Favorite Female Singer of the 70s - Revised

Joni is número uno.

 

Annie Haslam

 

Between Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt. Mitchell's '70s out put is more consistently excellent, so Mitchell it is.

 

Chaka Khan. Great voice.

 

Who else but Joni?

 

God I love her voice.

Joni Mitchell here.

 

From that list, either Diana Ross or Donna Summer. I'd add Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson to that list as well.

Dionne, while she had a few hits in the 70's, I think of her more as 60's singer.

 

Not very interested in any of them. Went with Donna Summer because she's the only one who released any music I own and kinda enjoy. (Loved the Supremes - don't care for solo Diana Ross...)

 

Aretha Franklin

But I happily voted for Ronstadt.

 

Donna all the way!

 

Joni with Dionne Warwick second.

 

Many people have mentioned several singers who they feel should have been added... Patti Smith, Linda Thompson, Kate Bush, Annie Haslam.

My guide in making these choices was the U.S. Billboard charts. These female singers were the most popular in their respective genres throughout the 70's.

this poll isn't so much about singer/songwriters who were influential but more so about popular singers of the era.

Singers such as Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin had their prime in the 60's - but were also leading ladies throughout the 70's.

 

Ann Wilson
Linda Ronstadt
Gladys Knight

 

Linda Ronstadt!!!

 

Going with the Queen of Disco - Donna here.

 

Poly Styrene?

Based on the available options, I voted for Donna Summer.

 

Carole King

 

A tough list. Carole King is a better song writer than a vocalist (although I like her voice too).

I went with Karen Carpenter over Linda Ronstadt and Joni. I was tempted to vote for Chaka!

 

Toni Tennille makes the list, Stevie Nicks doesn't.

Regardless, I'll go with Karen Carpenter. Karen's voice is sublime.

 

I think the list was oriented toward singers who were solo or in duos, not those in bands...

 

Then it shouldn't be "favorite" female singer, but "most popular". I don't let Billboard make my music choices for me. Aretha Franklin's work in the early 70s is some of the most beautiful and nuanced of her career. And if you must be beholden to the charts, she hit with Bridge over Troubled Water, Spanish Harlem, Rock Steady, Day Dreaming, Angel, and Until You Come Back to Me in the 1970s. Those are a lot more hits than Joni Mitchell has had in her entire career.

Flawed poll, so I'm not voting, but if I could I would vote for Aretha, with Gladys Knight, Karen Carpenter, Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, and Barbra Streisand close behind.

 

They all suck!!!

 

Yeah, if I could picture Joni Mitchell having done her songs as though they were written by other people, she wouldn't be my favorite singer. From that list don't know who else, though, I don't like most of them. Linda R. was in some sense a better singer, and Anne Murray had a nice voice even if her material was often incredibly boring...

Babs? Are you here? What did you record in the 70's?

 

Gladys Knight

 

Where is Stevie Nicks?? She gets my vote all the way