5 Most Important Frontwoman In Rock Music

Female rockstars hardly get the recognition and spotlight their male counterparts get. But ignorance on the part of the audience cannot take away their talent and skills. Today, Amy Lee( of Evanescence), Hayley Williams( of Paramore), Shirley Manson( of Garbage), Florence Welch etc have garnered acclaim as well as fame but they owe a lot to these women who made the idea of a female leading a rock band plausible. This is not a list of the best, as the term best is subjective and everyone will have their own best, but rather the list of artists who were the most influential in shaping the female led rock scene.

5. Grace Slick( Jefferson Airplane/ Jefferson Starship)

One of the earliest Rock 'n' Roll divas, she was an important figure in the development of psychedelic rock during the 60’s. She had a stage persona like no other. Instead of grooving with energy on the stage, she would stand still either closing her eyes completely or staring right into the souls of the audience. Her distinct and beautifully haunting voice along with an assertive presence made it possible that Jefferson Airplane's songs, dealing with drugs and sex, topped the charts. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Jefferson Airplane in 1996 and won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Fortunately for her and everyone else, she gave up her drug and alcohol infused life long time back, has been sober for years( as well as her bandmates) and now live her life as a painter. Once an artist, forever an artist.

4. Debbie Harry( Blondie)

It speaks volume when people relate the band with the singer so much that they often confuse her name with that of the band. For a long time fans assumed that Blondie was Debbie's actual name( stage name) and it is understandable. Her bandmates always took a backseat focusing on the music while she enchanted the audience with her seductive voice, universal appeal and unique style. Blondie gave us some of the biggest hits of the “disco heydey”, in which they incorporated elements of pop, punk and early rap rock, most notably “Heart of Rock”, “Call Me” and “Rapture”. Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and Debbie was a major reason behind the honour.

3. Stevie Nicks( Fleetwood Mac)

Floating around the stage in flowing garbs, mesmerizing the audience with her mystical persona, unique and distinctive voice and symbolic lyrics, Stevie Nicks once was a synonym of heavenly. She had a “natural superpower” to break even the hardest person into tears through her singing. Nicks' singular presence and talent ultimately launched her equally successful solo career. She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once but twice, as a solo artist and as a part of Fleetwood Mac becoming the first and the only woman to achieve the feat.

2. Joan Jett( The Blackhearts/ The Runaways)

Best known for her work as the leading The Blackhearts, Joan Jett has been dubbed as “The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Godmother of Punk”. She founded one of the first all female rock bands The Runaways. Having a wide vocal and emotional range, she brings out the badassery required in hard rock but can mellow down while singing smooth ballads. Joan (and The Blackhearts) fused punk rock with bright melodies, creating ageless hits like “Bad Reputation”, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” among others. Her empowering lyrics and sexual ambiguity has made her a feminist icon. The Blackhearts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 and fans of The Runaways have been very vocal about their exclusion till now.

1. Janis Joplin( Big Brother and The Holding Company/ Full Tilt Boogie Band)

Probably the most important frontwoman in Rock history. Janis Joplin burst into the rock scene during the 60’s and showed everyone that women can easily channel that ecstatic life force required to inject emotions in Rock and Roll. She influenced thousands of women and made it possible for them to even attempt entering the rock world( saying that it is a big deal is putting it mildly). Titled by fans as “The Queen of Live Performance”, she was electric, visceral and hugely charismatic. Sadly, she died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 when she was at the peak of her creativity and popularity. In 1995, she was posthumously induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.