Really popular rock- singers of the 60s - 70s you can count on one hand how women and rock were not associated in any way at that time. But the popularity of the performers listed below has radically changed the idea that women and rock are incompatible.
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin ( Janis Joplin) - Legend of female rock. Back in the early 60s, she began singing on the stages of clubs and restaurants. Her unique hoarse voice, with a range of 3 octaves, did not leave anyone indifferent. Janice came to fame thanks to hard work and a happy meeting with the Big Brother team. Towards the end of the decade, the whole world knew about Janice. Unfortunately, addiction to drugs led to early death singers. Over the entire period, Janis Joplin recorded 3 albums that were included in the rock classics.
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen- The pride of German rock. Critics have called her the mother of punk rock. Her huge vocal range of 3 octaves allowed her to sing the most intricate songs. International fame came in 1978 after the release of the album "Nina Hagen Band". For 2 years (1978 and 1979), Nina Hagen's songs always topped the charts in England and Germany. In 1980, the singer disbanded the group and completely went into religion.
Patti Smith
Patti Smith - American singer 70s - 80s. Thanks to her album "Horses", in an original style, Patti began to be called the godmother of punk rock, and her world famous single "Because the Night" raised the singer to the top music world. Patti Smith was an active member of Greenpeace and fought for peace. Until the age of 80, Patti released 9 albums.
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry- American rock singer, songwriter and popular film actress. Leader of the rock band "Blondie". Worldwide popularity comes after the release of the album " Parallel lines" in 1978. After this, Debbie Hari became the most successful singer of the late 70s.
Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro ( Suzi Quatro)
- American rock singer. The beginning of her career was difficult, but thanks to Susie’s determination, the singer became famous first in Europe and then in the USA. The singer was faithful to her image to the end, for which she was dubbed “Miss Leather Jacket.” Her albums “The Demon of Dayton” and “If You Knew Susie” are especially popular.
Donna Summer
Donna Summer- Queen of rhythm and blues of America. The best-selling singer of the late 70s. In five seconds small years old Since 1974, she has recorded 9 very successful albums, which have sold millions of copies around the world. Winner of 6 Grammy awards.
Tina Turner
Tina Turner- One of the most famous rock singers of our time. American by birth, Tina began to sing very early. Back in 1960, the song “A Fool in Love”, performed by 20-year-old Tina, topped the charts in America. After this, Tina successfully performed and wrote popular hits for two decades. The song "Proud Mary" is still very popular and is included in the world's golden collection of songs of the 20th century.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin- American singer - Queen of Soul. Thanks to the very strong and ringing timbre of her voice, Aretha performed much better famous hits, which rose even higher to the top of the charts. In addition to remixing songs, the singer herself wrote very good music. Aretha Franklin has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Whether you are an absurd fat man with small, swollen eyes or a skinny brunette with a cigarette in his mouth, it doesn’t matter at all if you have a unique voice. Singing is partly reminiscent of a passionate kiss, because the same organs are involved here - lips and tongue and appearance is no longer important - the voice can deceive the appearance given by nature. The voice is a sound postcard that depicts a portrait of your soul, no matter how ugly or beautiful it may seem to you. One way or another, here is a list of fifteen female names, which includes owners of unique voices of all times music business according to the magazine Rolling Stone.
Ronnie Spector (eng. Veronica Yvette Spector)
Popular tracks: Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, Walking in the Rain
Influences: Joey Ramone, Patti Smith, Billy Joel
Ronnie is a member of a girl band The Ronettes, her voice defined the early sixties and her music was the most innovative in the field of rock and roll. Magical, with a touch of romance, the songs performed by Ronnie inspired Patti Smith, Joan Jett and many other singers, but they had the strongest impact on the guitarist The E Street Band Steven Van Zandt.
Björk (isl. Björk Guðmundsdóttir)
Popular tracks: Army of Me, It's Oh So Quiet, Human Behavior
Influenced by: Thom Yorke and Jonsi
Her voice is like a non-existent shade in color scheme, which sooner or later had to be invented. True, many have already forgotten how unexpected the effect of her appearance in the world of show business was. She's so unique that she can sing ridiculous songs from TV shows and still have the whole world talking about her. You can fully appreciate Björk's greatness by listening to her 1997 album Homogenic is the Bible for the vocalist of our time. In a minute, Björk can accelerate to the speed of an express train and in a second reset her drive to zero. She is brilliant and one of a kind.
Christina Aguilera (eng. Christina Aguilera)
Popular tracks: Genie in a Bottle, Beautiful, Ain't No Other Man
Influences: Danity Kane and Kelly Clarkson
I knew she could sing, says Herbie Hancock, referring to his duet with Aguilera four years ago. - N oh to sing so hard! Honestly, Christina just knocked me out. Aguilera has a strong voice and a good enough schooling to claim the laurels of a modern blues queen, starting at the age of 11 (that's when she first appeared on the TV show Star Search). Already in her first hit single Genie In A Bottle it was noticeable that the technique of this young girl refers to the standard examples of the genre.
| 01 | Step Into the Light | Mavis Staples | 4:47 |
Mavis Staples (eng. Mavis Staples)
Influences: Prince, the Pointer Sisters and Amy Winehouse
At a time when songs The Staple Singers occupied the rhythm and blues charts, the high contralto of the band's lead vocalist Mavis Staples was something of a symbol of freedom for women who fought for their rights. We won't drag people into churches who like to waste their lives in clubs,- said Mavis Roebuck's father Pops Staples. - So we have to get into the clubs and start preaching there. When I heard Mavis sing, I realized: evolution has not yet ended, admits Bob Dylan.
Gladys Knight (eng. Gladys Maria Knight)
Popular tracks: I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Neither One Of Us, Midnight Train To Georgia
Influences: Mariah Carey and Jill Scott
Gladys Knight - American soul singer, achieved widespread popularity in the 60s and 70s as the vocalist of a group Gladys Knight & the Pips. She likes to give advice to her colleagues, such as: Just sing the song and say the words clearly. Gladys always approached the performance of songs extremely seriously and left no room for improvisation. Gladys reminds me of a textbook- Mariah Carey said at the ceremony of Knight's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. - Take it and learn.
Bonnie Wright (eng. Bonnie Lynn Raitt
Popular tracks: Nick Of Time, I Can't Make You Love Me, Love Me Like A Man
Influenced by: Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow and The Dixie Chicks.
Patsy Cline (eng. Virginia Patterson Hensley)
Popular tracks: I Fall To Pieces, Walkin" After Midnight, Crazy
Influenced by: Loretta Lynn, Linda Ronstadt and KD Lang
Patsy, the owner of a low, erotic voice, was perhaps the first country singer to break through to pop radio and paved the way for Dolly Parton, Faith Hill and other artists whose ambitions went beyond the musicians of that time. Even when Patsy sings country, she's still a pop singer- says Lucinda Williams. - Sometimes it even seems that she has classical vocals.
Joni Mitchell (eng. Roberta Joan Anderso)
Popular tracks: Both Sides Now, Help Me, Raised On Robbery
Influenced by: Robert Plant and Fiona Apple.
Mitchell inherited the role of the archetypal bard girl from Joan Baez, but Joni went much further - her songs contained plenty of references to both jazz and blues. Joni heard Billie Holiday sing Solitude at the age of nine, and from that moment she was never the same.- says Herbie Hancock. She has a strange sense of rhythm, - Bob Dylan said in an interview with RS. - It is a rhythm in itself.
Dusty Springfield (eng. Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O"Brien)
Popular tracks : I Only Want To Be With You and Son Of A Preacher Man
Influences: Duffy and Amy Winehouse
An English folk singer whose career spanned four decades, reaching her greatest popularity in the 1960s and late 1980s. You become a great vocalist when you expose yourself internally on stage. Dusty was never afraid to look fragile and unprotected. You will recognize this voice by the first notes- Darlene Love.
Whitney Houston (eng. Whitney Houston)
Popular tracks : The Greatest Love Of All, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, I Will Always Love You
Influences: Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige
The daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, Whitney grew up under the supervision of her mother's friends Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight. When I started singing, Houston remembers , - for me it was as natural as starting to speak. By the time Whitney was twenty-two years old, she was already considered the leading vocalist of her generation: her debut album had three powerful hits: Saving All My Love For You, How Will I Know And The Greatest Love Of All.
Nina Simone (eng. Eunice Kathleen Waymon)
Popular tracks: Feeling Good, Mississippi Goddam, Four Women, I Wish Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
Influences: Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Erykah Badu
American jazz singer, pianist, arranger and composer. Nina Simone had a pathologically enlarged pharyngeal tonsil, which gave her a deep, mesmerizing voice. She used it in a variety of musical styles, be it jazz, soul, pop, gospel or blues. Her voice is called the voice of the black revolution - in the 60s, she gained the love of the inexperienced public and the respect of professionals. Thanks to her popularity, she got the opportunity to speak and be heard. With the help of creativity, Nina conveyed her ideas and political thoughts to people. The leitmotif was the theme of discrimination against African Americans in the United States, because the singer knew firsthand how difficult it can sometimes be if your skin color is darker than necessary.
But it’s impossible to say for sure who Nina Simone was in to a greater extent: singer, composer or pianist. Also, her music cannot be defined by a certain style or manner, because the peculiarity of her work is musical cosmopolitanism: in her performances, using blues melodies, she found a place for both Bach counterpoint and African rhythms.
Janis Lyn Joplin
Popular tracks: Piece of My Heart, Cry Baby and Me and Bobby McGee
Influences: Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams
Considered the best white blues singer and one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock music.
In 1995, Janis Joplin was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joplin was literally pounding on stage, and she screamed so furiously that I remembered it for the rest of my life.,” singer Melissa Etheridge recalls Janice’s performance. - Sometimes it seemed to me that the voice did not belong to Joplin at all, but to some elderly black woman. Joplin's powerful vocals, equally at home in the psychedelic blues numbers and country soul of her later albums, still sound as if its half-crazed owner had calculated all the parts in advance, down to the notes.
Etta James (eng. Jamesetta Hawkins)
Popular tracks: At Last, A Sunday Kind Of Lov, Tell Mama and What's Love Got To Do With I
Influenced by: Beyoncé and Mick Jagger
I will never forget the moment when I first saw Tina on stage,- says Beyoncé. - To me, Turner is a symbol of strength.. Tina began touring almost half a century ago; her breakthrough was associated with a cover version Proud Mary at the Creedence Clearwater Revival, which in 1971 became a declaration of women's independence. Turner's energy reminded me of a tank,- John Fogerty recalls. Over time, Tina's emotions as a vocalist only intensified. Her voice defies classification, says Melissa Etheridge. - Tina Turner is passion in its purest form.
Aretha Franklin (eng. Aretha Louise Franklin)
Popular tracks: You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, Respect, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Think and Chain of Fools
Influences: Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Aaron Neville and Annie Lennox
When it comes to expressing your personality through song, Aretha Franklin excels here like no other. She's not just the greatest singer of R&B, soul and gospel - she's a gift from above. She has technique, insight, charisma, and incredible energy. Thanks to her exceptionally flexible and powerful vocals, she is often called the Queen of Soul and the greatest vocalist of the rock and roll era.
Contralto is one of the most vibrant female voices. Its velvety low sound is often compared to a cello. This voice is quite rare in nature, so it is highly valued for its beautiful timbre and for the fact that it can reach the lowest notes for women.
How and when is contralto formed?
This voice has its own formation characteristics. Most often it can be determined after 14 or 18 years of age. The female contralto voice is predominantly formed from 2 children's voices: a low alto, which is already with early years has a pronounced chest register or soprano with an inexpressive timbre.
Many girls are surprised by the changes and the fact that the range becomes lower, and the voice acquires beautiful expressive low notes.
This situation often occurs: A girl with an inexpressive 1st soprano is told that she has a weak voice and should not study vocals professionally. And then, after about 14 years, they develop expressive chest notes and a feminine sound, which is characteristic of contralto. The upper register gradually becomes colorless and inexpressive, while low notes, on the contrary, acquire a beautiful chesty sound.
Unlike, this type of contralto in sound does not resemble a rich girl’s voice, but a voice very adult woman, significantly older than his calendar age. If a mezzo-soprano's voice sounds velvety, but very rich and beautiful, then a contralto has a slight hoarseness that the average female voice does not have.
An example of such a voice is singer Vera Brezhneva. As a child, she had a high soprano voice, which, unlike other children's voices, seemed expressionless and colorless. If in adolescence the soprano of other girls only gained strength and became richer in its timbre, beauty and chest notes, then Vera’s voice colors gradually lost their expressiveness, but the chest register expanded.
And as an adult, she developed a rather expressive female contralto voice, which sounds deep and original. A striking example such a voice can be heard in the songs “Help Me” and “Good Day”.
Another type of contralto is formed already in childhood. These voices have a rough sound and often sing as altos in school choirs. By adolescence, they become mezzo-soprano and dramatic soprano, and some turn into deep contralto. In colloquial speech, such voices sound rude and sound like boys.
Girls with such voices are sometimes victims of ridicule from their peers, and they are often called names male names. During adolescence, this type of contralto becomes richer and lower, although the masculine timbre does not disappear. It is often difficult to understand in a recording who is singing, a guy or a girl. If other altos become mezzo-sopranos or dramatic sopranos, then the contralto's chest register opens up. Many girls even begin to brag that they can easily copy men's voices.
An example of such a contralto could be Irina Zabiyaka, a girl from the group “Chile”, who always had low voice. By the way, she studied academic vocals for many years, which allowed her to reveal her range.
Another example of a rare contralto, which is formed after 18 years, is the voice of Nadezhda Babkina. Since childhood, she sang alto, and when she entered the conservatory, the professors identified her voice as a dramatic mezzo-soprano. But by the end of her studies, her low range expanded and by the age of 24 she had formed a beautiful female contralto voice.
Why is this voice more valuable than others?
In opera, such a voice is rare, since there are not too many contraltos that meet the academic requirements. For opera singing The contralto must not only be low enough, but also sound expressive without a microphone, and such strong voices are rare. That’s why girls with contralto voices go to sing on stage or in jazz.
By the way, in the jazz direction there are more contraltos, because the very specificity of the music not only allows them to beautifully reveal their natural timbre, but also to play with their voice in different parts of their range. There are especially many contraltos among African-American or mulatto women.
Their special chesty timbre in itself becomes a decoration for any jazz composition or soul song. A prominent representative of such a voice was Toni Braxton, whose hit “Unbreak my heart” could not be sung beautifully by any singer, even with a very low voice.
On the stage, contralto is valued for its beautiful velvety timbre and feminine sound. According to psychologists, they subconsciously inspire trust, but, unfortunately, many young girls confuse them with smoky voices. In fact, it is easy to distinguish such a voice from a low timbre: smoky voices sound dull and inexpressive compared to the low but sonorous character of the contralto.
Singers with such voices will be heard well in great hall, even if they sing in a whisper. The voices of girls who smoke become dull and inexpressive, lose their overtone coloring and are simply inaudible in the hall. Instead of a rich and expressive female timbre, they become completely inexpressive and it is more difficult for them to play on nuances, switch from a quiet sound to a loud one when needed, etc. And in modern pop music, smoky voices have long been out of fashion.
Famous singers with such a voice
In the popular music of foreign countries, the singer Cher, Shakira, Toni Braxton and Rihanna were distinguished by their bright contralto timbre.
Among Russian singers, Irina Allegrova, singer Verona, Irina Zabiyaka (soloist of the group “Chili”), Anita Tsoi (especially heard in the song “Sky”), Vera Brezhneva and Angelica Agurbash had a deep and expressive contralto timbre.
French singer ZAZ
Surely, many of us are hearing about Isabelle Geffroy for the first time, because in our country she is much better known under the pseudonym ZAZ. According to the singer herself, it means the versatility of her music, which mixes all styles from A to Z and from Z to A. Several years ago, a recording of a street performance spread across the Internet with incredible speed (in France this is not at all uncommon, but rather the norm ) girls with an unusual hoarse voice and incredible charm. Today we know a little more about the singer.
She performed a lot on the streets of Paris, changing groups one after another, and each time captivating her audience with her unusual voice. Fans even compared Isabelle to the legendary Edith Piaf. Real fame came to ZAZ after winning a prestigious competition, the French analogue of our “Star Factory”. On this moment The personal collection of this talented Frenchwoman includes a huge variety of different awards and titles. However, compatriots, unlike us, treat Isabelle with more than restraint. As many years of experience show, the French, who have been devoted to Edith for centuries, do not really like those who strive to take her place.
Alizee
The fate of this girl is so shrouded in mystery that from time to time she is even credited with death from a drug overdose, the presence of doubles, and in general, versions have arisen several times that Alizée does not exist at all - different performers perform under her name. In fact, she is alone, alive and well, widely known in France and is also famous for constantly participating in all kinds of shows. Media personality.
She was born on the southern coast of France. Her parents, big fans of windsurfing, named Alize after one of the winds. She is one of those child stars who usually lose popularity as they grow older. Alize, however, was not going to give up, childhood and then adolescence were long over, and the singer still remained on the first lines of the charts, performed new songs, released albums, and won over the audience. Today Alize sings less, preferring dancing, but is still loved by fans.
Amel Bent
Amel Bent is a typical representative of France - the daughter of an Algerian and Moroccan mother. She was born in the commune of La Courneuve, from childhood she was fond of singing and even took part in the popular competition “Nouvelle Star”. True, she never managed to snatch victory from her more professional rivals, but the producers became interested in Amel. A new star has risen into the sky.
Amel released the album “Un Jour d'été”, then “Ma Philosophie”. The first single from “Ma Philosophie”, which the singer recorded together with the French rap artist Diam’s, became platinum and remained in the first position in French for 6 weeks after its release chart. In 2006, at the Victoires de la musique award ceremony, Amel was recognized as “Discovery of the Year.” Amel continues to perform a lot and has even gone on tour in Russia, although today the singer has temporarily suspended her activities - Amel got married and gave birth. daughter.
Isabelle Marie-Anne de Truchy de Varenne was born in the suburbs of Paris. For her thirst for adventure and restlessness, her mother gave her a nickname - Zazi, that was the name of the heroine of one of her favorite books, “Zazi in the Subway.” She wanted to be a writer, filmmaker, fashion model or writer, but fate led her to music.
Zazi has several successful albums, prestigious prizes and awards, and, despite a solid seniority, which is still the love of the public.
Mylene Farmer
This name is probably familiar to every music lover. And the question here is not a love for French music specifically, but for music in general, because what Mylène Farmer creates is difficult to fit into any framework, one can only admire it. Mylene Farmer has been on stage for a long time, her experience deserves respect. Few people stay that long, even in France, where stability is valued above all else. Farmer was born in Canada in 1961, then moved with her parents to France. It was in her homeland that Milen realized that she only wanted to be an actress! It’s true that everything didn’t work out from the very beginning - the poor thing was not taken to the theater or to the cinema. However, she managed to star in several commercials.
A chance meeting with the composer and poet Jerome Dahan turned her whole life upside down. The songs performed by Mylene conquered the whole of France, and then the planet. In addition, Mylene also became famous for her videos, each of which is more like a skillfully shot short film. Today, Farmer continues to sing, record songs, and, oddly enough, remain a favorite among the French, despite the fact that local music lovers have a rather biased attitude towards “their own”.
Lara Fabian
Despite the fact that we traditionally consider Fabian French singer, it has the most indirect relation to France. Lara was born in Belgium to a Fleming father and a Sicilian mother, where she first captivated the public with her voice, and then moved to Canada. Today Fabian enters Europe a lot, in his arsenal he speaks English and Italian, but most of the songs are still recorded in his native French. Since 2000, the singer began to appear on television screens in France with enviable regularity. The girl takes part in different programs. At the same time, her albums are selling at incredible speed - 5 million copies in a few months.
Following Celine Dion, Isabelle Boulet and Lara Fabian, the new star. Although young talent was found in Canada, for Europe such a bright take-off could not go unnoticed: in 2001, Natasha was given an unprecedented honor - she had an almost unique opportunity to represent France at Eurovision with the song “Je n"ai que mon âme” (“I only have my soul"), authored by Robber Goldman (brother of Jean-Jacques Goldman). She only took fourth place, but won the hearts of all the French.
By 2003, Natasha Saint-Pierre confidently won the status of a French song star. She gave solo concerts, won one competition after another, and in general, it must be said, she moved so rapidly to the top of Olympus that other, much more seasoned performers could only envy her. Natasha was offered cooperation by Garou himself, who organized a European tour for her, then she recorded several successful albums under the guidance of older French comrades.
Glory passes and today's pop stars, which are at the peak of their popularity, will go into circulation tomorrow. Singers and female singers, both foreign pop stars, and Russian ones, are doing everything possible to remain famous for a long time. Popularity ensures scandalousness, shockingness, the ability to amaze and stand out from the rest. However, just as all rules have an exception, so on the stage there are several stars who managed to remain in the hearts of the public forever, and not thanks to their scandalous stories and antics, but solely because of their unusual voice.
Gentleman's voice
The attractive voice of a real man, who will forever remain in the hearts of millions of women around the world, is the voice of Frank Sinatra, whose star rose to the firmament back in 1940. Today, when you mention the phrase pop stars associations arise with masquerade and tinsel played out in front of the public on stage. The singer does not sing, but plays. Frank Sinatra, whom many music critics belongs to popular culture and music, did not act on stage, but sang, and sang with an amazing, alluring voice. The secret of the incredible attractiveness of his voice is the way he sings with pent-up passion, ready to burst out for the sake of one and only one.
The only Frankie
It is paradoxical that Frank Sinatra’s voice created the image of a gentleman in the minds of all women, because his personal life was not at all exemplary. Frank Sinatra was a ladies' man. Women inspired him to new sounds and words. This may go some way to justifying the fickle nature of the '50s pop star. But Sinatra really sang for one, the one he always loved. Even mega pop stars can love. Frankie's lover was actress Ava Gardner, whose romance was swift, stormy and painful at the same time. After the breakup, the actress retired, and Frank Sinatra continued to look for inspiration similar to Ava Gardner.
Sexy wheezing
Hoarseness in the voice usually occurs when a person experiences strong excitement. Exactly because of this reason pop stars males with a hoarse voice will always be popular. The actor expresses the sincerity of his feelings with his acting, and the singer with his voice. Wheezing speaks of passion, raging feelings; the singer seems to be experiencing what he is singing about. Among the pop stars there are few singers with such characteristic feature in their voice - it is possible that this gives them an advantage over their competitors. An unusual voice combined with beautiful music and words is the key to success that will last forever. Such singers include Adriano Celentano, Toto Cutugno and Garu
Hero of Notre-Dame de Paris
French-Canadian singer Garou became popular after performing the song Bell from the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. 
There is an amazing hoarseness in his voice, which fully reflected the image of Quasimodo and merged the singer with him. The Garou is not a hero-lover, but a sufferer, an outcast. It must be admitted that to some extent this dramatic hoarseness in the voice is enhanced by the French language. If you compare his songs in French and English language, then the difference in performance will become, if not obvious, then noticeable. Of course, a person's voice changes with age, but be that as it may, the Garou's wheeze is a gift.
Adriano Celentano
Many people remember Adriano Celentano as an actor, not a singer. Although Celentano began his career as pop singer. In contrast to the melodramatic notes in Garou's voice, godfather Italian stage, the wheeze speaks of the audacity of character, that this person is capable of crazy things. For example, there is a well-known case from childhood when a little boy Adriano decided to express his attention to the girl he liked by standing on a chair and taking off his panties. There is fire in his voice, and if the flame of Frank Sinatra is cold, then the voice of Adriano Celentano burns.
