3 Badass Brash Women Who Defined Rock in the 1990s

The 1990s cup overfloweth with music. Fans of all genres were treated to some of the best tunes in that decade. Songs that inspired, compelled, and caused curiosity. But one thing the 1990s also had was a group of brash women who helped carry the torch of rock and roll from the 20th century into the 21st.

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Here below, we wanted to explore three of those artists. A trio of tracks from women in the 1990s who snarled as much as they wrote songs and pushed boundaries as much as they played guitar. Indeed, these are three brash women who defined rock in the 1990s.

[RELATED: 3 Two-Hit Wonders From the 1990s That Will Remind You of a Different Time]

Courtney Love

Born on July 9, 1964, in San Francisco, Courtney Love’s fingerprints are all over 1990s rock and, more specifically, grunge music. She is the frontwoman for Hole and the widow of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. Love took on (or was put in) a tough role in the 1990s. She was both pinup blonde rock star and rebel woman who would do whatever she wanted. She was Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse all at once. Incredibly, she survived the era and continues to make music today. But in the 1990s, her band’s songs like “Violet” and “Doll Parts” were ubiquitous.

Alanis Morissette

Where would the 1990s generation be without Alanis Morissette? The versitile songwriter and performer could write sticky tracks like “Ironic,” or she could write acid-tipped tracks like “You Oughta Know.” Her voice was like oxygen for many music fans of the decade. Like a lightning bolt from the sky, her 1995 LP Jagged Little Pill touched down on Earth and pop culture was never the same. It was a crazy bit of creative growth for someone who many of the generation knew from the slime-filled television show You Can’t Do That on Television. But Alanis has many talents.

Dolores O’Riordan

Born on September 6, 1971, in Ireland, Dolores O’Riordan became a global superstar. But when she joined The Cranberries, she was just a shy, soft-spoken person. But that’s what achieving your dreams can do. After taking home a demo tape from the band early on and writing the song “Linger,” she got the job as The Cranberries’ lead singer. From then, she spoke her mind, loudly, and confidently. Perhaps the group’s biggest hit, “Zombie,” is an anti-war song that decries violence and foretells of horrid repercussions. While O’Riordan passed away in 2018, her voice remains part of the ether.

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