Queens of Song: The Most Famous Female Singers of All Time

Women have played a crucial role in shaping the evolution of music. From the early blues and jazz divas to the reigning queens of pop and rock, these women have blessed us with their exceptional talents, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. Their powerful voices have resonated across generations, breaking barriers and setting new standards. In this guide, we will delve into the lives, careers, and unforgettable melodies of these iconic and famous female singers who have impacted the world of music.

Famous female singers

In the music industry, women have made significant contributions both as performers and behind the scenes. Famous female singers have excelled as composers, songwriters, instrumental performers, singers, and conductors, leaving their mark across various genres like blues, jazz, pop, and rock. For instance, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have had a profound impact on pop music.

Top 10 most famous female singers

Here are the top 10 famous female singers in the music industry are mentioned below:

Madonna

• Birth date and place: Madonna Louise Ciccone, known simply as Madonna, was born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan.
• Hit songs: Her debut single was “Everybody,” released on October 6, 1982. Some of her most popular songs include “Like a Virgin,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue,” “Take a Bow,” “Frozen,” “Music,” “Hung Up,” and “4 Minutes.”
• Highest-selling record: The highest-selling album by Madonna is “The Immaculate Collection”, which sold over 30,000,000 copies.
• Awards: Among the famous female singers, Madonna has won seven Grammy Awards out of 28 nominations. She has also won two Golden Globe Awards. In total, she has won 430 awards and received 817 nominations.
• Life journey: Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan, and lost her mother at a young age. She moved to New York City in the late 1970s to pursue a dance career. After performing with several rock groups, she signed with Sire Records. Her follow-up album “Like a Virgin” catapulted her to superstardom by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks, making her the Queen of Pop of the 20th century. Madonna’s career spans over four decades, during which she has continually reinvented herself, pushing the boundaries of music, fashion, and entertainment.

Céline Dion

• Birth date and place: Céline Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Ce n’était qu’un rêve,” which she wrote at the age of 12 with the help of her mother and her brother Jacques. Some of her most popular songs include “The Power of Love,” “Because You Loved Me,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,””I’m Your Angel,” “That’s the Way It Is,” “I’m Alive,” and her signature song “My Heart Will Go On.”
• Highest-selling record: The highest-selling album by Céline Dion is “Falling into You,” which sold over 32,000,000 copies.
• Awards: Céline Dion has won 5 Grammy Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 7 Billboard Music Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 20 Juno Awards, and 50 Felix Awards.
• Life journey: Céline Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, the youngest of 14 children. She began singing with her family when she was five years old. At age 12, she came to the attention of impresario René Angélil, who launched her career with the album “La Voix du bon Dieu” in 1981. Winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest gave her fame. Her debut English-language album, “Unison,” was released in 1990, establishing her as a viable pop artist primarily in North America and several English-speaking markets.
• Hailing from Canada, Céline Dion stands out as one of the famous female singers, celebrated for her powerful vocals and noteworthy contributions to the music industry.

Taylor Swift

• Birth date and place: Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Tim McGraw”. Taylor Swift has numerous hit songs. Some of them include “Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood,” “Look What You Made Me Do,” “Cruel Summer,” “Cardigan,” “Willow,” “Anti-Hero,” “All Too Well,” and “Is It Over Now?”.
• Highest-selling record: Her highest-selling record is the album “1989”, which sold over 14,748,116 copies.
• Awards: Taylor Swift has received numerous awards throughout her career. These include 12 Grammy Awards (with three for Album of the Year), 1 Primetime Emmy Award, 40 American Music Awards (including Artist of the Decade – 2010s), 23 MTV Video Music Awards, and 40 Billboard Music Awards.
• Life journey: Taylor Swift is one of today’s most famous female singers and successful artists. She was interested in music at an early age. At age 9, she started taking vocal and acting lessons in New York City and later shifted her focus toward country music, inspired by Shania Twain and Faith Hill. When she was 12, she learned to play guitar and began songwriting.
• At 14, she moved from Pennsylvania to Nashville, where she played her demo CD for anyone who would listen. Her persistence paid off—she was only 16 when “Tim McGraw” first hit the airwaves. Although she has been through many controversies, Taylor says her success comes from her determination to realize her dreams. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour ever and the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue.

Shakira

• Birth date and place: Shakira was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia.
• Hit songs: Shakira has numerous hit songs. Her debut song was “Magia”. Some of her other popular songs include “Whenever, Wherever, ” “Hips Don’t Lie,” “La Tortura,” “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” and “Can’t Remember to Forget You.”
• Highest-selling record: This famous female singer’s highest-selling record is the album “Laundry Service,” which sold over 13 million copies worldwide.
• Awards: Shakira has won numerous awards, including 3 Grammy Awards and 14 Latin Grammy Awards, making her the most-awarded Latin artist ever.
• Life journey: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, also known as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Shakira, who had a Lebanese father and a native Colombian mother, started belly dancing at an early age and, by age ten, had begun writing songs and participating in talent competitions. In 1990, a local theatre producer helped her get an audition with a Sony Corp. executive. She was then signed to a record deal.
• The sales of her first two records, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), could have been better. However, she rose to prominence in Latin America with her next albums, Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones?

Adele

• Birth date and place: Adele was born on May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, London, England.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Hometown Glory”. Some of her other popular songs include “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Skyfall,” and “Hello.”
• Highest-selling record: Her highest-selling record is the album “21,” which sold over 32 million copies worldwide.
• Awards: Adele has received numerous awards throughout her career. These include 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and 16 Grammy Awards.
• Life journey: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is a renowned English singer and songwriter known professionally as Adele. Adele grew up in working-class parts of London with a single mother. Since she was young, she liked singing modern pop music. Later, she became inspired by singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. At the age of 14, she considered a career in music while studying at the ‘BRIT School.’ Her flair for music eventually caught the attention of record labels, and after passing out, she signed a contract with XL Recordings.

Mariah Carey

• Birth date and place: Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1969, in Huntington, New York.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Vision of Love,” which topped the charts in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Some of her other hit songs include “Hero,” “Fantasy,” “Always Be My Baby,” and “One Sweet Day,” among others.
• Highest-selling record: Her most successful studio album to date is “Music Box,” which was certified Diamond in the United States and topped the charts in many countries around the world. “Music Box” is one of her best-selling albums, with over 28 million copies sold.
• Awards: Throughout her career, Mariah Carey has won 5 Grammy Awards, 19 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 10 American Music Awards.
• Life journey: Mariah Carey began performing as a child, often imitating her mother’s opera singing. After graduating from high school in Greenlawn, New York, in 1987, she moved to New York City to pursue a singing career. She made a demo tape that led Tommy Mottola, an executive at Columbia Records, to sign her in 1988.
• Her self-titled debut album, released in 1990, showcased her incredible vocal range and blended several musical genres, including gospel, pop, rhythm, and blues (R&B). It was a huge success, and in 1991, Carey won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocalist.

Cher

• Birth date and place: Cher was born on May 20, 1946, in El Centro, California, U.S.
• Hit songs: Making place among famous female singers, her debut song was “Ringo, I Love You,” which Cher recorded under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. Some of her other popular songs include “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves,” “Half-Breed,” “Dark Lady,” “Believe,” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
• Highest-selling record: Her highest-selling record is the album “Believe”, which sold over 20,000,000 copies.
• Awards: Cher has received numerous awards throughout her career. These include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
• Life journey: Cher was born to the southern beauty Georgia Holt, a bohemian actor/singer-songwriter. Cher rose to fame in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher before launching a successful six-decade-long solo career. She has been hailed as the embodiment of female autonomy in a male-dominated sector.

Whitney Houston

• Birth date and place: Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “You Give Good Love,” released as the lead single from her debut album, Whitney Houston, in 1985. Some of her hit songs include “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
• Highest-selling record: Whitney Houston’s best-selling album is “The Bodyguard (Soundtrack),” which sold over 45,000,000 copies.
• Awards: Whitney Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time, with more than 400 career awards. She won 6 GRAMMY Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, two Emmy Awards, and 30 Guinness World Records.
• Life journey: Houston started singing in church when she was a child. Before graduating high school, she posed for fashion magazines and sang backup for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. When she was 19, she signed with Arista Records. Clive Davis, the head of the label, helped the gospel singer become a crossover pop star. Three of her songs from her first album, Whitney Houston (1985), went to number one in the U.S. Houston married singer Bobby Brown in 1992, and her first movie role was in The Bodyguard.

Beyoncé

• Birth date and place: Beyoncé was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Crazy in Love”. Some of her popular songs include “Baby Boy”, “Irreplaceable”, “If I Were a Boy”, “Halo”, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, “Drunk in Love”, and “Cuff It”.
• Highest-selling record: Her highest-selling record is the album “Dangerously in Love,” which sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
• Awards: Beyoncé has received numerous awards, including 32 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards, 24 NAACP Image Awards, 35 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards.
• Life journey: Professionally known as Beyoncé, her full name is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter.
• Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In the late 1990s, Queen B rose to fame as a member of the R&B girl band group Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling girl band groups ever. Their separation witnessed the rise of Beyoncé’s debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003). She followed with the U.S. number-one solo album B’Day (2006), I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008), and 4 (2011). Beyoncé got praise for her experimental visual records Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), which explored ideas like feminism. She did this after starting her own management company called Parkwood Entertainment.

Rihanna

• Birth date and place: Rihanna was born on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados.
• Hit songs: Her debut song was “Pon de Replay.” Some of her other popular songs include “SOS,” “Umbrella,” “Don’t Stop the Music,” “Rude Boy,” “Only Girl (In the World),” “We Found Love,” and “Diamonds.”
• Highest-selling record: Making place amongst the famous female singers, her highest-selling record is the album “Good Girl Gone Bad,” which sold over 10,854,803 copies.
• Awards: Rihanna’s awards include 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 5 World Music Awards, and 6 Guinness World Records.
• Life journey: Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Rihanna embarked on her singing journey by exploring her neighborhood as a child, using music to express her observations about her surroundings. Facing challenges such as her father’s alcoholism and domestic abuse at home, she found solace in singing as a means of release.
• At the age of 15, Rihanna formed a girl gang with two classmates. Seizing an opportunity, they auditioned for music producer Evan Rodgers, who was visiting the island with his Barbadian wife. Rihanna’s debut single, “Pon de Replay,” garnered significant acclaim, winning five awards. This success set the stage for further recognition with her debut album, “Music of the Sun” (2005). Her second album, “A Girl Like Me” (2006), continued to elevate Rihanna’s career, earning her additional awards and nominations.