Guthrie wrote thousands of songs in his lifetime, many of which are still being found. 44. Discovered by fellow gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Della Reese had her breakthrough upon winning a contest allowing her to perform at a popular Detroit bar for a week straight. After a falling out with Dorsey, everyone seemed to go their own way. 1. 1945) sang Tom T. Hall's Harper Valley P.T.A. to No. In terms of topical and protest songwriting, Tom Paxton is one of the best there is. In all, Wynette would score 20 No. Her 1938 rendition of the nursery rhyme A-Tisket, A-Tasket brought them into the spotlight. She also made her public debut as a soloist at New Yorks Hotel Astir the following year. However, Days breakthrough hit didnt come until 1955, when she starred as singer Ruth Etting in Love Me Or Leave Me., She also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and three Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for Sentimental Journey, Secret Love, and Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera).. She has charted 25 No. 2 in 1958. She won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1962 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, more than 25 years after her death. Only members can comment. Multifaceted personality, Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, author and businesswoman and is known mainly for her work in country music. In many ways, what happened in this decade would set the stage for some of country musics biggest moments. So what we've done is list them chronologically according to their first appearance on the Billboard chart. The Poppies - Lullaby of Love. She performed there for eight weeks and earned herself a record label. Her top hits were My Heart Cries For You and Sweet Violets, both reaching no. Last but certainly not least, we added probably one of the most famous 1950s female singers. Listen to CMT's new music playlist The Roundup in this story. A rather talented trio of artists, Peter, Paul & Mary also became vocal advocates in the peace movement, and continue to be a force to be reckoned with in contemporary folk music. What list of folk music greats would be complete without a nod to Mr. Bob Dylan? Next: The best female singers of the 1960s (our picks). Singing seemed to be a family talent. Hank Williams & Drifting Cowboys - Honky Tonkin' 3. Singer and pianist Dinah Washington was noted as the most famous black female recording artist of the 1950s. Londons biggest hit was the blues-style jazz ballad, Cry Me A River, written by former classmate Arthur Hamilton. Pete Seeger is, undeniably, one of the most prolific and influential artists in the history of American music. Norma Deloris Egstrom began singing professionally at the young age of 16 in 1936. 1940) won a Grammy for her very first single, Don't Touch Me, released in 1966 and written by Hank Cochran, whom she would later marry. Its 1957 in Detroit and two years before Motown would emerge, friends Rosalind Ashford, Annette Beard, Gloria Williams, and Martha Reeves, who would move up as lead singer following Williams departure were finding their voice. These songbooks became her most significant and successful pieces. Top 11 Girl Groups of the 1950s and 1960s, Michael Bolton Releases Video for American Song Contest Song Beautiful World, Review: Hollis Browns In the Aftermath, Follow American Songwriter for More Breaking News, Meet the Writers Behind Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets, 10 Songs You Didnt Know Sam Hollander Wrote for Other ArtistsFrom Ringo Starr to Carole King, Who Wrote and Sang the Spooky Theme Song for The Addams Family, 7 Artists Who Made it in Music Later in Life, Review: Josh Rouse Goes Places in New Album Going Places, Dove Cameron is the Better Boyfriend, Drops New Music Video, Josh Rouse Live: Presented by Martin Guitar, Miley Cyrus to Present Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) on Disney+, Maggie Rogers Shares Mumford & Sons Incredible Advice on Songwriting, Dierks Bentley Unveils Gravel & Gold Tour Dates, New Song Saturday! 1 on the R&B chart. The Almanacs were really the first folk music supergroup and spun off into rather successful careers for Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Josh White, Burl Ives, and various other folks who made up the core of the group or who joined them on occasion. Dave Van Ronk was one of the most important figures in the Greenwich Village folk-music scene of the 1960s. Joni Mitchell 11. Discover our 2022 Class of Country's Rising Sound. American singer, Elle King, made her mark in showbiz when her debut single Good To Be A Man was released in March 2012 as a digital download. After winning a 1949 contest on Arthur Godfreys radio program, the quartet became a regular fixture on the show and recorded their debut album Harmony Time in 1950. His first major hit, I Walk The Line, which was recorded in 1956, bridged the gap between the two genres, suggesting at his widespread appeal in the decades to follow. Most might gravitate towards Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry, who laid the foundation for rock and roll during that time. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1938, the remaining members of The Stafford Sisters joined The Four Esquires and The Three Rhythm Kings to create an eight-piece ensemble called The Pied Pipers. After a tough experience during adolescence and a rough start to her career, she took comfort in performing with Chick Webb And His Orchestra. Dionne Warwick 6. Her debut albumJulie Is Her Namecame out later that year. The electrified panache of rockabilly artists like Elvis Presley drew criticism among purists. He had a very low bass voiceand was renowned for bringing some classic African-American spirituals like "Go Down Moses" to national and international attention. But, it was his involvement in the scene that put him on the map; literally, there's a street in the West Village of New York named after him. A list of the most famous country singers of the 1950s would be remiss not to include Patsy Cline. Holly Near's staunch activism and feminist political protest songs have earned her a place among the greatest American folk singers of all time. In the '50s, '60s, and '70s, female solo singers were ever-present on radio, TV and the pop charts -- as they should have been! She was placed third in the singing contest Nashville Star. BillboardHot 100, including songs such as Come See About Me and Love Child., After leaving the group to pursue a solo career, Ross debuted an album in 1970 featuring her legendary songs, Reach Out And Touch (Somebodys Hand) and Aint No Mountain High Enough (her first no. Though their roots began in the San Francisco Bay area bluegrass scene, the Grateful Dead soon became one of the most prolific, popular, successful folk-rock bands. Earle's brand of country-folk protest music sets him apart from his peers. Pop hits, country ballads, punk bangers and jazz standards, the best female singers' work is essential listening. He was an activist and a songwriter, a Merchant Marine, and a former member of a barbershop quartet. Here are some more great female folk singers from the 1970s: Joan Baez Judy Collins Sandy Denny Janis Ian Emmylou Harris Odetta Vashti Bunyan Buffy Sainte-Marie Linda Ronstadt Judee Sill Female Disco Singers of the 70s People often mistake disco for a mans world, but that couldnt be further from the truth. In a long career that terminated tragically in a car accident in 1991, West charted 63 singles. Many have even crossed over finding audiences in the pop and rock worlds, including women country singers Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, and top selling female His song "Wild World" has frequently been covered by artists of various genres. Even though they were pieced together with the intention of being an ideal folk-pop money-making supergroup, there's not a lot about Peter, Paul & Mary that was contrived. Bobbie Gentry: Smoky-voiced Gentry (b. 1 on the U.S. The daughter of musician Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash followed in the footsteps of her father. Such was her wide vocal appeal and heart-melting songs that Patsy Cline (1932-1963) achieved legendary status in the relatively short six-year period she recorded. Apart from being a bandleader, a solo artist, and an interpreter of other artists' works, Harris is also an activist; since 1999, she has been conducting Concerts for a Landmine Free World, an annual benefit tour. Their songs captured a moment in time, of naivete and love and loss and remain classics today. 600 Opry Mills Drive Many of them have become as much a part of the Great American Songbook as those written by Ira Gershwin or Johnny Mercer -- classics such as Coat of Many Colors, I Will Always Love You, Jolene and 9 to 5, the theme from her 1980 movie of the same name. In 1967, Berry Gordy changed the group name toDiana Ross & the Supremes and in the years that would follow, the Supremes underwent more lineup changes before parting ways in 1977. She has won more Academy of Country Music Awards than any artist. From his work with Crosby Stills Nash and Young to his numerous solo albums, Neil Young has been a serious force in the folk-rock world. During her peak, she gained recognition worldwide as the most successful female singer. There are some exceptions- the work of Patsy Cline, Bobby Gentrie, and Loretta Lynn have achieved lasting renown- but overall the women on this list receive few plaudits these days. You can't really argue with a folksinger so good that his song managed to get him out of jail for murder. An exhibit about their life is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum through August 2. A talented artist since a young age, she achieved success with her first single and debut album in 2006. In 1945, she and her sister won a spot on a radio station as singers. A vivid and forceful songwriter, Lynn composed many of her best-known songs, beginning with I'm a Honky Tonk Girl, her first chart record, in 1960. By 1996, The Shirelles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lees career as a singer, songwriter, and actress spanned six decades. With his simple, folksy imagery and tunes inspired by his Midwest hometown, Greg Brown has become one of the most inimitable songwriters around these days. Lynn also had many successful duet hits, first with Ernest Tubb, and later with Conway Twitty. Her first no. In fact, any set that offers Bob Wills' "New San Antonio Rose," Ernest Tubb's "Walking the Floor Over You," Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line," Hank Williams' "Jambalaya His songs are deeply personal narratives about life, and they've been performed by countless other artists. However, she didn't reach No. Her singing style helped influence several artists and musical genres. But she would not return to the country rankings again until 1969, after which many hits would follow into the 1980s, such as her rendition of Kris Kristofferson's "Nobody Wins.". Karen Dalton 16. Was there a female Elvis or Bob Dylan? Dusty Springfield 4. In 1960, the girls auditioned for Berry Gordy who told them they needed to write an original song. By the time Berry Gordy Jr.sMotown Records was in full swing, Martha & The Vandellas signed on releasing hit after hit with songs like Dancing in the Street, Heat Wave, Come and Get These Memories, Jimmy Mack, Nowhere to Run, Im Ready for Love, and Bless You. The Chiffons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Although this quartet only enjoyed a few years of success, those few years managed to help inspire a generation to turn their eyes and ears toward traditional American folk music. Vote for Your Favourite Female Country Singers, (Pop Icon & One of the Best-Selling Musicians of All Time), (Singer-Songwriter and Actress, Primarily Known for Her Work in Country Music), (Singer Known for Her Album 'Come On Over'), (Country Singer-Songwriter Known for Her Hits You Ain't Woman Enough' and 'Fist City'), (One of the Most Popular Female Country Vocal Artists of the Late 20th Century), (Country Singer-Songwriter Best Known for Her Albums: Kerosene, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and 'Platinum), (One of the Most Influential Vocalists of the 20th Century), (American Music Artist Who is Known as the First Lady of Country Music), (Filmmaker, Podcaster and Former Actress Best Known for Her Role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon Sitcom iCarly), (One of the Best-selling Artists, Who Starred in the Musical 'Grease'), (Country Singer, Five-Time Grammy Award-Winner), (Pop Artist who Has the Most US Billboard 200 Top-5 Albums in the 21st Century by a Female), (Country Music Singer Who Topped the Charts at age 13 for Her Single Blue), Country singer Kacey Musgraves has won six, (American Singer-Songwriter & Multi-Instrumentalist), (One of the Best Selling Pop, Rock Singer-Songwriter with Nine Grammy Awards), (One of the Most Successful Country Music Artists of All Time), Country music legend Faith Hill is best known for her hits, (Actress and Singer Best Known for Her Song 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'), (Country Pop Singer Known for Her Single 'Love Me Like You Mean It'), (Country Singer Best Known for Her Hit single She's in Love with the Boy), (Country Singer and Actress Known for Her Role as 'Alex Dupre' on the Television Series 'One Tree Hill'), (Country Singer-Songwriter Best Known for Her 1977 Hit Single 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue'), Country-pop crossover singer Crystal Gayle is best known for her, (One of the Best-Selling Country Artists of All Time), (Country Singer-Songwriter Known for Her Breakout Single 'Seven Year Ache'), Model Barbi Benton is best known for her stint with, (Singer-Songwriter Known for Her 1960 Hit 'Im Sorry' and 1958s 'Rockin around the Christmas Tree'), Loretta Morgan, daughter of country singer George Morgan, began her career as a singer at age 13.