The world of rock has historically been dominated by male machismo, but plenty of women have also left their mark on the genre.
We previously highlighted some of the greatest frontwomen of all time, however many of them — such as Stevie Nicks in Fleetwood Mac and Ann Wilson in Heart — were backed by band made up mostly of men. So what about groups that were made up entirely ladies?
Though somewhat rare, all-female bands have certainly been an impactful part of music. They’ve delivered chart-topping hits, played sold out arenas and broken down many societal barriers along the way.
READ MORE: 25 Greatest Frontwomen in Rock History
Below, we’ve assembled a collection of the Top 10 All-Female Rock Bands. Their musical styles are as unique as the talented women themselves.
Some, such as Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill, came to prominence during the Riot Grrrl movement of feminist music in the ’90s. Others, such as the Runaways, predate those acts by decades.
“We couldn’t forget that we were girls — we had to defend it all the time,” Joan Jett once recalled of her Runaways days, noting that sexism made it difficult for the band to get taken seriously. “[All-female bands] are out there, they just don’t get the notice the pop girls do. Go to any city and there’s an all-girl rock band — it’s just a matter of society wanting to hear that kind of music.”
Our list includes massive commercial hitmakers — including the Go-Go’s, the best-selling all-female rock group of all-time — as well as less commercial, yet still influential acts — like L7 and Babes in Toyland.
Where did your favorite all-female act land on our list? Scroll through to find out.
