Test your singining chops with these songs. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most technically difficult songs primarily made for/sung by female artists.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most technically difficult
00:10songs primarily made for slash sung by female artists.
00:21Number 30, Video Games, Lana Del Rey.
00:25It's the song that put her on the map, and for good reason.
00:28Video Games sounded unlike anything else released at the time.
00:32The slower tempo and dreamy production helped it stand out amongst the standard pop fare.
00:44It may not seem like the most complicated track to learn due to it primarily being in
00:49a lower key.
00:50However, Del Rey's distinct style makes it much harder to pull off.
01:00She infuses the lyrics with pure emotion, all while carefully riding the line between
01:04having a rich and airy tone.
01:07This creates a unique sound that's tough to emulate.
01:10Without either component, the performance runs the risk of becoming tedious, something
01:15she's managed to avoid her entire career.
01:26Number 29, Long Long Time, Linda Ronstadt.
01:30Loving someone who doesn't return your feelings is a pain like no other.
01:34Linda Ronstadt manages to capture this bittersweet sensation perfectly in Long Long Time.
01:47It's a masterclass in dynamics.
01:50She has the ability to quickly fluctuate between softer spoken lines and louder belting.
02:02It takes a well-practiced vocalist to be able to pull off such an effortless switch, and
02:10she does it so well that she makes it seem easy.
02:13Except it's far from simple.
02:15It's just that Ronstadt has a powerful voice, which is particularly apparent after the final
02:20refrain.
02:21She sings a series of deceptively simple-seeming notes, and while they aren't the hardest
02:26to reach, one needs major skill to pull them off without sounding uncomfortable.
02:41Number 28, Bang Bang, Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj.
02:46Trying to emulate one powerhouse is tough enough.
02:49Having to mimic three is a feat like no other.
02:52Bang Bang may just seem like a fun summer bop, but there are actually several layers
02:57of complex vocals.
03:03Each star brings their own unique style to the song.
03:06Between Jessie J's commanding voice, Grande's effortless belting, and Minaj's signature
03:11flow, every aspect of it is tailored to show off their artistry.
03:15They could have easily overpowered each other, but they complement one another instead.
03:27This type of restraint isn't easy, and goes to show how much work they've put into their
03:32technique.
03:33Thus, Bang Bang is a surprisingly elaborate hit that's difficult to master in all its
03:37glory.
03:38But that doesn't mean it isn't fun to try.
03:47Number 27, Bring Me To Life, Evanescence.
03:57You may think their ballads would be the hardest to pull off, but that distinction goes to
04:01their debut single.
04:02Bring Me To Life not only put Evanescence on the map, it also gave their lead singer
04:07Amy Lee the perfect opportunity to showcase her stylistic range.
04:11She starts off with a lighter sound during the verses, and then switches to a more powerful
04:16tone as soon as the chorus kicks in, without sounding strained at all.
04:28The notes come in at a difficult place, requiring the performer to slip into their head voice
04:33while still relying on their lower register for support.
04:36While some can pull it off, no one can hit those nuances quite like Amy Lee, especially
04:41not a beginner.
04:48Number 26, Over The Rainbow, Judy Garland.
05:02It's hard to believe she was only a teenager when she first started performing this iconic
05:06piece.
05:07Originally written for The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland wowed audiences across the globe with
05:12her performance of the hopeful yet melancholic Over The Rainbow.
05:30It's a wistful number, all about how Dorothy wishes she could be anywhere other than home.
05:35The forlornness in the delivery is where the real complexity comes in.
05:39Without it, the number loses most of its magic.
05:42While other musicians have taken on the challenge and done a serviceable job, none have been
05:47able to come close to Garland's original interpretation.
06:01Number 25, Since You've Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson.
06:05After winning the premiere season of American Idol, Clarkson proved she was a star time
06:10and again.
06:11Her second studio album gave us this instant classic, one that has been imitated both in
06:16real life and on screen.
06:25Her anger is palpable during the track, particularly during the bridge and final hook.
06:30Her voice is filled with intensity, delivering each word with scathing fury.
06:35That coupled with her impressive upper range makes this one of the most technically demanding
06:40pop bangers to reach the charts.
06:50The end is by far the most impressive part, as the singer maintains a perfectly controlled
06:54tone that never falters.
06:56It's clear to see why this was the audition song in Pitch Perfect.
07:00It's perfect for testing one's prowess.
07:10Number 24, All I Wanted, Paramore.
07:16There are plenty of numbers by the band that highlight Hayley Williams' exquisite vocals,
07:21but none have quite the same effect as this one.
07:24All I Wanted starts out as a classic Paramore tune, only for the gears to switch once the
07:29chorus starts.
07:37Williams flawlessly reaches those higher tones without it sounding forced.
07:41That's much easier said than done for the rest of us.
07:44She belts them out like it's second nature, effectively communicating the sentiment of
07:49the piece through her voice alone.
07:51It's undoubtedly ambitious, especially the extended note near the end.
07:55The music temporarily cutting out puts her raw talent at the forefront, creating the
07:59perfect musical climax that not just anyone can pull off.
08:10Number 23, Stone Cold, Demi Lovato.
08:14Already proving to be one of the best of their Disney Channel cohorts, Lovato showed just
08:19how versatile they are on this heart-wrenching single.
08:22Nailing Stone Cold requires a ton of impressive skill, including transitioning between octaves
08:27like it's nothing.
08:37Lovato pours every ounce of feeling into it, creating a modern-day soul number.
08:42Plus, the fact that the instrumental is relatively stripped back means there's nowhere to hide,
08:47making the final product a true testament to their vocal ability.
08:58While hitting the notes is hard enough, the breath control Lovato utilizes to properly
09:02support them also can't be understated.
09:05Needless to say, an amateur would need some serious practice and then some before covering
09:11this powerful ballad.
09:18Number 22, Defying Gravity, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth.
09:23Wicked is one of the most famous musicals of the 21st century, and for good reason.
09:27It has a litany of unforgettable numbers.
09:30One of the most beloved and complicated songs, of course, is Defying Gravity, which Elphaba
09:35sings, joined in some spots by Glinda and the chorus, as she embraces her true power.
09:49This arc is evidenced by her dynamics and cadence gradually increasing, eventually culminating
09:54in that seemingly insurmountable riff.
09:57It's also the final moment before the end of the first act, meaning it requires some
10:01serious acting ability to pull off.
10:09Countless people have taken on the piece, but it's a challenge for anyone to execute
10:13well.
10:14While some have done it justice, Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's rendition remains the
10:18blueprint.
10:35Number 21, You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin.
10:40Aretha Franklin's voice was one in a million, which is why it's so hard to perfectly nail
10:45one of her tracks.
10:50One of her most complex by far is You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, a ballad expressing
10:55how a lover makes the narrator feel down to her core.
10:59Franklin effortlessly shows off her vocal range throughout, ranging from rich lower
11:04tones to gorgeous, lilting higher notes.
11:15It isn't a song for the faint of heart, as reaching those without being pitchy is
11:18nearly impossible.
11:20The self-control needed to pull the technique off while maintaining that passionate, joyful
11:24sound is something that only experts have, making this one of the most intricate songs
11:29ever.
11:37Number 20, My All, Mariah Carey.
11:48As soon as those sultry guitars come in, you know you're in for a performance.
11:52Mariah Carey is one of the greatest vocal performers we have, and on the fifth single
11:57from her album Butterfly, she proved it again.
12:09Carey starts off quietly on this sexy, passionate song, content to show off her melisma skills,
12:15and affords us soft runs all over the place.
12:19In the second and third choruses, her voice grows stronger as she lets out those high
12:24notes.
12:33But as any good singer should, Carey never loses control, effortlessly switching between
12:38her belt and her head voice.
12:48Number 19, My Heart Will Go On, Céline Dion.
12:521997 didn't just give us James Cameron's masterpiece of a film.
12:56It also brought us one of the best songs ever written and performed with it, a song that
13:01would be sung at karaoke until the end of time.
13:08Still, it might be best to leave this one to the pros.
13:15Not only because My Heart Will Go On is sung by the incomparable Céline Dion, but also
13:20because it's incredibly difficult to get just right.
13:31Dion captures the emotion of the love ballad in a way no one else can with her effortless
13:36control.
13:37Her voice grows steadily stronger as the music progresses, before completely exploding at
13:42the end, attacking those high notes perfectly.
13:54Number 18, How Can I Ease The Pain, Lisa Fisher.
13:58Here's one of the most impossible-to-nail slow jams of all time.
14:02Seriously, we don't know how Lisa Fisher does it.
14:05She's a goddess.
14:13It was released in 1991 and remains one of Fisher's biggest hits to this day.
14:18Fisher manages to stretch her notes like no other, and listening to her attain those high
14:22notes so flawlessly makes us wish she got more opportunities like this to show off her
14:26chops.
14:35How Can I Ease The Pain requires an incredibly strong belter to get up into that high register,
14:40while still pouring passion into the words.
14:43And once Fisher lets loose on those whistle tones, please.
14:55Number 17, Unbreak My Heart, Toni Braxton.
15:07It's not just the high notes that can be difficult to hit.
15:10The opening of Unbreak My Heart doesn't necessarily make you feel like the song's going to be
15:14that hard to sing.
15:16But then you hear the incredible range of Toni Braxton.
15:26From that first verse, Braxton's smoky vocals follow through the lower notes of her register
15:31with incredible strength and power.
15:33On top of that, her talent only shines stronger on the second verse, when she shows us all
15:38how low she can go while still maintaining precise control over her stellar runs.
15:52Number 16, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Bonnie Tyler.
16:01The rock ballad is one of the best subgenres music has given us over the years.
16:06And Total Eclipse Of The Heart is rock ballad execution at its finest.
16:11This song not only requires melodramatic rock and roll passion at a high level, but tremendous
16:16breath support as well.
16:23Bonnie Tyler stays up in that higher register for most of it.
16:27And not for nothing, those verses and choruses have a lot of words.
16:32With so much movement and not a ton of time to breathe, Total Eclipse Of The Heart is
16:36certainly one of the most impressive ballads of its kind.
16:47Number 15, Imagine, Ariana Grande.
16:50Oh, you wanted more whistle tones in modern pop music?
16:53Well, Ariana Grande heard you, and she delivered.
17:02It's no secret that Grande is an expert singer, but with her hit Imagine, she went
17:07further than we could've imagined.
17:09The song's chorus requires the singer to make a large vocal leap on the word imagine,
17:15and necessitates pinpoint precision in its notes.
17:22But all that aside, if you want to sound like Grande when you sing this song, you've gotta
17:26try and go for those whistle tones at the end.
17:30Definitely not an easy task.
17:40Number 14, Rolling In The Deep, Adele.
17:52Rolling In The Deep was the song that first brought English singer Adele to international
17:56stardom, and for good reason.
17:59Written in response to a heated breakup she once had, the lyrics tell a personal story.
18:04It's a song about a lover telling her ex that he is too foolish to see how much he
18:08could've had with her.
18:18It's an angry, passionate tune.
18:20There are no whispers of despair in this brassy number, and only a strong singer with both
18:25low and high range vocal power can pull it off.
18:29Adele beautifully communicates the anger in the track without sacrificing the purity of
18:33her sound.
18:41Number 13, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, Jennifer Holliday.
18:46When Jennifer Holliday originated the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls on Broadway in
18:511981, this number brought down the house.
18:54Holliday won a Tony Award and was set on the path to pop and R&B fame.
19:06This song takes place after a stormy scene where Effie finds out she's been thrown out
19:11of her singing group.
19:12She adamantly insists to the manager that she's staying no matter what because she
19:17loves him.
19:20Strong, high belting, and convincing drama are essential to the musical number, which
19:30makes it effective only when sung by a very talented singer and actress.
19:43And this isn't the only difficult song from Dreamgirls.
19:46I Am Changing definitely strains our vocal chords a bit.
19:54Number 12, Lovin' You, Minnie Riperton.
20:04Though she performed with Stevie Wonder and Rotary Connection, Minnie Riperton spent most
20:09of her career struggling to be noticed.
20:11She died tragically young, succumbing to cancer when she was only 31 years old.
20:16However, she did have one smash hit single, and this is it.
20:21Lovin' You is a soothing, repetitive track, seemingly simple, but by no means easy to
20:26pull off.
20:27Some notes are so high, they've been mistaken for bird whistles.
20:37There actually are some bird twitters in the background, but those sweet, fluting notes
20:42are all Riperton, who makes them sound amazingly effortless.
20:54Number 11, Don't Rain On My Parade, Barbara Streisand.
20:58Notoriously difficult, Don't Rain On My Parade is from the musical Funny Girl, which
21:02was based on the life of Fanny Bryce.
21:12Barbara Streisand, who played the lead role on Broadway in 1964 and won an Oscar for her
21:18performance in the movie adaptation, makes it sound quite natural.
21:21However, the song's tricky rhythms, frequent leaps, and consistent high energy have daunted
21:27many aspiring vocalists.
21:35Although a few professionals like Bea Arthur and Idina Menzel have covered the song, the
21:39musical wasn't revived on Broadway for decades, possibly because of the challenge of finding
21:44someone for that dynamic leading role.
21:47That changed in 2022, however, with the revival that eventually cast Lea Michele as Fanny.
22:08Number 10, Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush.
22:11Inspired by Emily Bronte's tale of tempestuous romance, the song Wuthering Heights focuses
22:17on the part of the story where Catherine's ghost returns to Heathcliff after many years
22:21of anger and misunderstanding in life.
22:29The song took the world by storm in 1978, topping charts throughout the UK.
22:34Kate Bush has a style that is extremely difficult to imitate, and while her voice sounds natural
22:39and sweet in the single's high falsetto runs, they are extremely difficult for most
22:44singers to achieve.
22:53And as if that weren't enough, the backing track gives almost no support, as many karaoke
22:58performers have discovered to their dismay.
23:08And just in case you were thinking about it, no, we wouldn't try running up that hill
23:12either.
23:21Number 9, I Have Nothing, Whitney Houston.
23:24The Bodyguard, the 1992 movie that stars Whitney Houston as a famous singer and Kevin Cosner
23:30as her, well, titular bodyguard, is somewhat of a cheesy mess, but that soundtrack is definitely
23:35the silver lining.
23:47I Have Nothing is but one of the amazing singles that came from The Bodyguard, and also one
23:52of the toughest in Whitney Houston's roster.
23:55The song requires incredible force and resonance, particularly when it hits the chorus.
24:12We don't know about you, but we can't imagine anyone other than Houston giving this
24:16one the passion it deserves.
24:27Number 8, Vision of Love, Mariah Carey.
24:31It seems too far out of reach to picture a time when Mariah Carey wasn't popping off
24:35in her whistle register.
24:37Turns out, this time was actually before 1990.
24:47The release of Vision of Love was actually the first time audiences would hear Carey
24:51hit those tones, and it was incredible.
24:57Still, the whistle notes are not the only thing that makes Vision of Love so impressive.
25:06It requires a singer with an incredible depth of range, downright insane breath control,
25:11and the ability to transition vocally without a hitch.
25:23Number 7, Listen, Beyonce.
25:26While this song is also technically from Dreamgirls, it did not appear in the original musical.
25:31It was specially written for the 2006 movie adaptation.
25:40Listen is sung by a character who has felt stifled and uncertain throughout, until she
25:45finally breaks out in this show-stopping number and demands that people listen to what she
25:49has to say.
25:56It's a fierce and dynamic tour de force, with big leaps, florid riffs, and long runs
26:02that require a strong, powerful voice to perform well.
26:05Beyonce does an amazing job of keeping up the passion and volume without sacrificing
26:11any of that gorgeous flexibility.
26:20Number 6, Chandelier, Sia.
26:23Sia has made a successful career writing songs for other singers, and originally, she
26:28intended Chandelier to be sung by Rihanna, with some sources also adding Beyonce.
26:33But as she crafted the track, she realized it was one she needed to sing herself.
26:46Although it is somewhat gritty and raw, describing the effects of hard partying and addiction,
26:51Chandelier still requires an accomplished singer, from low, rapid mutters to high leaps
26:56and strong-held notes.
26:58It's a wild ride.
27:08Sia's voice blends pain and lyricism in a way that makes this song uniquely hers.
27:14And because of both her talents and her personal connection with the song, it's doubtful
27:18whether anyone else could perform it so effectively.
27:30Number 5, Hurt, Christina Aguilera.
27:40Christina Aguilera is one of the most prolific singers in Hollywood.
27:44Unfortunately, one of her greatest, most difficult songs to sing is not one of her
27:48most famous.
27:55Hurt is a number from Aguilera's 2006 album Back to Basics.
27:59It sort of got buried under the pizzazz of the rest of the tracklist, which includes
28:03the likes of Ain't No Other Man and Candyman.
28:06However, in Hurt, Aguilera slows things down and delivers a masterful performance with
28:11incredible range.
28:12The chorus necessitates a kind of emotion and resonance that is rare to come by.
28:23Number 4, All By Myself, Céline Dion.
28:34Céline Dion has won acclaim for many dramatic and challenging songs, but this one stretched
28:39even her impressive powers.
28:41A quiet, introspective beginning leads to a swelling key change, and finally, a passionate
28:47outpouring of sorrow that demands strong, sustained high notes relentlessly.
28:58As with all deeply emotional pieces, the singer must be expressive without losing the beauty
29:02of the sound.
29:04Not an easy task at any time, but particularly hard when you're belting very high and very
29:09loud in front of a large audience.
29:11All By Myself has become one of Dion's most iconic songs, despite being a cover of an
29:16Eric Carman original.
29:18And there's a good reason you rarely hear someone else attempt it.
29:31Number 3, Love On Top, Beyoncé.
29:33It's time to talk about key changes.
29:37Beyoncé's 2011 hit, Love On Top, is one of the pop diva's most fun songs.
29:48From the outset, it doesn't seem like it will be particularly difficult to sing.
29:53Not more difficult than any other Beyoncé song anyway.
29:56But by the end, we've found ourselves with so many key changes, we don't even know
30:00how to begin counting them off.
30:10As Beyoncé's voice keeps getting higher and higher, our jaws keep dropping lower to
30:15the ground.
30:16It's insanely impressive how high up she can get, never mind the absolute clarity with
30:20which she does.
30:29Number 2, I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston.
30:32Whitney Houston had a voice unlike anyone else's.
30:42She won fame singing not just original songs, but covers and classics that had been done
30:47a hundred times, like The Star Spangled Banner.
30:50However, this tune, originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton, is probably Houston's
30:56most famous.
31:05The stamina and versatility required to sing I Will Always Love You are just the beginning.
31:11Because of the single's wide range of notes and dynamics, the singer must be able to adopt
31:16many different vocal characters, from sweetly quiet to powerfully low, and finally to triumphantly
31:23but gorgeously high.
31:34Or at least, that's the way Houston sang it, and nearly everyone else has been too
31:38daunted to tackle it since.
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32:03Number 1, Emotions, Mariah Carey.
32:12Many of our audience members probably guessed that a vocal performance by Mariah Carey was
32:17coming.
32:18But we didn't know which.
32:27Like Whitney Houston, Carey seems to be capable of performing vocal feats that are beyond
32:32those of regular mortals, and this one is a perfect example.
32:36Emotions is an upbeat R&B post-disco hit with no room for rest.
32:41One cannot help but wonder at Carey's constant high-energy belting, seemingly effortless
32:46runs, and of course, those incredible high notes soaring up into the stratosphere.
32:59A good operatic soprano could probably hit them, but rarely are notes so high heard with
33:04such pure and beautiful clarity.
33:06It all adds up to make this a fitting choice for our top most difficult song.
33:15Which song by a female artist do you think would be the hardest to tackle?
33:19Let us know in the comments.
33:26Do you agree with our picks?
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