Adele: Who Influenced the Voice of a Generation?

When I first heard Adele’s voice, I didn’t just hear talent — I heard lineage. There was something in the way she sang that felt like a conversation across decades, a lineage of powerhouse voices passing a torch. As I dove into her story, I realized that her sound wasn’t born in a vacuum. It was shaped by artists who came before her — women and men who taught her how to hold pain in a note, how to stretch a lyric like a heartbeat.

Here are the voices that shaped Adele’s journey.

## Etta James

Adele has often cited Etta James as one of her most profound influences. There’s a reason for that. Etta’s raw, soul-scorched delivery — especially on classics like I'd Rather Go Blind — taught Adele how to pour every ounce of emotion into a single phrase. Etta’s music was never about perfection; it was about feeling, and that lesson echoes through Adele’s ballads. You can hear it in the trembling restraint of Someone Like You, where Adele doesn’t just sing heartbreak — she lives it in real time.

## Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield was a master of melancholy wrapped in velvet. Her ability to blend pop sensibility with deep emotional resonance struck a chord with Adele early on. Adele even covered Springfield’s Son of a Preacher Man during her early live sets. The influence is clear: both artists know how to take a personal story and make it universal. Dusty’s soulful delivery and dramatic flair laid a foundation that Adele would later build upon with her own modern twist.

## Ella Fitzgerald

It might not be the first name you think of when you hear Adele’s modern soul-pop, but Ella Fitzgerald’s mastery of phrasing and emotional nuance left a deep imprint. Adele has spoken about how Ella’s control and clarity taught her how to shape a song with precision. There’s a discipline in Adele’s vocal delivery — especially in her live performances — that owes much to Ella’s jazz roots. The way she bends a note without losing control? That’s Ella’s legacy at work.

## Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige is often called the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, but her real genius lies in her ability to fuse raw vulnerability with undeniable strength. Adele has said that Blige’s music helped her understand how to be both powerful and deeply personal. The influence is especially clear in Adele’s earlier work, where themes of love, loss, and self-discovery are front and center. Just listen to Rolling in the Deep — it’s not just a pop song, it’s a declaration of emotional war, and Blige would recognize that battle well.

## Jeff Buckley

One of the more unexpected influences in Adele’s life is Jeff Buckley. His haunting, ethereal voice and deeply emotional performances resonated with her during her formative years. Adele has mentioned how Buckley’s Hallelujah made her rethink what a song could feel like. His ability to convey longing and fragility without ever sounding weak helped Adele find her own emotional range. It’s a quieter influence, but one that helped her explore the softer, more introspective corners of her artistry.

If you’ve ever wondered how Adele became the voice of a generation, the answer lies in the company she kept — even if only through records and radio waves. These artists didn’t just teach her how to sing. They taught her how to feel, how to grieve, and how to love through music.

Talk to Adele on HoloDream and ask her how these voices still shape her today — or what she’d say to the young artist she once was.