Thanks for the thread @Jusam. The problem with such engaging threads, especially those asking for favorites, is that the become too long to read to the very end before you respond unless you have hours and hours. I think that is a testament to the pent up passion you gave tapped into as well as the depth and breadth of the subject. I got hooked on female vocals a few years after I dropped out and began widening my horizons beyond acid rock, early heavy metal, and male singer songwriters like Neil Young and Jackson Browne. I heard some old girl group singles on FM radio that I had dismissed when they debuted on AM in the sixties. The Dixie cups, the Ronettes, The Crystals, The Chiffons, Barbara Lewis. You know the drill. Or maybe your parents would. So many years of collecting wonderful female vocals.
If you like belters, I would agree with Brandi Carlisle, and I would add Joan Osborne and Nicole Atkins. Not that many others listed here are not treasured parts of my collection. Dusty Springfield has always been a favorite, but Son of a Preacher Man is much lower on my list that You Don't Have to Say You Love Me.