Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Top 10 Female-Led Rock Bands

Who said girls can’t rock out? This list of 10 female-led rock bands, ranging from a plethora of decades, is a great example of the empowering and legendary impact females carry within the world of rock and roll.

From Joan Jett & the Blackhearts to The Cranberries, from the 20th century to the the 21st century, females have had a huge influence in the world of rock and listed below are only a few examples of extraordinary bands led by a female.

Hole

Although many people know her as Kurt Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love is much more than that. Love began the band as lead singer with guitarist Eric Erlandson in 1989, and it didn’t take long for this legendary and inspiring rock band to take the world by storm. Not only did Hole sell millions of records throughout the United States, as well as the rest of the world, but Love and the band were able to make a feminist and progressive statement in their lyrics that transcended through their music and spread awareness regarding societal standards, especially towards women. Although Hole officially retired in 2013, their music continues to carry an important message through beautiful yet powerful rock and roll music. 

Bikini Kill

Riot grrrl is a huge factor for women in rock, starting in the 90s as an underground feminist punk scene, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill is a notable figure when analyzing the women of rock. Not only did her music send a message, covering topics such as women oppression, assault, and common misogynistic stereotypes, but she also carried her voice beyond her music as an activist, attending protests, speaking out during her shows, and bringing women together. Recognized by many as a major influence in the rock world, Hanna successfully brought activism and music together, to create an empowering and hardcore energy to Bikini Kill’s listeners.

Paramore

Hayley Williams is seen as one of the more modern faces of female rock, and for a good reason too. Forming in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004, Paramore broke out into the music industry as a huge influence in the modern rock age of the 2000s. Williams being only 16 years old when the band was created was already a huge accomplishment, with her unique vocals bringing a never before heard sound to a pop punk style band. With great success following the release of their albums released since their debut, Paramore continues to influence the music industry not only with their incredible sound, but also their ability to use their voices and platform to create change. Williams frequently uses her platform to speak up about things she believes in. To this day, Paramore continues to reinvent the idea of rock, and bring fans together with a love for music. 

The Cranberries

Led by Delores O’Riordan, this Irish alternative rock band formed in 1989. After releasing their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? in 1993, they were greeted with immediate success. With songs like “Linger” and “Sunday”, it was evident that The Cranberries not only had a catchy, but also ingenious and unique sound. With O’Riordan vocals being so distinctive and addictive, it wasn’t hard for their hit songs to get stuck in their listener’s heads. Unfortunately in 2018, O’Riorden passed away unexpectedly, leading to the breakup of the band. Although fans will always miss the talent of O’Riordan and her ability to front an amazing band, her legacy and music is still influential to all generations to this day.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs formed in New York City in 2000 as a dance punk style indie rock band, with their lead vocalist and pianist, Karen O. Karen is not only known for her unique and innovative sense of fashion, but also her lively presence on stage, engaging with the crowd and making every live performance a memorable experience. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs song “Maps” on their debut album Fever to Tell, received a massive amount of attention and led to years of success. With Karen’s spunky personality and ability to light up a crowd with energy, she continues to put a mark in female rock history, still jamming out today.

Siouxsie and the Banshees

This gothic rock band is one of the most notable bands in the gothic scene to this day. Forming in London in 1976, Siouxsie Sioux, lead vocalist, worked together with bassist, Steven Severin, to create one of the most influential and unique bands in the post-punk era of music. With bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, my bloody valentine, The Cure, and many more mentioning Siouxsie and the Banshees as one of their influences or groups that they enjoyed. It didn’t take long for the group to quickly sell out venues and become a large topic in the music scene, especially the gothic subgenre of rock. In 2004, Siouxsie Sioux decided to embark on her solo career, Siouxsie and the Banshees remain a huge influence after more than 40 years of their existence.

No Doubt

No Doubt, with lead vocalist Gwen Stefani, was formed in 1986 in California as an alternative rock/ska pop rock group. When No Doubt released their biggest hit album Tragic Kingdom in 1995, with some of their most popular songs like “Just a Girl”, “Don’t Speak”, and “Sunday Morning”, Stefani and the group became a large part of the 90s and early 2000s music scene, playing multiple festivals as headliners and selling out shows left and right. To this day Stefani still remains a pop rock female icon and the band most recently headlined at Coachella 2024, showing truly how legendary this band really is after all these years since their debut.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

By far, when thinking about the most non conforming and illustrious figures of women in rock, Joan Jett is sure to pop up among the few. With her debut band, The Runaways, Jett made a name for herself as a punk rock feminine icon. Shortly after her success with her first band, Jett went off to focus on her solo career and then formed her own legendary hard rock band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. With the groups most known hits like “I Love Rock n’ Roll” and “Bad Reputation”, these songs are still used as female rock anthems that all generations can enjoy. Jett is a huge part of badass female musicians in the rock scene and to this day she continues to rock with stadiums full of fans, inspired by her legacy. 

Destroy Boys

Destroy Boys is a punk rock style band that formed in Sacramento, California in 2015. With its lead vocalist, Alexia Roditis, and guitarist, Violet Mayugba coming together to create a hardcore modern pop-punk style band that quickly grew attention from young teen girls throughout the world. With their most popular songs like “Muzzle” and “Drink” the band soon gained attention from larger artists such as The Regrettes and even helped support Blink-182 as one of their openers on their 2023 North American Tour. Destroy Boys continues to drop stellar tracks that reinvent the modern age of punk rock while their lead singer uses her powerful voice to carry messages through their songs.

Evanescence

Evanescence was formed in 1994 with vocalist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The band, known for its gothic and late 90s/early 2000’s sound, hit it big time after releasing their well known album, Fallen, with hit singles “Bring Me to Life” and “Going Under”. Lee’s distinct vocals are able to capture an audience to this day and was a huge influence for alternative rock singers to come. Selling almost 32 million albums, Evanescence is well known as one of the best selling hard rock bands and continues to wow crowds all over the world with the bands unique sound and Lee’s powerful and feminine presence.