WYEP's Top 50 Women in Music as voted by listeners

[enemy anemone]

(I saw this posted on another board. what think you?)

1 Joni Mitchell
2 Aretha Franklin
3 Bonnie Raitt
4 Janis Joplin
5 Billie Holiday
6 Carole King
7 Emmylou Harris
8 Lucinda Williams
9 Patti Smith
10 Tori Amos
11 Ani Difranco
12 Madonna
13 Ella Fitzgerald
14 Patty Griffin
15 Sarah McLachlan
16 Chrissie Hynde
17 Joan Baez
18 Indigo Girls
19 Patsy Cline
20 Annie Lennox
21 Allison Krauss
22 Stevie Nicks
23 Nina Simone
24Sheryl Crow
25 Dar Williams
26 Melissa Etheridge
27 Bjork
28 Linda Ronstadt
29 Fiona Apple
30 Aimee Mann
31 Norah Jones
32 Etta James
33 Laura Nyro
34 Deborah Harry
35 Tracy Chapman
36 Natalie Merchant
37 Kate Bush
38 Susan Tedeschi
39 Sinead O'Connor
40 Dolly Parton
41 Carly Simon
42 Janis Ian
43 Neko Case
44 Loretta Lynn
45 PJ Harvey
46 KD Lang
47 Gillian Welch
48 Ricki Lee Jones
49 Liz Phair
50 Beth Orton

[enemy anemone]

all I know is that Neko Case should not be so low on the list. or Gillian Welch.

[murlough23]

I don't even listen to any of those except for Norah Jones, who I don't really think is all that... she's pleasant, that's pretty much it.

Not that my not listening to someone makes them not worthy of inclusion on such a list. it just goes to show how my tastes apparently buck the mainstream here.

If I had to list favorite female artists, I'd choose the following:

1. Vienna Teng
2. Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer)
3. Christine Denté (Out of the Grey)
4. Jennifer Knapp
5. Cindy Morgan
6. Michelle Tumes
7. Alanis Morissette (I'm surprised she didn't make the list; she probably would have several years ago, back when I didn't like her)
8. Margaret Becker
9. Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine)
10. Michelle Branch/The Wreckers

[bloop]

Nearly all of these are solid artists in my experience, so good job WYEP listeners.

[enemy anemone]

of the ones on the list, I only listen to Emmylou, Patty, Gillian, and Neko. I'm familiar with a few songs or  maybe one album from several others, like Beth Orton, Melissa Etheridge, Alison Krauss, Natalie Merchant, and Norah Jones. of the others that are obviously big names, I really don't know and/or maybe don't care, but it did interest me that some my favorites were listed among them.

my list would include Julie Miller, Kim Taylor, Karin Bergquist, Eleni Mandell, Mary Gauthier, and Sam Phillips.  maybe also Karen Peris, KT Tunstall, and Sara Watkins.

[murlough23]

Sara Watkins

I love Sara Watkins but didn't include because she's more of a band member, not really a frontwoman or solo artist. She's welcome to get a spot on my list if she'd actually, you know, put out some solo material.

I wanted to list Eisley but they're not all female, and I can't pick any one of three sisters out individually as being someone I'd want to list above the other two.

NP: "Dashboard", Modest Mouse

[Josh]

It's not a bad list at all, though PJ Harvey and Loretta Lynn got shafted just a bit. (I'd put both above Neko, actually, but maybe that's just me...)

[Aaron]

Patti Smith is EXTREMELY overrated.

[dgp11776]

Seeing 12 women ranked higher than Ella Fitzgerald makes me laugh.

[Josh]

Seeing 12 women ranked higher than Ella Fitzgerald makes me laugh.

Oh, gosh-- and I just noticed how low Nina Simone ranked! That's the most glaring shortcoming of the list right there!

[murlough23]

Oh, gosh-- and I just noticed how low Nina Simone ranked! That's the most glaring shortcoming of the list right there!

It's obviously racism.

[bloop]

Yeah, but that's all lists.  The best I can hope for is that the individuals in the list are good.  I've given up on lists based on any kind of democratic process having a good order.

[murlough23]

Yeah, but that's all lists.  The best I can hope for is that the individuals in the list are good.  I've given up on lists based on any kind of democratic process having a good order.

Agreed. It depends on the group being surveyed. Is this a mainstream radio station that did this? Are they more underground or indie? Where are these people from and what average age are they, etc.?

It's interesting to see how people rank on things like this, and you feel a little sense of gratification when one of your favorites shows up high on the list, but another of your favorites not showing up could be due to people just not knowing about that artist, not necessarily them liking that artist less.

NP: "Brainiac", Chevelle

[enemy anemone]

I did a quick google: "WYEP is an independent radio station that caters to the Adult Alternative crowd. WYEP is member supported and they have an online subscription page." also: "WYEP, Pittsburgh is an independent and innovative, listener-supported public media organization. We give voice to quality music and provocative ideas, fostering an increasingly more vibrant, artistic, diverse and caring community."

[murlough23]

I did a quick google: "WYEP is an independent radio station that caters to the Adult Alternative crowd. WYEP is member supported and they have an online subscription page."

I think it's funny how, when talking about music, "Adult Alternative" refers to a more intelligent, artist-driven, somewhat-less-mainstream aesthetic, but when talking about movies, "Adult Alternative" is a euphemism for gay porn.

[ewok20t3]

Not a bad list. I would've liked to see Imogen Heap somewhere on there, though.

[Aaron]

Don't think she's done enough yet to be considered top 50.

[glatisant]

Ani Difranco 16 places above Bjork is kind of  to me (also Melissa Etheridge, though she's only one place above).  But what the hey...

[Aaron]

Ani Difranco 16 places above Bjork is kind of  to me (also Melissa Etheridge, though she's only one place above).  Otherwise, don't have many quibbles...

I think that because of DiFranco's contributions outside of music, she got higher on the list. 

[glatisant]

Which are...?  (Forgive me for my ignorance here)

[bloop]

Which are...?  (Forgive me for my ignorance here)

I'm not sure what Wanderer is referring to, but my guess is her irritating, condescending lefty crap.

Yeah, Bjork > DiFranco, easily.

[Aaron]

I'm not sure what Wanderer is referring to, but my guess is her irritating, condescending lefty crap.

Yeah, Bjork > DiFranco, easily.

She does alot of charitable work and has been part of setting up organizations for women in Buffalo, NY..and helping restore old theaters to become concert halls.

But again, I dislike lists so I take this stuff with a grain of salt

[murlough23]

I think that because of DiFranco's contributions outside of music, she got higher on the list. 

I'm confused. Is this list not the Top 50 Women IN MUSIC?

[Aaron]

I'm confused. Is this list not the Top 50 Women IN MUSIC?

God forbid the non-music activities a person does influences their musical popularity.

[murlough23]

God forbid the non-music activities a person does influences their musical popularity.

I'm sure it does, but it's better to just base lists like this on how good the music actually is, period.

[Aaron]

Lists like this are flawed, though, because how fair is it to compare outside of a genre?

[murlough23]

Lists like this are flawed, though, because how fair is it to compare outside of a genre?

It's just some group of people's personal favorites; I have no issue with that. it's because of that that I really don't see the need to justify Ani DiFranco's presence by talking about whatever work she's done. It's simple - somebody probably just really likes her music. And that's fine.

[bloop]

Sorry, Wanderer.  I'm sure she does a lot of good, too, and you probably know me well enough by now to know I don't like my musicians stunting for politicians as a general rule (as opposed to picking on her just because she's on the left - not thinking of anyone we know over at CMC).