Rock and Roll Is Thriving

These musicians are challenging the status quo of the “rock and roll boys club” atmosphere. Although they are gaining coverage from media outlets such as Pitchfork, The New York Times, and Consequence of Sound, these musicians are not getting enough attention from the big budget music industry. Of course, we don’t need the music industry’s stamp of approval to recognize what is good and innovative music. However, it is frustrating that those within the industry get to decide what is canonized and remembered as classic. Canonical music embodies “the greats” and includes artists who are recognized for years after outliving their primes for their abilities to carry culturally significant insights and truths. This is why you feel obligated to think the Grateful Dead were legendary and buy their band tee at Urban Outfitters.

Rock and roll’s canon is a white cis-gendered boys club. Women and people of colour are very clearly underrepresented. On Spotify’s Rock Classics playlist, the first bands listed are The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Guns N’ Roses, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and AC/DC. You have to scroll down quite a few times before reaching Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” the only classic rock band featured that includes female members. Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of All Time list includes only seven albums by women. How could it be that 94% of the best albums of all time were created by male artists?

The majority of bands listed have been canonized as great because they have made rock and roll seem like a carefree lifestyle unattainable to everyone, including women, non-binary people, and people of colour. Rock and roll’s narrative teaches us that women can’t make good rock and roll music. In December, a pub in Middleborough, England banned female fronted bands from playing because “regular customers won’t turn up if a woman is on stage.”

Pitchfork recently posted a graphic on Instagram, reading, “The measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls.” I’d like to extend this quote to include non-binary people and people of colour. There is a sense of empowerment in supporting those who have been silenced in pop culture by the music canon. By streaming or buying their music and attending their shows, we can make steps to shift the canon. These are the steps required to show a new generation that anyone, regardless of gender, appearance, or background, can pick up a guitar and play great rock and roll music.

Bands Reclaiming Rock’s Narrative:

Music From the Female Gaze

Dream Wife • Punk Soccer

Mommy • Soft Rock

Daddy Issues • Grunge Pop

Peach Kelly Pop • Rock

Goat Girl • Rock

The Orielles • Rock-Disco Pop

Out of Your Indie Rock Comfort Zone

Perfume Genius • Rock n’ Pop

HMLTD • Rock, Pop, Electronic

DILLY DALLY • Punk, Grunge

Japanese Breakfast • Rock

Political Commentary on Contemporary Society

Downtown Boys • Rock n Punk

Black Punk • Rap, Heavy Metal

A Party in Your Headphones

Charly Bliss • Rock, Grunge

Cherry Glazerr • Rock, Grunge

The Big Moon • Indie Rock

Girli • Rock n’ Pop

Art School Jocks • Slacker Rock

By Jacqueline Resnik | Photography by Julien Roger