25 Greatest Frontwomen in Rock History

The world of rock has been historically dominated by men, but plenty of incredibly talented women have found their way to impact the musical landscape.

We’re celebrating these groundbreaking ladies with our list of the 25 Greatest Frontwomen in Rock History.

Each of the women featured below has influenced music in important and profound ways. Their styles are as varied as the many sub-genres they represent.

Two of classic rock’s most beloved groups – Fleetwood Mac and Heart – feature iconic women behind the mic. Though Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson are stylistically different in many ways, their undeniable talents and prolific outputs have kept them among rock’s elite for decades.

READ MORE: 30 Greatest Trios in Rock History

Meanwhile, punk rock has long been a hotbed of female-fronted acts, with proud feminist singers like the Runaways’ Joan Jett, L7s Donita Sparks and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna leading the charge.

The ‘80s introduced such distinctive artists as Siouxsie Sioux and Belinda Carlisle, while the ‘90s saw an uptick in female-fronted acts, including Sonic Youth, the Cranberries, Hole and Garbage.

READ MORE: 20 Rock Stars Who Are Moms

For this exercise, we focused strictly on women who helmed groups. Solo artists were not considered. In cases where leading ladies initially made their marks in bands before going on to solo fame – such as Tina Turner and Annie Lennox – we only judged based on their success within the group.

These ladies and more can be found below in our list of the 25 Greatest Frontwomen in Rock History.