23 Best Singers Like Amy Winehouse

Joss Stone

English singer, songwriter, and actress Joss Stone found success with her 2003 multi-platinum debut release, The Soul Sessions. In her relatively short career, she has already won one Grammy Award, and two Brit Awards.

Joss Stone has a singing style all her own, but that doesn’t mean there’s zero connection between her and Winehouse, especially considering the blue-eyed soul association.

Stone was also friends with Winehouse, and says she wishes she had done more for her.

Whitney Houston

American singer and actress Whitney “The Voice” Houston is nearly incomparable. As one of the best-selling artists of all time, she won many multiple Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Emmy Awards, and even Guinness World Records. She was inducted into multiple Halls of Fame as well.

As a female singer growing up in the 80s and 90s, it’s almost impossible to not have been influenced by Whitney Houston. So, while Winehouse may not have patterned herself after Houston, she would have been aware of her.

Some essential Whitney moments include “I Have Nothing,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Run to You,” “I Look to You,” and “Higher Love.”

Kate Bush

English singer, songwriter, producer, and dancer Kate Bush topped the UK Singles Chart in 1978 with “Wuthering Heights.” The song stayed at the top of the charts for four weeks.

She has since released 25 UK Top 40 singles, won 13 Brit Awards, and has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Also see – “Babooshka,” “Running Up That Hill,” “This Woman’s Work,” “Cloudbusting,” “Army Dreamers,” and “Never Be Mine.”

Sade

Nigerian-born British singer Sade is quantifiably one of the most successful British female artists ever. Sade’s career has been marked with long hiatuses, with her (and her band’s) most prolific periods being the 80s. That said, this doesn’t seem to have hurt their career.

Sade has won a Grammy Award and has also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Besides the essential “Smooth Operator,” you may also enjoy “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Cherish the Day,” “No Ordinary Life,” “Like a Tattoo,” “By Your Side,” and “Your Love Is King.”

Erykah Badu

Erykah “Queen of Neo Soul” Badu initially found fame in the late 1990s. Her voice has often been compared to that of Billie Holiday’s. That could be why, in some ways, she sounds a lot more like Winehouse compared to several other singers referenced here.

You might enjoy checking out her “Didn’t Cha Know,” “Next Lifetime,” “Bag Lady,” “Tyrone,” “Love of My Life,” and “Yun.”

Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple would release five albums between 1996 to 2020, all reaching the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Apple has also won multiple Grammy Awards.

Have a listen to “Pure Imagination,” “Fast as You Can,” “I Want You to Love Me,” “Sleep to Dream,” “Never Is a Promise,” and “Across the Universe.”

Lana Del Rey

American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey has been influenced by many, like Britney Spears, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Courtney Love, and Eminem. She also counts Amy Winehouse as one of her key influences.

Her music often has a melodramatic, cinematic quality to it, and she has a unique command over her voice as well. With a three-plus octave range and the ability to go from emotive to girlish to jazzy at a moment’s notice, Del Rey is a unique and versatile vocalist.

In addition to “Summertime Sadness,” also see “Doin’ Time,” “Young and Beautiful,” “West Coast,” “Ride,” “Born to Die,” and “Sad Girl.”

Paloma Faith

It doesn’t take more than one listen to hear the similarities between Paloma Faith, Adele, Duffy, and Amy Winehouse. For Faith, the slurring of every phrase is on demand, and her vocal range is comparable too.

Said Faith counts Etta James and Billie Holiday among her top influences – no surprises there.

Check out “Lullaby,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” “Guilty,” “Better Than This,” and “Picking Up the Pieces.”

Alicia Keys

American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist Alicia Keys cites many of the singers already referenced here as influences – Whitney Houston, Sade, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Samone. If you’re getting Amy Winehouse vibes from her, that could be why.

Nelly Furtado

Canadian singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado hasn’t exactly been a part of the mainstream landscape in recent years, but she is one of the most successful Canadian artists of all time and she has won a Grammy, among an array of other awards.

Furtado has been influenced by a wide range of artists, including Ani DiFranco, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Radiohead, U2, and Beck, among others.

The somewhat nasal quality of her voice might remind you a bit of Amy Winehouse.

Christina Aguilera

Squint really hard and Christina “Voice of a Generation” Aguilera will start to look a little like Amy Winehouse.

The connection might not run a whole lot deeper than that (aside from the occasional overlap in fashion style), but we all know what Aguilera is capable of as a singer, and if she were to do an Amy Winehouse tribute, we all know she would pull it off with flare and style.

For a trip down memory lane, see “Genie in a Bottle,” “Beautiful,” “Candyman,” “Dirrty,” and “Can’t Hold Us Down.”

Singers Like Amy Winehouse, Final Thoughts

So, if you love Amy Winehouse, we hope you enjoyed this guide too. And we also hope you found some other great singers to follow.