-tuning technique to it. It is important to mention that Mitchell used to compose beautiful yet socially relevant songs in her prime, such as "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock." She was called "one of the greatest songwriters ever" by Rolling Stone and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Described by The Wall Street Journal as "a skilled technical rapper with a strong melodic sense and a bold visual presence", Doja Cat is your trademark modern-day artist who gained popularity with her single "Mooo!", which went viral on various social media platforms.

The artist, who is well-versed in internet culture, is known for creating music videos and songs that achieve popularity on social media platforms such as TikTok. Yet another song of hers, "Get Into It (Yuh)", became a hit because of the dance trends on Tik Tok.

The fact that she is an absurdly humorous person does only help her case as the millennials tend to find it cool.

Alicia Keys is a music genius who began composing songs at the age of 12. The singer-songwriter is a trained classical pianist, who has sold over 90 million records worldwide.

A recipient of 15 Grammy awards, 17 NAACP awards, and 12 ASCAP awards, she grew up in a single-parent home as her father left the family when she was only 2.

Since she grew up in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood, the artist was exposed to the tough life of crime, drugs, abuse, and violence at a very young age. While it did make her emotionally vulnerable, she also managed to gain a lot of internal strength seeing how things were around her.

Keys was named by Billboard as the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Decade.

Known as the 'First Lady of Song' and 'Queen of Jazz', Ella Fitzgerald is rightfully regarded as one of the most influential American singers to have ever stepped up to the microphone.

She is best remembered for her scat singing, vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, and impeccable diction. Known to have collaborated with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and other music legends, she is responsible for countless hits such as "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", "Dream A Little Dream", and "It Don’t Mean a Thing".

That said, there is no denying that Fitzgerald changed the music scene of her era and that her contribution to the jazz genre can only be compared to a few.

Honoured by Variety at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century", Lana Del Rey is a popular singer-songwriter, who is noted for her quality music which explores tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia with utmost grace and compassion.

Her compositions are often peppered with references to contemporary pop culture and 1950s-1960s Americana. A recipient of two Brit Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, and a Satellite Award, Lana's breakthrough came in 2011 with the success of her single "Video Games." The artist is known to have worked at a homeless shelter during the early 2000s.

One of the best-known English singers and songwriters to have graced us with her voice in the new millennium, Adele's vocal skills are difficult to match. Her second studio album, 21, is reportedly the best-selling album by any artist in the 21st century, thus far.

With global chartbuster hits such as "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain" to her credit, the artist went on to become the first female artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top-ten singles.

Her single, "Skyfall", for the blockbuster James Bond film of the same title, won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Soon after, Adele's third studio album, 25, went on to smash all first-week sales records as it turned out to become the best-selling music album of 2015.

Best known for her hit singles "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart", both of which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Sia started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s.

Born and raised in Adelaide, she commenced her journey as a solo artist after her band disbanded in 1997. Since then, she is known to have collaborated with some of the biggest names in music.

As we enter a new decade, we are certain of the fact that many of Sia's songs are waiting to dominate the charts and wow audiences yet again.

Halsey first gained attention from self-released music on social media platforms and was signed by Astralwerks in 2014. Her debut studio album, Badlands, 2015 was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

One of her recent songs, "Without Me", became a viral sensation and helped her gain popularity across the globe. In 2020, Billboard reported that Halsey has sold over 1 million albums and received over 6 billion streams in the United States of America, all thanks to her distinctive singing voice and unique style.

One may cease to find Amy Winehouse in the lists of the greatest singers of all time, but she certainly ranks among the most popular female artists. Known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, the English singer and songwriter was reportedly struggling with substance abuse before she bid farewell to the world in 2011.

Following her death, her album, Back to Black, briefly became the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century. Winehouse has been ranked 26th by VH1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Etta James commenced her musical journey in 1954 and went on to gain both followers and fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind".

Her deep and earthy voice did not only bridge the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll but also helped her win six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards.

James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and has been called "one of the greatest voices of her century" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Virginia-born Patsy Cline is widely considered to be one of the greatest country singers of all time. While she first made a name for herself by participating in local radio and television programs, she set the stage on fire nationally with her televised performance of "Walkin’ After Midnight" in 1957.

Even though a near-fatal car accident threatened to derail her flourishing career in 1961, she returned with a bang to the Grand Ole Opry stage just six weeks later. Songs like "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy" helped her become one of the first country performers to successfully crossover to the pop music charts.

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Janis Joplin started her career as the lead vocalist of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a San Francisco rock band. She combined blues and rock and roll in her music and eventually went on to achieve fame as a solo artist with over 18 million albums sold.

One of the most popular singers of the sixties, she played at the famous Woodstock festival in 1969. Unfortunately, she was able to release only one solo album before her shocking death at the age of 27.

A true-blue rock star of her era, Joplin was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence.

Next up we have Billie Holiday, who had a massive influence on jazz music and pop singing during her best days. Known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills, she was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up singing jazz and swing in Harlem nightclubs.

Her smoky voice and unique tempo made her famous throughout the 1930s and 1940s and helped her single "God Bless The Child" sell over a million copies, which was a remarkable feat at the time.

She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, respectively. A motion picture aiming to cover her life story, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, was released in 2021.

Named her the "Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll", Stevie Nicks has incredible vocal power, and that's one of the reasons we are giving her a well-deserved spot on our list.

While her song "Edge Of Seventeen" is an iconic rock hit, she is best known for churning out hits like "Landslide" and "Dreams" along with her band Fleetwood Mac. Together, they sold over 120 million records globally.

Nicks has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; first with Fleetwood Mac and again as a solo artist, and all we can say is that she truly deserves the honour.

The multi-talented Pink was originally a member of the girl group Choice before she was offered a solo recording contract by LaFace Records. It was a turning point for the powerhouse vocalist who utilized her unique style and released a string of hits that have topped the charts around the world like her hit single "Just Give Me A Reason." Also an actress and dancer, she has sold over 135 million records worldwide and was reportedly the second most-played female solo artist in the United Kingdom during the 2000s decade.

She continues to perform in sold-out concerts and definitely deserves a spot on our list.

This ineffably gorgeous Colombian singer made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Dubbed the "Queen of Latin Music", she started to gain recognition in her home country ever since her debut album hit the charts.

However, her popularity in the English-speaking markets soared in the 2000s and continues to remain intact to date. A true international crossover artist, Shakira rocked the world in the true sense of the word following the release of her mega-chartbuster single "Waka Waka" in 2010.

While the aforementioned song is believed to be the most popular composition associated with any sporting event anywhere in the world, she has also sung mega-hits like "Hips Don't Lie" and "Whenever, Wherever."