I'm tired of reading about all these men so I'm starting a new thread, hey. And I think it will be a lot more interesting.

I'm also terrible at making these kinds of proclamations so here's my wild guess.


Bessie Smith
Oum Kalthoum
Edith Piaf
Billie Holiday
Aretha Franklin
Tina Turner
Janis Joplin
Joni Mitchell
Heart
Madonna

Feel free to correct me.

damn feminist

heartbeatocean said:

That's just the way society has been and how many female fans were responsible for making those men famous.


1. Carole King
2. Billy Holiday
3. Aretha Franklin
4. Supremes
5. Madonna
6. Joni Mitchell
7. Janis Joplin
8. Tina Turner
9. Whitney Houston
0. Kim Gordon

numbered by influence or presumed future influence on popular music
[Edited 2/6/05 22:15pm]

lilgish said:

Good list, but I think Chrissie Hynde needs to be in there somewhere.

How is Madonna influential ?
Surely her crappy music wasn't innovating
[Edited 2/6/05 22:40pm]

Dewrede said:

Been innovative and influential are two very different things, She has been one of the most influential female artist of the last 30 years, she opened the door for Britney, Janet, Ciarra, Ashanti, minimal talent big ambition

Axchi696 said:

Chrissie Hynde is a stepford wife compared to Patti Smith (who I love, but omitted)..plus the pretenders only had one great album..(the first one). I thought about chrissie, but Patti was more influential, but i couldn't find room for patti either..... Nico shoulda been large (drug fiend)

Dewrede said:

Being innovative doesn't make one necessarily influential.....otherwise Devo would be fucking huge and not just known for a video.

Dewrede said:

but it was influential, listen to crap on the radio or watch mtv.

Dewrede said:

Yes, but you like Norah Jones and Christina Aguilera, so obviously taste is subjective.

What about Nina Simone and Karen Carpenter?

BinaryJustin said:

Karen Carpenter influential?

Just because you sing Close to You while you shower doesn't make her influential

On the other hand, Kate Bush...

* Madonna
* Patsy Cline
* Aretha Franklin
* Emylou Harris
* Joni Mitchel
* Janet jackson
* June Carter
* Nina Simone
* Dolly Parton
* Diana Ross

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/131842


Perhaps not the most influential (Kylie?!!) but these were recently voted the public's favorite women.

At least in the UK.

Influential: One who has the power to affect people, things, or the course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort

Artist: A person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

Bessie Smith
Billie Holliday
Ella Fitzgerald
Marian Anderson
Aretha Franklin
Joni Mitchell
Edith Piaf
June Carter
Dolly Parton
Carole King

Oum Kalthoum - a good call; a giant in her society, but without being familiar with her genre of music, how can we judge her impact?


Of the others mentioned, genuinely artistic but less influential than the above:

Tina Turner
Kim Gordon
Patsy Cline
Nina Simone
Janis Joplin

Possibly influential but not that artistic:

Madonna
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Diana Ross
Heart

of course "madonna" is influential, she defined pop culture in the 80's!

jackflash said:

i like how you think....

waw2002 said:

i always find it funny that alot of times on this site people look down on anyone who doesn't write, produce, record, compose and perform every song on their album.

than when two highly influence women who write and produce their own tracks are ranked below people who just sing the songs.

It's time to step beyond the box and the image assocated with certain artists.

Well, I think art has to be creative.

So an artist must be a creator. Otherwise they're just performers.

Aretha Franklin
Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday
Patsy Cline
Tina Turner
Janis Joplin
Judy Garland
Madonna
Joni Mitchell
Chrissie Hynde

PANDURITO said:

an actor most of the times doesn't write his own material...I think performance can be an art as well, no?

anyways, I do appreciate artists who write, compose and perform more..

jackflash said:

Going by your definition of artist, I find it interesting that you label some people (Tina Turner, Patsy Cline, Aretha Franklin) as artists and others as not (Madonna, Janet Jackson). Now I'm not here to argue about the merits of either group of women, but I do find it interesting that someone who doesn't write her own materia can be considered an artist, whereas someone who has gone out of her way to expressly speak her mind through her work is considered "not that artistic".

Still don't see how acting and dancing
like a slut is seen as being influential ,
surely that was done before

Don't you think Stevie Nicks should be included?

kate bush has definitely been a hugely influential artist.

1. Aretha Franklin
2. Ella Fitzgerald
3. Sarah Vaughn
4. Bessie Smith
5. Billy Holiday
6. Tina Turner
7. Diana Ross/The Supremes
8. Chaka Khan
9. Janis Joplin
10. Madonna

Harlepolis said:

is this kim wayans?

dreamfactory313 said:

dreamfactory313 said: