"Sounds like a great thread to me. List off the bad ass chick music!"

I will kick off the list:

Ella Fitzgerald
Eartha Kitt
Etta James
Ma Rainey
Memphis Minnie
Aretha Franklin
Delia Derbyshire
Tina Turner
Miriam Makeba
Brenda Lee
Rusty Warren
Supremes
Ronettes
Shangri-Las
Marvelettes
Martha Reeves
Moe Tucker
Carol Kaye
Peggy Jones
Shaggs
Janis Joplin
Joni Mitchell
Dolly Parton
Loretta Lynn
Chaka Khan
Exene Cervenka
Joan Jett
The Slits
Kim Gordon
Ann Magnuson
Lydia Lunch
Laurie Anderson
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
The Raincoats
Throwing Muses
Kim & Kelly Deal
Shonen Knife
Liz Phair
Bikini Kill
The Gits
Team Dresch

Lita Ford
Pat Benetar...2nd video played on MTV

.

Sneaker Pimps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8teT_9_nqnw

Garbage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N29vkIT3eo

Diana Ross

Patsy Cline
Patti Smith
Sarah Vaughn
Dinah Washington
Bessie Smith
Billie Holiday
Nina Simone
Iris Dement
Emmylou Harris
Dusty Springfield
Jackie DeShannon
Chrissie Hynde
Ethel Waters
Mahalia Jackson
Mary Lou Williams
Marian McPartland
Diana Krall
Tammy Wynette
Miranda July
Lisa Carver
Sleater-Kinney

From my daughter:

Fly Leaf, Avril Lavine, Pink, Garbage, Hole, Pat Benatar (interesting!)

Thought for sure she would say Jessica Simpson, but she didn't. (thank god)

Dusty Springfield
Nina Simone
Tracy Chapman
k.d. lang
Miss Piggy

Edit add:
Linda Ronstadt
Lena Horne

Nice to see Pat Benatar still has some pull with the kids. She sometimes sang about pretty dark subject matter and raised awareness through her music.

Fellas, we are representing the "bad ass" pretty well, but something is missing. C'mon, Ladies, you gotta have some faves.

Do not sweat repeating a favorite performer on the list, just provide a song you love that is different than what is already here. With luck, this will become a veritable treasure trove of diverse artists. I like the idea that somebody might stumble on this and discover something, share something or add something new for some time to come.

Damn, Hole should have been my addition. I can't believe I forgot her.

Guys, I'm thinking Pat Benatar got renew interest with the kids because she is promiently featured in Guitar Hero.

My kids went through hell. I'm quite sure hearing "Hell is for Children" influenced my daughter at some level.

Man, you make great music lists! I gotta go digging for stuff like that.

I would add:

Killing Heidi, Evanescence, Amiee Mann (I know probably more just serious chick than bad ass, but her music often touches on a lot of serious subject matter), Fiona Apple, Bjork, Blonde Redhead, Pretenders, Motels, Berlin, Breeders, Stretch Princess (maybe), Elastica!

Good catch Skep. You are probably right.

"Heartbreaker" is timeless, IMHO. Same with "If Looks Could Kill" -- Heart.

Melissa Etheridge

and...

Susan Tedeschi


Saw her with Derek Trucks at the Crystal. She rocks!

Those are great calls Entre Nous and Edselehr!

Oh, I gotta add an obvious one:

Ann & Nancy Wilson

And, of course, the Nancy Wilson

Missing and Skep, I'm glad for Pat, but I think Guitar Hero is silly. I did not realize the extent people will go to simulate learning. Are barre chords really that difficult to figure out? :0)

I think serious and bad ass go hand in hand. You can be bad ass for being serious. You can be seriously bad ass too.

I think that an infusion of 80s is in order:

Kirsty MacColl
Tracy Ullman
The Bangles
Katrina & the Waves
Rindy Ross
Aimee Mann
Martha Davis
Go-Gos
Pylon

Blondie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUG0GjdoGHE

L7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-NNitijboI

Babes in Toyland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq7hKXLPyEY

Goldfrapp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_sWf6Y20zM

B-52s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8NhJNpQlsY

Luscious Jackson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn56sIX5KWE

Veruca Salt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AI95BVkiW0

K's Choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MbbBYalam8

Bangles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimmTdn9314

The Donnas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=douHX2gGSUs

Siouxsie and the Banshees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RWb-8Izv0

Portishead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuUYZJuzie0

Pretenders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdd0PJqslfE

Missing Persons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIcWxFR4uh0

I think we have a winner in the Kick Ass dept:

Wendy O. Williams!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBd26f1XoyY

Ha ha ha.



LP sez: "but I think Guitar Hero is silly. I did not realize the extent people will go to simulate learning. Are barre chords really that difficult to figure out?

Don't knock it until you've tried it! Its been really fun trying to master Santana's "Black Magic Woman!"

Skep, you have found some good ones!

Its been really fun trying to master Santana's "Black Magic Woman!"

Once you figure it all out, the big hurdle beyond the skills is the $4,200.00 price tag on Carlos' PRS. Oh, would you like an amp with that? :0)

The music starts with a dream, dedication and encouragement. We gotta give big big ups to Portland's own Rock and Roll Camp for Girls! They are the definition of "bad ass!"

Bonuses: A 1989 documentary on the Pixies and L7 interviewing the Breeders in 1994.

LS, thanks for putting the Go-Go's on the list - the first mass-market all-girl band. I like more of their music than I care to admit. I remember cutting my first homemade music video to this Go-Go tune.

The Bangles also had some good tunes, including this and this, the last being one of the prettiest songs I know.

Oh, would you like an amp with that?

I already have the amp -- just ask my neighbor! And some bullet proof ElectroVoice PA speakers. One of these days I'm gonna plug the TV into the amp . . .

We forgot Tori Read, before she performed as Tori Amos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzTNhdO0elM

The vinyl Album "Y Kant Tori Read" is out of print, and is collectable. Tori hates it too.

It's so perfectly 80's.

What about Tori Amos aka Cornflake girl?

Oh wait nevermind, shes just annoying, but she is a chick.

Susan Tedeschi (fixed it)
Grace Slick
Bonnie Raitt
Queen Latifah

These last three examples are the best of the few I can find of these women. I am really impressed by Queen Latifah's "Trav'llin Light" CD. Heard some on KMHD a week or so ago, WOW!

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Neko Case

Jenny Lewis

Maria McKee

Christine McVie

Stevie Nicks

Sleater-Kinney

The Divinyls

Bookem,

Those first two are awesome picks. I'm a huge fan of Concrete Blonde and New Pornographers. Stunning strong voices. Neko's voice, in particular, MELTS me. Piercing.

I can only add Annie Lennox. I fell in lust with my wife when she dressed up as Annie Lennox for Halloween one year. She looked very hot. And I don't know what has happened to Garbage lately, but Shirley Manson is a great frontwoman onstage.

Deborah Iyall

Shirley Manson is slutty hot. Or should I say dirty hot. if that makes any sense.

Word is the founders of Garbage were looking for a female lead singer for their new band by watching MTV's 120 Minutes and saw Shirley Mason with another band. They called her up and the rest is history.

I wonder if Shirley Manson is related to Charles Manson?

Skep what do you think?

You've got Shirley confused with Marilyn. Which reminds me . . .

Marilyn Manson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY0536g_6Wc

Alice Cooper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWe0pb55q8w

Twisted Sister: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs37NSLy3z4

Culture Club: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75iORH3qS0

Looks like our list is near complete!

Oops! Not quite!

Not really bad ass, but both "serious" singers:

Mazzy Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWvEXChflEE

Cowboy Junkies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRFZFmEq9o

What the heck ever happend to mazzy Star, she had that one hit than died off the planet quicker than Crystal pepsi.

Mazzy Star had a minor hit "Haleh" which was almost as good as "Fade into You". They didn't really break up but toured again a few years back and supposedly went into the studio, but nothing was released.

Mazzy Star lead singer Hope Sandoval also worked with the Chemical Brothers and The Jesus and Mary Chain. She did a solo project that produced at least one good song after Mazzy Star's heyday, but my guess is that today she's a waitress in a diner somewhere and if you're starting a band, I'd snatch her up!

Mary Jane Girls
Bananarama
Tiffany
Singing Nun
Debby Boone
Annette

Mrs. M...you beat me to listing Deborah Iyall, one of the biggest (no pun intended) casualties from the migration from vinyl to video...her form didn't fit into the image conscious 80's as she didn't have a thinner cleavage-laden sister to push to the forefront.

Another tragic casualty of 'Video Killed The Radio Star'.

Did you see her on VH-1's "Bands Reunited"? It was good, she's still got the pipes.

Can you imagine a hit today with "A girl in Trouble (is a Temporary thing)" about abortion? She was ahead of her time.

I missed the VH1 thing, but I did see the show she recently played with a band she formed called Deborah Iyall and NVR Say NVR.

A friend of mine played bass in the group and they played the 1 gig with the hopes of playing more. The band was good and she still sounded good. Unfortunately, nothing came of it and she received a grant to teach in New Mexico for a year. She's back living in Portland now and there may yet be another quasi-reunion.

Suzi Quatro (i.e. Leather Tuscadero)

Nice lists there folks, although I don't know if all of these are "bad ass" really. I mean, Linda Ronstadt? She's great, but "bad"? Hmmm.

Anyhow, I didn't see this one anywhere. I've got this one on vinyl.

Holly Vincent. Her band was Holly and The Italians. Best song: "Tell That Girl To Shut Up". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxftxq95ldde

Annie Lennox, Poe, Veruca Salt, and Allison Krause

Nancy Sinatra and her bad ass boots.

"I mean, Linda Ronstadt? She's great, but "bad"? Hmmm."

Point taken. I was thinking about the early Ronstadt, when she was hot. Not that her looks made her bad ass (she could belt a good rock tune with the best of them) but they helped.

Maybe one man's "Bad Ass" is another man's "I'd take her home to Mom"?

Allison Krause? Bad Ass? Huh?

Maybe one man's "Bad Ass" is another man's "God she's beautiful, I'd do her!"?

Bad ass is the Suzy Quattro, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Runaways, Hole, Pretenders, genre

Now for me, Carly Simon is as bad ass as I usually get.

Really, Eartha Kitt is about as bad ass as you can get.

"Really, Eartha Kitt is about as bad ass as you can get."

Warner, you might be right! In more recent decades, I would put Barbara Manning, Frances Gibson, Linda Smith, Michael Steele, Sara Romweber, Kirsty MacColl, and locals like Monica Nelson, Gilly Ann Hanner, Carla Torgerson, and Marci Martinez up there in the top tier too. Though lesser known than say, Joan Jett or the Deal twins or Kim Gordon, these are just a few contemporary "badass" pioneers who do not get nearly enough credit.

"...my guess is that today she's a waitress in a diner somewhere..."

C'mon Skep, there is plenty of Hope yet!

Lest some very important history gets lost, I will attempt to put it in a nutshell.

Mazzy Star was an outgrowth of Opal which was an outgrowth of Clay Allison and Smith Roback Mitchell. The latter three bands were founded by David Roback and Kendra Smith. When they met, David and his brother Steven were in Rain Parade during the peak of the "Paisley Underground" in Los Angeles. At the same time, Kendra was a "badass" playing bass across town with Dream Syndicate. All of the pre-Mazzy Star projects released great material that is worth seeking out. If you love Mazzy Star you will adore the "Early Recordings" compilation from Opal.

Hope Sandoval did some appearances with Opal and filled in occasionally on tour. Mazzy Star came into being when Kendra left for a semi-permanent sabbatical on her property in the woods of Northern California. While the Opal sound was simply renamed and reworked to great success, Kendra stayed out of the spotlight. In the years since, Smith has continued to release new collections of songs. She often records in her cabin, but seldom makes public appearances anymore.

All three of these talents have made big contributions to the treasury of underground West Coast pop. We are blessed that they continue making music to this day.

there is plenty of Hope yet!

I checked out the tour schedule and found this:

Hope is not currently on tour.

Her last tour was in 2002, and just one date in 2003. In the last few years she's done very little work -- not enough to get her off the floor at Mel's Diner. A damn good manager or something is needed to stop this talent on loan from God from going to waste.

(But, in the music business, sadly, a heck of a lot of talent DOES end up going down the drain. )

Skep, I see your point, but I do have a few words in her defense.

Normal adults cannot tour all the time. It takes a whole lot out of a person. The absence and distance rips families apart. The grind can utterly destroy folks physically and emotionally. The sleepless weeks also test relationships in even the tightest knit groups. Some artists and acts are natural wanderers and can stay on the road indefinitely, but most have to do it in pretty sporatic cycles or it kills 'em.

I think something as precious and beautiful as the talents of Hope and Kendra should be cherished and nurtured, but not exploited. In Mr. Roback's projects, his partners were both wildly gifted and shy women. They were both blessed and cursed with an amazing stage presence. As the buzz spread, both Smith and Sandoval were put under intense pressure to perform. That pressure, combined with time way from home and scary encounters with obsessive loonies, probably drove them from the road. It is not easy for a woman to tour without a barrage of inappropriate attention and more than a few fearful moments.

Unfortunately, many people look at obscurity as some sort of curse rather than a way for exceptionally gifted people to live a normal life. I would not assume that everyone who stays out of the spotlight is willful about it, but in the case of these two, I would not blame them. It was probably a whole lot less fun than it seemed to be a permanent ingénue.

I am delighted that they continue to create and release music. Still, like you, I would truly love to see them live again in an intimate setting like the Aladdin. Knowing how things change, I would not count it out just yet.

BTW, I think this thread has really blossomed into something great. Thanks to you all!

Joan jett is as bad ass as one can get.check out Little Liar or this means war............

How about Storm? Hi everyone! First post :-)

WELCOME!!!

Hi Maria! Stick around! We need some more estrogen around here.

Welcome to the PDXRadio moshpit!

Thanks. Glad I found this board, funny I had to leave Portland before I did. I so missed hearing all the dirt! I live and work in our isolated little world of old time radio here in Tillamook.

OLD TIME RADIOIDS ARE WELCOME. Most of us prefer the little stations that could, rather than the mega stations that can, but won't

Now let's start a thread for Ass Bad Chick music.

Tiffany
Britney Spears
Connie Francis
Annette
Melanie
Singing Nun
Debbie Boone

Wow some of these are on both of my lists!

The Singing Nun and Debbie Boone? Hilarious! That's like saying fluffy bunnies are bad-ass.

Many great female artists mentioned here. I loved the Motel's first album and Johnette Neapolitano is so fantasticly (is that even a word?) dark and gutsy.

Jennifer Batten
Joanna Connor
Meanstreak (all female metal/thrash band from the late 80's -early 90's).

How could we forget Dickless, Trailer Queen and Heavens to Betsy?!

Welcome Marianagy!

I couldn't resist posting more Delia Derbyshire.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Loraine Rudolph.

Lesley Gore!