30 Notable Female Singers Of The ‘90s

The top 1990s female vocalists marked a departure from past decades, with increasingly political music and even more to say about the big questions in life. Soaring new voices like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion dominated the charts, but established artists like Whitney Houston and Madonna also continued to sell vast numbers of records. Many young women used music as a way to speak truth to power as the grunge movement erupted. The best ‘90s female artists made statements while also creating powerful lyrics and musical notes that were fun to listen to. This list of best ’90s female singers includes a range of critical thinkers and amazing performers who inspired legions of fans.

Top Female Vocalists Of The 1990s

Popular genres in the 1990s included grunge, alternative rock, pop, R&B, rap and ska. Singers explored themes such as women’s power and fighting back against oppression and racial discrimination. Their influence is seen in the way grunge encouraged questioning authority, and ballad singers brought their personal struggles out into the open.

This list of best ’90s female singers was compiled based on commercial success, critical acclaim, impact on society and enduring appeal of their music.

30. Kylie Minogue

Two-time Grammy winner Kylie Minogue is one of the bestselling Australian artists of all time, moving more than 80 million records. She started out as a popular child TV actress, then segued to a pop career in 1987 and released her first album a year later.

In the ’90s, her career flourished as her sound matured. She charted hits in the UK including “Confide in Me” and “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” which won Song of the Year in Australia. She has released 17 studio albums, the most recent in 2024, and her “Padam, Padam” won a Grammy in 2023.

29. Courtney Love

The lead guitarist and vocalist of grunge band Hole, Courtney Love taught herself to play guitar and formed the group after working for years in odd jobs, stripping and as an actress. Hole’s sound was described as abrasive with graphic lyrics—which is what Love aimed for. She didn’t want pretty or soft.

In 1992, Love married Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, lead singer of one of the top 90s bands, bringing even more attention to Hole. Building on well-reviewed first album Pretty on the Inside and double-platinum second album Live Through This, the band’s biggest triumph was its third album, 1998’s Celebrity Skin, which earned three Grammy nominations. Love appears sporadically today on other albums and in films. She produced four studio albums with Hole and one solo.

28. Christina Aguilera

Though Christina Aguilera burst onto the scene with other bubble gum pop acts, her four-octave vocal range set her apart, and she could reach the whistle register. She appeared in Disney’s The All-New Mickey Mouse Club in the early ’90s and closed the decade with three No. 1 singles.

“Genie in a Bottle,” “What a Girl Wants” and “Come On Over Baby” all came from her debut album, Christina Aguilera, which sold 253,000 copies in its first week and bowed at No. 1 on the Hot 200. It went on to sell more than nine million. Aguilera has sold more than 100 million records total, releasing nine studio albums. She revived her career as a judge on The Voice and released her most recent album in 2022.

27. Björk

Known as much for her music as her politics, Björk is an Icelandic singer who has dabbled in everything from electronica to jazz to trip hop, constantly building her reputation as an avant-garde artist. She started in music at 11 and served as lead singer of the Sugarcubes until 1992.

When they broke up, Björk released three solo albums in the ’90s, on which she collaborated with disparate artists across different genres. The 16-time Grammy nominee’s biggest hit, 1995’s “It’s Oh So Quiet,” spent 15 weeks on the UK charts and was certified gold, but perhaps its biggest impact was in the popular Spike Jonze-directed video. Björk released 10 albums, the most recent in 2022, but is probably best remembered for her social activism and odd fashion choices, including wearing a swan dress to the 2001 Oscars.

26. Liz Phair

Liz Phair was one of the premier female rock singers of the 1990s, earning a cult following for her indie and alternative efforts. Her debut album, 1993’s Exit to Guyville, won a spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. She also earned a Grammy nod for her second album.

Phair was a good student who graduated from Oberlin College in 1990 and began writing her own music after moving home to Illinois. She joined the Chicago alternative music scene and landed a contract with Matador Records. Her low voice delivered starkly sexual lyrics, and she wasn’t afraid to explore dark themes. She got a cover of Rolling Stone and released hit single “Supernova,” later touring with Lilith Fair. Phair recorded seven studio albums and continues to create music and tour today.

25. Melissa Etheridge

After a promising debut in the 1980s, singer Melissa Etheridge achieved mainstream success in the ’90s with her fourth album, Yes I Am. Three tracks—“Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One” and “If I Wanted To”—became breakout hits, and the album spent 138 weeks on the charts.

Etheridge, who attended Berklee College of Music for several semesters, was discovered performing at a Pasadena bar. Her first album in 1988 was a critical hit, earning a Grammy nomination. Her commercial success continued in 1995 with Your Little Secret, sending “I Want to Come Over” into the Top 40. Etheridge, who was one of the first famous female singers to come out publicly, continues to record today and has released 16 studio albums.

24. Tori Amos

Eight-time Grammy nominee Tori Amos, one of VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, became the youngest person admitted to the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute’s preparatory division when she was 5. She signed with Atlantic Records as a teen. From 1984-89, she played in the group Y Kant Tori Read.

The band’s first album failed, and in 1992, Amos released a solo album called Little Earthquakes that became both a commercial and critical success. The album dealt with serious issues, including sexual assault. A follow-up album, Under the Pink, peaked at 12 on the Billboard charts. Later in the ’90s, she infused more electronica into her traditionally acoustic sound. With 17 studio albums to her credit, Amos continues to make music, her last album released in 2025.

23. Erykah Badu

Dubbed the “Queen of Neo-Soul,” Erykah Badu had a distinctive style and voice that set her apart from her contemporaries. While she’s often compared to Billie Holiday, her personal style, including wearing colorful head wraps, also helped build her reputation. The 20-time Grammy nominee left Grambling State University to pursue a musical career.

Four years later, in 1997, she released her first album, Baduizm, which was an immediate commercial and critical hit, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts. It went platinum three times, producing the hit single “On & On” and winning two Grammys. Her follow-up, Live, once again topped the R&B/Hip Hop charts and included the hit “Tyrone.” Badu has released five studio and one live album, the most recent in 2010. She released a cannabis line in 2023.

22. Shirley Manson

Shirley Manson personified the rebellion and forthrightness of female-led rock bands of the 1990s. As lead singer of Garbage, the grunge band that sold more than 17 million albums, Manson had a deep voice and a history as a stylist for Edinburgh underground bands. In addition to guitar, she also played keyboard.

Manson first wanted to act but later became passionate about music, singing with some bands on the Scottish grunge scene before joining Goodbye Mr Mackenzie and releasing two albums. She hooked up with Garbage in 1994, and the band released its self-titled debut album the following year, selling four million copies. The singles “Only Happy When it Rains” and “Stupid Girl” became big hits. Follow-up Version 2.0 was another commercial and critical success. Garbage released seven studio albums, the most recent in 2021, and Manson had four other albums with other groups.

21. Queen Latifah

As a rapper, singer and songwriter, Queen Latifah (born Dana Elaine Owens) was one of the most influential artists of her time, calling attention to the problem of violence against women through her songs and highlighting racial injustices. She began by rapping and working with other groups of MCs in the late ’80s.

Boasting a two-octave range, Queen Latifah is a contralto who released her first album at 19. In 1993, her album Black Reign went gold, and the song “U.N.I.T.Y.” won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, becoming her biggest hit of all time. She also performed in the 1998 Super Bowl after releasing her fourth album, Order in the Court. Also during the ‘90s, she co-starred on the acclaimed sitcom Living Single and later earned an Oscar nod for her part in Chicago. She has recorded seven studio albums and currently stars on CBS’s The Equalizer. She performed a song from The Wiz in the 2025 Oscars ceremony.

20. Cher

The only solo artist to chart a No. 1 single in seven straight decades, Cher continued to be one of the top acts of the 1990s some 30 years into her career. Her 1998 release “Believe” became the No. 1 song of 1999, according to Billboard, making a lasting impact with the use of Auto-Tune.

Cher rose to fame with her then-partner Sonny Bono as part of a performing duo whose hits included “I’ve Got You Babe” as well as hosting a successful variety show. By the ’90s, Cher had long since gone solo, and the 1998 hit album Believe helped boost her album sales, now at 100 million and counting. She has recorded 28 studio albums, including 23 on her own, and continues to stay involved with activism work.

19. Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan was one of the most successful singers in the world when her tour bus crashed in 1990, resulting in a broken neck that nearly killed her. Through a tough recovery, she made it back to the stage a year later and embarked upon her comeback tour, Into the Light.

Estefan had achieved fame as lead singer of the Miami Sound Machine, but in 1989, she became a solo artist. Her recovery album launched the smash “Coming Out of the Dark,” about her rehab, and it soared to No. 1. The album peaked at five, also launching hits like “Live for Loving You,” and went double platinum. She performed the 1992 Super Bowl halftime show, released Grammy-winning Spanish-language album Mi Terra in 1993, and performed at the 1996 Olympics Closing Ceremonies. Estefan has recorded 15 solo albums and eight with Miami Sound Machine.

18. Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan sold 40 million albums and founded Lilith Fair. This hugely influential music festival bowed in 1997 to showcase female artists at a time when they didn’t get as many headlining gigs. As a child, McLachlan studied voice, classical piano and classical guitar, earning a recording contract as a teenager.

She released her first album in 1987, but her third album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy in 1993, marked her breakout hit and paved the way for her biggest smash, 1997’s Surfacing. The album won two Grammys, including Best Female Pop Performance, and included the hits “Angel” and “Building a Mystery.” Other hits from the 90s included “I Will Remember You” and the Toy Story 2 tearjerker “When She Loved Me.” McLachlan, who has recorded nine studio albums, continues to record today.

17. Jewel

Alaska native Jewel skyrocketed to fame as a teenager with her clear, operatic voice powering hits like “Who Will Save Your Soul?,” “Foolish Games” and “You Were Meant for Me,” which peaked at No. 2. Her 1995 album Pieces of You became one of the bestselling debuts ever.

In fact, “Meant” and “Games” were so popular that they made the yearly top 100 for two years. Jewel’s unique folksy sound made her stand out, and she also released a book of poetry three years after her first album. Her 1998 second album, Spirit, went four times platinum. The singer earned four Grammy nods, and she has released 13 albums, including one in 2022. Jewel also appeared on The Masked Singer in 2021.

16. Brandy

One of the premier R&B artists of the 1990s, Brandy became a teenage star known for her musical and acting talents. Her first album, Brandy, released when she was just 15, moved over six million copies. She has sold more than 40 million albums and earned a Grammy and an American Music Award.

Brandy performed in her church choir as a child and later became a backup singer for a boy band. Her first album produced the hits “Baby” and “I Wanna Be Down,” and a later duet with Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris, “Brokenhearted,” climbed to No. 2. Meanwhile, her acting career took off, as she starred in UPN sitcom Moesha. In 1998, Brandy and Monica collaborated on duet “The Boy Is Mine,” which won a Grammy and became one of the bestselling female duets ever. Brandy continues to act and sing, with eight studio albums and counting.

15. Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple started writing songs when she was just eight years old. Her classical piano training gave her a great understanding of composition, and she was signed after asking a friend who was babysitting for a music publicist to pass along her demo. Apple went on to win three Grammys and sell 15 million records.

Apple released her debut album at age 19. Tidal included the hit single “Criminal,” in which Apple talked about using her sexuality to get something she desired. Many of her songs dealt with heavy issues, including her recovery from an eating disorder and being raped when she was 12. Tidal went three times platinum and earned her two MTV Video Music Awards. Follow-up When the Pawn … sold 1 million in the U.S. Apple has released five studio albums, including one in 2020.

14. Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt released album after album for 18 years before earning her first commercial success with Nick of Time in 1989. It won the Album of the Year Grammy and launched a booming 1990s when she sold millions of albums with hits like “Something to Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Raitt, who won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a pianist mother and an actor/singer father who encouraged their kids’ musical gifts. By 1971, 22-year-old Raitt had landed a recording contract. Her ’90s albums Luck of the Draw and Longing in Their Hearts became bestsellers, and she was named to Rolling Stone’s list of 100 best singers. Raitt has recorded 18 albums, her most recent in 2022.

13. Sinead O’Connor

Sinead O’Connor sparked one of the biggest pop culture controversies of the 1990s when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II after a Saturday Night Live performance to protest the Catholic Church’s response (or lack thereof) to child abuse allegations. It typified a career as much about activism as music.

O’Connor formed the band Ton Ton Macoute in the mid-1980s that performed in Dublin, and O’Connor was signed by a label. She released her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, in 1987. The single “Mandinka” netted her appearances on the Grammys and Late Night With David Letterman. In 1990, she released her critically acclaimed second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. Her cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U,”written by Prince, became her signature hit, rated No. 1 World Single at the first Billboard Music Awards. O’Connor, who passed away in 2023, recorded 10 studio albums.

12. Lauryn Hill

One of the most influential and celebrated artists of the ’90s, male or female, Lauryn Hill rose to fame as a member of the Fugees and later embarked on a hugely successful solo career. The eight-time Grammy winner blended rap, neo soul and hip-hop in a magical fusion that made people dance and think.

Early in high school, she formed a group with Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and Wyclef Jean that became the Fugees. They signed a record deal in 1993, and their first release, which blended reggae and soul-rock, didn’t do well. But second and final album The Score was a massive hit. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 20 million copies. Hill released her first and only solo effort, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998, and it became the most critically lauded album of the year, selling 30 million copies. She still performs occasionally but largely keeps a low profile.

11. Alanis Morissette

Bursting onto the scene with the ragey single “You Oughta Know” in 1995, Alanis Morissette became one of the bestselling artists of all time, selling 75 million records. Her anthems that encouraged women to stand up for themselves and to men helped her set numerous industry records and win seven Grammys.

Known for her early stint on Canadian kids’ show You Can’t Do That on Television, Morisette released her first album in 1991. She followed that with another dance-pop effort, but it was 1995’s Jagged Little Pill that turned her into a household name. Pill remained on the Billboard Hot 200 for more than a year, and its hits included “You Learn,” “Hand in My Pocket” and her best-ever single, “Ironic.” The album won four Grammys, and she followed it up with Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which sold way fewer copies but still had the hit “Thank U.” Morissette has released 10 studio albums, the most recent in 2022.

10. Sheryl Crow

With more than 50 million in album sales and nine Grammys, Sheryl Crow became one of the defining singers of the 1990s. The University of Missouri at Columbia graduate worked as an elementary school music teacher after graduation, landing some spots singing on advertising jingles before becoming a backup vocalist on Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour.

In 1993 she released her debut, Tuesday Night Music Club, named for a group she would get together with to write music. The second single from the album, “All I Wanna Do,” became Crow’s biggest hit, spending six weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topping the Adult Contemporary charts. Crow earned two Grammys for the song, and “Can’t Cry Anymore” and “Strong Enough” also made the Billboard charts off the album, which also earned Record of the Year. Crow’s country-infused pop rock on her self-titled second album earned two more Grammys and spawned the single “If It Makes You Happy.” Crow has recorded 12 albums, the last in 2024.

9. Mary J. Blige

The “Queen of R&B” pioneered fusing rap and hip-hop, as the remix of her debut album was the first by a singer to feature a rapper in each song. Rolling Stone named her first two albums to the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and she had four albums top the Billboard Hot 200.

Blige signed with Uptown Records at age 18, initially providing backup singing. She worked with Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) to produce her first album, What’s the 411, which came out in 1992. It rose to sixth on the Hot 200 charts, selling 3.5 million units powered by singles like “You Remind Me” and “Real Love.” Follow-up My Life, released amid a time of great personal turmoil for Blige, topped the R&B/Hip-Hop charts for a record eight weeks and earned a spot on Time’s 100 best albums ever. Blige recorded 15 studio albums, the most recent in 2024, and has nine Grammy wins.

8. Madonna

By the 1990s, Madonna had established herself as a bona fide cultural icon whose every move made waves. Following her 1983 debut album, the singer kept finding new ways to evolve. Starring in the 1990 movie Dick Tracy inspired Madonna’s song “Vogue” and an album with three songs penned by Stephen Sondheim.

Madonna’s desire to push boundaries remained on display as well in the ‘90s. Rolling Stone called her sexually explicit Blonde Ambition tour in the ’90s the year’s best, and she actually won her first Grammy for a live recording of the tour. The 1990 album The Immaculate Collection sold 30 million albums, and her 1991 documentary, Truth or Dare, became the top-grossing doc of all time (to that point). “This Used to Be My Playground” earned Madonna’s 10th No. 1 hit, and she signed a $60 million record deal. Madonna has released 14 studio albums, and her every move is still studied today.

7. Celine Dion

Celine Dion has so many records to her name, including the bestselling French album ever, 1995’s D’eux, and the second-bestselling single ever by a woman for “My Heart Will Go On.” Dion has sold 200 million albums, making her the most successful Canadian and French-language artist ever.

She became a child star with a golden voice, becoming top performer at the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo and a year later becoming the first Canadian to earn a gold record in France. She made her English-language debut in 1990, and “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” was her first top-10 single. She won a Grammy for the 1992 Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, and her 1996 Falling Into You became one of the bestselling albums ever. Dion won two Grammys for the Titanic ballad “Heart,” which is now her signature song. She has recorded 27 studio albums but rarely performs now due to stiff person syndrome.

6. Toni Braxton

With seven Grammys to her name and 70 million albums sold, Toni Braxton is one of the most successful female R&B artists of all time. She started singing with her sisters in The Braxtons in the late 80s, then signed for a solo album, Toni Braxton, released in 1993.

It was an instant hit, climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and moving 10 million copies. The standout singles “Breathe Again” and “Another Sad Love Song” helped power the album, whose producers included Babyface and Antonio “LA” Reid. Braxton followed up her debut with another successful album, Secrets, which included the smash “Un-Break My Heart.” The single sold 10 million copies worldwide, ranking as one of the top singles ever released. Braxton, who had a reality show on We until 2020, has recorded nine studio albums, the most recent released in 2020.

5. Leanne Rimes

Leanne Rimes got her start in the music business earlier than most, signing her first record contract and putting out her first hit single, “Blue,” at age 13. Later that year, in 1996, she released her first album, and Blue was an instant hit, going platinum six times.

She became one of the most successful female country stars of the decade. Subsequent single “How Do I Live” in 1997 was one of the bestselling crossovers in the ’90s. From You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, “Life” helped Rimes’ sophomore effort go quadruple platinum. She released two more platinum albums during the 1990s, Sittin’ on Top of the World (1998) and LeAnn Rimes. She has released 18 studio albums, the most recent in 2022.

4. Shania Twain

One of the best country singers of the ‘90s, Shania Twain sold more than 100 million albums in her career and has sold more records than any other woman in country. The “Queen of Country Pop” was one of several artists who began the popular crossover trend from country to pop in the ’90s.

She had a hardscrabble upbringing in Canada and began singing in bars as a child to earn her family extra money. By 1993, Twain had released her first album, a commercial failure. Her next was a huge success—1995’s The Woman in Me. After selling more than 20 million copies, it earned a Grammy. Her follow-up, Come On Over, sold a record 40 million and produced 12 hit singles, including “You’re Still the One” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Twain has six studio albums, including one in 2023.

3. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is one of the most successful singers of the ‘80s and ’90s, following up her debut decade with even more incredible accomplishments. Signed as a 19-year-old, she produced two 1980s albums that dominated the Top 200. She released her third album, I’m Your Baby, in 1990, and it went quadruple platinum.

In 1991, her rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl was released as a single to raise money for Persian Gulf War soldiers and their families. The 1992 soundtrack to The Bodyguard topped the Billboard charts for 20 weeks, becoming the bestselling soundtrack of all time and winning the Album of the Year Grammy. The album’s “I Will Always Love You” is the bestselling female-voiced single of all time. Her 1997 soundtrack to The Preacher’s Wife became the No. 1 gospel album ever. Houston, who passed away in 2012, recorded two soundtracks and seven studio albums.

2. Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson cemented her place as one of the biggest pop stars in history with an incredible run in the 1990s. She became the highest-paid recording artist of the early ’90s, had the most successful first tour ever and was the first woman to debut atop the Billboard Top 200 in the Nielsen SoundScan era.

After appearing as a child TV actress, the youngest in the famed Jackson musical family had two gigantic hits with her albums Control and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. She followed them up with 1993’s Janet, which sold more than 14 million copies and won a Grammy for “That’s the Way Love Goes.” She later collaborated with brother Michael on the hugely successful single “Scream,” their first duet ever, which bowed in the Hot 100’s top five. She then bested her brother by signing a record $80 million record contract in 1996. Her 1997 album The Velvet Rope debuted to commercial and critical acclaim. She’s currently at 11 studio albums and still makes new music.

1. Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey rode her five-octave range to become one of the bestselling artists of all time, releasing her first album in 1990 after being discovered by future husband Tommy Motola, head of Columbia Records. Her self-titled 1990 debut marked the first time an artist’s first five singles all hit No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Named artist of the decade for 1990s by Billboard, Carey won Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Vision of Love.” Her debut 1990 album, Mariah Carey, sold 15 million albums worldwide, and she followed it up with Emotions, whose title track also topped the Hot 100. It sold eight million copies, and a follow-up live version of “I’ll Be There” filmed for Unplugged also topped the charts and went triple platinum. “Dreamlover” and “Hero” from Music Box hit No. 1 in 1993, and the album sold 28 million copies, her best ever. In 1994, she released the iconic “All I Want for Christmas.” Carey has recorded 15 studio albums, most recently Caution in 2018.

Bottom Line

The women on this list produced many of the most iconic and memorable 90s songs. Any of them make a great choice to listen to and remember the great music that came out of the 1990s.

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