TOP 5 Incredible Female Rock & Metal Vocalists

Even though women make up just under 5% of front-person vocalists in metal and rock bands, there are still plenty of amazing female singers. Some of whom I bet you know well — or at least have heard of. And some you might be discovering here for the first time.

In this post, I’m listing TOP 5 best female rock and metal vocalists (at least in my book). And let me get straight to the point: being a truly iconic singer isn’t just about having a powerful voice or great technique. It’s more than that. The best vocalists have a whole bag of unique talents and superpowers in their repertoire.

I hope you discover some new names on this list and fall in love with new bands and artists. Enjoy!

Best Female Rock & Metal Vocalists

For this Top 5 Incredible Female Rock & Metal Vocalists list, I picked singers who combine everything you could wish for in a frontman — or I should say, frontwoman. I’m talking about an amazing voice, exceptional vocal control and technique, the ability to make you forget everything and just dive into the music. The power to transport you to another world where the song lives. The kind of talent that can shift your mood with just one track.

I also took into account things like the longevity of their music careers, the impact these women had on their bands, fans, and sometimes even entire genres. I didn’t limit myself to one specific subgenre either — that would be a silly limitation. Rock and metal are way too diverse and rich for that.

Tatiana Shmayluk

Tatiana Shmayluk form JINJER is one of the most unique and powerful metal vocalist ever. When the group’s video for the song “Pisces” got viral on YouTube millions of music fans discovered the Ukrainian band and the extraordinary vocalist that Tatiana is. Since then, JINJER has released a couple more albums and became one of the major start in the progressive metal and metalcore genres.

And without diminishing the talent of the entire band, I have to say that a huge part of their success rests on the shoulders (or should I say, vocal cords) of the charismatic Tatiana Shmayluk. Her voice is like a chameleon — she can effortlessly switch between beautiful soothing clean parts and tremendous heavy growls.

My words don’t do justice to her talent as a singer. You’ve got to hear her for yourself. Here are three songs that showcase her incredible range and natural magnetism:

Amy Lee

Amy Lee has one of the most recognizable voices in the entire metal genre. A lot of that has to do with how popular and successful her band, Evanescence, has been. But of course, the main reason is her beautiful voice. If angels could sing, I bet at least some of them would sound like Amy Lee.

The range of her talent is truly remarkable — she can easily sing across multiple genres. That’s why people sometimes struggle to describe her vocal style. Regardless, Amy has brilliantly performed in genres like alternative metal, gothic and symphonic metal, alternative rock, and even nu metal. Her voice is super clear, and that clarity persists through both her upper and lower registers.

Check out these three songs that showcase her amazing vocal abilities:

Beth Hart

Let’s talk about another style of rock — blues rock, specifically. It’s always held a special place in my heart. There’s something about blues that makes it truly unique. The best songs of this genre can give you more goosebumps than almost anything else.

And Beth Hart is the queen of this scene. Her voice is just unbelievable — it has so many sides to it. Beth can sing with crystal clarity, hit the highs, and drop into unexpected lows. But most importantly, she gives her all to the song. She’s completely sincere and brings REAL emotion with every note she sings.

Here’s a glimpse of her immense vocal charisma and authenticity:

Anneke van Giersbergen

Anneke van Giersbergen is one of the best vocalists you might never have heard of — unless, of course, you’re a longtime The Gathering fan. As a fan of progressive and alternative rock, I’ve explored tons of bands in those genres, and that’s how I stumbled upon The Gathering. I was immediately blown away by the sound and the vocals. That’s when I first discovered Anneke.

She quickly became one of my favorite artists of all time. And I’m not just talking rock or metal, I mean music in general. Anneke’s beautiful voice sounds just as incredible with the heavy, atmospheric tunes of progressive rock as it does in her solo pop-rock projects (like Agua de Annique). Her tone is so distinct and shines so bright – it is totally unforgettable.

No wonder she’s collaborated with so many artists who recognized her talent. Just to name a few: Devin Townsend, Within Temptation, Anathema, Napalm Death, Moonspell.

Here are three songs to get you started on your Anneke van Giersbergen journey:

Sharon den Adel

Sharon den Adel is the heart and soul of Within Temptation, and one of the most iconic voices in symphonic metal. If you’ve ever heard even a single track by the band, you know what I’m talking about. Her vocals are a marvelous combination of power and grace. Sharon always brings a deep emotional connection to all her songs, and it’s hard not to love it.

She also showed different sides of her range. Over the years, Within Temptation’s sound has shifted from gothic symphonic metal to a more modern rock — and she always sounds superb. If you’re new to her music, you’ve got a lot of awesome songs ahead of you.

Here are a couple of them:

Honorable Mention

Let me be the first to say that it’s perfectly fine if you think someone else deserves a spot in the TOP 5 list of the best female singers of all time. You might’ve heard someone who’s less known but no less impressive — or someone who strikes a chord with your personal musical taste. And that’s totally okay. We’re all free to choose our own favorites.

That’s exactly why I wanted to include this honorable mentions list. Honestly, I could’ve added another fifteen names here, but to keep it concise and focus on the most prominent singers, I’ll narrow it down to just five.

So here they are — female vocalists who are truly amazing and have definitely carved their own mark in music with their beautiful voices.

• Tarja Turunen – The original founder of the metal band Nightwish, she’s without a doubt one of the most famous, iconic, and beloved voices in the genre. A legend, 100%.
• Floor Jansen – It’s impossible not to mention Floor in this conversation if we already brought up Tarja. Fans still argue over who’s the better vocalist, but the truth is — they’re both absolutely amazing.
• Lzzy Hale – The lead singer of Halestorm, Lzzy is one of the brightest female stars in the contemporary rock scene.
• Pink (Alecia Beth Moore-Hart) – Might be a surprising pick if you’re focused only on metal, but Pink is hands down one of the most talented vocalists in the world. Just check out her live versions of “White Rabbit” or “Sober” (AOL Sessions) — both are seriously impressive rock performances.
• Cristina Scabbia – Vocalist of the gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. If you haven’t heard the band yet, I totally recommend checking them out. Cristina is a self-taught singer, which makes her voice (especially live) even more impressive!