By the early 1970s, rock music was somewhat of a paradox – claiming a countercultural ethos but reproducing conventional social attitudes by mostly excluding women. Artists such as Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, and Grace Slick had gained masses of followers, as well as kudos from their male peers. However, they seemed to be the exception …

American Punk (or Hardcore) was a frenetic, no-holds-barred movement that went against every ‘norm’ of 1980s America. Kicking back against the clean-cut conservatism of Ronald Reagan, it represented a frenzied outburst of energy and spat in the face of ‘The American Dream’. Those who got involved didn’t want to play part in some sterile consumerist …

To say that women have been influential in rock music is a gross understatement. Over the last century, women have been a driving force in some of the genre’s most iconic moments. These artists have fought against the tide, carving out space in a traditionally male-dominated industry. In this two-part series, we are going to …