American Female Musicians

Widely regarded as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin was a singer-songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Aretha was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list in 2010. Having sold over 75 million records, she is also one of the best-selling musicians ever.

Stevie Nicks is a songwriter and vocalist with the British-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac. She also performs solo and is known for her unique voice. She has numerous hits to her credit and her records have sold in millions. She has won many awards, including the Grammy and was named one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time by the Rolling Stone magazine.

Carole King is an American singer-songwriter. As a songwriter, King has contributed immensely to the success of other singers and is widely regarded as one of the most successful female songwriters of the 20th century. In 2013, she became the first woman to be honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Multifaceted personality, Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, author and businesswoman and is known mainly for her work in country music. She has received various accolades and awards in her very successful singing career spanning several decades and has composed over 3,000 songs. She has also worked in several movies and is a prolific songwriter.

Loretta Lynn is an American singer known for her groundbreaking contribution to country music. In a career spanning six decades, she has released multiple gold albums and has won Grammy Award thrice. Apart from being the most decorated female country singer, Loretta is also the only female Academy of Country Music (ACM) Artist of the Decade (the 1970s).

A young singer and songwriter who rose to international fame while still in her teens, Billie Eilish is blessed with a soprano vocal range and an ethereal voice. Already the recipient of numerous accolades, including five Grammy awards, she was named in Time magazine’s  inaugural "Time 100 Next" list in 2019.

Popular singer and songwriter, Lady Gaga has been active in the music industry since her teens. One of the world's best-selling music artists, she is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. A versatile performer, she is known for her consistent image reinventions in music. She is actively involved in philanthropy and social activism.

Known for her five-octave vocal range and melismatic singing style, singer-songwriter Mariah Carey is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She holds the record for the most number-one singles by a solo artist and a female songwriter. She was ranked second on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music in 2012. 

Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has been active in the music industry since the mid-1990s. Her debut album was a super hit and earned her five Grammy Awards. She is one of the best-selling artists in the United States and has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. She is also known for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism.

Known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time and has had a very long and successful career. Let's Stay Together, What's Love Got to Do with It, Private Dancer and Golden Eye are some of her chartbuster songs. She is also a songwriter and has acted in films too.

Internationally recognised American singer, songwriter and actress, Britney Spears entered the entertainment industry at an early age and later became highly successful as a solo artist with her albums, Baby One More Time, and Oops!…I Did It Again. The Princess of Pop has since released a number of albums and dabbled with acting. Her personal life has also garnered frequent media attention.

Pink is an American singer-songwriter known for her acrobatic stage presence and raspy voice. Having sold more than 90 million records worldwide, Pink is one of the best-selling musicians in the world. A recipient of several prestigious awards, Pink was named in VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list. Her work has inspired many other artists like Taylor Swift.

American pop and country music singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift is a multiple Grammy award winning artist who has inspired a number of hopeful musicians. A talented artist since a young age, she achieved success with her first single and debut album in 2006. Since then, the Fearless star has not looked back and also made her acting debut in 2009.

Often called the Queen of Pop, Madonna is considered one of the most popular and influential personalities in popular culture. Having sold more than 300 million records, she is the best-selling female musician of all time. Often featured in lists like the Greatest Artists of All Time, Madonna serves as an inspiration to many musicians, singers, and songwriters.

With several prestigious honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, under her belt, Diana Ross is one of the most popular and influential singers of all time. In 1976, Billboard named her the Female Entertainer of the Century. She has influenced popular artists like Madonna, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson.

Regarded as the personification of the perfect pop star, Kelly Clarkson is a product of American Idol. After winning the competition, she went on to become a popular star and was named in VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list. She has also inspired other popular musicians, such as Kelsea Ballerini and Demi Lovato. Kelly is also a well-known philanthropist.

Having sold more than 75 million records worldwide, Christina Aguilera is one of the best-selling music artists of the current generation. In 2008, she was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list. In 2013, she was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list.

Singer and rapper, Doja Cat, is best known for the music video for her song Mooo!, which went viral in 2018 and made her an international sensation. She subsequently went on to become a social media celebrity with millions of followers across platforms. She often kindles controversies because of her social media comments on sensitive issues.

Patti Smith is an American singer-songwriter. Referred to as the punk poet laureate, Smith became an influential figure of the punk rock movement with the release of her album Horses. Many world-renowned musicians, such as Madonna and Michael Stipe, have cited Smith as their inspiration. Even actresses like Ellen Page and Maria Doyle Kennedy have called Smith a major influence.

Amongst the most influential female rap artists of all time and one of the bestselling artists, Nicki Minaj came to limelight after her collaborations with Dirty Money Record and Young Money Entertainment. With subsequent release of her four albums, Minaj firmly established herself as a chart-topping artist. The Queen of Rap has also dabbled in acting and ventured into business.

Mandy Moore is a popular singer, songwriter, and actress who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Apart from her entertainment career, Moore is a known philanthropist who endorses the philosophy of effective altruism. In 2017, she was an active participant at the Los Angeles Women's March.

Queen Latifah is an American musician and actress whose song U.N.I.T.Y. played a major role in raising awareness about women's rights worldwide. Dubbed Queen of Jazz-Rap, Latifah has influenced several soul, R&B, and hip-hop artists like Remy Ma, Lil' Kim, Ivy Queen, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and Eve among other artists. As an actress, Latifah has won several prestigious awards.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Nina Simone was a pioneering recording artist whose career was characterized by improvisational genius and fits of outrage. Nina continues to be an important musician and has influenced several artists like Elton John, Adele, David Bowie, Madonna, and Aretha Franklin. She was also a civil rights activist.

Alanis Morisette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress. Renowned for her mezzo-soprano voice, Morisette has been named by Rolling Stone as the Queen of Alt-Rock Angst. A recipient of 13 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, Morisette has released several successful albums, including Jagged Little Pill, which was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

The only child of the legendary singer and musician, Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley fought her addiction with drugs during her teens and later launched herself as singer-songwriter with her debut album To Whom It May Concern. It was followed by two more commercially and critically successful albums. Lisa Marie Presley has also earned appreciation for her numerous philanthropic work.

A Radio Disney Music Award winner, Sabrina Carpenter is a popular actress and singer. After finishing third in a singing contest called The Next Miley Cyrus Project, Sabrina landed acting roles before launching her music career. Although described as a teen pop singer, she has explored various other genres, such as country, folk pop, and acoustic.

One half of the popular musical duo The Carpenters, Karen Carpenter was an American drummer and singer. Her death at age 32 and life-long struggles with eating disorders led to increased awareness of conditions like anorexia and body dysmorphia, which were little-known at the time. In 2010, Carpenter was named on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers of all time list.

The singer of chartbuster songs like The Boy Is Mine, I Wanna be Down and Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy Norwood is known for her raspy and husky voice. Most of her songs are about love, relationships and heartache. She was involved in a car accident in 2006, leading to multiple lawsuits, which were eventually settled out of court.

Taylor Momsen is an American model, singer-songwriter, and former actress. She started her career as a child actress and became famous for playing Cindy Lou Who in the comedy film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She then quit acting to focus on music; over the years, she has been contributing to the success of the rock band The Pretty Reckless.

Joan Jett, also known as The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, is the frontwoman of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, best known for their rendition of the Arrows song I Love Rock 'n Roll, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Jett also released the hit Cherry Bomb with the Runaways. 

Tori Kelly was initially spotted on Star Search and won America's Most Talented Kid. She failed to make it to the "Top 24" of American Idol but later released Billboard Hot 100-charting singles such as Nobody Love. The two-time Grammy-winner has also voiced Meena in Sing and its sequel.

Two-time Grammy-winning country singer Miranda Lambert is known for her hit album Platinum and the track Automatic. She was placed third in the singing contest Nashville Star. She has won more Academy of Country Music Awards than any artist. Her organization MuttNation Foundation works for rehabilitation of rescue animals.

JoJo is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. A child prodigy, JoJo released her self-titled debut studio album at the age of 13. Subsequently, the album peaked at number four on Billboard 200 and has sold more than four million copies to date. She has also been headlining several tours, apart from releasing albums.

Courtney Love is an American singer-songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the alternative rock and grunge music scenes of the last three decades. Known for her distinctive style and confrontational lyrics, Love has been a major influence on aspiring female rock musicians across the world. She is also an ardent supporter of LGBT rights.

Mary J. Blige is a popular singer-songwriter and actress. Having sold 80 million records worldwide, she is one of the best-selling female artists of all time. Referred to as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary is credited with influencing the fusion of R&B and hip hop. She often gets featured in lists like The 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Sheryl Crow is an American musician, actress, and singer-songwriter. Over the years, Crow has contributed to several film soundtracks, including the iconic theme song for the popular James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. After being diagnosed with intraductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer, Sheryl Crow opened the Sheryl Crow Imaging Center by joining hands with her surgeon Kristi Funk.

Jessica Simpson is an American singer, fashion designer, and actress. Her journey from being a teen idol to a sex symbol has been quite inspirational so far. Also a well-known philanthropist, Jessica Simpson has worked with several nonprofit organizations, such as Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has also performed at many benefit concerts.

Emily Osment is an American actress and singer-songwriter. After starting her career as a child artist, Osment went on to establish herself as a successful adult actress. Apart from being an actor and singer, Osment has had an impact as a philanthropist over the years; she works with organizations that educate children about the importance of caring for the environment.