Influential women In rock:
When people think of Rock, they generally associate it with men due to our society‘s stereotypical gender ideologies and binary opposition. The rock industry has been the hardest genre for women to break into and when typing in to Google 'Top Ten Influential Women' I found singers such as Billie Holiday and Carol King, but there wasn’t any mention of female rock artists -'who weren’t supposed to play guitars and play riot gigs'. I found this intriguing as most of the rock our society and myself listen to is male dominated. Even when I typed in 'Top ten Rock Artists' there were no females which I found quite offending. I was having a debate with my mother on how I could strongly say she could name 5 male rock bands/artists of the top of her head but would struggle to name 5 female Bands/artists. She successfully came up with, Elkie Brooks, Bonnie Tyler, Chrissie Hynde, Pat Benator and Patty Smith . She found it hard off the top of her head but interestingly said she preferred "a good old raunchy female rocker" to a male.
Among the earliest all-female rock bands to be signed to a record label were Goldie and the Gingerbreads, to Atlantic Records in 1964 and Fanny in 1969 when Mo Ostin signed them to Warner Bros Records. An influential rock band for women are The Runaways, a teenage all- American, all-girl rock band that performed in the 1970s. The Runaways were highly influential as they were only just 16 when they recorded there very first album and hit success in the 'mans industry‘. The Runaways have historical significance for being the first all-girl rock band to have hit songs, record platinum albums (at least 1,000,000 units sold), tour internationally, and acquire fame. The Runaways have been so influential that there is currently a film being produced with aspiring actor, Kristen Stewart as lead role. The film is based on lead-singer Cherie Currie's book 'Neon Angel' - a reflection of her experiences as a rock star, but also delivering a strong anti-drug warning to teens and others. Is has been noted that after the Runaways success everything changed for female rock musicians, and made way for female rock bands such as The Donnas. The 1980's was the development of seeing female rock bands on billboard charts. When Joan Jett's 'I Love Rock And Roll', (which was ironically covered by Pop princess Brittany Spears) was released and went to number 3 it sent a strong message out to many industry heads that females who could play could bring in money. Many magazines at this point started putting female artists on their covers such as Bonnie Rait showing respect to female artists trying to break this rock industry. However even in the RnB industry in 1981 Klymaxx became the first all-female band to all play an instrument; several of their singles have charted successfully in both R&B and pop countdowns. The successful British/Australian string quartet Bond, who play classical crossover, is another example where women play all the instruments themselves. Another women to make it into the rock industry was Janis Joplin who was a pioneer in the male-dominated rock music scene of the late 1960s, influencing generations of musicians to come. Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which is shockingly full of male domination) in 1995 amongst dominate male performers such as, James brown, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. The majority in the Hall Of Fame is shockingly male dominated
Influential men In rock:
According to www.msnbc.msn.com The Top Ten Rock Bands/Artists Of All Time Are:
-The Beatles
-The Rolling Stones
-U2
-The Grateful Dead
-Velvet Underground
-Led Zeppelin
-The Ramones
-Pink Floyd
-Bob Marley and the Wailers
-Sly and the Family Stone
I this modern list of apparently The Top Ten Rock Bands And Artists Of All Time none are of female gender. Men were treated very differently to females in the rock industry, I researched into why but could not find much information. I came across a book called The Rock History Reader By Theo Cateforis, it said that 'women were barred from any active participation in rock music'. He stated that he heard so many male rock artists at gigs say "When you take your lady home tonight" and other male orientated slang that women weren’t supposed to be at aggressive rock gigs. Women in the rock industry weren’t ‘supposed’ to play instruments, but formed around bands and acts as 'groupies'. A groupie is a person who seeks sexual and/or emotional intimacy with a celebrity or other authority figure. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but now has more general application, they were seen as mother like figures or girlfriends, and took care of the musician's valuables, drugs, wardrobe, and social life. This is quite ironic as this meaning of the word groupie seems to have ultimate power of the male act, as they support and look after them, as these male rock acts needs the maternal instinct of a women’s’ presence around them.
The Rolling Stones 'Stupid Girl' featured on their 1966 album ‘Aftermath‘. ‘Stupid Girl’ is noted for its apparently degrading lyrics towards women, a charge also made against other Stones songs like "Under My Thumb" and "Brown Sugar". On the song's lyrics, Keith Richards said in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, "It was all a spin-off from our environment... hotels, and too many dumb chicks. Not all dumb, not by any means, but that's how one got”. Mick Jagger also said in the same interview "I had so many girlfriends at that point. None of them seemed to care they weren't pleasing me very much". This is extremely subjective towards women and shows the rock industry primarily treated women as objects and didn’t respect them. Ironically many women idolise Mick Jagger and sing along to his lyrics, unaware this is what he actually think is right about women.
Some of the lyrics that called some concern:
"Well, I'm sick and tired
And I really have my doubts
I've tried and tried
But it never really works out
Like a lady in waiting to a virgin queen
Look at that stupid girl
She bitches 'bout things that she's never seen
Look at that stupid girl
It doesn't matter if she dyes her hair
Or the color of the shoes she wears
She's the worst thing in this world
Well, look at that stupid girl
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up
Like a lady in waiting to a virgin queen
Look at that stupid girl
She bitches 'bout things that she's never seen
Look at that stupid girl
She purrs like a pussycat
Then she turns 'round and hisses back
She's the sickest thing in this world
Look at that stupid girl".
I believe if this misogynist song was released now the boundaries and progression of women in rock have changed it would have been poorly reviewed and slated by the public and other artists who realise it‘s offensive. The fact the band was so mainstream and successful shouldn't give them the opportunity of writing lyrics about 'stupid' girls as both sexes are equal. Although rock was quite aggressive I think it was unacceptable and unfair for male musicians do this, but if this was the other way round females would get much harder time about it.
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