10 Best Frontwomen In Rock Music History
5. Joan Jett (Joan Jett And The Blackhearts)
Why She's Here: In an era when many hard rockers were poofing their hair out and diving headfirst into glam to look effeminate, Joan Jett was an actual woman who brought the badass harder than any of them. She married punk rock with poppy melodies to create timeless hits such as "I Love Rock and Roll," "Bad Reputation," and "I Hate Myself for Loving You," but it was the attitude with which she sang them, and the verve with which she hammered chords on her guitar, that made her an icon.
She served as an inspiration for a legion of riot grrrl bands that would apply her style to third wave feminism in the early '90s, citing her empowering lyrics and the sexual ambiguity she has maintained for the duration of her career.
Highlight: "I Love Rock and Roll" features Jett at her peak--growling out pure joy, punctuating the music with infectious screams, and gutting out a thick, muscular guitar riff. She embraces the fact that she'll never have the soprano of other girls (or even men like Def Leppard's Joe Elliot) and compensates with a tone that pumps the energy of a live rock concert through your speakers or headphones. There's also the wonder that is her leather jacket in the song's music video.