Midnight Train to GeorgiaGladys Knight

Gladys Knight & The Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia

Alongside Aretha Franklin, the artist often hailed as one of the greatest female soul singers of all time is Gladys Knight, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia.

While Aretha is known as the “Queen of Soul,” Gladys bears the nickname “Empress of Soul.” Born in 1944, Gladys was a prodigious talent who, remarkably, won an amateur singing contest at the age of seven.

In 1958, she made her recording debut at 14 as a member of The Pips, a group formed with relatives, scoring numerous hits on the R&B charts.

A few years later, they moved to Motown, the storied soul label, where they released enduring hits such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” In 1973, after switching labels again, they continued their remarkable run with chart-toppers like “Midnight Train to Georgia,” which reached No.

1 in the U.

S.

Though contractual issues once forced the group to pause activity and led her to pursue solo work, they returned to the charts in the late 1980s and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1996.

Gladys has also won Grammy Awards as a solo artist and, as a beloved national figure, sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

Even beyond the 2020s, she remains an active, high-energy performer on tour.

Experiencing the voice of the “Empress of Soul” in person is, in itself, a singular and invaluable musical experience.

Back To BlackAmy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black

If you closely followed the UK music scene in the 2000s, you may remember how, from the mid- to late-’00s, many female artists and groups emerged highlighting the influence of ’60s-style retro soul.

Amid the rise of numerous talents—including Adele, who has since become a global superstar, and Duffy, who was very popular in Japan—Amy Winehouse, a prodigious singer who lived only 27 tumultuous years, blazed a brief and brilliant trail.

Born in 1983 to a Jewish British family, Amy grew up immersed in jazz thanks to her record-loving parents.

She enrolled in a theater school, but was expelled over issues like piercings and tattoos.

A demo tape she made in her teens earned her recognition, and in 2003, at the age of 20, she released her debut album, Frank.

At that point she was still a niche name, but her second album, Back to Black—released in 2006 and ultimately her final work—became an explosive hit, earning her five Grammy Awards and catapulting her to stardom.

Rooted in retro soul, jazz, and pop, her distinctive husky voice was truly captivating, and it’s no surprise that many people praised her, lyrics and all, for their raw honesty.

Her wild lifestyle often made gossip fodder on Japanese TV shows, but now, more than a decade after her death in 2011, it’s time to once again confront the overwhelming talent she possessed as a singer.

Sweet LoveAnita Baker

Anita Baker – Sweet Love {Actual Video}

Anita Baker, from Detroit, Michigan, rose to popularity with a refined sound that, while grounded in R&B and soul, featured jazz-to-fusion-tinged tracks.

Born in 1958, Anita has the background of a soul singer with experience in a gospel choir, but from childhood she loved listening to the voices of jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson.

She made her full-fledged debut as the vocalist for Chapter 8, a funk group that was popular locally in Detroit, but after releasing their debut album she left the group and embarked on a solo career.

In 1986, she released her second album, Rapture—produced by her former Chapter 8 bandmate Michael J.

Powell—and the single Sweet Love became a massive hit.

The album went on to achieve a record-breaking eight million sales worldwide.

As mentioned, her sweet, romantic R&B-soul sound, influenced by jazz, is still played in cafés today, and its stylishness makes it perfect for lounge music as well.

Often labeled “quiet storm,” her musicality was never just about mood; it was a sound only possible because she and her band were musicians of exceptional technique and taste.

She hasn’t released an especially large number of albums, so while best-of compilations are good, I recommend checking out all of her albums.

Tonight is the NightBetty Wright

Tonight Is The Night

Based in her hometown of Miami, Florida, Betty Wright was a singer-songwriter often called the Queen of Miami Soul.

Born in 1953, she joined The Echoes of Joy—a gospel group formed by her family—at the astonishing age of two, and displayed precocious talent by making her solo debut at 14 with the 1968 album My First Time Around.

Until her death from cancer in 2020, she maintained a five-decade career as a lifelong working musician, leaving a profound influence on later artists.

Her hit song Clean Up Woman, released when she was 17, is well known for being widely sampled by artists of the hip-hop generation; in Japan, it was notably referenced in Ozawa Kenji’s smash hit Lovely.

In 2011, she released the collaborative project Betty Wright: The Movie with The Roots, a live-band hip-hop group, showcasing her wide-ranging talents not only as a vocalist but also as an active producer.

In fact, Betty made major contributions behind the scenes as well, dedicating herself to nurturing younger talent—including producing for Joss Stone.

And of course, her gifts as a soul singer were beyond question.

To experience the essence of Miami soul, why not start with Live, her 1978 release that became a hit?

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural WomanAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Live at Kennedy Center Honors)

Aretha Franklin, the iconic “Queen of Soul” and emblematic “Lady Soul,” will be eternally revered as one of the greatest female vocalists in music history.

The achievements she accomplished are countless and cannot be fully captured in a few lines, but Aretha, born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up immersed in gospel under her minister father and gospel-singer mother, and was known as a prodigy with a four-octave vocal range.

She launched her career as an R&B singer at 18, and made her major-label record debut in 1961.

Although she didn’t attract major attention at first, she switched labels in 1966 and scored hits with a sound that brought her innate gospel sensibilities to the forefront.

In 1967, her cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect” topped the U.

S.

charts, firmly establishing her as a top-tier singer in both name and reality.

Aretha’s career was not without turbulence; she experienced personal struggles and periods of decline, leading a life full of dramatic ups and downs.

The 2018 documentary film Amazing Grace and the 2021 biographical drama Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson, introduced her to younger generations who have begun discovering her music.

Having overcome the disadvantages she faced as a Black woman, Aretha left behind countless masterpieces whose innate, heaven-sent voice seemed to embrace all of humanity.

We hope you’ll take the opportunity to experience the “soul” of Aretha at least once.

You Don’t Have to Say You Love MeDusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield You Don’t Have To Say You Love

Born in 1939 and passing away in 1999, Dusty Springfield was truly one of Britain’s greatest singers, a star who blazed through the 20th century.

Born in London, she formed the group The Springfields with her brother in 1960, but left in 1963 to launch her solo career.

Her debut single that same year, “I Only Want to Be With You,” not only reached No.

4 on the UK charts but also became a hit in the United States, catapulting Dusty to top-star status.

In Japan, the song is also known by its Japanese title “Futari Dake no Date,” and it later enjoyed a revival hit when the Bay City Rollers—who would go on to achieve idol-like popularity—covered it, so you’ll likely recognize it as soon as you hear it.

Although Dusty found success in the pop field, she was profoundly influenced by the Motown sound she encountered during a visit to America in her group days.

Possessing a charming “white soul” voice distinct from the belting powerhouse type, her deep affinity for authentic American soul culminated in the landmark 1969 album Dusty in Memphis.

While it unfortunately did not achieve commercial success at the time, the album has since been widely reappraised by critics, artists, and music fans.

Dusty herself revived her career in the 1980s through her collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, but, as noted at the outset, she sadly passed away in 1999.

Love HangoverDiana Ross

Diana Ross – Love Hangover

Beyond her talent as a soul singer, Diana Ross also achieved major success in the pop field.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1944, Diana formed The Primettes in 1959 while in high school; after a name change, the group signed with the prestigious Motown label in 1961 as The Supremes, becoming hugely popular as an African American group.

Timeless hits like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love” have become standards covered by many artists in Japan as well.

In 1970, Diana left the group, and as a solo singer she continued her success, with her debut single that same year, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” reaching No.

1 on the U.

S.

charts.

Diana also received high acclaim as an actress, winning the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her first film appearance and first starring role in the 1971 Billie Holiday biopic “Lady Sings the Blues.” Although Diana has had few prominent musical activities since the 1990s, many of the classic songs she performed—including those from her Supremes era—were massive hits and continue to be loved today.

Her soaring, beautiful voice is effortless to listen to, and even those who haven’t heard much soul music will likely find it pleasing.