Popular Female Singers of the 70s
The 70s were an exciting time in the music industry and there were some very popular female singers during this time. Many of these women helped to shape the genres of popular music of that time. They crooned stories of love and heartbreak and made a great impact on the world of music.
Carly Simon
Simon’s career in the 70s was marked by a variety of successes. Her first hit, “The Right Thing to Do,” was released in 1973, and her second, “Hotcakes,” achieved instant success the following year. Her greatest hits album, “The Best of Carly Simon,” went triple platinum in the U.S. in 1976. After a brief slump, Simon was back on track with the James Bond-themed song “Nobody Does It Better.” This hit single won Simon Grammy nominations. Simon’s next album, Boys in the Trees, was released in 1978, and she quickly became one of the most popular female singers of the 70s.
Simon began her career as a part of the Simon Sisters, a sister-sister duo. She later released several solo albums and collaborated on the theme songs of several movies. Her self-titled debut album won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1971.
Etta James
Etta James was a famous female singer during the 1970s. She won four Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 2003. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999. In addition to receiving numerous accolades, James also suffered from alcohol and drug addiction. Throughout her career, she managed to overcome these problems, and she has continued to perform and record today.
James struggled with a heroin addiction during the early 1970s. During this time, she spent time in rehabilitation centers and jails. She also had several abusive romantic relationships, which affected her career. James’ career fell into a rut in the mid-’60s, but she rebounded with a hit song, “Tell Mama,” in 1967.
Barbra Streisand
As a performer, Barbra Streisand had a unique combination of singing talent and performing ability. She was a natural stage presence and her singing voice had an irresistible magnetic quality. She was an exceptional interpreter of songs and became one with her music. She was a talented actress as well.
Streisand was one of the most successful female performers of the 70s and was also a prolific film star, appearing in films such as Hello, Dolly! (1969), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), and A Star Is Born (1976). She was also a pioneering actress, making her a major part in the history of the women’s movement.
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks was one of the most iconic singers of the 70s, and is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She began her career in the Motown group the Supremes, which subsequently became one of the world’s biggest selling girl groups. Nicks’s voice was so distinctive that she became an overnight star, and she has retained her reputation as a lyrical prodigy.
Nicks received several Grammy Awards throughout her career. She has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards as a solo artist. In addition, she’s been nominated for six Grammy Awards as a member of the band Fleetwood Mac. In 1978, she won the Album of the Year Grammy Award for Rumours. In 2003, she was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Donna Summer
Summer’s popularity as a pop sensation began when she was just 16 years old. After singing in a church choir, Summer went on to perform in the psychedelic rock group the Crow. By the time she was 18, she had moved to Europe and began to work with record producers. Her first single, “Lady of the Night,” became a hit in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
The decade of disco was a turning point in pop music as the genre began to realize the theatrical potential of pop music. Producers began creating lavish worlds for disco hits, and the style was influenced by sci-fi films by Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. Summer was also one of pop music’s most talented actresses, investing herself fully in the roles her songs demanded. Her style of singing and performance demonstrated grace and self-awareness while voicing eroticism in a way that women could relate to. As a result, Summer’s songs have survived the test of time.
Cass Elliot
In the 70s, two female singers became household names. Nina Simone was a renowned jazz singer who made her debut with her album Little Girl Blue in 1959. She went on to have many hits and even penned a protest anthem inspired by the murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers. The other female singer of the era was Cass Elliot, who began her career in the early 1960s with a band called The Big Three. She later formed the group The Mugwumps.
Elliot had two marriages and had a daughter from her first marriage. She later married songwriter James Hendricks and briefly married Donald von Wiedenman. They divorced after only a few months of marriage.