Your Top 5

Top 5 Female Artists

Your Top 5 was born out of my love of music and reading and the book and film High Fidelity. Each week, I ask a new guest to give me their top 5 tracks, albums or artists relative to a topic.

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Your Top 5 is all about the ladies this week as Brian Lennon of TheBrianLennonShow joins me to discuss our top 5 female artists. This is a tough one because there are so many to choose from. As per usual, there are no rules to bog us down other than the artist has to be a woman. Last week’s Top 5 sparked off a really healthy discussion in the comments, so lets keep that up. I love reading everyone’s choices each week. Now, on to Brian’s picks:

Brian’s Top 5

I’m not going to make any excuses for my choices. I’m just going to list my top 5 female artists.

Sheryl Crow — “Leaving Las Vegas” was my introduction to Sheryl Crow. That was the summer of my high school graduation. I bought Tuesday Night Music Club shortly after hearing “Las Vegas” on the radio and fell in love with most of the entire CD. Yes, “All I Wanna Do” was overplayed like only a handful of songs could be back in the ‘90s, when everyone still listened to the radio.

In ‘96, she released Sheryl Crow, which included the hit “If It Makes You Happy.” A rocker and MTV staple, the song showed Crow to be more than just a pretty face that could handle heartbreaking acoustic ballads, if not necessarily the break-up.

My favorite album, however, is 1998’s The Globe Sessions. A similar feel to TNMC, the album is littered with possible veiled references to lover Eric Clapton, were they or weren’t they, either way, you know someone did Sheryl wrong, but it sounds so good.

Crow’s plaintiff wails and precocious cooing made this a CD a mainstay in my ‘95 Ford Escort’s CD player, and highlighted one of the great first three albums for any female artist.

Whitney Houston — One of the best 80’s dance-pop songs in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” One of the most spectacular renditions of the “The Star Spangled Banner,” at the Super Bowl, in the history of this great Republic, which can still give me goosebumps when I listen. Maybe the greatest (or at least most popular) songs from a movie soundtrack in “I Will Always Love you.”

Three iconic songs and pop culture touchstones for people who remember the 1980s and ‘90s.

There’s also “The Greatest Love of All,” which if the mood is right and I’m feeling sentimental, can get me teary eyed.

One of the most talented and gifted singers of all time, Whitney has created anthems that still live on today among a new generation of listeners.

There’s also news that Houston’s 1994 performance in South America for the newly elected Nelson Mandela as President, will be released later this fall.

A true global icon.

Janet Jackson — If you were lucky enough to be alive and walking the concourse of the local shopping mall during the mid ‘90s, you are no doubt familiar with the iconic album cover of Janet.

The album, released in the spring of 1993, with the groovy “That’s the Way Love Goes” as its first single, would still be around, including those posters in record store windows, during the winter of 1995. That album was around a long time.

Following Control and Rythm Nation, with Janet, Janet had fully emerged from her artistic cocoon. No longer Penny from “Good Times,” or Michael’s little sister, and eclipsing even the Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty) moniker, Janet became more than a sex symbol. She became…Janet.

Mazzy Star — “Fade Into You” is one of my favorite songs and female vocal performances of all time.

There is a local pizza joint here in Northeast Pennsylvania, Andy’s Pizza, that used to have a giant jukebox in its dining room with this song as one of the hundreds of options.

There’s something about hearing “Fade Into You” blare through a giant speaker while you enjoy a tray of pizza and a pitcher of birch beer.

Mazzy Star, singer Hope Sandoval and the late Dave Roback, who were the band’s creative forces, puts me right back in a certain place and time, like only the greatest songs and artists can do.

The Ringer’s Rob Harvilla held a master class in explaining what this song meant and how it affected him in an episode of his podcast 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s, which involves sitting in a dark room wearing headphones.

Do people still do things like that? They should.

LP — Another one-song favorite artist of mine, LP’s vocal performance in “Tokyo Sunrise” is breathtaking.

A song about love (and time) lost, the music and vocals build until LP (real name: Laura Pergolizzi) enters a seemingly seismic eruption fitting to the way the end of a failed relationship feels.

My Top 5

Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry’s body of work ranges from folk to punk/rock to a little bit of hip hop. Not only that, but she also acts on occasion and does it quite well. One of those musical artists that also have a knack for acting. Her best work, however, was done with the band she formed in the mid-70s, Blondie.

I don’t think I have ever met a single person that dislikes Blondie, so many timeless songs that Debbie Harry wrote or co-wrote with her bandmates and are etched into all of our minds and playlists. To this day, Blondie is still kicking, Debbie Harry is 79, and the band plans to release a new album next year.

Etta James

The undisputed queen of the Blues is my next pick. There are so many qualified singers I could have put on this list—which makes this selection stand out. Etta was also a genre traveler—she started out as a doo wop singer before moving into R&B/rock n roll she is best known for. Her later career veered into soul and jazz as her voice changed as she aged. However, no matter what the genre, Etta’s voice is timeless and she lived an eventful life where she performed with the likes of B.B. King¹ and Elvis.

Jenny Lewis

The next two picks are going to change gears a bit. Jenny Lewis is another multi-talented artists, both musical and acting chops. Her music career started with indie band, Rilo Kiley which lasted from 1998 to 2014 when the band broke up/went on hiatus. Since that time she has put together an excellent solo career, with my favorite album being 2019’s On The Line.

In 2006, she released her first solo album with the Watson Twins that featured an amazing cover of The Traveling Wilburys “Handle With Care.” Check it out.

Karen O

Another indie darling graces this list. I think, on a personal level, Karen O is one of my favorite vocalists of all time. I can still remember where I was when I first heard “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and how it changed my perception on newer age female vocalists. You see when I was young, most of the newer age female vocalists were pop stars. If there is one type of music I will trash on this publication, it is newer age pop music. Artists like Karen O, Jenny Lewis, et. al. offer a bit more musically in my opinion. Music, of course, being very subjective—so if you like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, good for you, just don’t try and convince me that they are very good or will be listened to 3-5 years from now.

Mavis Staples

The last surviving member of The Staples Singers is one of the daughters, Mavis. Her storied solo career sets her apart from the original band. That is not to say their contribution to gospel and soul rock should go unheralded, but Mavis’ solo efforts and contributions to other artists’ ventures stands out. She ahs worked with a whole host of other artists such as Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy, Arcade Fire, Prince, David Byrne, etc. It’s a long list.

Her Grammy winning album, You Are Not Alone, is some of the best Americana/Soul music you will ever hear. It was also produced by Jeff Tweedy. That album gets a lot of spins here at Bradley Manor, I should probably get another copy at some point, just in case!

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Well, there you have it, let us know what your top 5 looks like in the comments!

1. Rumored to have dated him as well.