Mine:

1) Suzi Quatro
2) Patti Smith
3) Kate Bush

1) David Bowie
2) Jeff Buckley
3) Nick Drake

Female:
1. Martina McBride
2. Nicolette Larson
3. Sara Evans

Male:
1. Bruce Springsteen
2. John Lennon
3. Phil Collins

I like a lot of Bruce Springsteen's music, and many of the hits Phil Collins had in the '80s... In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds being two standouts...

female
janis joplin
janet jackson
P!nk

male
michael jackson
elton john
stevie wonder

difficult choices to make

top 3 females

madonna- i am not a huge madonna fan but i liked most of her songs from the 80s, 90s onwards, madge's music was never as good.

kylie minogue- back in the 80s in the U.K, she was hugely popular and successful. i'm more of a kylie fan than a madonna one. her vocals have improved a great deal since she was the teen pop princess, years before britney

cyndi lauper- great singer, huge stage presence and very colourful character. she was in many respects, madonna's female arch rival in the 80s pop scene.

top 3 males

michael jackson- from jackson 5 to off the wall, to bad, 70s-80s MJ was the best.

prince- amazing guitarist, songwriter, shame about the fact he is a bit nuts

so far i don't have a favourite 3rd male solo singer

I agree with nearly everything you said, except I've never liked Kylie Minogue, and I don't mind the fact Prince is a bit nuts ;) lol...

Female:

1. Connie Francis
2. Doris Day
3. Petula Clark

Male:

1. Nat King Cole
2. Elvis Presley
3. Johnny Mathis

These are top feamale Solo Artists....

Sarah Brightman
Celine Dion
Nicole Scherzinger
Nelly Furtado