Zhou Xuan
During the 1930s and 1940s, Yao Lee's high, soft singing style was typical of Chinese popular music of the time (influenced by her superstar idol, Zhou Xuan). She performed numerous popular standards, such as "Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity" (), "I Can't Have Your Love" (), and "By the Suzhou River" () with her brother Yao Min, arguably the best-known Chinese pop songwriter of the shidaiqu era. She is famous for her 1940 version of "Rose, Rose, I Love You" (), later recorded by Frankie Laine in the United States with English lyrics. Her version was also released in the U.S. and the United Kingdom credited to "Miss Hue Lee." Yao was known as "the Silver Voice" (), alluding to fellow Shanghai singer Zhou Xuan, who was known as "the Golden Voice" ().