Girls, Get Out Your Ya-Yas

I am so sick of hearing top ten (even twenty) lists of albums, songs, artists, etc and hearing all male names or bands void of women. Boring AND bullshit to boot. I have pulled together a list of must-have albums that are by women or bands that include women, AND I managed to do this without including Joan Jett, Pat Benetar or Heart. They can go on your list if you like, but to me, they prove one thing: just cause women did it, don't make it good. Here's the other end of that spectrum.

The Pretenders, The Pretenders II
I saw the Pretenders in concert in the 90's and after a kick-ass rendition of Bad Boys Get Spanked, Chrissie Hynde commented, "Not bad for a girl guitar player." Nope, not bad at all.

Aretha Franklin, Thirty Greatest Hits
I once dated a man that loved this women so much, he was determined to name a girl child Aretha and a boy child Franklin. Few dispute that Aretha is a diva of soul, but she is often overlooked as a musician. If you hear a strong piano line in any of her songs, odds are that is her at the keyboard.

Janice Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Live
Too often Joplin is best remembered only for Pearl, the album released after her death. As great as her studio work is, there is simply nothing like how the woman sounded live, and this album can prove it to you.

Joni Mitchell, Blue
If there is one singer/songwriter who is consistently paid less respect that she deserves, it is Mitchell. Countless musicians and singers name her as an influence and yet she is often lumped in to some vague folk/jazz mish-mash and overlooked all together. I suggest picking anyone of her albums, but Blue marked a level of power in her songwriting that is a wonder to behold.

The Velvet Underground, Loaded
Lots of people forget or never find out that the VU's drummer was a chick, Maureen Tucker. Moe is also the owner of that irresistible baby-doll voice featured in some of VU's most endearing tracks. But, at the end of the day, she was the one that kept up with Lou and the boys from beginning to end. No small task for man, woman, or beast.

The Pixies, Surfer Rosa
Black Francis is the big front man, but this band's unique sound owes just as much to the bassist and vocalist Kim Deal. On the Boston scene, she made it cool to have a girl in your band -- especially one that might do something more than shake a tambourine and her money maker.

Hole, Live Through This
Courtney Love has apparently lost her mind, but before she did -- and before her husband offed himself -- she made this album with her band, Hole. Comparisons to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were, of course, inevitable, but it's too bad this album is often overlooked because of that. Why? Because it rocks harder and spits out more interesting lyrics than any other female-lead band (sorry, save Chrissie -- see #1 on this list).

Rickie Lee Jones, Pirates
She has so many strong albums, but this is her first. It offered her fans the first chance to fall in love with her versatile, expressive voice and her vivid, often heartbreaking lyrics. One of my favorites: "He spoke fluently blond from her legs to her cigarette."

Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
In her debut album, Liz came out with guns blazin and took no prisoners. She talked about sex so frankly it was disarming, especially to male listeners. Salt-N-Pepper had talked about wanting to have a guy's baby and later Missy Elliott and Li'l Kim would detail positions for listeners, but when this album came out in the 90's no one was much used to white girls talking like that. Plus she knows her way a round a guitar.

The Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food
The first woman musician I ever worshipped was Tina Weymouth, the bassist of the Talking Heads. With a face like a teen-aged girl and ability to dance while she played (ever notice how still most bass players are? shhh! I'm counting! It's a skill) she laid down some of the most interesting rhythm tracks of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Check out any one of their albums for a sample, but this one has some of my favorites, including I'm Not In Love, Thank You For Sending Me an Angel, and Take Me to the River.