Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is widely regarded as the greatest vocalist ever, with a voice that combined power, range, and emotional depth. Her 1992 rendition of "I Will Always Love You" sold over 20 million copies, a record for a female artist until Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" surpassed it in 2009. Houston's seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 set a benchmark that only #1 Beyoncé has tied, but Houston achieved this in fragile vocal health. With 200 million records sold, she remains 3x the sales of #4 Aretha Franklin. Her vocal purity and technical mastery overshadow all peers on this list.