The 1970s and 1980s were rich with female-fronted rock bands—if not always in number then certainly in impact. Before you decry this list and ask where are Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, and others, check out this list of female-fronted rock bands from the 1980s. We didn’t want to double up.
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Let’s dive into the decade prior to the 1980s—the 1970s. Here below are seven standout acts that featured all (or mostly all) women.
1. Jefferson Airplane
Founded in the Bay Area in 1965, Jefferson Airplane, fronted by dynamic singer Grace Slick, became famous for its psychedelic rock. Specifically the songs “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” early in its career. In the ’70s, the band enjoyed fame and, later, grew by recruiting new members. In 1974, the band renamed itself Jefferson Starship.
2. The Runaways
Known by some as the band Joan Jett was in before the stalwart six-string player formed her eponymous band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Runaways was formed in 1975 and lasted until 1979. The group’s most famous song is the classic rock hit, “Cherry Bomb,” from 1976.
3. The Pointer Sisters
Founded in 1970, this gal group released its self-titled debut LP in 1973. The Pointer Sisters released five more albums in the ’70s before rising to even bigger stardom in the ’80s, thanks to songs like “Slow Hand” and “Automatic.” Together, their energy, bright smiles, and gang vocals made them a collection of musicians to remember forever.
4. Sister Sledge
Formed by sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge, this sibling group rose to fame thanks to the disco craze of the 1970s. At the end of the decade in 1979, Sister Sledge released their breakthrough LP, We Are Family, which included the title song that has gone on to feature in movies, TV shows, commercials, cookouts, and local watering holes all across the world.
5. Fanny
One of the first all-female rock bands to earn acclaim, Fanny garnered two songs in the Billboard Top 40 in the 1970s, including “Charity Ball.” In the wake of the band, which broke up in 1975 after forming in 1969, other female groups like The Go-Gos, The Bangles, and The Runaways reveal that Fanny was a big influence on their trajectory.
6. Patti Smith
One of the legends of 20th-century American music, Patti Smith, is a beloved musician as well as an author. Her story of coming to fame in New York City in the 1970s, starting with the seminal 1975 album, Horses, is now the stuff of legend. Check out Smith’s biggest hit song, “Because the Night,” which was given to her by its writer Bruce Springsteen, and hit No. 13 on the Billboard charts, below.
7. Siouxsie and the Banshees
A British rock band formed in London in 1976, Siouxsie and the Banshees was fronted by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux. Since then, the band has landed on a myriad of lists for its prowess, including an article in The Times, which said the Siouxsie and the Banshees are “one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era.” Check out the band’s 1979 concert from Switzerland below.
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