Your Top Ten Female Artists

[Janet]

1. Stevie Nicks
2. Frida
3. Kate Bush
4. Gwen Stefani
5. Fiona Apple
6. Christine McVie
7. Enya
8. Dido
9. Annie Lennox
10. Heart gals.

Not my list of the most talented but the ones I enjoy the most!

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Lux

This is exactly what I was saying, women are given every opportunity to be sex symbols, to stick their breasts and crotch into the camera but why do you think they do so? They do so because that is what they're paid to do, that is in general what women are. There is such a small market for women musicians who don't use their sexuality, there are some out there but you don't know them because they're not given the exposure that men who also base their music on the music itself are. I really don't see how you can think negatively about musicianship amongst women based on the idea that men like to see women's breasts.

It's similar in the field of acting. My sister went through acting school and struggled for years in the profession because she's not a typical sex object. She gave up, there is no work for someone like her, maybe one role with thousands upon thousands like her after it. There's roles for women with long legs so those are the ones who make it. Her fellow "acting" friend who can't act for ****, but giggles and pouts a lot, she's in numerous commercials and got a top agent. There is a specific market for female "talent", this is what sells, so how can you judge female actors in this case, or female musicians, based on the fact that men like breasts? To me this doesn't make sense to judge females based on the fact that they're not given the opportunities that men are, almost like blaming the victim for being a victim.

Lux, everything you've said in this thread I agree with wholeheartedly. So thank you for saying what I was unable to get across before.

My example would be that none of my favourite film directors are female but I don't think that's because there are no talented female filmmakers out there. I don't discount women directors because so far none have caught my attention, and I certainly wouldn't say that a female film director would have to the most fantastic filmmaker ever for me to take notice. But that's just me.

I also work in a field where I constantly see women who are good looking and flirtatious given better opportunites over more qualified candidates. I can't say I blame them for taking the jobs, that's the problem of the folks offering those jobs.

I definitely have more male artists on my iPod but there are plenty of talented musicians out there known for their music and not their looks: Kristin Hersh, Beth Orton, Gillian Welch, PJ Harvey, Janis Ian, Lucinda Williams, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Neko Case, Patti Smith, Kathleen Edwards, Caitlin Cary... to name but a few. But they are far more unlikely to be championed by MTV or whoever, and therefore sell millions of records, because none will ever look as good in a video or album cover as Gwen Stefani or Britney Spears. We live in a society where an ugly man can be considered cool and sexy if he's a rock star but an ugly woman isn't given the time of day.

Anyway, sorry for butting in here. I know Miss Vicky will roll her eyes to see me post, but it always upsets me when I'm written off, or any other woman is written off, just because she's female.

[hs421139]

Stevie Nicks
Nancy Wilson/Ann Wilson
Pat Benatar
Christine McVie
Carol King
Linda Rondstat
Bonnie Raitt
Janis Joplin
Tina Turner

[Dreamer]

Hi everyone, i couldn't quite get it all the way down to 10, but i made it close:

Stevie Nicks
Linda Ronstadt
Joan Baez
Debbie Harry
Dolores O'Riordan
Barbra Streisand
Natalie Merchant
Madonna
Christine McVie
Dixie Chicks (are groups included?)
Gwen Stefani

[Sugar]

I can't even begin to put them in order, but...

Stevie Nicks
Christine McVie
Tori Amos
Liz Phair (can't believe I haven't seen her on more of your lists!)
Wilson Sisters
Madonna
Chrissie Hynde
Gwen Stefani
Fiona Apple
Courtney Love (at least through "Celebrity Skin")

[dissention]

I found this surprisingly easy.

-Deborah Harry
-Emmylou Harris
-Patti Smith
-Aimee Mann
-Jill Sobule
-Grace Slick
-Bonnie Raitt
-Shirley Manson
-Annie Ross
-Bette Midler

I've got lots of other favorites, but I suppose this is my list for now.

[jadegypsy]

In no special order:
Stevie
Janis Joplin
The Wilson Sisters
Joni Mitchell
Joan Jett
Grace Slick
Lorenna McKennit
Debbie Harry
Chrissie Hyde
Madonna

Also: Christine McVie, Wilson Phillips, and Dido, Bette Midler, Pat Benatar, Melissa Ethridge, Cher, Barbra Strisand, and Billie Holiday

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

What I'm saying is that a lot of women, much moreso than men, have become stars in the industry because people like to look at them, not because people like to listen to them, thus perverting the whole concept of what a musician should be.

What a crock of ****. I assume you'd accuse Cyndi Lauper of being successful only because she sang a song about diddling herself.

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

And, for the record, most of the artists I listen to could hardly be accused of exploiting (or even possessing) sex appeal.

Hopefully you aren't including Mr. Buckingham in that list of artists.

Come? The Ledge? Slow Dancing? Tango In the Night? The list goes on. He has used his sexuality to a great extent, moreso than Stevie Nicks ever has. The man has faux orgasmic fits in concert, pretends to hump his guitar and wields it like an extension of his own dick.

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

Think I'm being sexist or unfair all you want, but this is my position and I'm sticking to it.

You are being unfair. That's my position and I'm sticking to it.

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by jadegypsy

Lorenna McKennit

Good one! I love her too.

[The Tower]

In no order:

Michelle Shocked
Edie Brickell
Joni Mitchell
Maria McKee
Loreena McKennitt
Rickie Lee Jones
Ann and Nancy Wilson
Emily Saliers and Amy Ray (Indigo Girls)
Annie Lennox
Patti Smith
Karen Peris (The Innocence Mission)

How close is that to this, huh??

Originally Posted by jadegypsy

In no special order:
Stevie
Janis Joplin
The Wilson Sisters
Joni Mitchell
Joan Jett
Grace Slick
Lorenna McKennit
Debbie Harry
Chrissie Hyde
Madonna

Also: Christine McVie, Wilson Phillips, and Dido, Bette Midler, Pat Benatar, Melissa Ethridge, Cher, Barbra Strisand, and Billie Holiday

[jadegypsy]

Hey Tower, you even added one that i forgot :Annie Lennox! (She still sounds great too when I watched her on TV for the RRHF intros!)

Bet our record collections look a lot alike, though I do need to pick up some Pattie Smith as the oly song I know of hers is Sometimes Love Ain't Enough...

So whats your fave Joni album, I love Blue, but also her first album is great, haven't worked my way through For the Roses yet though I do have it on LP.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by jadegypsy

Bet our record collections look a lot alike, though I do need to pick up some Pattie Smith as the oly song I know of hers is Sometimes Love Ain't Enough...

Horses was just reissued and it sounds amazing. Also has a bonus disc of the entire album performed live last year. It's kind of pricey, but it's worth it.

[jadegypsy]

dissention,
Thanks for the info, I haven't been able to buy it on LP yet so I may actually consider CD (LP is sooooo much cheaper plus better covers and I can now convert to MP3 and to CD)

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by sparky

Johnette Napolitano

How on EARTH did I forget to include Johnette?!?

"Top 10" just isn't enough to cover all of the brilliant female artists out there.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

How on EARTH did I forget to include Johnette?!?

"Top 10" just isn't enough to cover all of the brilliant female artists out there.

I still haven't gotten over her collaboration with The Heads (aka Talking Heads without Byrne). The resulting tour and album were painful. I was embarrassed for all of them. Still am, actually.