As many of you know The Grand Inquisitor used to be a rocker girl in a previous, more fun life. This makes her think she is some kind of expert on girls who rock and so she is offering up this little list for your consideration. Note: the list does not contain hip-hop artists because I am not enough of a fan to do a proper list. I also excluded soul and dance music and stuck to the girls who like it harder because that is what The Grand Inquisitor knows and loves. However, here are ten rocker babes that you should have in your music collection. This isn’t exhaustive and is in no particular order.
Wanda Jackson. Let’s start at the beginning. This woman is a pioneer of both rock and country music and was a cornerstone of my beloved Rockabilly. She still tours and records and she can still burn the house down. I want to be her when I grow up.
Liz Phair. Yeah, I know, she went a little soft on us, but I always liked the fact that Liz Phair was willing to be herself and didn’t feel the need to be a stereotypical rock girl; her honesty has always been her strong suit. Additionally, Phair opened the door for women to smutty just like the boys. I think we are all aware that this video is NSFW, but there are few songs that change the game like this one.
Lita Ford. I’m just going to come out and say it. I love Joan Jett as much as anyone, but Lita Ford is a much more skilled and accomplished musician (ducks). While Joan always got the publicity and has certainly had a more productive recording career, Lita has better technical skills and shreds like a motherfucker. She is also an accomplished teacher and producer, who has preformed with scores of other metal artists. If you are going for hair metal, go for this girl. Fuck the haters, Team Lita.
Patti Smith. There is really nothing I can add to the epic amount of fan love there is out there for Patti Smith. She is simply one of the most amazing rock artists ever. Only Smith could pull off an amazing cover like this. Plus, Horses.
Chrissy Hynde. Another icon who it is hard to add anything new about. She not only writes great songs, but no-one looks more like a rocker that Chrissy Hynde. Here’s an early one that always gets me hot.
Courtney Love. I know, I know, I KNOW! I can’t help it; I love the hot mess that is Courtney Love. Plus she confronts the double-standard of male rockers whose antics are treated as fun, while chick rockers who are out of control are labeled as crazy (note: all rock musicians are crazy). Whatever you think of her, there has been no other rocker like Ms. Love. Plus, Hole had one of the best chick rhythm sections ever in Melissa Auf der Maur and Patty Schemel.
Meg White. Meg White is always going to be overshadowed by her ex-husband Jack, but she has proven to be a great, driving drummer with an interesting musical temperament of her own. She plays in a straight forward style that avoids the excess math-crap of the Modern Drummer crowd. She creates some much needed love for chicks who are not primping in the lead vocalist spot, which is a great service to all the girls out there just doing the job.
Janis Joplin. I am kind of straddling the line into soul here, but Janis Joplin has probably been an inspiration to every little girl who wanted to pic up the mic. Her life was excruciatingly painful because of depression and addiction, but she carried herself with unmatched grace. Bonus: she was my mom’s favorite rocker.
Kira Roessler. Kira is the bassist for legendary punk band Black Flag. After leaving the band in the late eighties she also wrote songs for the Minutemen and Firehose. She is now a successful dialogue editor in LA, but all you need to know is she fucking rocked at a time when women who played punk were rare. Have a taste. Note: NSFW and will offend many of you. Bonus Greg Ginn is really amazing on this track as well.
Pat Benatar. Pat Benatar is hands down one of the most skilled rock vocalists ever. Her first couple albums were pure hard rock glory. Though she eventually moved to a more pop sound (so have lots of guy rockers), I will always love her for her hard-hitting early tracks.
And one up and coming. Check out Senri Kawaguchi, a Japanese teenager who can rock those fucking drums.
Top Image via AttuWorld.
