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200 Greatest Female Recording Artists
of Rock 'n' Roll

Criteria: These female recording artists were chosen based on impact and influence (commercial, musical, cultural), lasting popularity, and talent. All genres of Rock 'n' Roll were considered.

Last Updated: 2017-05-30
Greatest Female Recording Artists of Rock 'n' Roll
Soul singer Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Rock/Pop singer Madonna
Madonna
Soul singer Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Folk rock singer Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Soul singer Etta James
Etta James
Soul singer Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
  1. Aretha Franklin
  2. Madonna
  3. Diana Ross & The Supremes
  4. Joni Mitchell
  5. Etta James
  6. Ruth Brown
  7. Janis Joplin
  8. Mariah Carey
  9. Tina Turner
10. Donna Summer
11. The Shirelles
12. Whitney Houston
13. Bonnie Raitt
14. Martha & The Vandellas
15. Patti Smith
16. LaVern Baker
17. Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac/Solo)
18. Gladys Knight (Gladys Knight & the Pips/Solo)
19. Carole King
20. Janet Jackson
21. Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)
22. Annie Lennox
23. Debbie Harry (Blondie)
24. Linda Ronstadt
25. Cher
26. Chaka Khan (Rufus/Solo)
27. Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane)
28. Emmylou Harris
29. Pat Benatar
30. Tori Amos
31. Laura Nyro
32. Ricki Lee Jones
33. Joan Baez
34. Tracy Chapman
35. Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson (Heart)
36. Sarah McLachlan
37. Roberta Flack
38. Kate Bush
39. Dusty Springfield
40. Salt-N-Pepa
41. Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters)
42. Carly Simon
43. Patti Labelle (Labelle/Solo)
44. Dionne Warwick
45. Brenda Lee
46. Connie Francis
47. Sade
48. Wanda Jackson
49. Joan Armatrading
50. Mavis Staples (The Staple Singers)
51. Alanis Morissette
52. Queen Latifah
53. Melissa Etheridge
54. Björk
55. Joan Jett (Runaways/Solo)
56. Judy Collins
57. Gloria Estefan
58. Mary Wells
59. Anita Baker
60. Sheryl Crow
61. Missy Elliott
62. Bette Midler
63. Go-Go's
64. Kate Pierson & Cindy Wilson (The B-52s)
65. Cass Elliot & Michelle Phillips (The Mama's & Papas)
66. The Pointer Sisters
67. Lucinda Williams
68. Exene Cervenka (X)
69. Celine Dion
70. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
71. Lauryn Hill
72. Mary J. Blige
73. The Ronettes
74. Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
75. Esther Phillips
76. Gwen Stefani (No Doubt)
77. PJ Harvey
78. Olivia Newton John
79. Adele
80. Erykah Badu
81. Alicia Keys
82. Natalie Cole
83. The Marvelettes
84. TLC
85. Kim Deal (The Pixies)
86. Irma Thomas
87. Cyndi Lauper
88. Ani DiFranco
89. Indigo Girls
90. Marianne Faithful
91. Liz Phair
92. Laurie Anderson
93. Petula Clark
94. En Vogue
95. Faye Adams
96. Lesley Gore
97. Jewel
98. The Shangri-Las
99. Kelly Clarkson
100. Amy Winehouse
101. Norah Jones
102. Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie & the Banshees)
103. Sinead O'Connor
104. Darlene Love
105. Carla Thomas
106. Toni Braxton
107. Eva Cassiday
108. k.d. lang
109. Betty Everett
110. Barbara Lynn
111. The Runaways
112. Pink
113. MC Lyte
114. Shirley Goodman
115. The Breeders
116. Varetta Dillard
117. Lula Reed
118. Ann Peebles
119. Barbara Lewis
120. The Chiffons
121. Shirley Gunter & The Queens
122. India.Arie
123. The Raincoats
124. Aimee Mann
125. Jackie DeShannon
126. Fiona Apple
127. The Crystals
128. Janis Martin
129. Christina Aguilera
130. Scrawl
131. Bikini Kill
132. Suzanne Vega
133. Vanessa Williams
134. Babes In Toyland
135. Grace Jones
136. Hole
137. Janis Ian
138. LaBelle
139. Maxine Brown
140. Teena Marie
141. Tina Weymouth (The Talking Heads)
142. KT Tunstall
143. Judy Mowatt
144. Zola Taylor
145. Phoebe Snow
146. Melba Moore
147. Shirley Manson
148. Dolores O'Riordan
149. Betty Wright
150. Sparkle Moore
151. Brenda Holloway
152. Teen Queens
153. Millie Jackson
154. Lil Kim
155. Sheila E.
156. Natalie Merchant
157. Suzi Quatro
158. Destiny's Child
159. Nico
160. Gloria Gaynor
161. Sleater-Kinney
162. Tammi Terell
163. Kylie Minogue
164. Tanya Donelly
165. The Cookies
166. Bobbie Gentry
167. Shawn Colvin
168. Eunice Levy
169. Terri Nunn
170. Bonnie Tyler
171. The Roches
172. Aaliyah
173. Melissa Manchester
174. Kristin Hersh
175. Lydia Lunch
176. Beyoncé
177. The Slits
178. LuLu
179. Inez Foxx
180. Lita Ford
181. Jill Scott
182. Amy Grant
183. Lorrie Collins
184. Sylvia Robinson
185. Oleta Adams
186. Minnie Ripperton
187. Britney Spears
188. Eve
189. Nella Dodds
190. Denise LaSalle
191. Brandy
192. The Spice Girls
193. Monica
194. Le Tigre
195. The Velvelettes
196. Lisa Loeb
197. Buffy Saint-Marie
198. Yoko Ono
199. L7
200. Amel Larrieux
Greatest Female
'Roots of Rock' Artists
Greatest Female
Traditional Pop Artists
Greatest Female
Gospel Artists
Greatest Female
Songwriters (Rock)
1. Julia Lee
2. Nellie Luchter
3. Mahalia Jackson
4. Dinah Washington
5. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
6. Clara Ward Singers
7. Ella Mae Morse
8. Camille Howard
9. Mabel Scott
10. Memphis Minnie

1. Barbra Streisand
2. Judy Garland
3. Mabel Mercer
4. Jo Stafford
5. Ella Mae Morse
6. Julie London
7. Rosemary Clooney
8. Peggy Lee
9. Lena Horne
10. Pearl Bailey

1. Mahalia Jackson
2. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
3. Clara Ward
4. Shirley Caeser
5. Inez Andrews
6. Marion Williams
7. Yolanda Adams
8. Bessie Jones
9. Sister Wynona Carr
10. CeCe Winans

1. Ellie Greenwich
2. Cynthia Weil
3. Diane Warren
4. Felice Bryant
5. Valerie Simpson
6. Linda Perry
7. Beverly Ross
8. Carole Bayer Sager
9. Sharon Sheely
10. Linda Creed

Greatest Female Artists
of Rock 'n' Roll('99-present)
20 Greatest Female 'Sidemen'
  1. Adele
  2. Amy Winehouse
  3. Pink
  4. Lady Gaga
  5. Beyoncé
  6. Katy Perry
  7. Alicia Keys
  8. Christina Aguilera
  9. Norah Jones
10. India.Arie
11. Eve
12. Britney Spears
13. Amel Larrieux
14. Jill Scott
15. Tift Merritt
16. Angie Stone
17. Karen O
18. Avril Lavigne
19. Dido
20. Vanessa Carlton
  1. Carol Kaye - Bass
  2. Maureen Tucker - Drums (Velvet Underground)
  3. Jennifer Batten - Guitar
  4. The Duchess - Guitar
  5. Honey Lantree - Drums (The Honeycombs)
  6. Mary Kaye - Guitar
  7. D'arcy Wretzky - Bass (Smashing Pumpkins)
  8. Shiela E. - Drums
  9. Lori Barbero - Drums (Babes In Toyland)
10. Gail Ann Dorsey - Bass
11. Ginger Bianco - Drums ( Goldie & the Gingerbreads)
12. Rhonda Smith - Bass (Prince)
13. Cynthia Robinson - Trumpet (Sly & the Family Stone)
14. Tanya Donnely - Guitar (Belly / Breeders / Throwing Muses)
15. Melissa Auf de Mur - Bass (Hole)
16. Meg White - Drums (The White Stripes)
17. Jennifer Finch - Bass (L7)
18. Alice de Buhr - Drums (Fanny)
19. Kristen Pfaff - Bass (Hole)
20. Nickey Barcklay - Keyboard (Fanny)



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