A Ranking of the Top Female Vocalists in Music History

She once told the world, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” That’s Cher—honest, irreverent, and immune to time. Her voice is a contralto growl dipped in glitter, weathered and wild and impossible to copy. She’s the only artist to have a number-one hit in six decades, yet she still gets introduced as Sonny’s ex.

Please. Cher is the moment—every decade’s moment. Whether she’s crooning in a Bob Mackie gown, auto-tuning into dance charts, or clapping back on Twitter, she doesn’t age—she adapts. Icons evolve. Cher reinvents evolution. And she’ll believe in life after love long after we do.