Always hard to retrace one’s steps when they’re meandering. In reference to our recent loss, I posted a song by the Stones, Winter. Which reminded me, because it showed up in the margin at YouTube, of Some Girls, which reminded me that I’m widely regarded, like our president, as being a misogynist. Which I therefore played, and was led in turn to think what life as Mick Jagger must be like. How could you ever know who loved you for you and not as just as a ticket to the top?

So I played this for my wife, not quite as jeering as Some Girls. 

Which got us to thinking some more. Bear in mind, her eyes hurt still from the music I racked up in honor of our lost Raebert last night, and so she was open to my question about rock stars in general, how most of them die too young, except Keith and Mick of course. Which led to a discussion of female rockers, and, specifically, female rock bands.

We decided to make a list of the top ten female rock bands, meaning bands that were all or mostly female.

Here it is:

1. The Bangles

2. The Go Go’s.

3. Hole

4.

5.

Why we ended that list where we did. New list. Female hard rockers. Meaning HARD rockers. Our criteria here are women backed up by men on guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards. Which means they’re not really female bands. The women, in these instances, are the frontman for a male band. Even if they personally selected all the members of that band. Pop stars excluded. Got it?

1. Janis Joplin

2. Patti Smith

3. Wendy O. Williams 

4. Joan Jett

6. Tina Turner

7. Grace Slick

8. Chrissie Hynde

9.

10.

We discussed many others but finally agreed they were not hard core rockers but supremely talented singers whose bands were mere backup: Ronnie Spector, Pat Benetar,   Blondie, Heart, and Annie Lennox, to name a few.