Female Vocal Standards

tagStarted c. 1935Peak 1945–1963Last big hit c. 1969

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Female Vocal Standards emphasize lyric intelligence, tonal control, and an ability to shift among sophistication, intimacy, flirtation, and heartbreak without breaking the song’s formal balance. Arrangements can be lush or spare, but the best performances combine elegance with personality so unmistakably that the song feels permanently restamped.

History

Women were crucial interpreters of standards from the swing era onward, yet their work often moved fluidly between pop, jazz, torch song, and nightclub repertoire; Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Sarah Vaughan, and Julie London each exemplified a different facet of female standards singing, shaping later cabaret, vocal jazz, adult pop balladry, and even indie-retro vocal revival.

Defining artists

Essential listening

← Explore Easy Listening / Standards / Lounge

Sources

  • Encyclopaedia Britannica on Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra
  • Wikipedia, “Crooner.”