A Ranking of the Top Female Vocalists in Music History

You don’t merely listen to Nina Simone—you reckon with her. A classically trained pianist who weaponized her voice against injustice, she defied genres the way she defied silence. Her contralto carried rage, ache, pride, and prophecy, sometimes all within the same song.

Mississippi Goddam wasn’t radio-friendly—it was a reckoning. Her music didn’t soothe—it stirred. Simone could glide through jazz standards, then crash into protest with the same fingers on the keys. She was brilliance wrapped in bruises. Her art is unapologetic. Her presence is colossal. Nina didn’t chase fame—she summoned movements.