# Strong female singing voices **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833 "2005-02-19T02:28:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mbacko1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@mbacko1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbacko1)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/21 "2005-02-21T10:15:16Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > In the live arena, **Heart** (I forget which is usually the lead singer) has a very powerful, penetrating voice that nonetheless does not devolve into shrill screaming. But it doesn’t come across as well on their albums. That would be Anne Wilson. I would consider her one of the most powerful female vocalists in rock. Annie Lenox would fall into that category for me as well. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/22 "2005-02-21T10:57:45Z")
Paula Cole has the most impressive voice I have come across for a while. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![satogata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@satogata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satogata)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/23 "2005-02-21T12:31:31Z")
Speaking of operatic musical voices, Mary Fahl’s voice is amazing, particularly on the first (eponymous) October Project album. She left after the second album and put out a few passable solo albums, but I’d highly recommend the first album (with “Return To Me”) as an alternative/gothic example of this type of voice topped off with terrific writing. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/24 "2005-02-21T12:46:45Z")
Amanda Marshall and Jann Arden spring to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/25 "2005-02-21T12:48:19Z")
So, given that there are a bunch of Nightwish fans running around this thread, I thought y’all might be interested in the pix my friend **sharq** took of them. You can find them posted [here](http://www.photoboxgallery.com/photocritic/1223343). He’s actually just now trying to do photography as more than a hobby, so if you dig his pictures, go visit his [LiveJournal](http://www.livejournal.com/users/sharq/87752.html#cutid1) and let him know. He could use the ego boost. And of course, given the happy synchronicity of hearing so much about them in the last week (after never having heard of them at all), I’m now going to dig around on Amazon for a CD by Nightwish. If they’ve got more than one, I’d appreciate recommendations – I’m a fan of bands like Zeppelin, Phish, Eddie from Ohio, Barenaked Ladies, and REM, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/26 "2005-02-21T14:06:01Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned Bjork yet? I love her voice. She can be soft on some songs and really belt it out with others. Good call. I’d also recommend getting hold of albums by an Australian band called George. The two lead singers Katie and Ty Noonan(who alternate) are brother and sister, and both have amazing voices with Katie being operatically trained. Their mum is actually a well respected opera singer. I always rank Katie as being quite possibly the most perfect voice I know of. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833/27 "2005-02-21T14:16:45Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I recently saw the new musical version of Little Women. Sutton Foster stars as Jo and let me just say. > > DAMN THAT GIRL CAN SING. The closing number of the first act she finally gets to cut loose and knock some people’s heads off. She is also very funny. > > I believe that song is called Astonishing. > > I also saw Betty (what’s her name, she played the mom on 8 is Enough) perform in Sunset Blvd. It was truely amazing the power in her voice. Betty Buckley. And she can sing. Bebe Neuwirth is another sitcom star who can belt it out. Get the Chicago cast CD. She won a Tony for the role. And Sutton is damn good. You should also listen to her brother Hunter Foster. What a talented set of siblings. I want them to do something together. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strong-female-singing-voices/290833.md?page=1)