“I had no proof that I had the stuff to be an artist, though I hungered to be one,” said Patti Smith in Just Kids (2010).
Today’s music scene is inarguably dominated by women.
Whether it be Beyoncé’s album of the year win at the 67th Grammy Awards for Cowboy Carter or Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour being the first tour in history to earn over $1 billion in ticket sales, it would be an understatement to say women are the face of music.
Looking back though, the industry wasn’t always this welcoming.
The past 100 years of the music industry could be likened to a boys’ club – a space dismissive of women’s intelligence, creativity and talent. For instance, popular genres like rock ‘n’ roll, hip hop and jazz were widely registered as masculine despite having housed women since their inception.
The sexualization of women also created barriers to entry. It was not uncommon for rising musicians to be faced with coercion and degradation campaigns before finding success and stability. Such was the case for icons like Judy Garland in the 1930s and Madonna in the 1980s.
The legacy of this era lives on through the prolific skepticism of women’s capabilities, opting for slut-shaming and “did you know she’s actually a terrible person” campaigns instead of skill acknowledgement.
While these issues still permeate music today, it is worth recognizing the industry’s growth while giving thanks to the women who fought to change it. To be a fan of music is to appreciate the labour of turning experience into art, a feat only achievable with enough passion to beat an industry working against you.
All of this is to say, a music scene headlined by women can make it easy to forget about the achievements of those who made it possible.
For this reason, fans of artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter ought to discover the powerhouses that opened the door for women to dominate music the way they do today.
Here are just a few.
Heart
Widely known for the songs “Barracuda” and “Crazy On You,” Heart was formed in the early 1970s and is led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.
The band’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie (1975), set the stage for a group known for dynamic guitar solos and rich vocals, showcased in “Magic Man” and “Sing Child.”
Heart stood out for having a woman as its lead singer, particularly in comparison to other rock bands of the era. Ann Wilson remarked in a 2025 interview with Classic Rock Magazine that she and her sister were dubbed unusual in social circles for wanting to be The Beatles instead of marrying them.
But before the public paid attention to the sisters’ talent, it focused on the band’s debut album cover.
The Dreamboat Annie cover shows the Wilsons bare-shouldered and leaning against one another. The album initially received recognition not for its musical content but for a rumour the sisters were romantically involved with one another.
In response to the criticism, “Barracuda” would come out two years later – a song confronting the rampant sexism in the music industry. Still, nearly 50 years after its release, “Barracuda” is widely recognized as one of the best rock songs of all time.
Chappell Roan covered the song in response to criticism of her comments on the paparazzi industry in 2024.
Liz Phair
Liz Phair was quick to deviate from musical expectations for women with her debut album Exile in Guyville in 1993. The project gained notoriety for its blunt sexual lyrics about her romantic experiences.
In a 1994 interview with Knight Ridder, Phair responded to the criticism, noting how “Men don’t think that nice girls from good families should have these thoughts … But we do.”
Phair continued to use the explicit language that put her in hot water throughout her career, contributing to the sexual liberation of women in music.
For example, “Why Can’t I?” (2003) from Phair’s self-titled fourth album follows a romantic affair. The song reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, cementing itself as one of her most recognizable and commercially palatable tracks.
Another prominent theme in Exile in Guyville is Phair’s fight to enter the male-dominated rock scene, notably covered in “Never Said.”
“Don’t know where you heard it / Don’t know who’s spreading it around / All I know is I’m clean as a whistle, baby” (Liz Phair/Matador Records)
When she rose to fame, the list of women stepping into alternative and indie rock was short. And the list of those proudly proclaiming feelings of sexual desire, even shorter.
On top of her vulnerable lyrics and wavy guitar melodies, Phair’s rise to fame can be seen as a marker of positive change in the relationship between women, music and sexuality.
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is a four-time Grammy winner whose music may be recognized by folkie guitar strumming and evocative lyrics.
Though most recognized in her hit song “Fast Car,” Chapman’s lyrics set her apart for their confrontation of social injustice. Her 1988 debut and self-titled album opens with the track “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution,” which addresses cyclical poverty.
“I’ve been standing in the welfare lines / Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation / Wasting time in the unemployment lines / Sitting around waiting for a promotion” (Tracy Chapman/Elektra Records)
Chapman is also praised for her unabashed criticism of racial injustice, which is explored in other tracks on her debut album, including “Across the Lines.”
“Little black girl gets assaulted / Don’t no one know her name / Lots of people hurt and angry, she’s the one to blame” (Tracy Chapman/Elektra Records)
The folk rock scene was disproportionately occupied by white men before her entrance – and while Bob Dylan and James Taylor are worth celebrating, Chapman’s impacts on the music industry cannot be ignored.
For bringing social justice into music while paving the way for women in folk rock, Chapman is an icon.
In 2024, she became the first Black person to win song of the year at the Country Music Awards for “Fast Car.” This achievement came after Luke Combs’ cover of the song returned it to the mainstream music cycle.
Fiona Apple
The sultry sound of Fiona Apple’s voice has become a staple of the alternative pop rock scene of the 1990s, but not before being faced with waves of misogyny.
Throughout her career, Apple has not shied away from a vulnerable style of lyricism to go in tandem with her somber singing voice. Her work often delves into themes of self-discovery and resilience, first appearing in her debut album, Tidal (1996), and continuing up to her latest album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020).
One example is the existentialism of “Sullen Girl” that takes the front seat in “I Want You to Love Me.”
Apple’s songwriting and shameless expression of opinion attracted criticism due to her brazen vulnerability. After her acceptance speech at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, Apple’s label as an angry woman was cemented.
“See, Maya Angelou said that we, as human beings, at our best, can only create opportunities. And I’m gonna use this opportunity the way I want to use it … You shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool … Go with yourself.”
Apple didn’t teeter around social norms – she ripped them down and stomped on them. She was not the first, and will not be the last, woman in music to be labelled as angry and dangerously outspoken.
But it is her insouciance and ongoing use of her voice that set Apple apart and make her a model for navigating misogyny in the music industry and public eye.
Patti Smith
Patti Smith is rightfully known as the “Godmother of Punk” for her poetry and rock music confluence.
Her arrival to the 1970s punk scene was the first hurdle Smith would overcome as a woman in music. Without her determination to create art, songs like “Free Money” (1975) and “Because the Night” (1978) would have never made it to listeners’ ears.
“I know that I was marginalized, especially when I look back. But I was very focused on the work,” Smith said to Harvard Business Review Magazine in 2023.
Her dedication to creating genuine, soulful music regardless of expectations or instrumental trends is what immediately set her apart from other musicians of the era.
But critics have not hesitated to attack Smith for her physical appearance, citing it as a reason for her career not reaching a higher stratosphere.
Even then, these claims are easy to counter. Smith’s debut album, Horses (1970), remains one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time. But beyond her revolution of music and role in the inception of punk rock, Smith is also a renowned poet and visual artist.
Her resilience within the male-dominated rock scene she sought to innovate, as well as her injection of soulful lyricism into punk, make Smith a legend in music and pop culture.
She taught the world that poetry and self-exploration have just as important of a place in rock ‘n’ roll as lead singer syndrome and bass riffs.
Honouring those who led the way
Women leading the music industry did not come without the work of trailblazers who changed norms, broke stereotypes and forced the world to listen to what they had to say.
It is thanks to the countless women from countless genres who paved the path to representation that listeners get to enjoy an innovative and diverse music scene.
Young artists like Tate McRae, Billie Eilish and beabadoobee are headlining festivals and crashing ticket-purchasing sites – achievements that, 50 years ago, would have seemed impossible for a woman in the first few years of a music career.