Music: What are your Top 10 Albums by Women?

[Elvis P]

What are your Top 10 Albums by Women? Mine are in no order.

1. Aretha Franklin - I've never loved a man (the way I love you)

2. Carole King - Tapestry
3. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
4. Janis Joplin - Pearl
5. Patti Smith - Horses - "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine"
6. Beyonce' - Lemonade
7. Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
8. Nina Simone - I put a Spell on You
9. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
10. Joni Mitchell - Blue​

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[tacogeoff]

Don't have a ton of women artists I frequently listen to but here are a few modern artists and albums I like.

Lauyrn Hill - The Miseducation of
Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor
Mariah Carey - Daydream
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
Kesha - Rainbow (really enjoyed the single praying)
Adele - 21

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

1. Laura Nyro - Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
2. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
3. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
4. Neko Case - Hell-On
5. Emmylou Harris - Luxury Liner
6. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
7. Holly Golightly - Laugh It Up!
8. PJ Harvey - Dry
9. Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
10. The Breeders - Pod

Definitely not in order, just easier to count this way.

Edit: can’t believe I forgot Horses. Smh

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

L7 - Bricks Are Heavy

 

[Mimsy]

I own several albums by female artists, but I'd be much better at amassing a list of individual songs by women I admire than full albums. I love select songs by Nico, Marianne Faithful, Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell, but can' t list albums of theirs in good conscience, as I only have singles collections.

I'll try not listing bands with female lead singers (e.g., The Cranberries/Alvvays/Camera Obscura), even though it would make things easier.

Off the top of my head (one album per artist):

Linda Ronstadt -- Silk Purse (HM: Heart Like a Wheel)

Sinead O'Connor -- I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (disregard what I said about no longer listening to this album in the 90s thread; it still ranks highly in my "albums by women" collection)

Amy Winehouse -- Back to Black (don't listen to this anymore)

Sia -- 1000 Forms of Fear (I only recently discovered her. Normally, I avoid this kind of singing like the f***ing plague, but I love her. Her performance on Letterman in 2008, along with Dave's before and after reaction, is priceless. Sia's avatar-like performance art relationship with dancer Maddie Ziegler is unique, too.)

The Ronettes -- Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica

Lights (ep)

One 2 One -- Forward Your Emotions (male/female duo, so it's a stretch)

Maybe? Lady Gaga -- The Fame (maybe?!) -- don't listen to this anymore

Alanis Morissette -- Jagged Little Pill (can't listen to this album anymore, but enjoyed it when first released)

'Til Tuesday -- Voices Carry (breaking my own "no front women" rule, but this was Aimee Mann's band)


This was hard. Some long shots on here.

I've got shit to do. No more lists tonight, Wrigley. Go to bed.

 

[Elvis P]

...I've got **** to do. No more lists tonight, Wrigley. Go to bed.

At 7:30?

 

[Shareefruck]

This one's tough.

For some strange reason, while I love female vocals, I haven't been blown away by too many female-lead bands or albums.

1. Treasure by Cocteau Twins
2. Odyshape by the Raincoats
3. Radio Ethiopia by Patti Smith
4. Desert Shore by Nico
5. Roseland NYC Live by Portishead
6. Transient Random Noise Bursts by Stereolab
7. Cut by The Slits
8. Switched on Bach by Wendy Carlos
9. Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
10. Horses by Patti Smith

Don't feel super strongly about these other than the first one.

 

[Aladyyn]

I'll try to do an actual ranking this time

1. Laura Stevenson - Sit Resist
2. Laura Stevenson - Wheel
3. Kate Bush - The Dreaming
4. Lenka Dusilová - Baromantika
5. Obscure Sphinx - Void Mother
6. Battle of Mice - A Day of Nights
7. Portishead - Dummy
8. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
9. The Gathering - Nighttime Birds
10. Carly Rae Jepsen - EMOTION

 

[Teemu]

1. Sleigh Bells - Treats
2. Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
3. CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
4. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
5. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
6. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul
7. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
8. Adele - 21
9. Emmylou Harris - Elite Hotel
10. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

 

[peate]

Thinking singer-songwriter, Kate Bush would be the top for me. One I can appreciate the music and lyrics as well as hearing her singing, which is not always the case. She would probably hold 3 spots on my top ten list. As far as albums in general, these I like: Janis Joplin Live with Big Brother at the Fillmore, The 2 Trio Albums with Dolly, Linda and Emmylou, What's new and Greatest hits by Linda Ronstadt, Back to black by Amy Winehouse, Tapestry by Carol King, and pretty much anything by Shania.

 

[Elvis P]

If I had one album per artist, my choices would be Back to Black and Tapestry. Gonna change my list to this.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of
Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill
Janis Joplin - Pearl
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul
The Carpenters - Carpenters (if it counts)
Missy Elliot - Supa Dupa Fly
Mariah Carey - Daydream

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Jesus, how could I forget the Supremes?!?!

 

[Elvis P]

Jesus, how could I forget the Supremes?!?!

If I can add 5 more I'll take their

11. Supremes - Where did our love go?
12. Whitney Houston self titled
13. Madonna - Like a Prayer
14. Erykah Badu - Baduizm
15. Dolly Parton - Coat of many colors - I love (only) women's country music.

 

[Don Cherry]

What? No "Seven The Hard Way" by Pat Benetar? No Pat at all?

 

[Elvis P]

What? No "Seven The Hard Way" by Pat Benetar? No Pat at all?

I discovered Pat in the cutout bin before she made it and bought Prince's Controversy the week it came out in a Madison, WI record store on State St.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Billie Holiday, Songs For Distingué Lovers
Nico, Chelsea Girl
Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You
Patti Smith, Horses
Joni Mitchell, Hejira
Pretenders
Marianne Faithfull, Broken English
Le Tigre
M.I.A., Kala
Courtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Considered Blondie's Parallel Lines too but can't really ignore Chris Stein's contribution, he and Debbie Harry were the co-leaders of the band.

 

[Leafsdude7]

1) Jann Arden - Living Under June
2) Amanda Marshall - Amanda Marshall
3) Melissa Etheridge - Your Little Secret
4) Enya - The Celts
5) Lisa Loeb - No Fairy Tale
6) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
7) Tegan & Sara - If It Were You
8) Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium
9) Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
10) Shawn Colvin - A Few Small Repairs

Left off a lot of bands with women leads but significant male contributions (Pretenders, Cranberries, Fleetwood Mac, Roxette, just to name a few).

 

[Don Cherry]

1) Jann Arden - Living Under June
2) Amanda Marshall - Amanda Marshall
3) Melissa Etheridge - Your Little Secret
4) Enya - The Celts
5) Lisa Loeb - No Fairy Tale
6) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
7) Tegan & Sara - If It Were You
8) Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium
9) Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
10) Shawn Colvin - A Few Small Repairs

Left off a lot of bands with women leads but significant male contributions (Pretenders, Cranberries, Fleetwood Mac, Roxette, just to name a few).

Heart as well. No mention of Joan Jett here either? Is everyone 14 yrs old?

 

[Tapu Coco]

This is tough...I'll stick to female solo artists and bands that are fronted exclusively by women (thus, no Slowdive, etc). I'll also do one album per artist here, since Beach House would otherwise have 4 records in my top 10.

1. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle
2. Purity Ring - Shrines (although most of the production is done by a male)
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
4. Best Coast - Crazy for You
5. Alvvays - Alvvays
6. Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber
7. La Luz - Weirdo Shrine (all female surf rock!)
8. Grimes - Visions
9. Mazzy Star - So Tonight that I Might See
10. The Sundays - Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

HM:
Alvvays - Antisocialites
Beach House - 7, Bloom, Depression Cherry (would all probably slot in the Crazy for You/Alvvays/MEC/Weirdo Shrine tier)
Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
Pretty much all of Courtney Barnett's work
Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights
La Luz - It's Alive, Floating Features
Melody's Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage
Metric - Fantasies
Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
Sleigh Bells - Treats

 

[chaos4]

Dreamboat Annie Heart
The Woman in Me Shania Twain
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston
Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette
At Last Etta James
Who's Zoomin' Who Aretha Franklin
Parallel Lines Blondie
Live Through This Hole
Bad Reputation Joan Jett
Madonna Madonna

 

[kihei]

No particular order

Dionne Warwick--Make Way for Dionne Warwick
Nico--Chelsea Girl
Marianne Faithful--Broken English
Gillian Welch--Time (The Revelator)
The Pretenders--The Pretenders
The Supremes--Where Did Our Love Go?
Cibelle--The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves
Zelia Barbosa--Sertao e Favelas
Corinne Bailey Ray--Corinne Bailey Rae
Portishead--Roseland NYC Live

 

[TheAngryHank]

This is tough ,harder than the 80s
Anyone ever listen to Linda Ronstadt spanish music?
I can't understand it but her voice is so pretty you will cry. This will take some thought.

 

[peate]

This is tough ,harder than the 80s
Anyone ever listen to Linda Ronstadt spanish music?
I can't understand it but her voice is so pretty you will cry. This will take some thought.

I never heard anything by Linda that I didn't like. Canciones de mi padre.(My father's songs) I just watched this video a few weeks ago. What's new was also groundbreaking and beautifully interpreted as usual.

 

[Puck]

1) Jann Arden - Living Under June
2) Amanda Marshall - Amanda Marshall
3) Melissa Etheridge - Your Little Secret
4) Enya - The Celts
5) Lisa Loeb - No Fairy Tale
6) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
7) Tegan & Sara - If It Were You
8) Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium
9) Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
10) Shawn Colvin - A Few Small Repairs
.

Good list. Love Amanda Marshall.