Rhonny Balkmond
From electric guitars to unforgettable vocals, discover the women of rock who changed music
Have you ever turned on the radio and heard a guitar that goes straight into your heart? A voice that forces you to turn up the volume until the glass vibrates? Well, we often owe that feeling to them. The women of rock.
I bet you already have a few names in your head. Joan Jett shouting “Love Hurts”. Blondie smiling with the song “Call Me”. Or the Wilson sisters from Heart who transform “Barracuda” into a timeless anthem.
Today we’re listening together to a Spotify playlist dedicated to the queens of the electric guitar. Not just a song list, but a journey through decades of powerful, authentic music.
The pioneers who paved the way
In the 1960s, when rock was almost an exclusive club for men, some female artists knocked on the door decisively. And they played until they broke through it.
Janis Joplin didn’t need distorted guitars to make her mark. His voice did all the work. “Piece of My Heart” and “Cry Baby” show an interpretive force that few musicians, male or female, have achieved. Joplin sang as if his life depended on every note. In a way, that was exactly how it was.
Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick brought the same intensity to the Woodstock stage. “White Rabbit” remains a hypnotic piece that grows minute by minute. His stage presence conveyed confidence without the need to shout.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a gospel guitarist, played her Gibson like no one had ever done. Many historians consider her the godmother of rock and roll. Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley learned by watching her. If you don’t know “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, run and look it up on Spotify. You’re in for a surprise.
The golden decade of the 70s
70’s rock turns up the volume and distortion. Women don’t stand by and watch.
Heart, with sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, released “Dreamboat Annie” in 1975. “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You” combine acoustic and electric guitars with surprising naturalness.
Patti Smith mixes rock, poetry, and a voice that doesn’t ask permission. Smith does not seek technical perfection. Look for raw emotion. And he finds it.
“Because the Night”. Written with Bruce Springsteen, it garnered millions of viewers. A piece that combines rock power and pop melody without embarrassment.
The 80s with arenas and music videos
The 80s brought rock to arenas and music videos. Women go on stage bigger.
Joan Jett, after the Runaways, founded the Blackhearts. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” became a global phenomenon in 1982. The song spent weeks at number one in America. Jett plays guitar with a no-frills, direct attack. Her image as a girl with a guitar and black bangs inspires generations of teenagers.
Pat Benatar with “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Love Is a Battlefield” combines rock and pop with lyrics about inner strength. Her powerful voice allows her to compete with any male rock singer of the time.
Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders plays rhythm guitar and writes songs such as “Brass in Pocket” and “Back on the Chain Gang”. His writing tells real-life stories with intelligence and humor.
Rock in the 90s becomes alternative
The decade of grunge and riot grrrl sees women taking the mic with a new awareness.
Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth plays bass with a loud and charming technique. Gordon and the New York band prove that rock can be intelligent, experimental, and still danceable.
Garbage’s Shirley Manson arrives from Scotland with a fiery red look and a magnetic presence. “Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains” became worldwide hits in 1995. The band sells over 17 million records.
Courtney Love and her band Hole released “Live Through This” in 1994. “Doll Parts” and “Violet” show raw, personal writing. The album received critical acclaim and sold well.
Between 1990 and 1999, the presence of female artists on the American rock charts grew. A huge leap in ten years.
The new millennials guitars in hand
From 2000 onwards, women in rock become the norm, not the exception.
Paramore released “All We Know Is Falling” in 2005, and Hayley Williams is one of alternative rock’s most respected voices.
Annie Clark, take the guitar to new territory. His 2011 album “Strange Mercy” uses effects and distortion creatively. His clean technique does not take away from experimentation.
Brittany Howard, the talented singer and guitarist of the Alabama Shakes, has a voice that seems to come from another era. “Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Hold On” mix rock, soul and garage.
Why listen to these artists
Beyond musical pleasure, there is an important lesson. These women built careers in an industry that didn’t always welcome them with open arms. Rock radio stations traditionally played less than 20% music by female artists. Today the percentage is growing, but there is still a way to go.
But music doesn’t wait for statistics. Every time you press play on “Barracuda” or “Metal Queen”, you help change this number. The more we listen to music by female artists, the more platforms recommend it to others.
A new way to listen to rock
Create a playlist with only rock artists. Alternate a song by Orianthi with one by Lee Aaron. Bring Heart and Lita Ford together. Listen to Patti Smith and then Shampoo.
You’ll notice something. Passion for music sounds the same in every decade. The distorted guitar is not distinguished between male and female hands. Rock gets you by the throat or feet no matter who plays it.
Women in rock are not a separate category. They are rock itself. With all his energy, his intelligence and his ability to make you tap your foot in time.
The circle widens
Now it’s your turn. Listen to “Women in Rock”, or build your own with the songs I suggested. Send it to your friends. Organize a musical evening where each guest brings a rock song by a female artist.
Music lives when you share it. And these songs deserve to travel from generation to generation, without boundaries of age or taste.
What’s your favorite rock song sung or played by a woman? I am waiting for your answer. In the meantime, I turn up the volume and start “Take it Off”.
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