Women Who Rock...Just Because They Rock

by Amy Jeffries

There has been some debate recently as to whether or not Crossroads (a folk music charting magazine) should create an award for "Women's Music" or "Music by Women." Indeed, there are countless women artists, some of whom write about women or women's issues. Of course, there are also men who write about women and women's issues. It seems absurd, then, that we should make "Women's Music" a dignified category any sooner than "Fishing Fortes" or "Cantations of Crochet." However, some have contested that "Women's Music" already exists as a genre. Indeed, a space has developed for "Women's Music" - or perhaps, more broadly, "Music by Women" - to counteract the male-dominated mainstream. Creating a separate subculture for "Women's Music," however, does not constitute progress. Instead, "Women's Music" (or "Music by Women") needs to be incorporated into the mainstream. Technically speaking, simply being the monument of a subculture does not grant a music its own genre (taken to its extreme, this would be to give cult bands autonomous genre status). Historically, genre is defined by instrumentation, rhythmic and melodic structure (which maybe, but is not necessarily, associated with particular subject matters or social/cultural functions). Furthermore, the idea that the gender or the subject matter (s)he chooses to write about should constitute a genre seems to contradict musical tradition. Women have displayed musical talent across all genres. If "Women's Music," or "Music by Women," were to be declared a genre, it would then confine women to a singular genre. If Crossroads' initial intention of creating an award category for "Women's Music" was to recognize the talents of women, it is certainly a counterproductive approach. Not only should Crossroads refrain from establishing a "Women's Music" or "Music by Women" award, other gender-dichotomizing music awards (such as the Grammy awards for best female/male rock performances) should be eliminated as well. The fact is that women, like men, rock because they rock, and not because (as Patty Larkin sings) they're "not bad for a broad." To prove it I have compiled a list of a few women who I think rock just because they rock, presented here in no particular order. I tried not to discriminate based on notoriety, age, nationality, etc., but of course the list is limited to my own exposure. Nonetheless, here it goes:

Sleater-Kinney, Christine Lavin, Kristin Hersh, Janis Ian, Tori Amos, Bjork, Sarah McLachlan, Zap Mama, Madonna, Polly Jean Harvey, Veda Hille, Liz Phair, Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, Jess Klein, Susan McKeown, Rose Polenzani, Janis Joplin, Patty Larkin, Rickie Lee Jones

And there is certainly more where that came from.