12 Best Female Rock Singers Of All Time
4. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe has always been one of the unsung heroes of the entire rock genre. Though some may see her as a big part of music history, there's a good percentage of rock fans who probably don't even know who she was if she was singled out in a crowd. While her star might not be as large as her female counterparts, you can easily make the claim that this woman single-handedly started rock and roll.
Whereas most female singers of her time were meant to look pretty and sing the more delicate songs of the day, Tharpe just strapped on her guitar and just let it rip, with some of the most ferocious lead guitar parts than anyone had ever seen. What was even more amazing was when she'd open her mouth to sing, with a voice that had as much gusto as any rock singer could hope for.
While Tharpe's songs may have had more in common with blues than straight-ahead rock and roll, architects of the genre from Little Richard to Elvis Presley cited her as an influence for their own musical ventures.
People may be quick to say that Chuck Berry started rock and roll, but when you listen to these tunes, you realize that maybe rock and roll came to light a bit earlier.