Classic rock will never die; it’ll just change as the years progress. Still, there’s something about 20th-century classic rock that is unlike any other genre or period, and plenty of rock star women were a part of that growing evolution of rock music. And some of those women are still underrated figures of classic rock today. Let’s explore a few examples and give these ladies their props for their contributions to rock music!
Nancy Wilson
Some would say Heart’s Nancy Wilson isn’t underrated, but I have to disagree with that. The band, made up of sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson, became massively popular with the release of songs like “Barracuda”. However, it’s worth noting how important the group was in their heyday of the late 1970s and early 1980s. There were not many female rock stars during that time, at least compared to their male counterparts.
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While Heart has definitely gotten their flowers, I feel as though Nancy Wilson’s guitar-playing skills aren’t celebrated enough. You’ll be hard-pressed to find her on a list of the greatest guitars of her time. In reality, she’s a massive talent, capable of more tricks and techniques than many of the more well-known guitarists of the 1980s. She’s really a treat to experience live, too.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
No list of underrated and legendary women in rock would be complete without mentioning the incomparable Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She’s called the Godmother of Rock and Roll for a reason. She was often discredited during her heyday of the 1930s and 1940s for being a Black woman, as well as rumors that circulated about her sexuality and the fact that she “strayed” from her original gospel roots.
Tharpe was one of the very first musicians to ever take advantage of heavy distortion on the electric guitar. She was the ultimate proto-rock star, and her talents are still wild to experience via rare instances of her caught on video. Tharpe was a legend.
Judy Dyble
Don’t recognize that name? You’re not alone. Judy Dyble was one of the most underrated women of classic rock, and she rarely gets credit where credit is due. She is best known for her vocal talents as part of Fairport Convention, as well as the band Trader Horne. Dyble worked with Giles, Giles and Fripp, too. She was also a talented multi-instrumentalist who mastered everything from the piano to the recorder to even the autoharp.
Dyble’s legacy lives on, but she really did rival the talents of many of her singer/songwriter contemporaries.
Photo courtesy of Gibson