Entertainment For Lively Minds
40 sexiest frontwomen in Rock history
"They do not just want to have fun. Diamonds are not their best friend. The women you're about to meet have derived their everlasting power from one place over the past fifty years: the land of rock. They were born there in a time before men. They came to us with their guitars and their pianos and their voices. These forty betties, chicks, punks, chanteuses and mad women from the hills represent the purest realization of rock and roll sexuality. Every one of them may have followed The King, but he could never match their swagger. Behold: the Forty Sexiest Frontwomen in Rock History. (Frontman fans — stay tuned.) Oh, and a couple of ground rules: one, points for longevity; and two, Madonna is trying too hard."
— John Constantine
http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/nerveeditors/forty-sexiest-frontwomen-in...
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OK - I'll repsond
I know I shouldn't comment, yet another top 40 list but it's actually quite a good list with a couple missing and and a few that must have been linked with beer goggles on. I would at least take Annie Lennox and Tina Turner(!?) off the list and replace them with Patty Donahue (Waitresses) & Clare Grogan.
take tina turner off the list
sexiest bod shortest skirts can dance and shake when others are long spent can sing the odd tune in good shape well into maturity and you want to take her off
please justify
Tina rocks. Used to anyway.
Am I the only person whose heart sinks on hearing the two words “Patti” and “Smith”?
No, I too wish she still
worked in the "Piss Factory". Incidentally did you go to school in Wells, Somerset?
Wells, Somerset
Never been there, though I’m sure it’s charming. Sounds like the sort of place where’s there’s a few nice old pubs. And lots of “alienated” Goths to poke fun at.
Cor blimey, Rich
How high's that horse?
Not so much damning with faint praise as praising with damp feints.
Damning? High horse?
I wasn’t being rude or snobbish or whatever about Wells. Just answering nicktf’s question about whether I went to school there. I presume he used to know someone with the same name and wondered if was the same person. I’ve only ever lived in big cities and their suburbs and sometimes wonder what it would be like living in a smaller town/city. I’ve long had a fancy for Penrith.
Spot on...
..I was, and you aren't :-)
Wells was a good place to grow up in, though I left before I could experience the pubs (all my underage drinking was done in the graveyard at St Thomas's ) Went back a couple of years ago and was faintly appalled by the ruddy great "ring road" which seemed to have bisected the town (no more Lover's Lane, Scout hut and etc). Burcott Bridge had just gone, and the outdoor lido where you could spend an entire summer's day for a few pence was now a Tesco.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw it featured so heavily in "Hot Fuzz" - even recognised a few of the extras.
...apologies for wallowing in small city nostalgia.
I used to live there...
...in the 60s & 70s, so pre-Goth, but it is choc-full of old pubs/hotels. Made recently famous by being the setting of the excellent Hot Fuzz.
She's not there
No Kate Bush, No Bat For Lashes, No Kate Rusby, No 'girl bands' either. It is a good list but very American. Come on the rest of the world!
Kate
I never considered Kate Bush ... ROCK....
lawks!!!!
that still of Siouxsie is a mite...unfortunate isn't it!
Hung Dong Garden
Aye thangyew.
Add
Marijne van der Vlugt from the long lost Salad. Also figure high on a list of bands that should have made it
As do Lush. Miki & Emma should be on the frontwomen list too...
Not 100% sure about this thread
Judging musicians purely on their sex appeal? Not sure that's really the done thing these days surely?
I know what you mean
and I feel a sense of unease myself
However, 2 observations. The topic was initiated by a woman. Not sure if/how that makes a difference?
And - it's sex & drugs & rock & roll, isn't it? It's all part of the whole kit & caboodle ain't it?
Obviously, If you get off on ampersands...phew
Hmm, justifications aside...
I note their other "top" lists are of best nude athletes.....
Nuff said, and, no, I didn't look.
i did...
not sure why Chyna counts as an athlete?
was a bit let down to be honest
If it helps
I found the list via afterellen.com, where it was praised for including gay and gay-friendly musicians.
(And in the interests of fairness and balance, I am watching out for the promised sexiest frontmen in rock list...)
Speaking as someone
who became a fan of Saint Etienne when I saw the cover of Too Young To Die, I have to say it is perfectly acceptable. Not really having heard them before, it was a pleasant surprise when the music sounds the way Sarah Cracknell looks.
Question is
What has Siouxsie Sioux got in her mouth?
I am afraid the list is incomoplete without the lovely and sexy Devlin Love from Alabama 3.
Grace Slick
Where is Grace Slick? For me the most notable omission. Nina Hagen and Patti Smith and no Grace? That way madness lies. I'm not a big Jefferson Airplane fan but she certainly made an impression.
A more modern contender would be Juliana Hatfield.
Grace Slick..
..was the Biz. sang like a Siren, never wore a bra, and wrote "Somebody To Love", End of forum..We Have A WINNER.
And that Boy Howdy 'Creem' ad
I had forgotten about Grace Slick - but your nomination rekindles a memory of a beer ad in 'Creem' magazine where she is demolishing a can of Boy Howdy beer whilst knowingly flashing some of her better attributes...
And the internet never lets you down!
Said image is available at http://hot-poop.blogspot.com/2008/02/speaking-of-boy-howdy.html for all of you Slick voyeurs out there!
Heaven´s above
Mind you, she was into "self expression" as I seem to recall reading about her slowly pulling her skirt up at a gig, only to reveal she´d forgotten to dress properly that day.
elkie brooks gets my vote as
elkie brooks gets my vote as salford's no 1 jewish soul siren - here she is in vinegar joe (bob palmer's not bad either!)
are we talking front women as band members not as single entities - which rules out a few - francoise hardy, bobbie gentry, tammi terrell etc - beyonce scores with destiny's child and has obviously studied the tina turner review style of bump n' grind - how about the indie dance sex queen sarah cracknell?
Elkie Brooks
For me Elkie is a great example of a sexy woman, who sing rock with great command.
Elkie Brooks
Watching Elkie Brooks singing, BORN to BE a HONKEY WOMAN , is F...ing fantastic.
Elkie Brooks
Watching ELKIE BROOKS singing , Born To Be a Honky Woman , is fantastic.
The Elk
She's quite modestly dressed there compared to the only time I saw Vinegar Joe. That time she wore a mini skirt that really was little more than a belt. Not that I minded of course. To balance things out, I think her blouse was probably slightly more substantial.
Having said I disapprove of
the idea of rating singers on their sex appeal rather than musicial ability I'm NOT going to mention Alison Goldfrapp
Where's Nena?
Surely there's no serious dissent from the view that Nena (99 luftballoonen) is the sexiest woman ever to have had a hit record. Is there?
Oh, and what about Emmylou?
Is Emmylou Harris not on the list because she doesn't count as "rock"? She is second only to Nena and also shows just how sexy it is possible for a woman in her sixties to be.
And then there's Clare Grogan who is not only extremely sexy but also has another quality, which is, I think, very rare (I think Goldie Hawn in the 1960s had it), which is that men, as well as fancying her, sort of fall in love with her as well. Outside of rock, Felicity Kendall is the paradigm of this quality.
Wot?
No Suzanna Hoffs?
Shirley you can't be serious!
Where's Shirley Manson of Garbage? Of course it helps if you like bloodnuts.
very american
no Shena Ringo?
...and no Bonnie Raitt?
Sheer bloody class
What a woman! The only time I've ever bought a ticket from a tout was to see Bonnie Raitt; she was well worth it. Elton John was there too, but he probably didn't need a tout.
What, no Kristin?
Agree about Emmylou too.
and her (step) sister
Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly.
Which leads us to Kim Deal of the Breeders.
Justine Frischmanm of Elastica (well, she was sexy enough for Brett and Damon)
Or of course Wendy James (or "that tramp" as my ex-girlfriend called her).
Kristin is my type really.
I agree about Elkie Brooks - saw her in 1980, and she was great. Pearl's a Singer rather took her in the wrong direction (apart from all that money of course).
Sadistic Mika
Did anyone see Sadistic Mika Band support Roxy Music in the winter of 1975?
The singer (Mika presumably) took polaroids of the audience and handed them out - she was incredibly attractive and impossibly exotic, I was about six rows from the front.
I was 15 and went to an all-boys school in Blackburn so usually anyone who was, like, a bit older and female was a thing of wonder so you can imagine the playground banter the day after.
Roxy were good too but the pair of slightly beefy lasses singing backing vocals in American Air Force type uniforms bore no comparison
Melissa Auf Der Maur?
In French... the song ends around 4.45, the rest is interview...
Three for one
Jenny Lewis clip features not only the lovely Jenny, but the equally lovely Watson Twins & Sarah Silverman - she scares me - Also, it's a great song!
So, that's really five for one then.
Does anyone else see Joan Jett [lovely] in Katy Perry?
Also, I would add Gemma Hayes to the list. [Probably a few more too, but that'll do for now]
Finally, a question, Is it "Political correctness gone mad?"
Gemma - oh yes!
In addition to being seriously talented and having made a perfect record (The Roads Don't Love You) and two other very fine ones, Gemma is utterly gorgeous. There, I've said it.
I know lists are subjective etc etc....
and this one in particular, based on the preferences of one individual, around a perception of "attractiveness" are inherently opinionated. However, this list is plain wrong!
Belinda Carlisle? Go Go's years? C'mon!!!
Martha W, Kristin, Tammi Terrell, Martha R, Keren Woodward, Rachel from Slowdive!!!
Missing!
How About
Maria Mckee? - in or out of Lone Justice.
Tremendously good point
exceedingly well made
Our Sonya
Sonya Madan off of Echobelly. Sexiest stage dance of all time.
Thought you meant Sonia for a mo'
Combining their ideas and yours:
http://open.spotify.com/user/gauntlet/playlist/6MMAU6wpuq3GcgQE3nMZkE
wot, no Chrissy Amphlett?
In a strange way...
...PJ Harvey.
In a less strange way...
...Nina Persson from The Cardigans / A Camp
This seems relevant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/queensofbritishpop/
Where's Agnetha?
Come on! She cannot be overlooked. I was one of millions of 70s schoolboys that groaned insincerely when ABBA appeared on TOTP - but were actually secretly delighted to see the Ag in a silk jumpsuit. Grrr!
and herself ... on reflection, how much better can it get?
brody dalle
hot
the cocorosie girls
.
and Linda Ronstadt obviously
has anyone said stevie nicks yet? (probably)
ten year old performance of a tune ... wth sheryl crow & herself
/weeps with happiness
Deborah Conway in Do - Re-Mi
Underrated Australian eighties band. Deborah Conway was all knowing and in control. Sang about pubic hair being left on her pillow and was interviewed in a spa bath on TV confessing she loved oral sex...need I say more??
Melissa Etheridge
I was one of the minority males in the audience each time I saw her, but Melissa Etheridge is the only female singer I've seen who could manipulate an audience the same way Springsteen does, i.e. dictating the exact shape of the curve of the audience's emotions. My wife and I both always found her great to listen to, good to look at, and definitely sexy.
When Kevin McCormack was her bass player (i.e. before he went off to join Jackson Browne) they'd do a schtick on one number where she'd stand behind him and do the fretboard work on his bass guitar while he carried on playing the strings. Hmm, that could be considered as being of an ilk with Tina Turner's handling of the mic in the movie Gimme Shelter.
Sharleen Spiteri
How come no one has mentioned her yet?
yes