While at my previous public radio station we had a little fun during Women's History Month this past March. I asked listeners to vote on their top women in music, resulting in a two hour program titled "Top 20 Women in Music Countdown."
I took the listeners votes , tallied them up and compiled the program. Each artist is featured with a short profile and brief commentary on their contributions and accolades. Two to three songs per artist are used.
Keeping in mind that the list was listener's choice there is always the example of more recent artists winning out over performers from previous decades and lesser-known but influential artists being passed over for a current singer who is heaping media attention. Also, this type of list generates the passions of music lover's who want to promote personal favorites. Why not? Fight for the ones you love.
Read the full list here.
Take the Dixie Chicks for example. While I do believe their body of work over the past three albums is impressive, I'm not so sure they would be in my #10, if in my top 20. Neko Case is well on her way to a decade or more of redefining the powerful yet delicate female country vocalist; all with her own twist. But she's not there yet. Even though Aimee Mann is one of my personal heroes, and a fantastic songwriter, has she really had any measureable impact, like many of the women artists on this list? Also, although Ani Difranco has accomplished much and is a cultural force in her own right, she doesn't make my personal top 20 either (I can just feel the looks...).
Listen to Hour #1
That knocks four off the list. Who would I replace them with? The biggest oversight is Dianna Ross and the Supremes. They were the greatest girl band of all time and defined African American music of the 60's. 23 top ten singles and 6 in the UK doesn't hurt either.
One terrible oversight on this list is Mother Maybelle Carter. Popular music would not be the same today if it weren't for the Carter family. Mother Maybelle was the heart. Don Walls once told Life magazine that Mother Maybelle took country from the front porch to the radio. She matched rhythm guitar to the vocal harmonies and helped propel the guitar as a lead instrument in popular music.
Listen to Hour #2
Bessie Smith is another overlooked contributer. Not only was she an accomplished singer, she was a dancer, comedian and actress and ran her own touring company throughout the 20's and 30's. She was one of the highest paid African American performers at the time.
Dusty Springfield was declared "Brittan's best pop-singer ever," by Rolling Stone magazine. Adapting due to fragmentation of popular music into more "hip" genres, she was a queen of reinvention moving from her Burt Bacharach partnership, to her love of Motown and R&B. Recording with just about every relevant name in music during the 70's and early 80's she reemerged again in the 80's with club hits from some of the days most popular bands and "Son of a Preacherman" enjoyed tremendous revival thanks to Pulp Fiction.
The limitations of only 20 great women are highlighted when names like Patti Smith, Wanda Jackson, Joan Jett, Big Mama Thornton and Linda Ronstadt are passed over. A few of them received votes, but barely. Hopefully next year will be top 25 or 30 women.
Read the full list here.
DOWNLOAD the full program here.
