10 Most Underrated Hard Rock Frontmen

As the rock scene started to blossom out in the ‘70s, you weren’t seeing nearly as many female performers making their way into the mainstream. While Janis Joplin was able to hold her own at the tail end of the ‘60s, there were no other female presences picking up where she left off. Nobody, that is, until Heart came along.

Coming to fruition in Seattle, Heart were a unique blues rock outfit with tinges of theatrical rock laced throughout their compositions. A female frontman at this stage of rock’s development could have been seen as a gimmick, but Ann Wilson’s powerful belt could put any male singer to shame. Across the band’s glory years in the ‘70s, Wilson’s singing runs sounded like she was channeling the spirit of Robert Plant through her throat, which often led to fantastic tracks like “Magic Man” and “Barracuda.”

Though the rock community at large gave the band a hard time about their “sell out” years in the ‘80s, what kept the more glossy songs like “These Dreams” engaging was the fact that Ann’s pipes had only grown more powerful with time. Some base-level rock fans might make the claim that girls can’t play rock, but one listen to Ann Wilson will make them think twice.