[burningyen]

Your average cover band makes a LOT more than your average originals band. But I disagree that you have to play the songs exactly like the originals as long as you do them in a way that's fun for the audience and not some progged-out experimental odyssey.

For a female singer (I haven't heard her voice yet), I would start with stuff the kiddies are listening to these days, like Fergie, Gwen Stefani/No Doubt, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears (I bet Toxic would be a fun song to cover!), Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow and Shakira. Also whoever does that milkshake song.

Then you can throw in older stuff like The Pretenders, Linda Ronstadt, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton John, Joan Jett, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Sheena Easton, Pat Benatar, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Sinead O'Connor, Sarah McLachlan, PJ Harvey, and Aimee Mann/'Til Tuesday.

If you want to get gender-bending and do some male lead songs, you could try Prince, Led Zep, really any classic rock with the high tenor vocals, Soundgarden, the list is endless.

Good luck!