175 singers were polled for their favourites.
Aretha Franklin came out as #1.
Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Don Henley, James Ingram, Laura Nyro, Freddie Mercury, Emmylou Harris and Simon & Garfunkel didn't make it.
Karen Carpenter placed #35. Her entry reads:
"Her voice had an honest emotional immediacy and her control of volume was amazing. Check out how quietly she sings verses." - John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants
A voice of such natural purity and engaging warmth, it soared above the crushing sentimentality of her MOR straitjacket. "Karen's gift was formidable," said Herb Alpert. "Her voice rang out like a bell, clear and friendly, soothing, musical and honest." The mark of her true class was in her enlightening reconstructions of journeyman standards like Ticket To Ride, Please Mr. Postman and There's A Kind Of Hush, a talent enhanced by the potency of innocence. But she only ever wanted to be the drummer at the back and the pain of fame drove her to anorexia, and death at 32. - written by Colin Irwin
Born: March 2, 1950; Died: February 4, 1983
Sublime
moment: Transforming Klaatu's sureal Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary
Craft into an orgy of sensuality (Passage, A&M 1977)
Recommended: Yesterday Once
More (A&M 1984)
The article that accompanies the list contains the votes cast by some of the singers. The only one that mentions Karen is: Shania Twain ("Soothing, smooth and perfect").
Female vocalists higher on the list: Bjork, Dinah Washington, Patsy Cline, Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin.
Lower: kd lang, Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, Kate Bush, Ronnie Spector, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee.
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Last changed: Fri Sep 25 21:48:33 EDT 1998