10 Most Underrated Female Rock Bands Of All Time

As the '80s came to an end, the rock scene wasn't exactly the friendliest place to be a female rocker. Other than acts like Joan Jett still having hits around the same time, the hair metal scene was always considered too flashy and become more than a little misogynistic towards the end of its run. Once the Aquanet era of rock faded, we had no time to wait around for the next trend. It was time to riot.

Being one of the first riot grrl acts on the scene, Bikini Kill were one of the few bands to come out that were aggressively female. Compared to the usual caustic punk you would find from the hardcore scene, Kathleen Hanna embraced her feminine energy and channeled it into song, even adopting a Valley Girl accent for songs like Rebel Girl. This wasn't just an act either. During their first handful of dates, Kathleen was known to throw down with anyone who would think about challenging them.

While never garnering a huge fanbase, Bikini Kill have become one of the more respected bands out of the girl punk scene, with Kathleen inspiring Kurt Cobain to write Smells Like Teen Spirit and even featuring as the voice of Whatsername on Green Day's American Idiot. Whereas the makings of all good punk rock starts with acts like the Ramones, Bikini Kill deserves a place right next to acts like the Dead Kennedys for just how much they gave to the genre.