’I am woman, hear me roar’: These female mustic artists have left their mark

From Billie Holliday to Billie Eilish, Joni James to Joni Mitchell, female music artists have left a monumental mark in the landscape of popular music.

A fact that didn’t go undetected by readers after Mark “Boz” Bosley and yours truly failed to include a single woman in our roster of greatest American artists.

To rectify that omission, Boz and I now present what we believe are the most noteworthy female-fronted acts or artists. And to give this discussion some credibility, I’ve called into service Trinidad Catholic High School classmate Mary “Skeeter” Gansz, who backs up her musical knowledge with vocal chops of some renown.

A talent she demonstrated as lead vocalist for the Trinidad State Junior College-based Raven Payne, and backup vocals for this writer’s Joe and the Unknowns, a rag-tag cohort that massacred “Satisfaction” and Donnie Iris’ “Love is Like a Rock” the one and only Trinidad Catholic Talent Show.

So with a nod to the great Helen Reddy, (who probably belongs on this list), here are the women, hear them roar.

Boz: At number 10, The Donnas were formed in 1993 but satisfy my love of that sneer that was so important to ’70s punk. They are very special on “Who Invited You,” “Too Bad About Your Girl” and “New Kid in School.”

Skeeter: Leading The Supremes, Diana Ross was an amazing front woman with an equally amazing voice.

Jon: If you’re curious as to where Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and so many other “innovators” got their flamboyant schtick, allow me to direct your attention to the amazing Dale Bozzio. As the multi-colored, immensely charismatic frontwoman for the under-appreciated Missing Persons, Bozzio was a fashionable tour-de-force who backed up the image with an enchanting, quirky vocal style that fit such ’80s gems as “Walking in L.A.,” “Words” and “Destination Unknown” perfectly.

Boz: At No. 9 is No Doubt, the Gwen Stefani-led group that performed the off-the-wall song “Trapped in a Box,” as well as “Just a Girl” and “Simple Kind of Life.”

Skeeter: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Musically talented, and Joan’s vocal range and strength is and was impressive.

Jon: I’m siding with Skeeter on this one, as I prefer tinnitus to Stefani’s irritating whine. For an all too brief time in the ’80s, The Pretenders were, without question, the coolest and hippest music-makers on the block. And that’s a credit to bandleader/songwriter Chrissie Hynde, whose effortless cool and sex appeal sent many a teenage boy’s heart into a tizzy. To this day, one would be hard-pressed to find a more pure pop masterpiece than “Talk of the Town.”

Boz: At No. 8 is Jefferson Airplane/Starship, as fronted by Grace Slick with later help from Mickey Thomas on vocals. The band cranked out some really good songs, among them “Somebody to Love,” “Volunteers” and “Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.”

Skeeter: Grace Slick/Jefferson Airplane. A solid three decades of hits. The Grace of the ’60s and ’70s was so rugged.

Jon: I actually prefer Starship’s output to that of the Airplane, although “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” cemented the latter’s place in musical history, thanks to Slick’s formidable pipes and emotive delivery.

Boz: At No. 7, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts had multiple ’80s hits, including “Bad Reputation,” “I Love Rock n Roll” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”

Skeeter: Janis Joplin. Zero explanation needed.

Jon: Like fellow doomed falling stars Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, Joplin shed this mortal coil at the tender age of 27, thereby gaining membership in a haunted “club” that also includes Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain and Robert Johnson. With all due respect to her immense vocal ability, I I believe Joplin’s legend was overtly embellished by that early death, and so I’m placing the irreplaceable Karen Carpenter in this slot. Sir Elton John christened Carpenter “one of the greatest voices of our lifetime,” and if you throw in the after-life, I’ll gladly concur.

Boz: At No. 6, The Bangles were made up of Susanna Hoffs, Debbi and Vickie Peterson, along with Annette Zilinskas, later replaced by Micki Steele. This primarily ’80s group had mega hits with “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Manic Monday” and “Eternal Flame.”

Skeeter: Heart. Ann and Nancy Wilson are, arguably, the most talented writers, vocalists and female musicians, quite possibly, ever.

Jon: Head-to-head, The Bangles aren’t fit to lace up the Wilson sisters’ corsets. And quite frankly, I was over “Walk Like an Egyptian” back in 1986. Heart, however, is the real deal: a bonafide female-fronted rock juggernaut that cranked out some of the most enduring tracks of the classic rock era. Although the Wilsons took a more pop-friendly turn in the ’90s, their output was no less enjoyable.

Boz: At No. 5, The Go-Go’s formed in 1978, fronted by lead singer Belinda Carlisle. The band set the charts on fire with “Head Over Heels,” “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat.”

Skeeter: Pat Benatar: strong voice, great presence, catchy tunes.

Jon: In a showdown, Benatar gets the nod. Although she cut her teeth on the guitar-driven might of songs like “Heartbreaker” and “Treat Me Right,” I prefer the more atmospheric, synth-based stuff like “We Live for Love,” “Invincible” and “Love is a Battlefield.” That’s not, however, a slight on the L.A.-based Go-Go’s, whose songs were fun, memorable and breezy.

Boz: At No. 4, The Pretenders feature Chrissie Hynde, whose delivery really frames “Brass in Pocket,” “Middle of the Road,” and the very moving “I’ll Stand by You.”

Skeeter: Lzzy Hale, leader of Halestorm. Modern day vocal warrior. Relatable, girl power lyrics and talent.

Jon: Having already dutifully praised Ms. Hynde, I will extend my adulation to the aforementioned Ms. Hale, whose rafter-shaking performance during the 2019 Colorado State Fair is the stuff that dreamy nightmares are made of. But, to deny Madonna placement on this roster is, in my opinion, a grave injustice. I won’t argue that she was/is a first-rate vocalist in league with Whitney Houston or Celine Dion, but as a hitmaker and influencer, Madonna set the mark.

Boz: At No. 3, The Runaways were formed in 1975 and at various times, included Joan Jett, Sandy West, Micki Steele, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox and Vicki Blue. A lot of the members went on to great success in music as well as in other walks of life, but in the ’70s, they were the indescribable Runaways. Their biggest song was probably “Cherry Bomb,” but I also like “Born to Be Bad” and “Hollywood.”

Skeeter: Alanis Morissette: great writer, talented musician, fun music.

Jon: There’s no denying the influence of both The Runaways and Alanis, but I’m not sure either make my top 10. Both acts seem to have been a product of their time, with the music bearing little of the timeless quality that defines such artists as Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell Patsy Cline and Etta James, to name but a few.

Boz: At No. 2, Blondie draws its name from Debbie Harry, who along with Chris Stein led the underground punks to mainstream superstars. I still listen to “Rip Her to Shreds” from time to time to retain that perspective, and others that are on my list of favorites are “One Way or Another” and “Call Me.”

Skeeter: Lady Gaga. I don’t listen to all of her music, but denying her greatness would be irresponsible of any music lover.

Jon: One of the defining moments of my young, and completely uneventful life, was catching Blondie performing the glorious “Heart of Glass” on the “Midnight Special” television show. In that blue flowing dress and matching headband, Debbie Harry was a vision of unearthly grandeur. As for Lady Gaga’s music, I can take or leave it...but mostly leave it.

Boz: Heart was not founded by the Wilson sisters, but I doubt the band would have found the success it had without them. I saw Heart at Hudson Gardens in a rainstorm and, with only a few breaks for safety, they gave the crowd what we wanted: one hit after another. A couple of those hits are “Crazy on You” and “If Looks Could Kill.”

Skeeter: The Kaweeeen B, Beyonce. So much talent. Her voice can be silky smooth or venomous. She’s the entire package.

Jon: Sorry, Skeets, no can do on the Beyonce bandwagon. And I’ll chalk it up to my disdain for modern music in general: which has all the staying power of a wet, week-old Band-Aid. Heck, I’ll take Nina’s “99 Luftballons,” Martha Davis and The Motels’ “Suddenly Last Summer,” and anything by Aimee Mann, Berlin and The Human League over the best of Beyonce, Katy Perry, Adele, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, et al, combined.

Any day of the week.

Chieftain reporter Jon Pompia can be reached by email at jpompia@chieftain.com or at twitter.com/jpompia. Help support local journalism by subscribing to the Chieftain at chieftain.com/subscribenow