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Got this idea from the "I dont get why Beyonce is so popular" thread

Personally Im into heavier rock music so not really into the pop hip hop princess, in fact I totally abhor the likes of Xtina and Britney and never liked the likes of Barbara, Judy, Cher

My divas are...


Stevie Nicks
Shirley Manson (Garbage)
PJ Harvey
Dolores O'Riordan (Cranberries)
Madonna
Annie Lennox
Grace Slick
Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Ive seen all but Karen O and they all put on a great concert. With the exception of Madonna, all of their voices are top notch and easily reproduce whats on the record. No worries of lip syncing. For me Id rather see a vocal performance with strong lyrics than a big flashy production. Madonna is the exception rather than the rule

Curious to see other peoples divas

Oh hell yeah.. I dig Shirley Manson and Annie Lennox. And early Madonna.

Bjork.. in small doses.
Aimee Mann.. awesome singer/writer. both solo and when she was in Til Tuesday.
Beth Orton.. I'm a casual fan, but still dig her music.
Sinead O'Connor.. I like her early stuff, before she got weird.
Courtney Love.. in small doses also
Alison Moyet.. mainly when she was in Yaz.

That's all I can think of for now.

The four very best:
Ella Fitzgerald
Dusty Springfield
Joni Mitchell
Judy Collins

Others:
Cyndi Lauper
Debbie Harry
Annie Lennox
Laura Branigan
Kim Carnes
Bette Midler (so sue me)
Edith Piaf
Indigo Girls (both of them)
Shirley Bassey
Peggy Lee
Heart (both of them)
The Three Degrees (all three of them)

The guy above me. But seriously, he almost gets the nod just for the awesome, awesome mention of the Wilson sisters.

But really, for various reasons: Billie Holiday, Marie Fredrikkson, Madonna, Annie Lennox, and, um, can Mika count?

Let's see....

First there would be:

Annie Lennox....



Then




Annie Lennox



And lastly....





Annie Lennox.

Oh, and I forgot Mary Wilson, formerly of the Supremes.

Mary wrote not one but TWO autobiographies (I have them both).

Winston Churchill's insignificant life requires but one volume. Nothing short of two would suffice for Mary Wilson.

In no particular order:

Sarah Vaughn
Ella Fitzgerald
Edith Piaf
Connie Boswell
Jo Stafford
Maria Callas
Anna Netrebko
Susan Graham

Forgot to add Pat Benatar.

She's such a diva, that her song "Love Is A Battlefield" was featured on both The Simpsons and South Park.

Renee Fleming, Jessye Norman, Mirella Freni and Hildegard Behrens.

Operatic sopranos - the real divas...

The One and Only


Mariah!

If by divas, we mean favorite female singers, here are some who come to mind:

Merman
Garland
Judy Kaye
Callas
Christa Ludwig
Barbara Cook
Elaine Stritch (in the old days, I find her unbearable now)
Birgit
Elisabeth Welch
Ella
Lizzie Blackhead (Not really, but I like to mention her and call her that because she was such an enthusiastic Nazi)
Nan Merriman

For true vocal quality thats clear and beautiful to listen too I would have to say in no particular order:

Faith Hill
Karen Carpenter
Carne & Wendy Wilson
Chyna Phillips
Mariah Carey (in the early days)
Jennifer Lopez
Dolly Parton

jarhead5536 saidRenee Fleming, Jessye Norman, Mirella Freni and Hildegard Behrens.

Operatic sopranos - the real divas...

Oh yeah, and
Renata Tebaldi
Renata Scotto
Kiri te Kanawa
Leontyne Price
Grace Bumbry

and more.....

Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu

In no particular order:

Ella Fitzgerald
Dinah Washington
Colette
Nina Simone
Sarah Vaughan
Ultra Naté
Samantha James
Donna Summer
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Evi Goffin
Annemie Coenen
Vanessa van Hemert
Janis Joplin
Patti LaBelle
Mary J. Blige
Alicia Keys
Justine Suissa
Eve
Monica
Ayumi Hamasaki

...That's about it for now.

Stevie Nicks, Lily Allen, Shakira, and Ashley Tomberlin

Shania Twain
Alanis Morissette
Britney Spears

Madonna

Britney

Cristina Aquilera

Kelly Clarkson

Beyonce´

Fergie

Ciara

Leona Lewis

Gwen Stefani

Duffy

Robyn

Kylie Minogue

Lady Gaga

Jennifer Lopez

Sorry, heavy on the videos....

Alison Goldfrapp, of Goldfrapp.
Utopia (the intro gives me goosebumps)


Oh La La


Number 1


Cologne Cerrone Houdini


She's so awesome she even got Jesus to play keyboard guitar on Number 1!

Then there's Adele.

Hometown Glory

(she wrote this song when she was 16)

Melt My Heart to Stone


Make You Feel My Love


And finally, Roisin Murphy...

Primitive


You Know Me Better


Let Me Know


Overpowered


She works "quirky" so well it's almost impossible not to love her. And I find her style choices far more interesting than anything Madonna has ever done, and far more polished than Lady Gaga.

These are three of my divas whose level of talent I feel deserves to be better known. I love plenty of other divas who don't fall into the overplayed/hyped Pop genre.

To the guy above me, excellent choices with Adele and Roisin Murphy.

I'll add my little indie slant to the equation and say...

Neko Case and Cat Power. Both excellent, very well-written, unique, distinct. Oh, and Esthero, she's great too. And Feist. I could keep going down my playlist, but that will take forever.

On a more mainstream note, Gwen Stefani is fun to listen to.

Sarah McLachlan
Stevie Nicks
Aimee Mann

Edith Piaf
Diamanda Galas
Joni Mitchell
Nina Hagen
Jessie Norman
Ella Fitzgerald
Shirley Bassey
Peggy Lee
Ethel Merman
Dina Washington
Billie Holiday
Bette Midler
Madonna
Nina Simone
Mahalia Jackson
Aimee Mann
Melissa Etheridge
Bonnie Raitt
Judy Garland
Marlene Dietrich
Barbara Streisand
Cher (halfbreed, how can you not love it?)
Kathleen Battle
Sarah Vaughn
Kathleen Macrae
Yma Sumac
Rosalind Russell
Bobbie Gentry
Dolly Parton
Patsy Kline
Helen Reddy
Norah Jones
Janis Joplin
Rosemary Clooney
Carly Simon
Carol King
Lena Horne
Ann Miller
Diana Ross
Grace Jones

Well, it keeps going.