Top 5 Songs Featuring a Female Lead Singer

Dan's Top 5:

1. Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man - Thanks, Tarantino, for making me remember this one.

2. The Cranberries - Linger - I just recently got introduced to this song, and I'm surprised it wasn't one of the first songs I had ever heard, like Weezer's good stuff.

3. 4 Non Blondes - What's Up? - I was introduced to this song in Ireland of all places. You'd think it would have been the Cranberries song.

4. Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line - Most people know this from Garden State. If not, check it out anyway, since it's a damn good song.

5. The Primitives - Crash - One of the many good things to come off the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack.

Honorable mentions: Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again, Massive Attack - Teardrop, pretty much anything by Garbage

Tim's Top 5
1. 10,000 Maniacs - Because the Night (unpluged) - This is one of my all-time favorite tracks. For years it was the only track I possessed that was sung by a woman, prior to the brief Michelle Branch enchantation. It's preposterous when it's done by Springsteen, Patti Smith is just not a voice I can gravitate toward, but Natalie Merchant does a great job with the track and turns it into an incredibly powerful sounding song, even with nothing but acoustics backing her.

2. Magnapop - Slowly, Slowly - A great track, but one I discovered entirely by accident. It's included on the Do Something compilation that was briefly sold at Taco Bells around this great nation. I've always thought I should see if I'd enjoy any of their other work, but I've yet to do so. You can find a live performance that's adequate on youtube, though turn your speakers all the way down before accessing it.

3. Garbage - Push It - Give all the credit to NHL 2000, which had this as the song during the opening of the game. It invokes the Beach Boys "Don't Worry Baby" tastefully, while putting it into one of the most openly sexual songs in recent memory. It's slickly-produced, and was largely responsible for Absolute Garbage being the third album with a female lead singer that I own (after the two by #4's.

4. Everywhere - Michelle Branch - I'm not sure how Michelle Branch slipped through the cracks so that she became the first (and up until last week) only woman in my record collection, but she did and this song has everything to do with it. It's particularly impressive just because she was 19 when she put this whole album together, but she's done her best to torpedo a once-promising career.

5. Crazy in Love - Beyonce - I can't understand for a second why I enjoy this song, except for the casual presence of Jay-Z that really made me stop to listen to it the first time. But I heard it this weekend, after pondering this list for some time, and it had to get included, because it's got such a good loop behind it. Beyonce is completely unnecessary, she adds nothing to the production, but if I had to confess under torture, she isn't bad. Not that I regret getting so drunk that I can't remember a second of the Destiny's Child concert I attended under career duress.

Honorable mention: I have to give serious credit to the other lists here, they pretty much gutted what I had to put on mine, though the only likely change would be to put Wise Up at #5. "What's Up" by 4 non blondes, "Celebrity Skin" by Hole, "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch, "Save Me" and "Momentum" from Aimee Mann and the Magnolia soundtrack, "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman...

Tory's Top Five

1. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn - This is one of the catchiest and best pop songs ever recorded. I sing it with gusto still whenever it comes on the radio.

2. Christina Aguilera - A Voice Within - Christina has definitely set herself apart from the other female pop stars nowadays, and this is one song that exemplifies her most discerning quality: a good singing voice.

3. Jewel - You Were Meant For Me - Now, women aren't the best lyricists as we all know. That being said, out of those lyricists I think that Jewel is perhaps the most talented. This song isn't amazing for its lyrics but the "It was happy and I was sad / It made me mis you oh so bad" line is killer for me.

4. Kelly Clarkson - Because of You - She is definitely one of the most promising singers right now, and consistent. This song is her best to date and a continuation of her so far amazing career.

5. Jewel - Foolish Games - If only it weren't in that one batman movie.

Honorable Mentions: There usually aren't a lot of these for me, but this time there are: Lisa Loeb - You Say; Cranberries - Ode to my Family; Shakira - Wherever, Whenever; Britney Spears - Slave 4 U; Vanessa Carlton - Greensleeves cover and A Thousand Miles; Michelle Branch - Everywhere and All You Wanted.