Your top 10 alt female artists of all time + your favourite album by each

As of today I would say:

1. Tori Amos (Boys for Pele)
2. Aimee Mann (Lost In Space)
3. Alanis Morissette (Under Rug Swept)
4.
The Queen Of Pop PJ Harvey (Rid Of Me)
5. Sarah McLachlan (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
6. Kate Bush (Hounds of Love)
7. Fiona Apple (Extraordinary Machine)
8. Liz Phair (Whitechocolatespaceegg)
9. Bjork (Homogenic)
10. Regina Spektor (Begin To Hope)
 
Last edited:
8190306c4793350875a859498b372649.gif
 
And yes I know that Kylie Minogue is one of the most successful indie artists of all time in the UK, but you know what I mean.
 
1. Tori Amos (from the choirgirl hotel)
2. Kate Bush (Aerial)
3. Alanis Morissette (Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie)
4. Zazie (Rodéo)
5. Natalie Imbruglia (White Lilies Island)
6. Amanda Palmer (Theatre Is Evil)
7. Eliza Shaddad (The Woman You Want)
8. Nerina Pallot (Stay Lucky)
9. Sheryl Crow (The Globe Sessions)
10. Polly Scattergood (Polly Scattergood)
 
I'm not sure that I HAVE ten favourite alt female artists but my top three of the genre would almost certainly be:

1. The Dreaming
2. From The Choirgirl Hotel
3. Homogenic
 
1. Marianne Faithfull - 20th Century Blues
2. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
3. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
4. Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel
5. Mitski - Laurel Hell
6. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
7. Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
8. Sia - Some People Have Real Problems Too
9. Regina Spektor - Far
10. Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
 
PJ Harvey (Rid of Me)
Aimee Mann (Lost In Space)
Tori Amos (Under The Pink)
Heather Nova (Oyster)
Liz Phair (whitechocolatespaceegg)
Bjork (Post)
Fiona Apple (When The Pawn)
Nerina Pallot (The Sound and The Fury)
Leona Naess (Thirteens)
Sinead O’Connor (Universal Mother)

Solo artists of course and I couldn’t decide if Joni passes as alt.
 
I'll do a proper list when I get home for now just had a listen to Stevie Nicks' Trouble in Shangri-La, and it is fucking fabulous! The title track alone. Why have I callously ignored this? :evil:
 
It was a toss up for me between this and Stay Lucky. It's rare that the most recent records are the best!
I love Stay Lucky too, I have a soft spot for it as I saw it played live basically sitting right beside her in an intimate little venue here and had a good chat with her afterwards (bizarrely about bedroom antics and nothing about music) but ‘Sound…’ shows how diverse she is. Most people go for ‘Fires’ which I really like too, Idaho is pretty special.
 
1. Sheryl Crow (I change my mind between TNMC/Sheryl Crow/Globe Sessions and Wildflower - at the moment it's the debut. Probably my 2nd favourite artist ever after Prince)
2. Sarah McLachlan (Mirrorball... or Afterglow if we're talking studio albums)
3. KT Tunstall (Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon)
4. Nikka Costa (Everybody Got Their Something)
5. Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill)
6. Nerina Pallot (Stay Lucky)
7. Paula Cole (This Fire)
8. Emiliana Torrini (Love In The Time Of Science)
9. Florence & The Machine (Ceremonials)
10. Thea Gilmore (Strange Communion)

Special mentions for Beth Orton, Lissie, Tina Dico... and Sia - who would be in here for her noughties work until her pop era cancelled her Banshee membership

I kinda feel like Little Dragon should be mentioned but maybe too poppy... I mean if I include Little Dragon I'd have to include Annie Lennox, and she'd be #2

Also I have great love for certain Bjork and Kate Bush moments but don't know their wider work to rank them properly.
 
  1. Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
  2. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis
  3. Laurie Anderson - Homeland
  4. Meredith Monk – Dolmen Music
  5. Joni Mitchell – Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
  6. Nico – The Marble Index
  7. Joanna Newsom - Ys
  8. Julia Holter - Loud City Song
  9. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
  10. Lætitia Sadier - The Trip
 
  1. Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
  2. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis
  3. Laurie Anderson - Homeland
  4. Meredith Monk – Dolmen Music
  5. Joni Mitchell – Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
  6. Nico – The Marble Index
  7. Joanna Newsom - Ys
  8. Julia Holter - Loud City Song
  9. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
  10. Lætitia Sadier - The Trip
Oh God I forgot all about NICO! I don’t really regard Laurie as a singer as such but absolutely definitely her as well. In fact…

1. Laurie Anderson / Bright Red
2. Kate Bush / The Dreaming
3. Tori Amos / From The Choirgirl Hotel
4. Nico / The Marble Index
5. Björk / Homogenic

Also Saint Of The Pit by Diamanda Galás. There’s alt and there’s ALT :disco:

 
Hello Space Dogs!

Keeping it strictly alt/non-mainstream:

Tori Amos - To Venus & Back*
Bliss / Datura / Glory of the 80s

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Running Up That Hill/A Deal With God / Hounds of Love / The Morning Fog

Cristina - Sleep It Off
What's A Girl To Do / Don't Mutilate My Mink / You Rented A Space

Marcella Detroit - Feeler
Scared Silent / I Hate U Now / Somebody's Mother

Ani Difranco - Up Up Up Up Up Up
Angry Anymore / Everest / Up Up Up Up Up Up

PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?
A Perfect Day Elise / The Sky Lit Up / The River

Sophie B. Hawkins - Whaler
As I Lay Me Down / Right Beside You / Did We Not Choose Each Other

Alanis Morissette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
Front Row / Thank U / Unsent

Siouxsie - Mantaray
Heaven & Alchemy / They Follow You / Sea of Tranquillity

Liz Phair - whitechocolatespaceegg
White Chocolate Space Egg / Polyester Bride / Only Son

Genevieve Waite - Romance is on the Rise
Pink Gin & Lime / Love Is Coming Back / Femme Fatale

*It really is tempting to put Space Dog (live) here - it's my Amos ultimate.
 
Hello Space Dogs!

Keeping it strictly alt/non-mainstream:

Tori Amos - To Venus & Back*
Bliss / Datura / Glory of the 80s

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Running Up That Hill/A Deal With God / Hounds of Love / The Morning Fog

Cristina - Sleep It Off
What's A Girl To Do / Don't Mutilate My Mink / You Rented A Space

Marcella Detroit - Feeler
Scared Silent / I Hate U Now / Somebody's Mother

Ani Difranco - Up Up Up Up Up Up
Angry Anymore / Everest / Up Up Up Up Up Up

PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?
A Perfect Day Elise / The Sky Lit Up / The River

Sophie B. Hawkins - Whaler
As I Lay Me Down / Right Beside You / Did We Not Choose Each Other

Alanis Morissette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
Front Row / Thank U / Unsent

Siouxsie - Mantaray
Heaven & Alchemy / They Follow You / Sea of Tranquillity

Liz Phair - whitechocolatespaceegg
White Chocolate Space Egg / Polyester Bride / Only Son

Genevieve Waite - Romance is on the Rise
Pink Gin & Lime / Love Is Coming Back / Femme Fatale

*It really is tempting to put Space Dog (live) here - it's my Amos ultimate.
Some amazing choices, and glad to see the solo Siouxsie love, I considered having that on my list too.

This proves that the board is crying out for a whitechocolatespaceegg sync don’t you think @Suedey @jivafox (and of course the rest of the lovely banshee contingent whose Liz Phair stance I’m not sure of).
 
Was tempted to include Sinéad just for Jump In the River alone, but I skim off about 6 tracks from her overall and have never quite dived fully in.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom