^Well, she was popular enough to be openly against the dictatorship and still untouchable! If she was alive, she would be my first choice^^ I wonder how a Elis concert would be with our current technology, as she had some complex spetacles back in the 70's
@mizuki-7 I wasn't aware about Patricia, gonna check her out! Didn't mention Celine because I see more as a voice diva (as Mariah, Whitney and such) than as a popqueen. But of Course, anyone with the best selling album of the country in history is a living legend.
BTW, Shy'm seens to be really big (not Mylene big, even because she is around for only 10 years, but bigger and aging better than Alizee), but I don't know French or ever went there to actually have an idea of her position on the market... What is your opinion about it?^^
@tsumekaze I though about putting Laura, and she is huge over here (and also a close friend of Ivete), but I was insecure about it because I read sometimes people saying she isn't taken very seriuosly in Italy, and I didn't really had the means to read what natives though about her. I love her version of Io canto!
@Mirrorcle Monster, Surreal17, Uknow! Yeap, I mean women who showed longevity, influenced many and changed the music industry, women that everyone that came after them were compared to them, and 8 years isn't long enough for that. Uhm Jung Hwa is an icon that still crosses generation and you can find several current big acts paying tribute to her all over YouTube, while Lee Hyori was a choice based on the AskAKorean blog special about kpop... ^^
edit:
Now that Pimenta mentioned Elis, I think it would be interesting mentioning 3 older pop queens that are still alive and our most famous one worldwide, that is already late:
Spoiler:
Gal Costa was together with Elis and Maria Bethânia (the next one) the biggest singer in Brazil at that time, being "who is the biggest" a recurrent theme of discussion. She experiements a lot with her sound, having a electronic album (and a very good one) released at 66.
Maria Bethânia is called Queen Bee, and she is as respected as she is feared as the true diva she is.
She is the 2nd (ignoring Xuxa, as you should) best selling female soloist in Brazil and is well known for mixing erudit, pop and folk music with theater and poetry at her concerts.
Rita Lee is the best selling female soloist in Brazil, and calls herself "dinosour of rock" or "grandma of rock". Even if she is old, she is a ridiculously steady hit maker, spaming huge hits that become staples among teenagers at almost 70. Rita is retired from the stages since 2012 (she actually had some performances here and there after that), and her final show at the time ended in controverse after she told police officers she felt were being aggressive to her audience to fuck themselves (yeap, this is the word she used in portuguese) and, as the rockstar she is, was arrested after the concert at 65.
Carmen Miranda, the most recognizible brazilian popstar in history. She also had success in the USA e at some time, legend says she was the best paid actress in Hollywood. Everytime some one wears a hat of fruits to represent Brazil, they are imitating her.
Also, these 5 very influential ones from jpop, one late, another one retired, and 3 already active:
Spoiler:
Seiko Matsuda, the eternal idol and the ultimate responsable for the nowadays kawaii image jpop stars are known for. Most of the time Ayu was trying to break a record, it was a Seiko record. She still releases music, even if she only her fandom is paying attention, and still sells out arenas all over the country.
Akina Nakamori, she was Seiko's rival during the 80's, having a darker, more mature image. Her albums also are better received (both by critics and the public) than Seiko's nowadays, releasing songs on several genres, even Enka, over the years.
Matsutoya Yumi, the 2nd best selling soloist in Japan, after Ayu. Her career is decades long and she is one of the most acclaimed female musicians in japanese history, also well known by her elaborated and extravagant concerts. Still give young girls a run for their money tour wise.
Momoe Yamaguchi had a 10 years long music career because retiring to become a house-wife (that was a thing in Japan back them), and even if she retired back in the 70's, the media and the public still are interested on her and on her personal life, ever wishing for a glance on her personal life or even better, a comeback.
The French have Edith Piaf, Brazilian have Elis Regina, Chinese have Teresa Tang, and Japanese have Misora Hibari, that singer that was the ultimate voice of the country, a voice nobody will ever come even close to surpass. Hibari wasn't a more popstar, she was the voice of Japan.
And finally, 2 popqueens from Lebanon:
Spoiler:
Nancy Ajram is a huge seller arab pop singer, having also the most viewed arab music video on Youtube, the most followers as a female arab pop singer on Facebook and the most number 1 hits on the history of modern arab music market, Nancy is considered the biggest pop icon of that market from the 00's. (those data are from wikipedia, they may be wrong xD)
Haifa Wehbe, a sexy symbol and controversial popstar, Haifa uses sexuality on her career, both on her lyrics and on her style on a way that wasn't done before over there. She has several hits under her belt, and is considered one of the biggest stars of her generation.