A few of my top picks:
(Note: I dig grrrrls)
Joan Jett
Chrissie Hynde (of Pretenders fame)
Shirley Manson from Garbage
Toni Halliday of Curve
PJ Harvey
My picks
Annie Halsam - Renaissance
Margo Timmins - Cowboy Junkies
Lori Carson - solo and The Golden Palominos
Shirley Manson - Garbage
Anneke van Giersbergen - The Gathering
Diana Krall (she melts me)
Lavay Smith (of Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers)
Ingrid Lucia (of The Flying Neutrinos)
Joey Lauren Adams (The song she sang in Chasing Amy)
Maria Doyle Kennedy (Singer with The Commitments)
Fiona Apple. Mmmmmmmmm, Fiona…
Well, not in action anymore, but Grace Slick…
Ann Wilson (Heart)
Shirley Bassey (“Goldfingaaaahh…”)
Marlena Dietrich
Tori Amos
Kate Bush
Natalie Merchant
Tracy Thorn (from Everything But The Girl)
Durga McBroom (an old backup singer for Pink Floyd)
Wassername from the Cranberries?
Sarah McLachlan
The lead singer of the Cranberries (I don’t know her name)
Janet Jackson, when she wants to actually sing.
Lauryn Hill, see above. (The Fugees’ version of “Killing Me Softly” is AMAZING.)
Diana Ross in her days with the Supremes.
Tina Turner.
A majority of these are black. Hmm. Interesting.
ani difranco.
Her name’s Dolores O’Riordan.
Tori Amos.
I also have a thing for Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth…
Eartha Kitt! That woman can grrrrowl!
Trisha Yearwood.
She makes angels jealous.
Cilette Swann - Gypsy Soul
Rosanne Cash
Chrissie Hynde
…and this one’s a little gooey, but:
Susanna Hoffs - the Bangles
Sarah McLachlan–no competition.
Brigitte Bardot
Nancy Sinatra
Bjork
PJ Harvey
Emmylou Harris (favourite duet singer)
It sounds cliche, but ANY woman who is singing directly to me. I find that to be the sexiest, most enthralling thing in the world.
Debbie Harry. Nobody else was close. Ever.
-LabRat