Best Female Voice in the History of Rock

Anne Wilson of the Rock band, Heart

Would love to talk a lot about this lady, but truth be told I never got into Heart's music as a kid.  Also, after reading her story, there's NOTHING I want to talk about her.

But in listening to Heart's music -- which really spanned from 1976-1993, this lady: Anne Wilson, really proved she was talented vocally.  So much so that after consideration I've tabbed Anne Wilson as the best female voice in the history of rock.   

(slightly >) Christie McVie of Fleetwood Mac, I really did love her voice 

> Anne Lennox of Eurthmics 

> Belinda Carslile, who had the best happy music of any performer, just didn't have the vocal raw goods

> Tina Turner, who definitely deserves an honorable mention!

> Adele, who was more opraetic than a rocker.

>> Chrissy Hydnie of The Pretenders fame

>> Madona the material girl who actually did show signs of having a good voice in the 90s

>> Cheryl Crow, who was probably a better overall performer: singer/lyrics/music videos; but never blew me away with her vocals

>> Pat Benetar of early 1980s fame

>> Shena Easton who was fairly popular in the 1980s

> Deborah Harry of Blondie fame

> Gwen Steffani, who may have rank higher if she didn't do such shitty music with No Doubt

>>> Joan Jett, who really had a lousy voice

>>> Stevie Nicks who always sounds slurred when she sang.  Most overrated performer of all-time, imo.  Totally outshined vocally by Chritine McVie -- who was also in Fleetwood Mac

>> Alanis Morrisette of mid-1990s fame

And lastly...

>>> Taylor Swift who can't hold a candle to Anne Wilson from Heart

When talking about the music group Heart, a lot of people like to play up that it's headlined by two sister Anne and Nancy Wilson.  I could care less.  True Heart was definitely a rock back with headlined by two women, but I never got into Nancy's act.  

Maybe it's best to just enjoy the performer's art and delve too deeply into who they are personally.  I had read that Anne struggled with her weight for years and was abusing cocaine and alcohol until recent and the woman's in her 70s now!  #yikes !

Probably best to just sing along and enjoy the artistic talent she was blessed with.  Anne Wilson of Heart, best female rock vocalist of all time -- but not best overall female vocalist.  For when you consider Christian contemporary that opens up a slew of other female acts, one of which I featured on this blogsite a while back, and I'm talking Christine Dente from the Christian contemporary band, Out of the Grey; which had its run in the early to mid 1990s.  Since I could only find two music videos from Out of the Grey, and both of them were to lesser songs of theirs that I wasn't to high on.  Here's a reminder of what they were capable of and one my favorite Out of the Grey songs: 

Compare that to one of Anne Wilson better efforts here --

In the side-by-side comparison I'd go with the HEAVENLY voice of Christine Dente over the power rocker that Anne Wilson clearly was.  There is something about Christine's voice that is transcending.  I think she has the best voice of any woman EVER!  That's right even out of the limelight for sometime, Christine Dente put enough out there for all to consider, and during her reign she honored  Jesus Christ .  Something I don't think Anne Wilson, Taylor Swift, or even Adele can say they did  So in the end...

Heaven wins!

Did do a Google search to see what Christine's up to these days.  Turns out she's got a blog of her own: Christine Dente's blog.  I was reading a little bit about her and found out one of her kids is now 25 years old!  Wow, I remember at the end of one her concert sets where she said she and her husband Scott had to end their act so they could put their kids to bed.  That was back in the 1990s.  Foggy memory to recall, as I can only remember her saying that, then walking off stage.  But oh that voice!  Wish Christine Dente have recorded more music.  I find peace when she sings. 

Comments

[Maude]

Listened to Out of the Grey at your suggestion. I’ll be perfectly straight: I don’t find Contemporary Christian music to be my thing, and this group was no exception

Now I love gospel music from artists like Ray Charles, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and the like.. Additionally, expressing one’s faith through music is beautiful. Aesthetically, however, Christian pop/rock does nothing for me. Not enough artistic risks. It all sounds so… same-y to me. If it’s your thing, it’s your thing. No argument here.

Oh, last thought on Fiona Apple, then I promise to shut up about her:

Your distaste for her music’s production is understandable, but I feel like it deserves proper context. Apple is an alternative music artist, as in “alternative to the mainstream.” Her producer Jon Brion is known for composing the scores for indie films like Lady Bird and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Apple is more for fans of Bjork, not Taylor Swift. So… If what you listen to is on the radio, it’s gonna be a shock to the system haha.

[E.C. Henry]

Hello yet again, Maude!

With all this banter that you keep besieging me with concerning Fiona Apple, I did listen to a couple of her songs. I would agree that she has a servicable to good voice. Probably a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1-10. Her overall music is complete crap, however. So whatever's there in her vocals gets overshadowed by her poor choice in its application. Definite victim of 10-cent-head syndrome.

All the Grammy wins in the world don't mean anything if your end product is crap, which hers is.

Winning a Grammy means NOTHING. Music is an individually grading art. I don't outsource my thinking to the Grammy people. If they wanna promote shit, that's on them.

Fiona Apple is shit music. Maybe someday she'll put it together and make something of merrit, but not so far.

That said, I'm not a big fan of Lady Gaga's music either, but I gotta say that woman has a gifted voice when she applies it properly.

Point: your gift and abilities matter in the way you apply or misapply it.

Check out Christine Dente's music. She is such such a gifted singer. "The One I've Been Waiting For". I actually used that song in the soundtrack for one the early spec. scripts I wrote, "Revenge of the Fat Chicks".

[Maude]

Apple’s last album won 2 Grammys and received an exceedingly rare perfect rating on Pitchfork, so she must be doing something right.

Anyway, good luck with your own writing! I look forward to you penning an Oscar nominated script before turning 30…

[E.C. Henry]

Why hello there again, Maude.

I've seen Magnolia, and it's a really, really BAD movie, imo. The stuff with the plagues of frogs at the end was over-the-top bad; and was the worst payoff in the history of movies that are slow burns as they steadily raise the dramatic tension. Absolute ridiculous ending.
I was shocked an actor like Tom Cruise was in it. Worst movie of his career.

Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood were both much better movies than the cringe-worthy Magnolia.

I guess Fiona Apple is an answer to a Trivial Pursuit question, but in the greater discussion of the greatest female rocker or voice of all time, doesn't merit serious consideration.

Even in looking at what other people considered the best female vocalist of all-time, Fiona Apple is never mention in upper echelon of female voices.

[Maude]

It’s all good. I don’t believe the lyrics are promoting Satan. It’s more about a “fallen” woman looking for salvation, but if you’re not into them, you’re not into them…

Also, knowing that you’re a screenwriter, you might be interested to learn that Fiona Apple was once in a long-term relationship with screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson of Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood fame. He based the character Claudia in his movie Magnolia on FA. By the way, that film’s overall narrative is inspired by Exodus 8:2.

Maybe your personal rock heroes and/or significant other can help inspire your own writing.

[E.C. Henry]

Good morning, Maude. Thanks for taking the time to drop a comment.

I'm not familiar with Fiona Apple. The lyrics you sited were pretty profane. Maybe it's best I don't know what she's doing.

Today's music has really gone south. Ever heard of the act "Doja Cat"? Totally demonic and given over to the devil. I watched her video for "Paint the Town Red." In it she embraces a devil and sings in allegiance to demons.

Chistine Dente is THE BEST female singer of all-time. Listen to some of Out of the Grey's songs and I think you'll come along to the same manner of reasoning.

Heavenly voices >>>> those who lend their support to demonic causes

[Maude]

Can I put in a vote for Fiona Apple as not only one of the all-time great female vocalists in rock, but one of its best songwriters as well?

Though there are loads of great lyrics to choose from, I thought you might appreciate the bridge from her biggest hit, “Criminal”:

“Let me know the way/Before there's hell to pay/Give me room to lay the law and let me go/I've got to make a play/To make my lover stay/So, what would an angel say?/The devil wants to know…”