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Social Perception of Gender in Music


Vilandil Tasardur

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If you are talking female recording artists and focussing on the latter part of the 20th Century and you are discussing it solely in terms of sales and cultural impact' date=' there is probably only one candidate.

It's Barbra Streisand.

She's the best selling female artist ever (I think she laps the competition outside of Madonna). She's got a roomful of Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys. And she has devotees that make Kiss or Rush fans seem rational.

From what I can tell, Madonna may have more sales internationally, but she has also been a lot more proflific than Streisand in recent years - when international sales were increasingly more important.

I would say the top five are

1. Streisand

2. Madonna

3. Diana Ross

4. Mariah Carey

5. Celine Dion

Dolly Parton may be in the top ten somewhere.[/quote']

Good list and I can agree with them all.

But I would probably also add Etta James, Carol King and Janis Joplin.

(just my opinion, but I think Carol King would be higher on the list than Mariah Carey)

edit: Wow forgot all about Stevie Nicks and Grace Slick. They are up there but probably not top 5.

Someone mentioned country artists and that got me thinking.

Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline? ( well these are the three I think of when I think of female country singers)

One female that I have enjoyed listening to is Lady Gaga's voice. Personally, I think she has one heck of a set of pipes.

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How can Joan Jett and the Runaways not be in this list? First all woman rock band. Cher, from the Sonny and Cher days on. Along with Grace Slick (whom I saw twice), Mama Cass. Motown had a bunch of women's groups and as a label probably the most back then, but they weren't paid like the men were.

But I do think that The Beatles and Elvis were at the top of the heap in challenging the times with their music and were major influences. Also Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana should be on a list near the top.

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Start with an explanation of the irrational idol worship of Barbara Streisand. She hasn't performed regularly in 20 years yet would sell out arenas nationwide tomorrow in a heart-beat if she were to announce a concert tour. She was good back in the day, but not so good that gays should get orgasmic and ladies' mah-jong clubs should build shrines to her.

I have a lot of white friends ( a couple of Jewish friends from the Navy too) and none of them have attended or own a Barbara Streisand record album or CD. I remember the Manshow doing a spoof on men dragged to her concert by their wives while their cajones remained at home.

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