Best Albums by Female Musicians

1. Behind the Eyes - Amy Grant - My favorite album by a female artist, this is her first real autobiographical album. You can tell that she is really in the midst of a relationship struggle and feeling torn in two different directions. Yet she is so honest about her feelings despite the judgment she would later receive for leaving her marriage. The songs are so well written and the instrumentation is excellent. I have to listen to this album every now and then, especially if I am trying to let go of a relationship in a positive way. The only weak track on the album is the first one.

2. Like A Prayer - Madonna - This is Madonna's most personal album. She really exposes herself with the songs "Promise to Try" about her mother's death and "Til Death Do Us Part" about her relationship with Sean Penn. My favorite track is "Dear Jessie" which displays her growing desire to be a mother. Of course, this album had a few hits on it but the non-hits are also very good. This album is very well-produced. The only weak track is "Act of Contrition". Of course, The Immaculate Collection is her best album but I am not taking greatest hits albums into account in this here article.

3. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette - No one will argue that this album really changed things in the music landscape. I was so excited about an album that was so honest and unafraid of expressing anger - something that girls are socialized to not feel. Of course, Glenn Ballard is one of the best producers in the world but I also love Alanis' bravery in thinking outside of the box with her songwriting and her vocalizations. I also really like her album "Under Rug Swept".

4. Surfacing - Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ectasy was also a very good album but Surfacing put her on the map. There is something so warm about her voice - it is like a warm, crackling fire. Despite the title of this album, her songs are still deep though not as dark as songs like "Possession". Of course, it was Possession that first drew me to Sarah but it is Surfacing that made me want to buy every album she ever put out.

5. Tuesday Night Music Club - Sheryl Crow - Every single song on this album is good. There are no weak tracks. Of course, the producer (Bill Bottrell) is excellent. The song "Strong Enough" is what finally enticed me to get the whole album. Initially I only bought the single but when I heard "What I Can Do For" on the other side of the album, I knew the whole album would be good and I was right.

6. This Fire - Paula Cole - What a creative album! There are sounds I never heard before come together to form music. I especially like the tracks: Me, Mississippi, and Throwing Stones. I love Paula Cole's voice and innovation. And I believe that she produced it herself.

7. Think With Your Heart - Debbie Gibson - Far from her pop days, this album was a great achievement. It was so well-produced and had emotional depth that her earlier works didn't have. I especially like the track "Too Fancy" but I don't believe that there are any bad songs on this album. I can listen to it the whole way through and stay engaged.

8. Janet - Janet Jackson - It was hard to pick which I album I liked best out of all of Janet Jackson's many albums but I feel that this album was truly amazing. You can't help but dance to "If" and "Because of Love" and you can't help but sing along with "Where Are You Now?" and "Again". Of course, the videos helped to sell this album as well. I think her work has been downhill since this album but she will never NOT sell records.

9. Spellbound - Paula Abdul - Most people would say that "Forever Your Girl" is Paula's best album but I actually think that Spellbound is the more creative, more well-rounded album. You had your strong ballads of "Rush Rush" and "Will You Marry Me?" as well as your strong dance tunes in Q sound such as "Promise of a New Day". I do feel that her first album had stronger individual songs such as "Straight Up" and "Forever Your Girl" but overall, I think the 2nd album is better.

10. Songbird - Eva Cassidy - My favorite voice of all time, this woman sang with such soul that she didn't need to hit every note on perfect pitch or hit the high notes. Every word is sung with such passion. Eva was definitely a translator of passion in the way that she sang songs. Her version of "Over the Rainbow" is the best I've heard. My favorite song on this album is "I Know You By Heart". I could listen to this track again and again and again and never get sick of it. Her version of "Fields of Gold" is so powerful that I felt that I finally understood the song after hearing her sing it.