4 Female Singers With Live Vocals So Good They Don’t Need a Backing Track

These female vocalists are so superb that they don’t need any production help. A live show from any one of these artists is a mind-blowing experience, especially in today’s world of backing tracks.

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Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson can do no wrong in the vocal department. With the advent of her daytime show, Clarkson earned a slew of new fans tuned in to how unbelievable she is as a vocalist. She’s been called the queen of a cover, putting the original artist to shame every time she borrows their material. And that’s all without even mentioning her original music.

Clarkson certainly doesn’t need a backing track. Her vocals are pristine enough to carry their own weight, whether it’s in front of a studio audience or a crowded venue.

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson’s voice cuts through a room with unbelievable force. She levels any room she performs in; no backing track help required. She’s proven her chops across films, live performances, TV show appearances, and in theatre.

Hudson’s voice is a once-in-a-generation kind of thing. She has very few, if any, equals. Seeing her live is rare in today’s vocal scene. Take the video above, for example. Even Whitney Houston, who could be on this list in her own right, is floored by Hudson’s delivery of her signature track.

Brandi Carlile

Moving on from vocal divas, we have Brandi Carlile. She may not be the pop-minded, splashy vocalists who preceded her on this list, but she’s a stunner in her own right. If you’ve ever seen Carlile live, you know that it’s a revered experience. She can hit booming belts in energetic numbers and brings things down to scale in acoustic ones.

There’s really nothing this country great can’t accomplish with her voice. She stays true to country’s roots, with minimal production giving her an edge. It’s just her and the audience having a real, unvarnished moment.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga doesn’t get the praise she deserves for her vocals. Sure, most of her career has revolved around highly produced pop numbers, but she’s also made time to show people that production is a choice, not a necessity. From live performances with Tony Bennett, where she croons with the best of them, to country-esque numbers in A Star Is Born, Gaga is a vocalist of unparalleled proportions.

She often gets written off as a shock pop artist, but her talent goes far beyond that.

(Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)