Wayne's Top 15 Acts Of All Time - COMPLETED -

[Wayne]

This was my top10 last time and what I wrote for my #1:

#10 - Frank Sinatra
#09 - Donna Summer
#08 - Tina Turner
#07 - Shania Twain
#06 - Anastacia
#05 - Whitney Houston
#04 - U2
#03 - Mariah Carey
#02 - Cher
#1 - See below


My no1 is who else:

CELINE DION

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/celine1.jpg

Well, she's no 1 in my countdown purely because I think she has a talent that is unequalled by any singer or performer that has ever lived. Mariah and Whitney have their soundalikes such as Leona and Christina. But I can quite honestly say, I've never heard anyone that sounds like Celine :-? :-? :lol: :lol:

Celine had truly humble upbringings; the youngest of 14 children, she was almost not here as her parents didn't want another child. Fast forward 5 years she was singing in her parents restaurant, fast forward to her 12th birthday and the rest the say...is history. She was now a signed star with multiplatinum recordings in French and arguably the biggest star in Canada. It is estimated that by the time she had started to learn English, she had sold around 2.5-3million records.

In 1990, once she had learnt English, she released her debut album, Unison. It more than matched her career to date sales so far. She followed that up with her eponymous album Celine Dion, which doubled the sales of Unison. Then came The Colour of My Love which put her on a worldwide scale. She was now as big as Mariah and Whitney and those two were the biggest female singers in the world. The album has sold a massive 18million copies worldwide. She released Deux, the biggest selling French album of time.

Then in 1996, everything changed. She released Falling Into You. What she did here was put herself on an even grander scale. She became bigger than ANY other singer, male or female, in the world with this release. A whopping 31million copies later, she had reached her peak right? Because You Loved Me, All By Myself, Think Twice, Its all coming back, The Power of Love, Beauty and the Beast...No way could it get bigger. But it did :lol:

My Heart Will Go On....and on and on......and on and on....well into 1999. The song was EVERYWHERE! The biggest song of the decade some might say and Celine Dion's signature song. The vocal was flawless, and to accompany the song, she released Lets Talk About Love, the biggest album of the late 90's, selling over 31million copies. She recorded duets with Streisand, Pavarotti, the Bee Gees and worked with Carole King and Sir George Martin, all of which happened to be pioneers. The album spawned many successful singles. She released All the Way... a greatest hits album in 1999 which has gone onto sell 22million copies worlwide. She took a temporary hiatus after giving a millenium concert in her hometown of Canada.

She returned in 2002, with one of the best-selling albums of the year, A new day has come, which was generally positively received by critics. It is my favourite Celine Dion album (Sorry for Love is....outstandingly amazing :D ) and has sold over 10million copies so far. One Heart, Miracle and Taking Chances have since been relased. All three being moderately successful, very successful if you consider her lack of radio support and big singles.

In 2004, she was awarded the Diamond award at the World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of all time, and then in 2007, she was awarded the Legend award for her 'outstanding contribution to music.'

Record sales is an issue.....she is very undercertified in big markets such as the USA and UK and even France. 150million albums sold? 175million? 185million? 200million? Forbes even said 220million!! Sony announced sales of 200million albums last year, and most media sources quote this. Record sales aside, this woman is incredible. Most people ackowledge that she has few, if any, equals. She has THE voice IMO. Mariah is amazing, as is Whitney, but there voices are declining, or have already done so judging by some performances, but Celine still has IT. At my estimation, she is the biggest selling artist of the last 15 years, the biggest selling female albums artist of all time, and the greatest singer of all time. I love her....to death so to speak :lol:

[Wayne]

MISSED ENTRIES


STEREOPHONICS

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/darky89/stereophonics.jpg

[quote:xzakke95]Fronted by the gorgeous Kelly Jones, the Stereophonics have been a staple of my 'pre-drinking parties'! They're primarily Rock musicians, but not too rocky (ala Greenday). They have pop senisibilities and this allows them to appeal to a much wider audience that I'm gladly a part of. Probably in my top3 bands of all time.

3 T O P S O N G S:

1. Dakota
2. Handbags and the Gladrags
3. Rewind[/quote:xzakke95]


BEYONCE

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/frischashley/Beyonce-Single_Ladies_Put_A_Ring-1.jpg

[quote:xzakke95]Will surprise some that she's anywhere near my list! A woman that has released only three solo albums yet can still rank near my top15 acts of all time deserves credit. She's mentioned for her solo career alone, as I don't really rate Destiny's Child. To keep it short: her debut was lacklustre, the follow up was better, the most recent output was bordering on outstanding. Her look this era is the best its ever been, and her singles and album tracks alike (minus Ego) are brilliant!

3 T O P S O N G S:

1. Single Ladies
2. Crazy In Love
3. Listen[/quote:xzakke95]


CHRISTINA AGUILERA

http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/Anne_King/Arden%20Young/Christina-Aguilera-black-and-white-.jpg

[quote:xzakke95]The 'voice' of her generation, and one of my favourite female vocalists of the last 5 years, yet I don't own a single physical studio album of hers. Why? Because she tends to fall short when it comes to her album tracks. I personally find Stripped (minus the singles and the odd album track) to be one of the most overrated records ever. When she's on the money, she's unstoppable though

3 T O P S O N G S:

1. Keeps Gettin' Better
2. The Voice Within
3. Fighter[/quote:xzakke95]

[Wayne]

The following three artists have actually fallen off my list completely:

DONNA SUMMER (#9 last time):

The Queen of Disco has fallen from my list purely for her inactivity. Whilst some artists in my list will remain there eternally, I think Donna entered last time primarily for her Crayons album and the odd amazing track throughout the 70's and 80's. Whilst I still do listen to her on a semi-regular basis (The Fame being my most recent addiction of hers), she's simply not one of my 'all-time' artists. Big legend though! ;)
T O P T R A C K S:

1. Last Dance
2. Stamp Your Feet
3. The Fame

FRANK SINATRA (#10 last time)

Much like Summer, he's fell due to obviously being inactive! :lol: Nothing will ever retract from the fact that without this man, the modern era of music would be completely different. He was the first 'mega-star' and is one of the most-successful recording artists of all time. I concentrate on his career - not his private life - and for that, he deserves every accolade he gets. Obviously, me being a fan of 'belters', Sinatra was always going to be mentioned. My Way is one of my favourite songs ever, the soundtrack to many people's lives. The man.
T O P T R A C K S:

1. My Way
2. New York, New York
3. The Way You Look Tonight
4. Strangers In The Night
5. Fly Me To The Moon

SHANIA TWAIN (#7 last time)

Ahh. Release an album already lady! I simply CANNOT WAIT until she releases a new album. Its so long overdue. Her songwriting skills were amazing. Nearly everything she wrote was at least good - I own all of her albums - with her best compositions ranking among some all-time great tracks. I just love Shania! The first time I saw her was on The Box back in the late 90's - the video for That Don't Impress Me Much. I can remember being startled by that outfit :lol: (which I still think is one of the best music video outfits ever, thankyou very much!!). Once again, she's fell because I'm tired of waiting for her new album. There's only so much your old material can do to cap my anticipation! Release already woman!! :D
T O P T R A C K S:

1. From This Moment On
2. You're Still The One
3. Nah
4. Up!
5. Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
6. That Don't Impress Me Much
7. Rock This Country
8. Man I Feel Like A Woman
9. Forever And For Always
10. Don't Be Stupid

[Wayne]

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/JamesMorrison.jpg

My #15 entry is a (NE) to my list. I would've included him on my list last year, based on the merits of his debut alone, but in the end I opted to go with Sinatra! :lol: Morrison has forged himself an incredible reputation as being a fantastic lyricist, a consummate live performer whilst having an amazing voice. His voice is reminiscent of Rod Stewart's, with a lovely raspy sound.

Morrison belongs in that breed of young, vibrant, successul male 'artists'. He's in company of Paolo Nutini, Daniel Merriweather, Jason Mraz, Ray LaMontage, Damien Rice et al. But Morrison soars far above his contemporaries. I like that hes not perfect, and that he doesn't come from a particularly amazing background. Undiscovered is a 9.5/10 album - near perfection. His follow up, Songs For You Truths For Me is an equally fantastic album. IMO, he's the finest British Male soloist and the perfect representative for this country across Europe. Deserves all the success he gets
1 0 T O P S O N G S:

1. The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore
2. Man In The Mirror (accoustic cover)
3. Broken Strings
4. You Make It Real
5. One Last Chance
6. Call The Police
7. Undiscovered
8. Wonderful World
9. You Give Me Something
10. Please Don't Stop The Rain

14

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/DanniiMinogue-1.jpg

The Queen of Dance, and Australia's best export, she is the most underrated artists in history. She has had a long, storied career, living in the shadow of her much more successful sister.

I also term Dannii as the Queen of the Remix as she has had many of her songs converted into outstanding remixes. As far as her material goes, her albums have ranged from average, to near faultless. Neon Nights is as fine a Dance/Pop album as you can get, and was probably my 2nd favourite album of 2003. It received rave reviews all around the world and went top10 in the UK. She has the looks, she has the quality material, she has a great status as a respectable recording artist, she has the dedication and hard work it takes, all that she is missing is the success. Whilst the likes of Lady GaGa churn out material that is half as good yet 10 times as successful, Dannii sits on the sidelines waiting for her next big hit. Please give it to her!

PS She is the best judge on X Factor, and I'm really glad that shes found happiness at long last! Get married woman!
M Y T O P 1 0 S O N G S:

1. This Is It
2. Disremembrance
3. I Begin To Wonder
4. Who Do You Love Now?
5. Jump To The Beat
6. Love Fight
7. You Won't Forget About Me
8. Put The Needle On It
9. Love And Kisses
10. Perfection

#13

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/Anastacia2-1.jpg

The Little Lady With The Big Voice, she was my #6 last time round, but she has taken a dramatic fall this time around, mainly due to me falling in love with other artists this year, and her most recent output being nowhere near the level of her previous work. She'll always have a place within these lists of mine for her first three albums alone - all three are fantastic pop/rock albums, and have some real classics on there

I first fell in love with Anastacia when I heard Left Outside Alone. After delving into her discography (woo for wikipedia!) I found out that she was the "I'm Outta Loveeeeeeeee" singer too! From then, I was hooked. Left Outside Alone is as good a pop-classic as you will get from this decade IMO - fantastic video, amazing vocals, great image and an immaculate vocal turned it into a modern classic. Whilst her recent output is IMO a dip in quality, its still better than a lot of the material that tops the charts around the world, and for sure deserved to do much better than it did!
T O P S O N G S:

1. Left Outside Alone
2. Heavy On My Heart
3. You'll Never Be Alone
4. I Ask Of You
5. I'm Outta Loveeeee!
6. One Day In Your Life
7. Not That Kind
8. Sick And Tired
9. Welcome To My Truth
10. Paid My Dues
11. Time
12. Absolutely Positively
13. I Can Feel You
14. Defeated
15. Sexy Single

#12

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/WhitneyHouston12.jpg

Whitney ... Whitney ... Whitney! I've loved her and I've hated her. She isn't ever going to come close to what she was in the 90's, but I'm just thankful that she's back! :D And back with a good voice, and looking absolutely flawless.

Her commercial career began in the early-mid 80's, and she's gone onto forge one of the most successful international pop careers ever, selling over 170m records worldwide! Why? A combination of three things - her material, her voice and her. She has sooo many classics in her repertoire that its hard to rank them! :D I do feel that my ultimate favourite though is Step By Step - anthemic, influential, inspirational, and gorgeous, in terms of its lyrics, and its vocal delivery.

Just recently, her "comeback song" I Didn't Know My Own Strength became a personal favourite of mine, peaking inside the top 5 of my personal chart. If this is a sign of things to come, then wow are we in for a treat! Welcome back Whitney! :) <333

T O P S O N G S :

Step-By-Step
My Love Is Your Love
Queen Of The Night
I Believe In You And Me
I Learned From The Best
It's Not Right But Its Okay
Exhale (The Shoop Shoop Song)
How Will I Know
I'm Your Baby Tonight
Where Do Broken Hearts Go
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Greatest Love Of All
One Moment In Time
All The Man That I Need
I Have Nothing
Run To You
I'm Every Woman
I Will Always Love You
I Didn't Know My Own Strength
I Know Him So Well

11.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/11-Elton-3.jpg

A king of British music, I've loved him since I first heard Sacrifice in the mid-late 90's (I can remember my mum playing it on repeat one year, and its stuck ever since :P). The Lion King OST cemented my love of him; never had I been so enraptured by one song as I was by Can You Feel The Love Tonight, in my early teens (around 00-01 time) - a great song that helped me through tough times. Music aside, Elton is one of my personal heroes; he has championed gay rights since the start, and he continues to be an activist of this cause, which sometimes gets lost amongst the other "isms" and "obias" :P Elton - you are a hero of mine, and I love you!

Sorry for the shitty write up; I'm just not in the mood at the moment, but wanted to get this going again! :P

[PhoenixBloom]

Hope you can keep up the chart on this forum! :D

I love Anastacia as you know, she gives me orgasms.... :o :lol:

My top tunes would differ from yours though, thoough LOA would be in higher realms definitely, sad to see Shania fall off but it's totally understandable due to inactivity and I also like some stuff from Stereophonics! :D

Interested to see who's in your top 10! :mrgreen:

[AyuM]

Tell me that Madonna is somewhere in your Top 15!!! ;) :D

[Wayne]

Oooh! I've just noticed your avatar - who is it? It looks really nice.

Hmm about Madonna - I'm afraid she doesn't make it! She hasn't made sufficient impact on my musical "career" just yet! But through Nichu94's fabulous survivor, I'm rediscovering just why she is the Queen of Pop, so maybe she'll figure in next year's list! ;)

I'll post number 10 tomorrow, and kick-start the top 10! I hope you'll continue to follow AyuM and PhoenixBloom! :D

[James]

really enjoyed reading this, looking forward to reading the next instalment :)

[Wayne]

10
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/18335965/Britney+Spears+516.jpg

The most recent star to chart inside of my top 10 in terms of debuts, Britney is the living embodiment of reinvention. When she first started out, she was this shy, quite & unnassuming gorgeous girl who just happened to come alive when she performed live. Who would've guessed that 10 years later, she'd be one of the biggest-selling, widely respected performers in the world? I certainly wouldn't.

Like most people, I adored Baby One More Time (single) when it first came out; it was catchy, it was cool, it was fresh and it had a killer video. She followed with smash after smash after smash. It wasn't until Blackout in 2007 (the first physical album I brought of hers) did I decide to delve beyond her singles. I LOVED (and still do love) Blackout - its one of those albums that is years beyond its time, and I genuinely do believe that in about 5 years time, that will be the consensus when people look back.

My next purchase was BOMT (her debut album) - its not great, and by no means does it warrant its near 25m copies WW sales figure, but its a solid album. They chose wisely with the singles!! My opinion is similar also, to that of Oops...; whilst I believe Oops ... is a better album than BOMT, its still not that great. In fact, I'd say that all of her studio albums pre-Blackout are no more than a 7/10 overall. I must also state that In The Zone is one of the most horribly overrated albums of all time (along with Madonna's Ray Of Light, and Christina's Stripped); outside of the singles, this album is nothing imo! Personally, I feel Britney reached her peak with Circus, which says a lot when an artist can do that nearly 10 years into their career; its fun, fresh, lyrically fantastic, vocally alright - production wise, its probably the best album of 2008. Womanizer is one of the best songs of all-time!! :D

Anyway, I've rambled on for too long :P I like Britney pre-Blackout, I love Britney pro-Blackout! A future legend of music.

[britneyfan09]

Yayy! Nice to see you have the Queen Of Pop on your list. ;)

[James]

Agree with you wholeheartedly on the first 2 albums, and Blackout. :D

[AyuM]

Oooh! I've just noticed your avatar - who is it? It looks really nice.


It was Roisin Murphy! :D You know her right? She's the Queen of electronica IMO and so irresistibly beautiful and talented! ;)

[AyuM]

Yayy! Nice to see you have the Queen Of Pop on your list. ;)

She's not the Queen of Pop! ;) Madonna will always retain the title! :D 8-)

But of course she is the princess of pop. She's like her daughter sometimes. Especially in this cute picture (i loved that live performance BTW):

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ztL8SJNCNcw/SRRmew1MOrI/AAAAAAAAB-8/k4fz5CbO4No/s320/brit_madonna.jpg

I love them both! :mrgreen: I'm really glad to see the legendary Britney inside your top 10. I'm sad that the Queen isn;t in your top 15 though... :cry: :P

BTW, i love your Top 15 so far Wayne!! :D I'm really curious to see you top 5, even though I am quite sure about your #1. ( C _ l i _ e)... ;)

[PhoenixBloom]

Not a fan of Britters I'm afraid! I'm sure you'll have more interesting/talented artists ahead! :D

[AyuM]

Come on Wayne, we want to see the rest of your top 10!!! :mrgreen: :P ;)

[Nichu94]

Come on Wayne, we want to see the rest of your top 10!!! :mrgreen: :P ;)
me too :lol:

[gimme1mimi]

i hope mimi's in your list !!!

LOVEd your writeups.

yay for brit,Whitney !!

[Wayne]

#9
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/30042405/George+Michael+photo.jpg

I personally feel that over the last 12 months, my music taste and preferences have stretched beyond what I used to listen too; part of my Pop exploration is spearheaded by this outstanding talent. George Michael is more than a singer too me; he's an icon, he's a legend, he's a champion of gay rights, and he's one of the greatest songwriters of all-time.

Not the case with the majority of my top 10, I found George Michael purely by chance (and Heart FM radio! :lol:). I can't remember the very first song I ever heard of his (it was probably Last Christmas or that Wham classic, Wake Me Up), but up until last year, I was merely a casual fan of his. Then when I split with an ex, I heard One More Try on the radio. Now for those of you that aren't aware of this classic, its something that I recommend you listen to. It became his 7th #1 single in the US back in 1987. George himself wrote this artform at the tender age of 24, as well as the entire Faith album. I find that so incredible; that a man so young, could put together an album that has gone onto become a template for every pop album that has followed. The abum has the right mix of sadness, heartache, happiness, joy, and its greatness is backed up by its 19m+ sales.

My Favourite song that he's ever done is Careless Whisper. From the moment the saxophone kicks in, I'm hooked. And he was only just 21 when he wrote that. Its now one of the most recognisable songs of all-time, and probably George's most well known. Controversy aside, his career is textbook. He's worked extremely hard, and faced the harshest of critics and has gone onto become one of the most critically respected and commercially successful solo artists of all-time, bar none. He has one of THE best voices of any male soloist (I'd rank him top 5 of all time), and his songwriting skills are right up there with Lennon/McCartney/Jackson/Spector. He will remain one of my heroes forever, and I just hope he releases a new record soon! As he himself says:

'Cause I gotta have faith...
Mmm, I gotta have faith
'Cause I gotta have faith, faith,
Mm 'cause I gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith

:) <3

[PhoenixBloom]

Not a HUGE fan but he is GREAT! Many great songs and videos! Definitely iconic and his bloody sexy! :D Great choice! ;)

[britneyfan09]

Never heard of him actually. :shock:

[stevyy]

love george michael :shock: :o :D (since ELI STONE)

[Wayne]

#8

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/RodStewart-no7.jpg

Rod Stewart - the Prince of Rock (ordinarily, I'd refer to him as King, but we all know that personal preferences aside, only Elvis is entitled to that! :P). Mr Stewart is the highest-ranked male soloist on my list.

He's been active in the business for 5 decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. He's one of the biggest-selling artists of all-time with record sales approaching 200m, and his touring record is one of the most highly-regarded in the music business. He is a legend.

Just as is the case for the likes of Tammy, the Carpenters and others, I've been brought up on Sir Rod's music. His best-of albums are a part of the furniture in my home, and rightly so. I could never tire of this man's music - whether its his voice, his sex appeal (and he has buckets!), his melodies, his lyrics - he encapsulates it all! His drive and determination to better himself, year-after-year is unmatchable, and this is a man who is in his 60's and his workrate is higher than stars a third of his age. It gives me so much joy to sit and watch his live shows - my favourite of which is Live at Hampden Park - if I haven't already said so, I consider him amongst the best vocalists of all-time. It never fails to amaze me how well-known his records are - don't believe me? Then watch this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPcNncA79I) performance of Maggie May, as 50,000+ sing word for word his biggest hit.

Not only is he an incredible musician - he's an amazing father, a good husband, a humanitarian. He is a benchmark in Rock n Roll, and somebody that has influenced thousands of acts over the year. Fellow 'mixers, I give you the legend that is ... Sir Rod Stewart! :)

"Young hearts be free tonight. time is on your side,
Dont let them put you down, dont let em push you around,
Dont let em ever change your point of view"

[HeatSeeker]

Never heard of him. lol

[James]

Rod Stewart? Really? You didn't strike me as a Rod fan

[Wayne]

Well on a pop forum such as this, nobody likes to discuss acts pre-1999! lol j/k :P

There's no Rod fans here, so what do I discuss about him? :(

[James]

Well on a pop forum such as this, nobody likes to discuss acts pre-1999! lol j/k :P

There's no Rod fans here, so what do I discuss about him? :(

I think there are a few "rod" fans on here.... if you get what I'm saying :teehee:

[Wayne]

#7

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/Babs.jpg

A stalwart of the US music scene, and somebody who would've been even higher if I'd compiled my list a few months back, when my love for Streisand was more like an obsession!

Barbra (or Babs as her many gay lovers refer to her as :lol:) is not only one of the biggest female artists of all time, she's one of the best. And I'm speaking near the top of the highest echelon of female singers possible. She has an incredible voice - her range, her power, her technique and most startling of all, her crystal clear clarity.

One thing I love about Babs is that she's really looked after herself, both physically, and mentally. She's very grounded. She's also very active, politically, and is not afraid to state her very liberal, left wing opinions, which I find remarkable (considering she was raised in the 50s-60s) and indicative of her open mindedness.

When it comes to music, I'll be the first to admit my taste is very *ahem* GAY. And lets face it, they don't get much gayer than this woman :P The Way They Were, Enough Is Enough, Woman In Love, Memories, Evergreen, Somewhere, Guilty, Don't Rain On My Parade, and her heavenly duet with fellow music legend, Celine Dion (Tell Him) are just some of her many classics!

"Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning.
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning"

[Wayne]

#6

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/U2-6.jpg

The highest ranked all male act on my list, and my favourite band of all-time. They are absolute music Gods; they are legends, and no amount of underperforming albums will ever take that away from them! :lol:

I've always known of U2's singles, and of their famous tracks; Beautiful Day, One, With Or Without You, Sweetest Thing - they weren't just singles, but they were cultural classics, and I think most people (in the UK at least) are aware of them. It wasn't until 2004, and the release of Vertigo, did I purchase a U2 album. The album is abso-bloody-lutely fantastic. U2 broke records with that record, and they deserved it. 5 Grammy's and 10 million copies were not enough for that album. Since 2004, I've amassed a collection of U2 records - I now own most of their studio albums, and a couple of their compilation records.

Their album tracks on the whole are as good as their singles, which is rare to see for such a commercial act such as U2. One of my favourite un-released tracks of theirs is Original Of The Species. Such an amazing song, with great lyrics! The band are also very underrated when it comes to pioneering music videos, or just plain good videos. Mysterious Ways, With Or Without You, Stuck In A Moment, The Fly, Stay, Vertigo, Window In The Skies, Magnificent - just some of the best rock videos ever!

At the bottom of that picture, you'll notice it says 'the best band in the world'. I chose to use the word best, because its more of a personal observation, and unlike greatest would, it doesn't challenge fans of other 'all-time' bands who maybe are more deserving of the title than U2 (such as the Beatles, or Queen). They have the fame, they have the fortune, yet they continue to put out records for their 'fans'. When No Line On The Horizon first came out, I didn't quite understand what people meant when they called it an album for the fans. But I now understand. My ultimate dream when it comes to music is to see U2 & Celine Dion live - I genuinely do believe they are the best talents in their respective live arenas - U2 for putting on a show, and Celine for singing.

All hail the biggest-selling band of the last 30 years and IMO, the greatest live act of all-time - U2...

"Everywhere you go you shout it
You don't have to be shy about it, no
And you'll never be alone
Come on now show your soul
You've been keeping your love under control"

[Wayne]

5
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/12934247/Tina+Turner+Tina.jpg

The Queen Of Rock & Roll! A dream I didn't even think I had, came true last year when Cher & Tina were re-united by Oprah! Was amazing spectacle to watch! :D

Firstly, let me say that Tina is an incredible vocalist - one of the best ever. But I somehow don't think her records do justice to just how good she is. I think to understand her true talents (which lie in her live performances) you need to watch one of her concerts! She just manages to engross her audience from start-to-finish. Even if you don't know one of her songs, you're glued to her - she has a magnetic quality that doesn't seem to resonate with many of today's live performers (Beyonce has a similar quality when she performs). I said last week to someone from this forum, I love many music acts. But I'll only ever pay to see three live acts - Celine, U2 & Tina.

Her Live At Wembley DVD was the very first music DVD I ever purchased myself, and it feels like years, and years ago! The concert to watch on TV is breathtaking, so I can't imagine how amazing it was in person - over 80,000 people packed into a stadium to see what many thought was going to be her last tour! Thankfully, it wasn't her last tour, and she's now been on tour for the last year or so. She will be 70 years old this November, and how will this be marked? By a new car, or a new home? No that's too small time for Tina. It'll be marked by a $100m+ tour gross - her fourth in the last two decades!

Her vocals have influenced just about every female singer of the last three decades, and she was the voice of her generation. I'll leave you with my favourite live performance she's ever done: a cover of the Beatles classic, Help live @ Wembley Stadium (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbHrvpMwnSo)

"WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY
I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODIES
HELP IN ANY WAY
AND NOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE
I`M NOT SO SELF ASSURED
AND NOW I FIND
I`VE CHANGED MY MIND
I`VE OPENED UP THE DOORS"

[Wayne]

4

CYNDI LAUPER

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/4964087/Cyndi+Lauper+QAF1.jpg

She is my hero, and somebody that I look up to.

My top 4 was easy to decide on, yet so hard to rank in order. I believe that in a few months, she'll be nipping at Celine's boney heels! :)

She's just the kindest, most considerate, good hearted, liberal, accepting person. As a person, I think I'd appreciate her more than I do as a singer, and believe me, that is hella lot! Cyndi has a warmth about her that makes her special, and separates her from her contemporaries.

Her music ... admittedly, her career isn't flawless. Her debut was of blistering quality, and IMO she never managed to match it with the albums I've heard so far. I've not fully explored her career yet - I just don't have the time at the moment to devote to doing so - but I look forward to it. I hope - no PRAY - that she's done another song similar to I'm Gonna Be Strong, one of the best songs ever, vocally and lyrically!

And here's the cliche you SO knew was coming - Cyndi is the biggest gay rights campaigner in the world, which admittedly was my first attraction. She has made it easier for gay men and women to lead their lives - much easier than any politican could ever do. She has been a force and a guiding light in gay equality, and has fought the cause for years. Her battle for equality is not just limited to the gay cause - wants equality for all, and I just love her for this.

I leave you with the lyrics and video of my favourite Cyndi Lauper song of all-time, I'm Gonna Be Strong:

When you say it's the end
I'll hand you a line
I'll smile and say
Don't you worry it's fine
And you'll never know darling
After you kiss me goodbye
How I'll break down and cry.

I'm Gonna Be Strong (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KzlyPTknOo)

[Wayne]

Yay I got this finished now - no write ups though, as I don't think they are particularly interesting to many of you! :lol:

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/3Mariah.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/2Cher.jpg

Drum roll .... shock of the century? I think not!

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/WJD1989/1CelineDion.jpg

It could only ever be one woman, lets face it. She's my idol, she's an inspiration, she's amazing, I listen to her every day without fail...I have every studio album of hers on my mobile phone, and so my ringtone changes a fair bit :lol: In all, I have now over 800 audio files and over 50 video files on my main PC that are Celine - I have every English and every French record she has recorded since 1990, as well as every live DVD/VHS (although I need to replace Falling Into You and Lets Talk About Love because my Mother broke them!). Celine is an all-time artist, and a legend of popular music - that is an undeniable fact, and something that can never be taken away from her. Her achievements are unmatched over the last two decades - the highest-selling music act in that time, the highest grossing music act in that time, and at some point or another, she has appeared on the cover of every celebrity magazine possible. She is one of the most famous and most successful women in the world, bar none. She has accomplished everything she could ever dream of - the day she truly retires will probably break my heart. As I've said on many occasions, she really is my musical affair! I love you Celine Dion! :lol:

Once again, thank you for all of the comments! xxx

Top 15:


15. James Morrison
14. Dannii Minogue
13. Anastacia
12. Whitney Houston
11. Elton John
10. Britney Spears
09. George Michael
08. Rod Stewart
07. Barbra Streisand
06. U2
05. Tina Turner
04. Cyndi Lauper
03. Mariah Carey
02. Cher
01. Celine Dion

[stevyy]

as much love as you feel for celine, i feel for mariah! thats crazy :grinlove: .. i love celine too.. i really have to complete her cataloge.. falling into you was the last album i bought (a week ago).. and I think that thats her best album.. its amazing.. "If that's what it takes" is amazing.. i love that song. I first heard it on the vegas dvd.. :cheer:

your top 15 artists are all amazing, despite Anastacia.. I will never understand why she's so much loved.. even in my country, she is the 2nd best selling international female artist of the decade.. and i really hate her voice and songs so much.. :angry:

btw i know rod stewart.. too :lol:

[Leaf]

Yay for Cher at #2! :cheer:

[HeatSeeker]

No write up for Mariah = LAME :P

[Wayne]

LOL! No comments for my list = LAME ;)

I'll do a write up for Mariah, if you'd honestly read it! :P

[James]

pretty diverse for someone of your age.......... the top end of the list is hella gay but I love it.

[PhoenixBloom]

your top 15 artists are all amazing, despite Anastacia.. I will never understand why she's so much loved.. even in my country, she is the 2nd best selling international female artist of the decade.. and i really hate her voice and songs so much.. :angry:

:? I genuinely don't understand how someone can hate her voice or songs tbh, if you're a pop/rock fan her songs are brilliant and her voice is on par with the likes of Aretha or Tina, I don't know why you nitpicked her from Waynes list? I'm guessing you don't like unique voices then with character and dynamic? Oh well it is down to taste I guess, I've read that Anastacia's voice is an aquired taste but I've just always adored it from the get go, it's really odd how peoples opinions are so different.... :crazy: Anyway I'm not having a go at you :D It's just confuses me that people think she has a horrible voice, it makes me think your deaf or something? :rofl:

[Wayne]

^ 100% AGREED! :grinlove:

[chantoya17]

quite honestly say, I've never heard anyone that sounds like Celine

but i know who she tries to sounds like... :tehe:

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6200000/Barbra-Streisand-barbra-streisand-6211110-450-560.jpg

Celine has a good voice but i prefer Babs over her...

[Gillyberto]

MARIAH, the QUEEN <3

[exfactor003]

great list! you have very good taste. :)