1: Aretha Franklin
Topping our list of the best female singers of all time, Aretha Franklin also stands as the most-charting female singer in history. Starting out in the gospel choir at her Baptist church, in Detroit, Franklin began her career as a recording artist in 1960, aged just 18.
Perhaps the most successful female songwriter of the Rock era, Carole King did much to shape the sound of 60s and 70s Pop music, first as a prolific writer of hits for others and then as a hugely successful solo artist.
Aretha Franklin is by far one of the best female singers of all time. With humble beginnings as a choir singer, Aretha quickly took the world by storm with a couple of number-one hits below her belt by the time she was 18 years old. With a three-octave vocal range, there is truly no singer as capable as Aretha.
Check these ladies out. Contraltos are arguably the rarest of female voice types and they possess a tone so dark they often give the men a run for their money.
Soprano: this is the highest singing voice, with the highest tessitura. It is also the most common female voice. Sopranos are given prominent singing roles, and are often the protagonists of the opera.
Rihanna is worth a staggering $1.4 billion. Taylor Swift has a net worth of $740 million, and Beyonce is at $540 million. Other big name musicians on the list include Madonna, Dolly Parton, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
The most successful songwriters in terms of number one singles are John Lennon (1940-80) and Paul McCartney (b. 18 Jun 1942). McCartney is credited as the writer on 32 number one hits in the US to Lennons 26 (with 23 co-written), whereas Lennon authored 29 UK number ones to McCartney's 28 (25 co-written).
Few artists have been covered as many times as Bob Dylan, with thousands taking his tracks on, and it's no surprise considering that he's one of the most talented songwriters to ever grace the earth.
Madonna currently holds the record for the most number-one songs in the 43-year history of the chart, with 50. The only other artists to have achieved more than 20 chart toppers are Rihanna (33) and Beyonce (22).
A unique hybrid of singer and songwriter, top-line songwriters work in popular music genres, where they create the vocal melodies, harmonies, and lyrics to accompany producers' "beats"—digitally constructed instrumental tracks.
"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.
"Blinding Lights" is now the top Billboard Hot 100 song of all time. The Weeknd and his collaborators reveal just how they made history.
In August 2019, Lil Nas X's “Old Town Road” clocked its 19th week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, setting the record for longest stay at No. 1 of any song in the history of the chart. Logging multiple weeks at No. 1 is a rare feat in an industry with constant competition and turnover.
Rihanna is now worth $1.4 billion–making her America's youngest self-made billionaire woman.
Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul was unrivalled for decades when it came to having the best singing voice on the planet. Using her gospel background to her advantage, Aretha had such an incredibly powerful and passionate voice. Even 50 years after her debut, she brought audiences to tears with her performances.
The Contralto is the lowest of the female voice types and like the Basses and Countertenors, they're quite rare. The Contralto has a tessitura of around an E3-E5 and a good amount of vocal weight.