A poll to see what org members think about these 3 awesome artists. Because I am a fan of all 3, I will not vote. Poll Link:

http://www.cs.cornell.edu...ed58678327

All three have their own flair but I'd pick Chaka with Gladys at a close second. I can take Patti's histronics only so much.

I love them all but I choose Patti.

My favorites from all of them:

IMHO, Patti never came this close to greatness than here:

Arguably the greatest track of her recording career solo-wise (nothing tops "Lady Marmalade" overall though).

Gladys' best song to date was:

Chaka's best song to me was:

forgot one more Gladys vid:

missfee said:

forgot one more Gladys vid:

I'm mad they didn't do a video to this:

This might be my #2 favorite Gladys track... the synths, the strings, her voice and the Pips of course.

Patti and Gladys voices are amazing but all things considered, i pick Chaka.

[Edited 11/30/11 21:23pm]

Chaka isn't even in the same ballpark.

1. Patti

2. Gladys

3. Chaka

For myself, it's really Chaka VS. Patti.

Vocally it's Gladys by a long way for me. She sings instead of squeaks.

I'm a fan of all three, but it's Chaka for me. I enjoy her music, song selections, & voice more than the others.

MadamGoodnight said:

I'm a fan of all three, but it's Chaka for me. I enjoy her music, song selections, & voice more than the others.

Right she's more diverse to me.

I wonder who would win in a screaming match between Chaka and Patti?

Terrib3Towel said:

I wonder who would win in a screaming match between Chaka and Patti?

Chaka if Patti doesn't miss throwing that shoe at her but Chaka's hair will get in the way.

Timmy84 said:

All three have their own flair but I'd pick Chaka with Gladys at a close second. I can take Patti's histronics only so much.

^^^THIS^^^

We saw Chaka Monday night and she's still got it. Those ear-piercing notes came so effortlessly. It was amazing. My ears are still bleeding.

johnart said:

Timmy84 said:

All three have their own flair but I'd pick Chaka with Gladys at a close second. I can take Patti's histronics only so much.

^^^THIS^^^

We saw Chaka Monday night and she's still got it. Those ear-piercing notes came so effortlessly. It was amazing. My ears are still bleeding.

Ha glad you went to see her. @ "my ears are still bleeding". Least you didn't get a shoe or a mic stand thrown at your direction lol j/k

I vote for Gladys. She is an under rated, singer. As Timmy said, I can only stomach Patti's antics, but so much and Chaka does not move me, anymore...

Chaka is a Goddess to me. Patti would come in a close second. Never been a huge fan of Gladys'. I like a few songs but she's never touched my soul like Chaka and Patti have.

More interesting, more versatile, more soulful,,,,Chaka in a nutshell.

Those other two are great, but their material is proper for my taste. Beside, Chaka came out with a vengance in a musical world that was almost exclusively male dominated; funk music.

First, Patti isn't even on the same level as Gladys and Chaka when it comes to cultural and career impact. I don't know why she keeps getting lumped in with true "successful" trailblazers like Gladys, Diana Ross and Aretha. Sure she was around at the beginning but she didn't break till the late 70's after G, D and R made themselves legends.

Chaka is one of those 70's babies who blew up and had successes in the 70's and 80's that Patti could only dream up.

Yet----if we are talking vocals and vocals alone? Well, uhhh...give me Chaka first, Glady's next and I enjoy Lulabelle in small doses, an occassional Sesame Street clip, a song on the radio, a performance at an awards show. Anything beyond that and I am reaching for the remote, radio, computer.

Is it wrong that I clicked on this thread thinking it would be one of those Patti beef clips from youtube with a special appearance from Whitney Houston?

aardvark15 said:

A poll to see what org members think about these 3 awesome artists. Because I am a fan of all 3, I will not vote. Poll Link:

http://www.cs.cornell.edu...ed58678327

I've got to give it to Gladys and I LOVES LOVES LOVES me some Patti but Gladys's music and her voice just seem more home grown and heart felt to me if that makes any sense. There is more relatability to Gladys. Patti is a church singer hands down which is cool but Gladys has that girl next door vibe and her songs are certainly more romantic IMO. Chaka is a cultural type of chick...kind of like yesteryear's Eryka Badu. She has that church voice like Patti and that natural beauty like Gladys but her music and sound is not as global as Gladys and Patti- it doesn't resonate with all age groups. There are also people who would say Chaka's voice and style is overrated or they think she hasn't had as strong an impact on music etc but you would hardly hear those same comments toward Patti and not AT ALL toward Gladys.

So...

#1 Gladys

#2 Patti

#3 Chaka

Ottensen said:

Is it wrong that I clicked on this thread thinking it would be one of those Patti beef clips from youtube with a special appearance from Whitney Houston?

I those videos! Maya Angelou is the best!

I think Patti's impact is actually grossly overstated and Chaka's and Gladys is underrated to me. Especially Gladys. She only had six songs I can consider classic ("Lady Marmalade", "You Are My Friend" - though that one wasn't even a big hit at all, "If Only You Knew", "Love, Need & Want You", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude"). Whereas Gladys and Chaka had hits out the ass. I don't know how one day it was accepted that Patti's legacy was bigger than what it really was. I investigated her catalog, I was left real disappointed.

[Edited 12/1/11 14:24pm]

Timmy84 said:

I think Patti's impact is actually grossly overstated and Chaka's and Gladys is underrated to me. Especially Gladys. She only had six songs I can consider classic ("Lady Marmalade", "You Are My Friend" - though that one wasn't even a big hit at all, "If Only You Knew", "Love, Need & Want You", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude"). Whereas Gladys and Chaka had hits out the ass. I don't know how one day it was accepted that Patti's legacy was bigger than what it really was. I investigated her catalog, I was left real disappointed.

[Edited 12/1/11 14:24pm]

I will say some of Chaka's better stuff wasn't released as singles

aardvark15 said:

Timmy84 said:

I think Patti's impact is actually grossly overstated and Chaka's and Gladys is underrated to me. Especially Gladys. She only had six songs I can consider classic ("Lady Marmalade", "You Are My Friend" - though that one wasn't even a big hit at all, "If Only You Knew", "Love, Need & Want You", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude"). Whereas Gladys and Chaka had hits out the ass. I don't know how one day it was accepted that Patti's legacy was bigger than what it really was. I investigated her catalog, I was left real disappointed.

[Edited 12/1/11 14:24pm]

I will say some of Chaka's better stuff wasn't released as singles

She has some TIGHT album cuts! Oh my God, I consider her debut album one of the best albums of all time based on these songs ("Roll Me Through the Rushes", "Some Love" - which Ari Up covered a few years before her death, "A Woman in a Man's World", "Sleep On It", etc.) I feel "Life is a Dance" should be a bigger hit than what it was! And don't get me started on her Rufus-fronted cuts like this gem:

Amazed that Chaka was only 20 when she did "Smokin' Room" and "Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe". I consider her in the same class as Aretha and Tina as far as raw talent/powerful vocalizing, etc, without acting like she was always in the church. I consider Chaka a soul singer with a rock and roll voice. Something Patti had tried to do but failed (but JET called her the Queen of Rock and Soul lol, but maybe that was because of Labelle).

Gladys.

The other two have a propensity for bleating like goats in heat.

I love all three but...

Gladys

Chaka

Patti

I agree with the inflated Patti hype in regards to her career. Her career was practically non existent in the 60's and even in the 70's outside of "Lady Marmalade". As a solo artist she struggled in the beginning as well but definitely scored some R&B hits in the 80's. Patti's claim to fame were her over the top jaw dropping performances and her personality, not so much her impact in music. I don't even hear a lot of new singers trying to sound like her, they just admire her. Gladys and the Pips were knocking out a string of hits in the 60's and 70's, winning Grammy's, AMA's and even had some success in the 80's. There's a reason out of all the black female singers, Gladys is the one Aretha had the most problems with. It's because back in the day, while Aretha was knocking out hit after hit, she couldn't rest on her throne too long, bc Gladys was right behind her lol. But all three ladies are great, but if I had to pick, that's my rank.

jsluva said:

I love all three but...

Gladys

Chaka

Patti

I agree with the inflated Patti hype in regards to her career. Her career was practically non existent in the 60's and even in the 70's outside of "Lady Marmalade". As a solo artist she struggled in the beginning as well but definitely scored some R&B hits in the 80's. Patti's claim to fame were her over the top jaw dropping performances and her personality, not so much her impact in music. I don't even hear a lot of new singers trying to sound like her, they just admire her. Gladys and the Pips were knocking out a string of hits in the 60's and 70's, winning Grammy's, AMA's and even had some success in the 80's. There's a reason out of all the black female singers, Gladys is the one Aretha had the most problems with. It's because back in the day, while Aretha was knocking out hit after hit, she couldn't rest on her throne too long, bc Gladys was right behind her lol. But all three ladies are great, but if I had to pick, that's my rank.

Yeah that's why Gladys was called the Empress of Soul. The ladies of soul work like this:

Aretha, then Gladys, then Chaka...