Why is it that female singers in rock are so rare? Many people could not name one other female 'rock' singer other than Courtney Love (who I love very much). I must admit though, I would much rather listen to a male voice singing as most females tend to have a silly little whiney voice. Then you have people like Courtney Love and Patti Smith who may not have the prettiest voices in the world, but still kick ass.

And is it because of the lack of female role models in rock that the likes of Bikini Kill come onto the scene, yelling and screeching about the revolution? They have to be the worst girl band ever, but I still like them

Your thoughts?

Kittie, the chicks from Evanescence and Lacuna Coil. There are others but their names escape me, sorry.
There aren't a lot of female rock singers, the same way there aren't a lot of short runway models. Male singers dominate the rock world, and to step away from the conformity is "dangerous".

Ah yes of course, Kittie.

I am glad that it is more of a male thing... guys with guitars and long hair

Lita Ford...she counts. Also the girls from Slunt. They opened for Manson (they got booed though).

She was hot

Brody Dalle too. Courtney Love and Patti Smith are still the best in my opinion.

Crucified Barbara and lulla cry too

I dig Patti Smith the most.

I'm a guy with a guitar and long hair... but i'm not glad that rock n roll is more of a male thing. It surprises me how few women there are in rock, maybe some of you girls should learn a power chord and start a punk band... beauty will get ya signed anyway in today's market.

I saw the 'Horrorpops' in Manchester last week. The lead women Patricia is excellent, she's well skilled on the double bass and has an empowering voice - Worth checking out.

Psychobilly madness!!!

Their not rare they just never make it mainstream to make much of an impact.

They're not rare but the ratio of guy-singers to chick-singer is considerabley large...

Joan Jett.... put another dyme in the jukebox baby

Haha if I was in a band, it would have to be a perfect mix of classic rock and metal. No Riot Grrrl crap! Failing that, I would love to be like Patti Smith. Too bad I can't sing

There is an amazing female singer in the once band Heart.
Barracuda is one of my favourite songs.
She has such a powerfull voice and she really knew how to rock out.

Shena Ringo! Good God, Shena Ringo! Japanese singer, so amazing! Debuted with Koufukuron (Happiness Theory) and released three albums before finally ending her solo career to start her current band, Tokyo Jihen (Tokyo Incidents). Best songs of hers are Honnou (Instinct), the video has her breaking glass in a nurse outfit and getting it on with two sickly patients, Tsumi to Batsu (Crime & Punishment), which is about being in love with someone just too much. The video is possibly her best ever. Opens with Shena driving down a road, dressed normally. It's in black and white there. She lights a cigarette. The music slowly opens up. Then she appears in a perfectly cut in half yellow car (And I found out what kind, Mercedes.). It's license plate reads 'Crime & Punishment' in Russian. She's got horribly filthy and knotted hair, makeup smeared across her eyes, and is wearing red leather pants with matching elbow-length gloves and a black shirt. Her guitar is in the back seat. Cut to Shena holding a katana, looking murderous. She sings so emotionally, you can feel it. At the end, her, the car, and her guitar get covered in green goo! Ends with whistling sadly and her back in the car from the opening, the picture's black and white again, and you can see she is crying. You will never encounter a song more emotional than this one. I garantee it. I swear, you can feel the anger, hurt, and desperation. Her voice is a screetchy wail, with her signiture rolling r's. Whoo, that was lengthy. But it's such a stunning song, it deserves it. Other noteworthy songs and videos are Ichijiku no Hana (Fig Flower), Maruno Uchi SADISTIC, Identity, Ringo no Uta (The Apple Song), and her cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off You gives me the chills. Please don't confuse her with Ringo Starr, Ringo means apple in Japanese. She got that nickname when she was younger, her real name is Shena Yumiko. Yumiko is her first name. Shena is her last. Japanese order is last name first. I hope I'm not confusing you too much.

Wow. This turned out looooong.

Edited to point out that is Shena in my sig. From Honnou, all nurse-y and breaking glass.

blue fish, that sounds really interesting.
I may have to check that out.

The girl from Nightwish is also a really good singer. And Amy Lee.. well, her voice is awesome

Here is the best place for info on her. *adds you to the list of people she's gotten interested in Japanese music*

Many thanks, blue fish. However, I'm already somewhat of a fan of J-pop, and all things Japanese. My cousin lives in Japan. He loves it so much he will never return.

Might I ask what bands/artists you like? I'm particularly fond of Dir en grey and JUDY AND MARY myself. I'm so glad I'm not the only person on here that likes Japan.

Shonen Knife is pretty good imo. There's a place called Morning Glory a few miles from where I live. Sometimes they play Japanese videos. So that's fun.

Okay, in my opinion, girls screaming isn't a very nice sound... neither is them shouting.
Singing is good though.

The voices don't really fit the genre, unless they do some ballad-rock stuff, like Evanescence.

I agree with you. But I'm waiting for a girl to prove me wrong though.

Janis Joplin. More soul than any man. Period.

Meldrum have a chick singing, she had some set of 'lungs' on her. They even cover Panteras 'Walk' in Dimebag tribute, was amazing got such a response from the crowd as you can imagine! (they supported BLS back in June) Weird thing was the guitarist (also a girl) looked just like Zakk Wylde! The bassist was a girl but drummer was a bloke.

Right young man, go and listen to Patti Smith covering 'My Generation' (the live one) and see what you think then

Definitely. There have been a lot of influential women in rock music. A lot of the crap that passes for music nowadays is not good whether a man or woman is performing.

But along with Janis and Patti Smith as groundbreakers there was Gracie Slick (who I LOVE), Mama Cass & Michelle Phillps, Stevie Nicks, Aretha Franklin (and Billie Holiiday if you want to go a little farther back), Melissa Etheridge, Joni Mitchell, Tracey Chapman...

But it's true that women have had more influence in the rock/folk arena. I think because it's more soulful and melodic that the harder, screaming stuff that for some reason is popular. I'm thinking women like Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, Michelle Shocked, Amy Mann, Liz Phair, Indigo Girls... Very Lilith Fair sort of stuff.

I'm personally a fan of The Pixies, PJ Harvey, Smashing Pumpkins, Throwing Muses, Velvet Underground, Letters to Cleo, Hem, Patti Griffin, and Driveby Truckers. I'm sure there are more, but I've already put too much thought into this.

I must be one of the old members because I can remember leather clad Suzi Quatro. (The original Rock chick)

Oh, and Alanis Morrisete (Sp?)

Janis Joplin

Stevie Nicks

Pat Benetar

These women are still considered the queens of rock, right?

Perhaps women in rock seem to be more aligned with pop then rock n roll. Such as Stevie Nicks, Pat Benetar and (today) Sheryl Crow. I guess because they don't scream into their microphones and jump around the stage with crazy, uninhibited energy.

No, I know of Suzi Quatro, I was just never a fan of glam rock and she was not really well known here in the States. So don't worry, you are not an "old" member.

^
Sorry, that was for Welsh.

Tina Turner is sorta considered rock, right? She belted out some rather rock-ish tunes.

I adore Debbie Harry too, I'm off to see Blondie this month

No Doubt aren't rock, but I loved Gwen back then, she's pretty awful on her own though.

I am not ashamed to admit that I like Hollaback Girl lol.

Aaah they ripped the arse out of it here

what about Ann Wilson?

...girl can sing

jealous of you!! i couldn't get anyone to go with me so im going to see a guns n' roses tribute instead, but they rock!!

Gwen on her own sucks big style, no doubt were cool, tragic kingdom especially

I agree...on her own it's obvious she is in it for the money...

but I don't see how Gwen is considered rock...wasn't no doubt kinda new wave or ska? her current stuff is.....well.....pop...... Pandy doesn't think she's so great anyway

Just a few not mentioned yet...

1. Cibo Matto
2. Luscious Jackson
3. The Kostars
4. Sleater-Kinney
5. Dusty Trails
6. Beth Orton
7. Mazzy Star
8. Lucinda Williams
9. Bebek
10. Throwing Muses
11. Plasmatics
12. Pretenders (Chrissy Hynde)
13. Portishead
14. Go-Gos (yes, the rocked in the early 80s despite "Our Lips Are Sealed")
15. The Breeders
16. 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant
17. Dayna Kurtz
18. Bonnie Raitt
19. Ani DiFranco
20. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
21. Lisa Loeb
22. Michelle Branch
23. Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane)
24. Bjork
25. L7
26. Bikini Kill
27. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
28. Liz Phair
29. Exene Cervenkova (X)

Well, actually I mentioned :

Throwing Muses
Ani DiFranco
Grace Slick
Liz Phair

I would NEVER leave Grace Slick off of a women in rock thread.

Is that all


Thanks JennRose I feel younger know

I think female rock singers aren't found because they don't really have the voice for that type. There are exceptions for the voices, and there are exceptions for the music, but mostly it just doesn't fit.

It's like picturing J-Lo in Pantera or something.

^

Pleases Explain I'm rather puzzled

I kinda get what he's saying. I think...

I really like it when a chick has a very rough coarse voice, it sounds so good when it's with certain music.

I'm surprised none of you have mentioned Garbage. Shame! Shame! That being said, I am mentioning them now. Shirley Manson is an awesome vocalist. Then there's Lacuna Coil, Evanesence, and t.A.T.u.'s new album has a rock edge to it. All of which have awesome vocals.

Janiel is right! Shirley Manson's voice is really amazing. Deep and sexy too.

There are not many REAL female rockers today.Some of them are classic and original,as Blondie's singer,Debbie Harry.I really hate ''artists''like Hilary Duff that pretend they are rock.These all really suck.And also,Kittie are terrible.They can't heard like the male guys,when will they understand it?

So can any of you hip kids enlighten me as to what exactly a hollaback girl is, and why doesn't she want to be one? That song completely loses me when she starts spelling out banana.

Hahahaha same here Jenn, what the hell?

Wow, I made absolutely no sense in my last post...

What I was trying to say was their voices aren't like... made for doing most rock music. A lot of rock music is like screaming or growling, and most of it's really deep. That's a very big opposite to a woman's voice.

what about...a band like deep purple? those high pitched screams?

hehe...sorry, I'm just picking on you

Sorry about that miscue Jenn Rose, I must've skipped right passed your post.

I forgot to mention Signe Anderson, who was the original female lead vocalist in the Jefferson Airplane before Grace.

And, if you're interested, I have some awe-inspiring crystal clear recordings of the Airplane and the Grateful Dead soundchecking from the Fillmore, the Avalon, Winterland, et cetera, circa 1966-1969. One, in particular, has David Crosby, Garcia, Grace, Casady, and others running through some great tunes: "White Rabbit," "She Belongs to Me," "Hey Jude," "Morning Dew," "Hey Little One," "Mr. Tambourine Man," and a whole lot more.