Whats playing on your system today?

Excellent albums Nutty.
I always used Barracuda as a great test track with that opening bass.

I was definitely smitten by Ann,s vocals at the time....lol.

They went after the hits which admittedly made they tons of cash but those two albums are their high points imho.

Ali Jackson

Never owned any Heart...heard plenty of ’em on the radio back in the day. Always impressed by the vocals, like Uberwaltz says. But only knew them through those FM hits and those probably don’t do justice to the depth of their song-writing skills. Mistral that Nutty just turned me on to being a case in point, I think.

Anyway, right now, Elton John’s Honky Chateau (immediately after listening to Tumbleweed Connection).  
Not a huge EJ fan by any means but do like a lot of his early stuff. Well written, great arrangements, excellent musicians. Sonics on this "The Classic Years" edition CD are good too.  Favorites: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Hercules (A cat named Hercules).

Ghosthouse.

I am pretty much a sucker for most female vocal fronted rock bands though.
Think

Concrete Blonde, Hole, Garbage, Heart, Pretty Reckless, The Pretenders, The Euryhmics, Evanescense, Lacuna Coil etc etc.

And truckloads more.....

Uberw. - Do you know Joan Osborne? Check out her album "Relish" if you’ve not heard it. Could be another female singer for your list.  Writing and production help from one or more of The Hooters, as I recall.