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My Top 10 Female Hits

R

RicoGregg

I'm ranking my Top 10 hits by women in this list. I would have made it 25 but there would have been too much time taken with too much internal debate. I am making allowances for Honorable Mention, though.

It's just my opinion, and is not intended to be absolute, or to spur debate. This category is supposed to be fun, and I want to have fun with it. If you have a list of your own, however many, please jump in with it. Opinions are like hair follicles: Everybody has them.

My criteria/ground rules (for my list only):
*Must be from the first era of rock, '54 - '63 (Pre-British Invasion);
*Must be listed as a solo artist, thus, Angel Baby by Rosie & The Originals is not eligible. If it had been listed as Rosie Hamlin, it would have been;
*Peak chart position doesn't come into play, it's just personal taste on my part;
*I may have left songs out that most others would have listed. Again, it's just personal opinion.
*Let's have fun with this and not take it seriously. Seriously.  :)

The Countdown (with comments):

10) I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott  - Helped define both the era and the genre.
9)  Ride - Dee Dee Sharp  - Never got the long term credit she deserved.
8- Wild! - Dee Dee Sharp  - So I like Dee Dee, so sue me!
7) Dance With Me, Henry - Etta James
6) Locomotion - Little Eva  - This song spawned at least two great covers.
5) The Big Hurt - Miss Toni Fisher - Love that phasing!
4) Good Rockin' Daddy - Etta James  - Incredibly underrated; Etta deserves two also.
3) Triangle - Janie Grant  - We should have heard more from her. Beautiful voice.
2) Tweedle Dee - LaVern Baker  - A big reason Atlantic Records has such a great heritage.
(drum roll)....and at NUMBER ONE (Remember, it's just my opinion. Don't get out the pitchforks and torches, please) 
  1) Sixteen Reasons - Connie Stevens  - If you haven't seen Mulholland Drive yet, whattya waiting for!?! Hop to it! Thank You, David Lynch!

Honorable Mention:
Bobby's Girl - Marcie Blaine
Hurt - Timi Yuro
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Skeeter Davis
He's Mine (I Love Him, I Love Him, I Love Him) - Alice Wonder Land

??? In case you're curious:  ???

Sixteen Reasons (Mulholland Drive scene):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_17QF9dgfY

Good Rockin' Daddy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc4-_5j-ofQ

He's Mine (I Love Him x3):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdQgyJ7ZW5k

Had this been an actual alert you would have been instructed to tune to 640 or 1240 on your dial.

Brought to you by O'Keeffe & Merritt.
 
The late great Timi Yuro has to be included. The Phil Spector production of What's A Matter Baby is any absolute down and out classic. The drum roll at the beginning will curl your hair even if you are bald
 
RicoGregg said:
7) Dance With Me, Henry - Etta James
Click to expand...

Always heard the Georgia Gibbs #1 version, thought that was good too.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with I TOLD EVERY LITTLE STAR, TRIANGLE & SIXTEEN REASONS... I won't repeat them on my list.
10.) Sad Movies - 61' - Sue Thompson
9.) Don't Make Me Over - 63' - Dionne Warwick
8.) The End Of The World - 63' - Skeeter Davis
7.) You'll Lose A Good Thing - 62' - Barbara Lynn
6.) Tammy - 57' - Debbie Reynolds
5.) O Dio Mio - 60' - Annette Funicello
4.) One Boy - 61' - Joanie Sommers
3.) She's A Fool - 63' - Lesley Gore
2.) I Want To Be Wanted - 60' - Brenda Lee
1.) Where The Boys Are - 61' - Connie Francis
Honorable Mentions for me... It Might As Well Rain Until September - 61' - Carole King, Love Letters - 62' - Ketty Lester, Keep You Hands Off My Baby - 62' - Little Eva, My Little Corner Of The World - 60' - Anita Bryant, Let's Get Together - 61' - Hayley Mills, Pushover - 62' - Etta James, I Know- 61' Barbara George, Hello Stranger - 63' - Barbara Lewis, I Fall To Pieces - 61' - Patsy Cline, Just One Look - 63' - Doris Troy, Don't Bet Money Honey - 61' - Linda Scott, Ronnie - 61' - Marcy Joe
The big battle of the female singers was between Connie Francis and Brenda Lee. Both singers had a great collection of hits that it was hard to choose just one song.
BRENDA LEE: EMOTIONS, DUM-DUM, THAT'S ALL YOU GOTTA DO, BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY, FOOL #1, ANYBODY BUT ME, ALL ALONE AM I, SWEET NOTHINS
CONNIE FRANCIS: EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL, LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR, VACATION, MY HEART HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN, DON'T BREAK THE HEART THAT LOVES YOU, BREAKIN IN A BRAND NEW BROKEN HEART, STUPID CUPID
 
:) Just discussing, not debating...

Brenda Lee had more talent asleep than most did awake. Little Miss Dynamite, as big as she was here, was much bigger in Europe.

I always wondered how she could marry anyone but me? ??? 8)

kenb - Good list! :)
 
10.sandy shaw - alway something there
9.dusty springfield - wishin' and hopin'
8.dionne warwick - anyone who had a heart
7.cilla black - you're my world
6.barbara lewis - make me your baby
5.barbara lewis -baby i'm yours
4.tammy wynette - stand by your man
3.tammy terrell-that's what boys are made for
2.cher - the way of love
1.sandy shaw -girl don't come

I Love the Brits
 
The original post was up to 1963... But, I'll agree hornet's list has alot of my favorites.

I thought of another one that I forgot to post: Angel on My Shoulder -- 61' -- Shelby Flint
 
RicoGregg said:
My criteria/ground rules (for my list only):
*Must be from the first era of rock, '54 - '63 (Pre-British Invasion);
*Must be listed as a solo artist, thus, Angel Baby by Rosie & The Originals is not eligible. If it had been listed as Rosie Hamlin, it would have been;
*Peak chart position doesn't come into play, it's just personal taste on my part;
*I may have left songs out that most others would have listed. Again, it's just personal opinion.
*Let's have fun with this and not take it seriously. Seriously. :)
Click to expand...

What? No Brenda Lee? Connie Francis?
 
landtuna said:
What? No Brenda Lee? Connie Francis?
Click to expand...

A fair question.

In compiling my list, I was going purely by personal favorites, i.e.- songs that would NOT make me hit the car radio button to change stations. Purely by my own ears.

My all-time favorite group is the Beatles, yet if I were to compile an all-time Top 10 list of all-time favorite hits by any and all artists, they probably wouldn't have more than two.

Rock and Roll has a lengthy list of great hits, so anybody compiling a list of any kind is facing a difficult task.

I admit to having had an adolescent crush on Brenda Lee. I once saw a picture of her in a teen magazine, and ZING! went the strings of my heart. If I had gone to school with her, I would have been her second shadow.

She and Miss Francis both had incredible talent and a slew of hits. Musically speaking, none of them made my Top 10. Doesn't mean they were bad or didn't make good music.
 
One or two that stretch into the 70's are in my list:

In The Heat of The Night - Pat Benatar
It's Getting Better - Cass Elliott
All Ya Gotta Do - Brenda Lee
Just One Look - Linda Ronstadt covering Doris Troy
Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene Love
Someday Soon - Judy Collins
Silver Springs - Stevie Nicks
Make Your Own Kind of Music - Cass Elliott
Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Skeeter Davis

And a few for good measure:

Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love
Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
Anticipation - Carly Simon
Whenever You're Away From Me - Olivia Newton John
Slow Rollin' Mama - Laverne Baker
 
Here are some of my favorites -- tried to pick just one from each artist (how can you pick just one Aretha or Dionne Warwick song?); artists listed alphabetically:

Joan Baez: "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
Fontella Bass: "Rescue Me"
Ruth Brown: "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'"
Claudine Clark: "Party Lights"
Petula Clark: "Downtown"
Jackie DeShannon: "What The World Needs Now"
Betty Everett: "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)"
Miss Toni Fisher: "The Big Hurt"
Ella Fitzgerald: "Mack The Knife"
Aretha Franklin: "I Say A Little Prayer"
Gale Garnett: "We'll Sing In The Sunshine"
Lesley Gore: "Look Of Love"
Janis Ian: "At Seventeen"
Janis Joplin: "Me And Bobby McGee"
Carole King: "I Feel The Earth Move"
Brenda Lee: "Is It True"
Barbara Lewis: "Hello Stranger"
Little Eva: "The Loco-Motion"
Darlene Love: "Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home"
Miriam Makeba: "Pata Pata"
Bette Midler: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
Joni Mitchell: "Big Yellow Taxi"
Maria Muldaur: "Midnight At The Oasis"
Anne Murray: "Snowbird"
Freda Payne: "Band Of Gold"
Vicki Sue Robinson: "Turn The Beat Around"
Dee Dee Sharp: "Mashed Potato Time"
Carly Simon: "Anticipation"
Dusty Springfield: "I Only Want To Be With You"
Barbra Streisand: "Stoney End"
Doris Troy: "Just One Look"
Dionne Warwick: "Walk On By"
Mary Wells: "My Guy"
 
For your consideration:

Mama Didn't Lie - Jan Bradley (63)
Those Were The Days - Mary Hopkin (68)
Gonna Get Along Without You Now - Skeeter Davis (64)
My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small (64)
Remember Me - Rita Pavone (64)
Ode to Billy Joe - Bobbie Gentry (67)
Blame It On The Bossa Nova - Eydie Gorme (63)
Ain't No Way - Aretha Franklin (68)
Tweedlee Dee - LaVerne Baker (55)
I Fall To Pieces - Patsy Cline (61)
 
Well, since no one has addressed the EARLY '50s yet, let me be the first:

Come On-a My House Rosemary Clooney (that heavy harpsichord beat HAD to be the prelude to rock & roll
Ricochet Teresa Brewer
Shrimp Boats Jo Stafford
Shanghai Dorris Day
That's All I Want From You Jaye P. Morgan
Why Don't You Believe Me Joni James
Blacksmith Blues Ella Mae Morris
Tennessee Waltz Patti Page
Wheel Of Fortune Kay Starr
Man In A Raincoat Pricilla Wright
 
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