Best Female Singers of the 80s

Madonna

She turned 'Like a Virgin' into a cultural detonation and never let go of the throne for the rest of the decade, racking up chart-topper after chart-topper while reinventing her image every 18 months. No other woman in the 80s combined that volume of hits with that level of contr

Signature 80s Hit: Like a Virgin (1984)US #1 Hits (80s): 7Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 7Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 4 rankings

Whitney Houston

Houston's run of seven consecutive #1 singles between 1985 and 1988 remains one of the most dominant streaks in chart history, and 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' is still the gold standard for pure vocal joy. She didn't just have hits — she redefined what a pop vocalist was suppos

Signature 80s Hit: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (1987)US #1 Hits (80s): 7Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 6Vocal Talent: 9.5/10

added by IJRin 9 rankings

Tina Turner

After a decade in the wilderness, Turner's 1984 comeback with 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It' is the greatest second act in pop music — a gravel-and-fire voice that made every note feel earned. It's the definitive 80s redemption story.

Signature 80s Hit: What's Love Got to Do with It (1984)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 3Vocal Talent: 9/10

added by IJRin 3 rankingsTina Turner

Cyndi Lauper

With her cartoonish range and Queens accent intact, Lauper made 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' and 'Time After Time' feel like they belonged to everyone, proving weirdness and vulnerability could top the charts. She was the decade's most unlikely pop star and one of its most belov

Signature 80s Hit: Time After Time (1984)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 1Vocal Talent: 8/10

added by IJRCyndi Lauper

Annie Lennox

Lennox's androgynous stare and icy delivery on 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' made Eurythmics one of the most visually and sonically radical acts of the decade. Her voice carried both menace and heartbreak, setting her apart from every glossier pop peer.

Signature 80s Hit: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 1Vocal Talent: 9/10

added by IJRAnnie Lennox

Donna Summer

The Queen of Disco pivoted seamlessly into the 80s with 'She Works Hard for the Money,' proving her reign wasn't a 70s fluke. Her powerhouse delivery laid the groundwork for the dance-pop divas who'd dominate the rest of the decade.

Signature 80s Hit: She Works Hard for the Money (1983)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 1Vocal Talent: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Pat Benatar

Benatar won the very first four Grammys ever awarded for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and 'Love Is a Battlefield' turned her into rock radio's toughest female voice. She proved a woman could headline arena rock without softening a single edge.

Signature 80s Hit: Love Is a Battlefield (1983)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 4Vocal Talent: 8/10

added by IJRPat Benatar

Janet Jackson

With 1986's 'Control,' Janet stepped out of her famous family's shadow and invented a sharper, more independent template for pop-R&B that would influence the next two decades of female artists. 'Nasty' alone rewired how women could talk about respect in a pop song.

Signature 80s Hit: Nasty (1986)US #1 Hits (80s): 2Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 5Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Kate Bush

'Running Up That Hill' in 1985 showcased Bush's operatic range and art-pop weirdness years before it became a Stranger Things phenomenon decades later. She never chased the charts the way her peers did, but her influence on experimental female vocalists is incalculable.

Signature 80s Hit: Running Up That Hill (1985)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 9/10

added by IJR

Stevie Nicks

Free of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks' solo run with 'Edge of Seventeen' and 'Stand Back' cemented her mystical, raspy persona as one of rock's most enduring voices. She gave the decade its witchiest, most literary female rock icon.

Signature 80s Hit: Edge of Seventeen (1981)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsStevie Nicks

Sade

Sade Adu's cool, understated delivery on 'Smooth Operator' created a whole new lane — sophisticated, jazz-inflected soul that refused to shout to be heard. Her restraint became her signature in a decade obsessed with excess.

Signature 80s Hit: Smooth Operator (1984)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 1Vocal Talent: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Belinda Carlisle

After fronting the Go-Go's, Carlisle went solo and delivered the shimmering, career-defining 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth,' one of the decade's most enduring pop-rock anthems. It's the quintessential late-80s crossover success story.

Signature 80s Hit: Heaven Is a Place on Earth (1987)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 7/10

added by IJRBelinda Carlisle

Debbie Harry

Blondie's 'Call Me' kicked off the decade at #1 and cemented Harry as new wave's coolest, most photogenic frontwoman. She bridged punk attitude and pop hooks in a way few others managed.

Signature 80s Hit: Call Me (1980)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJRDebbie Harry

Cher

Cher spent the 80s reinventing herself yet again, closing the decade with 'If I Could Turn Back Time' and proving her chameleon career had no expiration date. Few artists could pivot between film and music stardom as fluidly as she did.

Signature 80s Hit: If I Could Turn Back Time (1989)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 3 rankings

Bonnie Tyler

Tyler's rasping, storm-cloud voice on 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' turned a Jim Steinman power ballad into one of the most theatrical #1 hits of the entire decade. It's pure 80s melodrama, and it's never been topped.

Signature 80s Hit: Total Eclipse of the Heart (1983)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Olivia Newton-John

'Physical' spent ten weeks at #1 and became the biggest single of the entire decade in the US, turning Newton-John's wholesome image into unexpected leotard-clad sex appeal. It's one of the most dominant chart runs any female artist has ever had.

Signature 80s Hit: Physical (1981)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 0Vocal Talent: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Dolly Parton

Parton kicked off the decade with '9 to 5,' a working-class anthem that topped the charts and crossed over from country to pure pop culture ubiquity. Her songwriting chops and warmth made her one of the few artists respected across every genre line.

Signature 80s Hit: 9 to 5 (1980)US #1 Hits (80s): 1Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 2Vocal Talent: 8/10

added by IJRin 4 rankingsDolly Parton

Tracy Chapman

'Fast Car' closed out the decade as a stark, acoustic gut-punch that proved raw storytelling could still cut through the synth-heavy 80s pop landscape. Chapman's Grammy-winning debut announced a completely different kind of female singer-songwriter.

Signature 80s Hit: Fast Car (1988)US #1 Hits (80s): 0Grammy Wins (career, approx.): 1Vocal Talent: 8/10

added by IJR