Women are talented when it comes to writing and songwriting because they are more used to sharing their emotions. Women are an emotional creature and can reach much higher vocal ranges than most men. This comes in handy being a musician because that’s what music is all about, sharing emotions and singing well. There have been many women over the history of Rock and Roll music to grace the stages for the millions of adoring fans.
You’d really think there would be more female groups out there, you know with having smaller hands than men. I mean, they would be better able to play guitar than a man if they would cut their nails. Sure, there are many country singers who can sing splendidly but that’s not what this article is about.
No, this article is about Rock, the women of Rock to be specific and I hope you enjoy it.
The women of rock are emotional freight trains of energy who were born ready to rock. They spread their tales of heartache and joy to the millions of fans that love them. This article will not be covering Pop Diva’s or Country Stars, as while those artists are well and good, Rock chicks are definitely more about the attitude.
There have been many greats in music, the women in particular have fought twice as hard due to unfortunate prejudice against them in the early days of music. Pioneers like Janis Joplin, Annie Lennox, Stevie Nicks, and Carly Simon have made the struggle easier for the new artists of today.
It was tough for these artists because the record industry was ran entirely by men. Male producers, male promoters, male managers and other male executives. The artists would have to be not only really good but also want to work for pennies on the dollars. This was truly unfair for these artists because they were doing the same work as their male counter parts.
I do have to say though, the women of rock were and are amazing. I prefer listening to them because they have really good “thinking” music. I wouldn’t say I can relate to some of it and that’s why it’s good, because it makes you think.
Now, I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s but didn’t really get into music until the 90’s. A time when 4 Non-Blondes, Ace of Base, and Salt N’ Pepa were just making their debuts on MTV. In between videos of Veruca Salt and Hole, I really started listening to classic rock. Pat Benatar was probably the first classic artist that really caught my eye.
Pat Benatar started her career in 1977 and her first album was called In The Heat of the Night. Pat Benatar is such a talented singer. I mean, the first time I heard “Love is A Battlefield”, the little hairs on my arm stood up. I didn’t see the music video until a few years later and I was still impressed. She can really dance. Pat also won 4 Grammy Awards and has released 11 albums over the course of her career.
After my listening to Pat I really started to wonder about other female artists and began listening to Roxette heavily. Roxette is probably my favorite female lead band ever. Just because of the way the music sounds. Per Gessle is my favorite guitarist ever and I’ve listened to a lot of guitar. I mean a lot of guitar. The solo’s are amazing, the rhythm is fantastic and the harmonies with other instrument put many other bands to shame. It’s so complicated and intricate, the man is a genius I tell you.
If you don’t know who Roxette is they are a Swedish band consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle and have been playing since 1986. They are still around today and still tour. Check out their website here if you want to know more. Anyway, this band shares the singing duties on some tracks and are generally considered to be a pop artist. Their guitar riffs, however, are pretty much solid rock with the accompanying instruments providing the pop sounding flavor. Their music comes to life in many of their tracks. Some of my personal favorites are “Joyride”, “Dangerous”, “The Look”, “Milk and Toast and Honey”, “How Do You Do”, and “A Thing About You” amongst others.
Now what’s an article about women of rock if I don’t mention Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. This band rocked, Jett embodied the spirit of rock and roll in many of her songs. “I Love Rock and Roll” was probably her most famous hit but there were many others like “Crimson and Clover”, “I’m A Real Wild Child” and “A.C.D.C.”. Joan’s attitude is what really made her. She had one of those rebellious attitudes mixed with subtle sex appeal and her music was great.
Also on the list of female rockers is Alanis Morissette. Now, I love Alanis, I think she’s great and I really like her music. All of my female friends have the Jagged Little Pill album and sometimes (I admit it) I listen to it and rather enjoy it. Alanis has that sound that just makes you want to listen to her. Her songs are witty, funny and full of emotion. They are definitely female empowering tunes which makes me (a man) want to listen to them. I mean, she talks about her frustrations with relationships and how she feels. It’s great to listen to her when trying working through your own personal problems and I really enjoy her female perspective on things. Jagged Little Pill is also available as an Acoustic Album.
Next up for the ladies is artist Sheryl Crow, I mean she just rocks. Sheryl Crow’s songs have that original sound to them and she sings with all of her heart. Like her song “All I Wanna Do”; that song is so realistic and simple but Sheryl does what she does best and tells a story. I think she is such an dynamic artist. For example, her song “If It Makes You Happy”. I mean, it’s so real and it really makes you think.
Another Rock band that I really like is Veruca Salt. Salt reminds me of a punk band with a rock edge. While not many people know about this band, most of their work is pretty good. They started making records in 1994 and still continue to make albums today. Their most recent album is
IV and is their fourth album. I really started listening to them from their first album which is titled
American Thighs and the best songs on this album are their hits “
Seether” and “
Volcano Girls”.
Veruca Salt kind of reminds me of Garbage which is another great female lead band. Garbage was formed in 1995 and had their first success with their song “
I’m Only Happy When it Rains” on their
self-titled album.
Absolute Garbage is the bands latest release in 2007 and I’m looking forward to listening to it when I get the chance.
Other women who have made an impact in rock and roll history include Janis Joplin, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Stevie Nicks, Olivia Newton John, and Mama Cass. All of these women have enticed and thrilled their millions of loyal fans. Their songs were very good but they showed the strength of the female spirit in music. They would go on to influence millions of fans as well as fellow musicians. This is evident in the many cover and remixes of their songs by later artists.
Of these artists, my favorite is Janis Joplin. Her bluesy singing style gets me hooked every time I hear it. It just raises the hairs on the back of my neck just thinking about it to tell you the truth. Songs from her include “Piece of My Heart”, “Bye Bye Baby” and “Me and Bobby McGee”.
In summery, it has to be hard to be a woman in rock and roll. There are so few of them and most women go into Pop or Country due to their style. I mean you can count artists like Gwen Stephani as rock but she’s really more of a Ska artist. It really takes a special kind of woman to be purely Rock and Roll. I think Joan Jett is the only one to really hit the nail on the head.