Our Queens of R&B list was very difficult to compile because there are just so many great artists to choose from. But we did our best and narrowed it down to what we consider are the top 5. Others will have different opinions, and understandably so, but here is our idea of the top 5 R&B female artists of all time.
Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston, in our opinion was one of the greatest singers of all time, not just in the R&B genre. In addition to her singing talents she was also a successful actress, producer, and model. In 2009, according to Guinness World Records, she was considered the most awarded female act of all time. She has sold somewhere between 170 and 200 million records, making her one of pop music’s best-selling artists in history. Every album she ever released became either gold, platinum, multi-platinum, or diamond, quite an accomplishment. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums.
Aretha Franklin – Aretha Franklin was not only an incredible singer, but an accomplished songwriter and pianist as well. She got her start as a singer at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father was minister. She was only a child at the time, but her talent propelled her to become one of the greatest and most famous singers of all time.
Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey is one of the best-selling female singers in the music industry, boasting an astounding eighteen number one records. She has won 5 Grammy Awards and was also the star of “Glitter,” her very own documentary movie. After releasing “Vision of Love” she became an instant star and won Best Female Vocal Performance and Best New Artist at the 33rd Grammy Awards.
Beyoncé – Beyoncé was first introduced to the public in the highly popular Destiny’s Child, where she sang pop and R&B. The group had many top hits from 1999 to 2004, but broke up in 2006. After the breakup, Beyonce pursued a solo music career, creating smash hits such as “Crazy In Love,” “Single Ladies,” “Drunk In Love,” “Baby Boy,” and “Beautiful Liar,” and has become one of the most influential and best-selling performers in the 21st century.
Dionne Warwick – Dionne Warwick was a five-time Grammy winner and had approximately 60 songs make it on the charts. Besides being a best-selling and popular singer, she was also an actress and TV show host. In addition, she became a United States Ambassador of Health and a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization. Her first hit song was “Don’t Make Me Over,” but besides her career as a singer she always gave back by supporting many charities and causes. Although many of today’s music artists are divas, Dionne was an amazingly gracious person who appealed to a wide audience of music lovers.
