The past 50 years have produced an unimaginable number of punk bands, with many falling off into obscurity or niche adoration after a while. But for all the bands that remain cult favorites, there are just as many who broke through to influence punk music down the line. Specifically, women in punk have remained particularly influential for decades. Here are some of the most well-known women in punk through the years.
Joan Jett
Joan Jett co-founded The Runaways in 1975, serving as guitarist and backing vocalist until 1979. She founded Joan Jett and the Blackhearts after The Runaways broke up, catapulting into stardom with her first solo record. When the riot grrrl movement started in the 1990s, Jett was often cited as a strong influence, and she’s been named as an idol, icon, and legend through numerous accolades. She remains a striking influence today as the Godmother of Punk.
Other significant influences in the 1970s punk scene include Patti Smith, Lydia Lunch of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex.
Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon formed Sonic Youth in 1981 with Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, providing bass, guitar, and vocals for 30 years until the band’s breakup in 2011. She was influential in the no-wave and punk scenes, forming short-lived hardcore-thrash-no-wave supergroup Harry Crews with Lydia Lunch and Sadie May in 1989. After the Sonic Youth breakup, Gordon turned mostly to visual art and solo music, releasing the album The Collective in 2024.
Other notable 1980s punk legends include Tina Bell of Bam Bam, Wendy O. Williams of Plasmatics, Mia Zapata of The Gits, and Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, Jennifer Finch, and Dee Plakas of the band L7.
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is influential as an outspoken feminist, punk zine writer, and pioneer of the riot grrrl movement. She formed Bikini Kill in 1990, releasing five albums before disbanding in 1997. After that, she formed electro-punk band Le Tigre, and later The Julie Ruin, expanding on the original idea that spawned Le Tigre. She remains a dedicated activist for feminist and LGBTQ causes, cementing her influence not just in music but in social movements as well.
Contemporaries in the 1990s punk scene include Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, PJ Harvey, Kim Deal of The Pixies, and Shirley Manson of Garbage.
2000s
Punk rock in the 2000s is hard to pin down, as several movements and subgenres broke off and expanded. Notable figures of that era include Beth Ditto of Gossip, who also championed feminist and LGBTQ causes as well as body-positivity. Additionally, Jemima Pearl of Be Your Own Pet remains an influence for young punks after starting the band when she was 16. After burning out on touring and music industry pressure in 2008, Be Your Own Pet disbanded, but reunited in 2021.
Regina Zernay Roberts of Detroit Diesel Power, Emily Nokes of Tacocat, and Holly Brewer of HUMANWINE are also notable influences from the 2000s punk and art scenes.
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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