From the bluesy wails of the ’30s to the bone-rattling riffs of today, Kendall Graham’s special Women’s History Month essay honors the women who forged rock and metal’s untamed soul – breaking barriers, bending genres, and proving that rebellion knows no gender.

Welcome.

You clicked on this essay because you are interested in women in rock music and heavy genres like metal and hardcore punk, and their contributions across the decades that have made these genres more fully developed than they would have been with only male participation and support.

It is Women’s History Month. I find it imperative to reach a hand into the past and pull to the forefront the women who have been making this kind of music for years and years, only to be relegated to the background, discounted, and “othered” into separate, less-meaningful categories: “female rock musicians,” “female metal singers,” etc.

Women, girls and femmes have long had to contend with being satisfied with only a proximity to these genres, at first being only consumers, audience members, groupies; always on the sidelines and outskirts. Segregated, and still not completely integrated.

I very much hope that we can stop “othering” women into these separate categories when we speak about them within these genres (this wish is not relegated to just rock and metal, but all other genres, as well.) A bassist instead of a “female bassist,” for example.

While it is true that the 1960s saw a boom in women making and participating in rock ‘n’ roll, female musicians had already been slinging their guitars and swinging rhythms for nearly 30 years before that.

Before male rockers like Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry ever swaggered on stage, women like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Memphis Minnie were already shredding electric guitar and essentially inventing rock ‘n’ roll in the 1930s and 40s – yet their names remain far less known than those of the men they influenced.

Rock and metal were largely “boys’ clubs” for decades, and female pioneers were often faced with the daunting task of fighting just to be heard or seen. And this did not guarantee that they would be taken seriously, signed, or offered contracts. Many of the women mentioned here, especially in the earlier decades, became “unsung heroes” whose innovations fueled and advanced these genres while their male counterparts reaped the spotlight and accolades.

As a voracious consumer of this music, and a writer who wants to champion the underdogs and those on the sidelines, it is inspiring not only to look back in time to see from where it all began, but to follow that throughline all the way to the present, seeing whose shoulders our current rockers, headbangers and screamers stand on.

This element of catharsis is extremely empathetic to female rock and metal fans. When a woman onstage unleashes a primordial scream, or shreds blistering riffs, or pounds the kit so hard her sticks break, other women hear their own anger, their own exhaustion, their own sacrifices, their own joy, their own excitement echoed back to them in solidarity.

It is resilience in an audio format, a visceral endorsement of our own inner lives played right back to us.

What follows is a non-exhaustive list of women within the rock and metal genres. We would need an anthology book series to truly encapsulate the contributions of all these fearless pioneers, the movers and shakers, the champions, the heralds and the oracles and the rule-breakers.

So, without further ado, here is a decades-based breakdown of some standout women who have changed, advanced and revitalized rock and metal music.

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Disclaimer: Forgive me if I missed anyone you feel is a quintessential figure in these scenes. I only have so much space to discuss this topic! Please sound off in the comments with your own picks.

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1930s to 1950s

Earliest Days of Rock ‘n’ Roll

The earliest days of rock ‘n’ roll introduced us to several women who helped shape its sound and spirit. From the 1930s through the 1950s, artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, and Viola Smith broke new ground in music. Each woman brought with her a unique style, and innovative playing methods and performances that would become emulated by countless others, truly laying the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll. In addition to facing gender discrimination, several of these women also had to contend with racial segregation, all significant barriers to entry in a space which they would end up revolutionizing.

“Didn’t It Rain?” (1964) – Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is referred to as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll” for good reason. Although she grew up playing gospel music alongside her mother, Katie, performing in a traveling evangelical troupe throughout the Southern U.S., she began blending the sacred gospel with the secular sounds of her electric guitar, which she had been playing since the age of six. Her recordings from the late 30s and 40s featured spiritual lyrics backed by strong guitar riffs, a combination that was then unheard of in church music. She was a pioneer of heavy distortion, a technique used to alter the sound of an electric guitar to make it fuzzier and grittier. A church lady who shredded the electric guitar, she was a key influence on artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Ginger Baker and countless others. Her 1943 hit, “Strange Things Happening Every Day” is considered one of the first rock and roll records and has been covered by several of the aforementioned artists.

Memphis Minnie

Memphis Minnie’s journey from street performances to recording studios epitomizes the drive and spirit that is imperative in the pursuit of one’s passions. Born Lizzie Douglas in 1897, she grew up as a teen in the town for which she named herself, and first started busking on the city’s Beale Street. Her powerful voice and unique playing method afforded her a career that powered through 1920s country blues to electric blues in the 1950s. Minnie played in nearly innumerable blues bands which fine-tuned her guitar skills; she helped to form the sound of electric Chicago blues after moving there in 1930, and this guitar-based sound also contributed to the early stages of what has become rock ‘n’ roll. Most other female blues performers were bejeweled and in gowns, singing in front of jazz bands, while Minnie’s contrasting style was considered rawer and more personal. Her most popular song was “When the Levee Breaks,” which she wrote in 1929 about the Great Mississippi Flood two years prior. It was most famously covered by (more often considered to be) rock legends Led Zeppelin for their fourth album. Thankfully, she was credited on the songwriting as singer Robert Plant kept many of Minnie’s original lyrics.

Viola Smith

Viola Smith is considered to be the first professional female drummer. She became popular in the 1930s as the drummer for all-female big band group Frances Carroll & The Coquettes. She cut her teeth as a percussionist for musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Hope and others. She was also a featured performer on The Ed Sullivan Show several times. She grew up in a musical household with six sisters who all played a different instrument; she even had a cornetist father to boot. Her professional kit was a 12-piece drum set that included a snare, a bass drum, three cymbals, two timpani drums, a vibraphone and at least five different toms. She often played with mallets instead of traditional drumsticks.

She was also an outspoken advocate for bringing more girls and women into professional music. She wrote a 1942 article for DownBeat magazine that criticized the barriers to entry for women in the music industry. “Why not let the girls play in the big-name bands?” she wrote. “Girls work right along beside men in nearly every trade of profession you can name. So why not in dance bands?” This championing spirit continued out her incredible career; she played and continued advocating for women in bands until she passed in 2020, at the age of 107.

1960s to 1970s

When the Tables Starting Shaking

Collectively, these next women transformed the rock and metal scenes of the 1960s and ’70s by imprinting them with their unique voices and spirits. Each refashioned rock in their own image: Janis Joplin’s cathartic blues-rock, Tina Turner’s soul-infused rock, Jinx Dawson’s haunting “witch metal,” and Joan Jett’s provocative punk ethos each added a new hue to the rock palette. These women also changed cultural perceptions, proving that women in the music industry could be dynamic band leaders, visionary songwriters and electrifying performers on par with any of their male counterparts. In doing so, they paved the way for future women in rock and metal to storm the stage and claim their rightful place in an industry they helped revolutionize.

“Nutbush City Limits” (1973) – Tina Turner

Tina Turner

The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Enough said. The energy with which Tina sang and performed was electrifying, inspiring subsequent performers, and contemporaries of her time, across any and all genres. Her impact was not restricted to soul, rock ‘n’ roll, or anything in between. Originally a part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue with husband Ike, she broke into rock-centered circuits that few Black women had successfully accessed before. She toured and collaborated with musicians like The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, The Who and Bryan Adams, with Mick Jagger recounting that he learned how to perform from watching her. Her ever-courageous spirit carried her not only through her professional journey, but her personal life, as well. She escaped her abusive partnership in a move that symbolized a woman seizing control of both her life and her art. Her hard-charging style and relentless ambition, as well as some of her most famous songs, “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits” and “Acid Queen” laid another layer of foundation that’s allowed anyone, not just women, to share in her unfettered passion for music.

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin is immediately identifiable by her wispy rasp, but you’d be foolish to equate that airiness directly with lightness: the woman could throw down heavy, lyrically, emotionally, you name it. Initially featured as a vocalist for Big Brother & The Holding Company in the mid-60s, her larger-than-life voice and electric stage presence solidified that a woman could command the stage with ferocious originality at a time when rock was still largely a boys’ club. Her catalogue is filled with hits that are still spun to this day, with songs that have been covered countless times, as well: “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Maybe,” to name a few. Her debut solo album, “I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!” remains a standard bearer in both songwriting and production. Joplin only released three albums in her lifetime before she tragically passed in 1970: her aforementioned debut, plus two with Big Brother & The Holding Company. Joplin’s ultimate power lies in kicking the door open for future generations of women within and without the music industry by being unapologetically herself.

Jinx Dawson

Jinx Dawson was forging a slightly different path from her contemporaries. In the shadows of the late 1960s rock scene, Dawson was combining occult and dark themes in rock which foreshadowed the incoming heavy metal wave as the frontwoman of the band Coven. The music was ethereal in a way, and so was her haunting voice, blending styles of blues, rock and a certain theatrical nature (she was a classically-trained singer.) Coven’s debut album is called “Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls,” a cheeky play in the face of occult fearers and early Satanic Panickers. Coven’s debut predated that of Black Sabbath, who are often cited as the harbingers of heavy metal, although there is still debate over how much the former influenced the latter. The group’s particular embrace of Satanic imagery became a standard bearer for many rock and metal bands that came after; they were one of the firsts to make it “cool.” She was barrier-breaking in that she carved out space for dark, macabre themes and a female voice in the early days of metal; she showed that women could lead, and even originate, the most aggressive and theatrical branches of rock and metal music.

Joan Jett

Anyone compiling a list of musicians like this would be remiss not to include Joan Jett, the Mother of Punk Rock. She was a legitimate trailblazer, breaking into the punk scene at a time when it was (still) predominantly male-dominated. Forming The Runaways in 1975, one of the first all-female punk bands, the group faced considerable sexism; that their style was in-your-face, provocative and unapologetic only added fuel to the fire. Songs like “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” “I Love Playin’ with Fire” and “You Drive Me Wild” helped them make a real impression playing loud, straight-up punk rock. After the group disbanded in 1979, Jett was frequently refused contracts from record labels who were unwilling to sign a solo female artist. So, she founded her own label, “Blackheart Records,” and was one of the first women to do so. To carve her own path after refusal from the status quo is a quintessential punk attitude, and also highlighted the necessity for women to create their own spaces in the music industry. Her success as a frontwoman, guitarist and label owner disrupted the traditional gender roles of this decade, proving that technique, talent and tenacity could defy entrenched sexism.

Honorable mention: Stevie Nicks, Grace Slick and Suzi Quatro. They were equally as transformative and trailblazing as the other impressive women highlighted here.

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“Maybe” (1969) – Janis Joplin

1980s to 1990s

Comin’ in Hot

The 1980s and 90s started allowing women a little more space in the industry (however reluctantly that came.) This was partly due to the impacts of Third-wave feminism beginning in the latter decade. Key ideas in this wave were intersectionality and the idea of more purposeful action-taking. These themes in and of themselves helped to usher in more progressive ideas about women’s rights and the space(s) that women take up in the world. Artists like Tina Bell, Tracy Chapman and Doro Pesch, plus the all-female metal band Kittie, further augmented the parameters of what women in rock and metal could achieve.

Tina Bell

When one thinks of the grunge scene, Seattle likely comes immediately to mind, as do seminal bands of the subgenre like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. But there was a young Black woman already planting the seeds before any of these bands emerged. Tina Bell was the frontwoman of grunge band Bam Bam; they had a heavy, distorted, raucous sound that broke barriers at the time. Bam Bam’s first song, 1984’s “Ground Zero” predates these bands, proving that Bell was a pioneer before grunge had an official name. The band only released one EP, 1984’s “Villains (Also Wear White),” but it was powerful enough to influence a generation of grunge and rock musicians. In 2019, an album was released containing finished versions of many of Bam Bam’s previous singles (some favorites of mine are “Free Fall from Space,” “It Stinks,” and “Show What You Know”). But despite Bam Bam’s influence, Bell was largely erased from the genre’s mainstream narrative, and is not someone often considered to have influenced it. However, her raw, haunting, melodic vocals and unfiltered lyricism set the stage for the sound that would later dominate in the ’90s.

Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman proved that quiet strength could be just as powerful as loud rebellion. During the late 1980s, when subgenres like hardcore punk and glam metal were exploding, Chapman imposed a radical presence by paring rock down to its basest level: just a voice and her acoustic guitar. She entered the game with profound, politically-charged songwriting. Her self-titled 1988 debut album featured the iconic “Fast Car,” which was a revelation at the time, and is still featured across countless soft rock radio stations and playlists. At a time when the industry was still hesitant to give Black women a platform outside of R&B or pop, Chapman defied expectations with her music, particularly with songs like “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution,” “Give Me One Reason,” and “Baby Can I Hold You.” Her 1988 performance of “Fast Car” at London’s Wembley Stadium (for the 70th birthday tribute concert for Nelson Mandela) solidified her status as a musical force to be reckoned with. With simply her voice and guitar, she stunned the audience of over 72,000, plus countless television viewers, into silence; they were entranced by her magnetism. Her influence has not wavered in the years since: artists from folk to rock to hip-hop cite her as a pivotal figure who proved that “music with a message” can still top charts.

“Fast Car” (1988) – Tracy Chapman

Doro Pesch

Heavy metal was (and still is) a male-centered world, but following in the footsteps of Coven’s Jinx Dawson, Doro Pesch refused to back down. She was the frontwoman of German metal band Warlock during the 80s, known for her soaring, operatic vocals and singular stage presence. These attributes made her one of the first women to dominate the European metal scene. Songs like “Fight for Rock,” “I Rule the Ruins,” and “Kiss of Death” infused her spirit into the zeitgeist, showcasing those otherworldly vocals as well as her tenacity. While many women in rock were pressured to soften their sound, or worse, conform to industry expectations, Pesch doubled down and embraced the raw, bombastic energy of metal. After Warlock disbanded, she continued with a successful solo career that saw her gaining even more prominence in Euro metal. Her persistence and unrelenting passion for the genre made her a standout presence in an era where women in metal were still rarities, or considered gimmicks.

Kittie

Imagine being a group of teenage girls in the 90s forming a metal band. There is hardly a doubt they were met with derision. We have always chided and chastised teenage girls just for existing, so it must have been a relentless uphill battle for the members of Kittie to be taken seriously. Formed by sisters Morgan and Mercedes Lander, Kittie prominently defied expectations. They weren’t just an all-female band, but a group of girls playing absolutely brutal death metal and nu-metal; imagine shaking the table in this way. They shattered any preconceived notions of what women and girls could do in metal. Their 1999 debut album, “Spit,” is still considered one of the best metal albums of this century. They combined guttural growls, chugging riffs and bombastic percussion with melodic hooks and witty, in-your-face lyrics. Songs like “Brackish,” “Charlotte,” and “Get Off (You Can Eat a D***)” are prime examples of their intense synergy. They were, unsurprisingly, dismissed by the industry, who treated them like a gimmick, but Kittie fought back, proving that they were not to be underestimated. They continued to hone their sound and have become a standard bearer in metal. Their success has allowed more women to break into metal and heavier genres, proving that they could not only break the doors down, but own the stage, too.

Honorable mention: Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, Pat Benatar, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They were equally as transformative and trailblazing as the other impressive women highlighted here.

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“Brackish” (2000) – Kittie

2000s to the Present

Prime Time

Since the 2000s, women and girls have carved out more space in the rock, metal and heavy music scenes. Not quite omnipresent but getting there. We are allowed to take up more space in the music industry than ever before, and we are more cognizant of the ways in which we can make it easier for other women, girls and femmes to get through the door. We are shattering the barriers to entry and are more outwardly supportive of championing underdogs and those who have long been marginalized. With the work of the women in this category, Hayley Williams, Amy Lee, Lzzy Hale and Courtney LaPlante, rock and metal are more inclusive, innovative and alive than ever.

Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams raised me. She was “Mother” before the term entered the popular lexicon to describe someone whom you idolize. She was my gateway into music; Paramore was my first favorite band. I learned how to transmute my emotions into words largely because of her songwriting. She may likely be one of your favorite artist’s inspirations. Her powerhouse vocals and eclectic stage presence aside, her spirit is infectious, and always has been. When Atlantic Records wanted her to ditch her bandmates and go solo, a la Avril Lavigne, Williams refused. And Paramore kept on keeping on. She helped to ignite a pop-punk revolution with Paramore’s first two albums, 2005’s “All We Know is Falling” and 2007’s “Riot!” all while dealing with rampant misogyny within the industry as a 15-year old breaking into the scene. She powered through internal band disputes and departures and remained committed to being authentic in a way that gave permission for other women and girls to feel like rock and pop punk belonged to them, too. Williams’ outspokenness and advocacy have shifted rock and pop-punk’s culture more towards inclusivity, empowering and inspiring the next wave of women in rock.

Amy Lee

One cannot think about women in rock without thinking of Amy Lee of Evanescence. She is a quintessential force in rock and metal music. One cannot think about some of the best rock songs of this century without hearing “Bring Me to Life” or “My Immortal” start playing in their heads. Lee balances haunting and heavy sounds perfectly, proving that a woman’s voice could define a hard rock record. She is so influential that she has inspired singers and bands regardless of gender. Evanescence’s 2003 debut album, Fallen, sold 17 million copies. This is not the level of success that befalls a fluke. Lee’s piercing vocal style and frank lyrics about personal trauma were revolutionary for rock.

Not the first woman, and not the last, to experience misogyny in the music industry, she and Evanescence were advised to add a male vocalist to “Bring Me to Life” because Lee’s solo version was considered “too feminine” for rock radio. The label went as far as to threaten not to release Fallen unless a man’s voice was included. Lee powered through this compromise by asserting more control over her music and image; her defiance and outspokenness cemented her status as a trailblazer in rock. She continues to lead Evanescence on sold-out tours, proving that women-led rock and metal isn’t its own separate genre but an asset to the diversity of these genres.

Lzzy Hale

You might be hard-pressed currently to find another woman who can shred as hard as Lzzy Hale. She’s been doing it since forming Halestorm with her younger brother Arejay in 1997. Her musicianship is off the charts; including her incredible guitar-playing skills, she has a piercing voice that soars and strikes in equal measure. Halestorm’s 2013 Grammy win for Best Hard Rock/Metal performance (for “Love Bites (So Do I), a wild ride of a song) made them the first female-fronted band to win that category. This achievement, aside from the strength and prowess of Hale’s abilities, helped pave the path for more female representation in rock and metal.

Outside of music, Hale is a staunch advocate for gender equality and mental health awareness. She openly discusses the challenges women face in the industry and encourages them to pursue their passions unapologetically. Due to her contributions, Gibson named her their first female brand ambassador in 2021 (doesn’t it sound strange that this kind of thing only happened four years ago?). Lzzy Hale is a prime example of the doors you can open for yourself when you are committed to opening doors for others.

“I Miss the Misery” (2012) – Halestorm

Courtney LaPlante

I have become a baby metalhead these past three years largely due in part to Courtney LaPlante and her band, Spiritbox. Something about their sound is so accessible, even to those for whom metal sounds too aggressive or dark. Her cleans and screams are as enticing and cathartic as each other. When I first heard “Circle with Me,” one of their best songs, I thought Spiritbox had two vocalists, one male and one female. But all the vocals are coming from her, and I am still shook about it. I never get tired of hearing her deftly switch tones; there is never a dull moment with Spiritbox, even with their slower, more melodic songs (like “Constance,” “Hurt You,” “Ultraviolet”), and this is one of the most fun things about them.

Spiritbox’s sound blends LaPlante’s ethereal voice with metalcore, djent and even electronic sounds. In a scene that is still only about 3 percent female, LaPlante’s presence in the world of metal is singular, although she’s said that she’s had to fight consistent impostor syndrome for existing as a woman in this space. Spiritbox’s first album, 2021’s “Eternal Blue,” debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200, a feat proving wider reception of women in heavy music. Also using her platform to demand change and more acceptance of women and girls in metal, she’s said that she wants “every human being accountable to actively fight for equality” in the metal community. Spiritbox’s second album, “Tsunami Sea,” was just released March 7, and it shreds even harder than their debut. But as fans of LaPlante and the band, we expected nothing less.

Honorable mention: Meet Me at the Altar, Plush, Nova Twins, Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer, and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. They are equally as transformative and trailblazing as the other impressive women highlighted here.

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“Fata Morgana” (2025) – Spiritbox

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