10 Greatest Female Hard Rock Guitarists

Ever since the dawn of time, people have debated where the real heart of rock and roll came from. Whether it was Elvis shaking his ass on television or the sound of Little Richard screaming his brains out, most aficionados trace rock's origins back to the '50s, with acts like Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. However, rock and roll may have gotten its first legs just a few years earlier.

Long before the Johnny B Goodes of the world started to shock the children, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the real pioneer behind the electric guitar wail. Though primarily known as a blues singer, Ms. Tharpe worked wonders when she got her hands on her beloved six-string, where she turned these tales of heartache inside out every chance she could. As opposed to the more celebrated acts like the Kinks or the Rolling Stones, Tharpe was also one of the first people to cultivate guitar distortion, which made her guitar sound like a whirlwind in your brain.

Whenever you see live footage of Tharpe in her prime, you're seeing a musician working in communion with her instrument, thinking of nothing more than to get that primal release out through the assault she puts on this guitar. So next time you throw on an oldies playlist for the original rock and rollers, just remember who they heard it from first.