The early decades of the twentieth century saw the rise of influential female vocalists whose recordings captured the evolving sounds of jazz, blues, vaudeville, and popular music. Artists such as Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and Annette Hanshaw helped shape the soundscape of the 1920s and 1930s, bringing powerful storytelling and emotional depth to the emerging medium of recorded music. Their performances, preserved on 78rpm discs, reflect a period when recording technology was rapidly developing and popular music was reaching wider audiences than ever before. These recordings offer a glimpse into the artistry and cultural impact of women who helped define early twentieth-century music and laid the foundation for later generations of vocalists.
Female Singers Recorded in the 1920s–1930s
Classic Blues & Early Jazz Vocalists
| Bessie Smith | Ma Rainey | Alberta Hunter |
| Ida Cox | Victoria Spivey | Sippie Wallace |
| Lucille Bogan | Memphis Minnie | Clara Smith |
| Trixie Smith | Bertha "Chippie" Hill | Lizzie Miles |
| Ethel Waters |
Popular Song & Jazz-Age Radio Vocalists
Swing-Era Female Vocalists
| Billie Holiday | Ella Fitzgerald | Martha Tilton |
| Anita O'Day | Helen Humes | Una Mae Carlisle |
| Kay Starr | Peggy Lee |
Vocal Groups & Harmony Singers
| The Boswell Sisters | The Andrews Sisters | |
Vaudeville, Theater & Cabaret Performers
| Fanny Brice | Libby Holman | Lotte Lenya |
| Ethel Merman | Blossom Seeley |
International Female Singers
Latin America & Caribbean
| Rosita Quiroga | Rita Montaner | Carmen Miranda |
Europe (France, Germany, UK, Eastern Europe)
| Edith Piaf | Yvonne George | Marlene Dietrich |
| Lotte Lenya | Greta Keller | Vera Lynn |
| Gracie Fields |
Jewish / Yiddish & Eastern European
| Molly Picon | Isa Kremer | Sophie Tucker |