2 minute read
Rock and Roll Is Thriving
These musicians are challenging the status quo of the “rock and roll boys club” atmosphere. Although they are gaining coverage from media outlets such as Pitchfork, The New York Times, and Consequence of Sound, these musicians are not getting enough attention from the big budget music industry. Of course, we don’t need the music industry’s stamp of approval to recognize what is good and innovative music. However, it is frustrating that those within the industry get to decide what is canonized and remembered as classic. Canonical music embodies “the greats” and includes artists who are recognized for years after outliving their primes for their abilities to carry culturally significant insights and truths. This is why you feel obligated to think the Grateful Dead were legendary and buy their band tee at Urban Outfitters.
Rock and roll’s canon is a white cis-gendered boys club. Women and people of colour are very clearly underrepresented. On Spotify’s Rock Classics playlist, the first bands listed are The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Guns N’ Roses, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and AC/DC. You have to scroll down quite a few times before reaching Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” the only classic rock band featured that includes female members. Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of All Time list includes only seven albums by women. How could it be that 94% of the best albums of all time were created by male artists?
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The majority of bands listed have been canonized as great because they have made rock and roll seem like a carefree lifestyle unattainable to everyone, including women, non-binary people, and people of colour. Rock and roll’s narrative teaches us that women can’t make good rock and roll music. In December, a pub in Middleborough, England banned female fronted bands from playing because “regular customers won’t turn up if a woman is on stage.”
Pitchfork recently posted a graphic on Instagram, reading, “The measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls.” I’d like to extend this quote to include non-binary people and people of colour. There is a sense of empowerment in supporting those who have been silenced in pop culture by the music canon. By streaming or buying their music and attending their shows, we can make steps to shift the canon. These are the steps required to show a new generation that anyone, regardless of gender, appearance, or background, can pick up a guitar and play great rock and roll music.
Bands Reclaiming Rock’s Narrative:
Music From the Female Gaze
Dream Wife • Punk Soccer
Mommy • Soft Rock
Daddy Issues • Grunge Pop
Peach Kelly Pop • Rock
Goat Girl • Rock
The Orielles • Rock-Disco Pop
Out of Your Indie Rock Comfort Zone
Perfume Genius • Rock n’ Pop
HMLTD • Rock, Pop, Electronic
DILLY DALLY • Punk, Grunge
Japanese Breakfast • Rock
Political Commentary on Contemporary Society
Downtown Boys • Rock n Punk
Black Punk • Rap, Heavy Metal
A Party in Your Headphones
Charly Bliss • Rock, Grunge
Cherry Glazerr • Rock, Grunge
The Big Moon • Indie Rock
Girli • Rock n’ Pop
Art School Jocks • Slacker Rock
By Jacqueline Resnik | Photography by Julien Roger