Good evening rawkers. Tonight's blog is dedicated to the small but powerful number of female front persons, whose pipes wail as much or more than most men. And they just happen to often be much more pleasant to look at, as well as to hear, than their male counterparts. I'm really only going to talk about female singers from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Singers such as Amy Lee (Evanescene), great as they are, are not the subject of this post. Why? Just cuz. My favorites happen to be from those eras and it's my blog, so there.
However, I DO intend to cover newer singers -- male and female -- from the 90s and the 00s, so you'll get my thoughts then. Be patient my little padawans.
If you ask anyone knowledgeable about female rock vocalists, you'll probably get a list that includes most of the following (only intending to cover my favorites, as well as the most likely "also-rans" that would result in people being pissed if i failed to include them....).
I think it's sometimes hard for women to get a fair shake in the rock genre, which is so typically testosterone laden. Consequently, "rougher" females struggle to find an identity that is effectively communicable through rock music. That's not a judgment, just a reality as I see it. But every now and then, a female singer comes along that has ALL the tools.
That's why my personal favorite is ANN WILSON of Heart. Very sexy (sorry, i'm a dude) and just flat out rocks your socks off. The songwriting, playing and singing chops are simply amazing and allow objective listeners to simply enjoy the exceptionally high quality of her music. And i'll be damned if it doesn't just wail!
I know many Rawkers will howl, "how could you not see the obvious superiority of Janis Joplin". Well, i respect her music and the power of her voice. And she certainly represents the dangerous self-destructive rock sensibility that made similarly tragic males into figures for the ages -- Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, etc. However, I just don't find her music as compelling as that of others. Sorry. I appreciate it tons, but can't call it my favorite.
So bottom line, let's offer a rousing Rawker "Thank you" to these women for blazing the trail for the female rock singers who are talented enough and ballsy enough to be heard in the 90s and up to today.
Go in peace....
G.O.T.
Love the picks and I say HELL YES to Ann Wilson! I think her sister must also be mentioned however. Ann wails on the pipes for sure, but those guitar riffs, solos, and jams get me going like no bodies business. Without her axe creating background fuel, i think the sparks of Ann's vocals would have a harder time igniting the flames of rock passion (they undoubtedly would, but just have a harder time...) Joan, Annie, and Stevie also personal favorites of mine as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for the 90's, I might suggest that you include Axel Rose in your chick line up 'cause you have to admit that he turned out to be a pretty big pussy and all around bitch. But then again, that is pretty insulting to all the women who truly do rock and would probably kick his ass one on one... Love the band's work like no other, but still gotta call 'em like I see 'em... Guess we are stuck with him still. Oh well!
Rock on GOT.
Byron
Got to agree with both of you, Ann and Nancy go hand in hand. Ann has the bigger voice (Well actually she has the bigger everything now), but Nancy was great in her own right.
ReplyDeleteJoplin was amazing, Stevie Nicks was my first crush and Joan Jett will kick you in the balls and make you like it. But Ken your list is missing the most bad-ass of the bad-ass chicks. Lita Ford- She had it all, vocals, guitar chops, dated Nikki Sixx- how more ass kickin' rawk n roll can you get?
Linda Ronstadt goes in list also
ReplyDeleteSnaps to GOT for some good pulls today. Chix who rock inspire us all to go out there and kick some ass on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteStevie Nicks and Tina Turner speak to me like no other. (except one other but i'll get to that later on one day).
Stevie Nicks is mystical, whimsical, tough and sexy all in one package of long oversized dresses. Watching and listening to Stevie is like a delicious high and a journey from which you're not sure you want to return. Edge of Seventeen is haunting and Stand Back goes out to the men who broke your heart and tried to leave it in pieces but didn't succeed. Her music speaks to me at many points in my life and her songwriting including Dreams with the Mac are so unique. She joined the Mac in 1974, year of my birth, and that band was never the same again.
Tina Turner can turn it up, turn it down and do it all with a set of legs I only wish I could have. Her version of "let's stay together" brings me to tears almost every time and likewise, "Proud Mary" gets 'em going every time. "What's love got to do with it" and "Private Dancer" can make us forgive her for that Mad Max incident. Tina rocks it on and on which is why Rolling Stone named her one of the Immortals - Greatest Artists of All Time. Here's a chick who had to fight for her life, her music, and to keep her star shining and did so in a way that has stood the test of time. All of that in heels... I humbly bow.
Chicks rawk - and we're damn proud that they do.
-nps
Yes indeed, chicks rule!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone's comments, including the obvious omission of Lita Ford. How can someone who sang the immortal lyrics "Went to a party last Saturday night, I didn't get laid, got in a fight, uh huh...it ain't no big thing" not be on the list?
The one caveat I'd have to throw out there is that some of the women on the list aren't necessarily rawk - they definitely rock, but don't "rawk." I will forever love the innovation of Annie Lennox and still listen to the Eurythmics, but she's more new wave than rock and roll. Have to do a shout out to Chrissie Hynde for kept on with the classic rock style when almost everyone else around her was more about synthesizers than guitar riffs. "Middle of the Road" has one of my favorite song intros ever and was my first intro to woman rockers as a young lass.
And I can go on and on about Tina, who isn't a rocker per se, but rocks like no other. She's timeless and amazing and fearless. I'm heartened that she decided to tour one more time, but likely will be the last. She's the closest we have to James Brown as far as showmanship - giving the audience a fantastic show and literally giving them her blood, sweat, and tears through her singing and dancing. All in stillettos and still being a hot cougar. (rowr!)
P.S. - her songs are also great for karaoke!
P.P.S. - Yeah, sure, I'll saying someting about Janis Joplin. She rocked, but I saw her more as being one of the same as being an innovator like the other women on the list. Her voice made her distinctive, but to me, not much else.
Great list
ReplyDeleteJanis, Exene, Ann W and Chrissie would be at the top of my list along with Kristin Hersh.
I'd add:
Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses)
Mavis Staples - if you're gonna include Tina as rawk
Susanna Hoffs (Bangles) before MTV packaging ruined 'em
Suzi Quatro
Kim Wilde
Patty Smyth (Scandal)
Maria McKee (Lone Justice)
I promise: Lita Ford was NOT an oversight. You kidding? Yuck. She could play a bit, but is NOT a vocalist. Just because you liked how she played guitar in Cherry Bomb does not a quality female vocalist make. She's better naked than with a mic. A gazillion girls could have made shred-meat of her atrocious "Kiss Me Deadly" vocals. Lucy, you have some 'splaining to do!!!
ReplyDeleteGOT
Also, to "anonymous", Mavis Staples is blues/gospel. If we include her we have to include Aretha and a couple more hands worth of finers of blues/gospel singers who kick the everloving sh*t out of Susanna Hoffs (you were kidding about her, right?).
ReplyDeleteGOT
From the GOT responses, I have one question. And before I delve into it, I apologize in advance for going all SAT-analogy question up in here.
ReplyDeleteTaking a step back from your question, are "chick rawkers" called such merely for their voice, their ability to actually play an instrument, their 'tude, two out of those three, or the full meal deal? Because from your original list, there are very few women that covered two of the three, let alone all three.
RE: Lita Ford - I don't think her vocals aren't bad - her ability to play and to keep up with the boys in the rock and roll lifestyle and attitude made up for any shortcomings. And while The Bangles were definitely more pop than rock and roll by the time they hit the big time, Susanna Hoffs can sing and play. Lita Ford-level 'tude, not so much.
Completely spaced Maria McKee - "Ways to be Wicked" was another early exposure to chick rock and roll (albeit more country/rockabilly than "rawk," and still love the song.
Let's be clear, folks -- the chicks i put on the original list were not MY picks, but ones i suspected would be on a relatively legit list compiled by a cross section of rawkers. Of course, some were left off (by accident or on purpose). Was not intended to be exhaustive. And Lita Ford was not an oversight.
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry everyone, Susanna Hoffs does NOT deserve to be on a list of top chick rawkers. She IS one of the hottest of the bunch, however....
GOT
But Annie Lennox does?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous does have a point....
ReplyDeleteSigh. Once again, i did not say that everyone on the list i offered up was worthy of the distinction. Had i not mentioned Annie (who DOES, in fact, rock, but in a different fashion than others), sure as anything someone would complain "how could i possibly leave Annie Lennox off the list of great singers! She's amazing!" and blah, blah, blah.
ReplyDeleteI was merely pointing out strong, possible candidates. You all saw MY choice as Ann Wilson.
And also once again, Susanna Hoffs was a brief rock riff, not a whole song. She came, she made boys fall in love, she left. End of story. That is NOT a great singer.
While Lita Ford has been around longer, she's still really nothing more than a pretty good guitar player who looks great in leather and played in a cool chick band (The Runaways). But a singer? No dice....
GOT
You didn't say "best chick vocalist"... You said "female front persons that rock. As far as vocals only Ann Wilson has no equal. But for pure chicks that just F'n kick ass and rock Joan Jett and Lita Ford out distance all others for miles. Stevie Nicks baa's like a sheep but she a great rock chick. Janis sang like she had gravel in her throat but was great rock chick. Chrissie Hynde sang like she had balls(really). Debbie Harry? How the hell did she get in this subject? Nobody said Lita Ford was Aretha Franklin, just that she rocked. I personally own more of her albums/CD's/downloaded shit than any of them and I think she is the Ultimate Rock Chick of the past 50 years.
ReplyDeleteI will defend this statement against all doubters.
Excuse me while I throw up from Susanna Hoffs and Annie Lennox and Steve Perry being in the conversaion.
Oh JL.... Very disappointing. Your comments usually suggest a high degree of musical appreciation and sophistication, but to say you own more Lita Ford material than any other female rocker is just flat out weak. Because, in fact, i said it's about front persons who rock "AND WHOSE PIPES WAIL MORE THAN MOST MEN". That means they gotta have the vocal chops to mix it up. And frankly, while Ms. Ford is/was a very hot rocker with tons of 'tude, she just doesn't meet the fundamental requirement of having the vocal talent.
ReplyDeleteI do, FYI, really like Joan Jett's whole thing. She'd kick Lita Ford in the ass and make her a guitar tech....
And as an additional comment regarding ALL of the posts on this subject (and all others), THANK YOU! Love hearing the opinions, even those with which i do not necessarily agree. That's the point of this blog.... Any teasing is intended to be purely good natured :-)
ReplyDeleteG.O.T.
Joan is great but her guitar chops can't hold a candle to Lita. I've seen them both live several times and Joan is a strummer/rythym guitarest. And by the way, as far as chick vocalist, Patsy Cline leaves em all in the dust (except Ann of course)
ReplyDelete