10 Greatest Female Hard Rock Guitarists

Lita Ford has a career trajectory that most hopeful rock and rollers only dream about. Before she was even out of her teens, she was already making noise on the LA underground scene with the Runaways, playing opposite Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. Though Jett may have taken things in a more punk rock direction, Lita Ford stripped things back and got a lot more aggressive.

Rebuilding herself as a metal player, Ford established herself as a pop metal force to be reckoned with on her first few records, dominating the competition with her riffs. This wasn't just a front either, with Ford having the vocal and guitar chops to go toe-to-toe with any other rocker on the scene, like on the vicious track Kiss Me Deadly. While she eventually played opposite Ozzy Osbourne on Close My Eyes Forever, her presence was enough to blow the Prince of Darkness out of the water. Even though her career has had its ups and downs, her presence now is one of the greatest underdog stories in music history.

After retreating from the public eye, her struggles with management had left her beaten down before roaring back to life on Living Like a Runaway, where she was determined to find the audience who knew the badass who wreaked havoc on the Strip all those years ago. With over 40 years of experience behind her, Lita Ford is still teaching rockers everywhere how to make it on your own terms.