The women who transformed the 1990s alt-rock scene
It is no secret that guitar-oriented music, from classic rock to punk, has always been overpopulated by men. For years, male musicians have dominated the airwaves and are credited for music’s most significant developments. There are many reasons for this, with the main one being rampant misogyny, preventing female musicians from receiving equal opportunities or recognition in the industry. This subsequently discourages women from attempting to even break into the music world in the first place.
Yet, there have always been some women who have smashed barriers and proved that there is hope for female musicians to thrive in the rock genre, from Patti Smith to Viv Albertine and Debbie Harry. With slow yet steady developments in the industry for women, the late 1970s and 1980s saw more and more women pick up guitars and form bands, taking inspiration from these female artists who were carving out a new path.
By the 1990s, the alternative rock landscape was beginning to grow rapidly thanks to the explosion of grunge. Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ became a massive hit, popularising alt-rock in the mainstream. Inspired by bands such as The Melvins and Sonic Youth, Nirvana became one of the biggest alt-rock outfits of the decade. There were plenty of other bands that rose to widespread acclaim and popularity during this period, such as Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Across the pond, Britpop artists like Oasis, Blur and Pulp were some of music’s biggest names, and other acts, from Radiohead to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pavement and Nine Inch Nails, all found their fame around this time.
When discussing ‘90s alt-rock, it’s easy for many people to discuss male bands before the women who also defined the era. Yet, the decade was also shaped by many female-dominated bands, who brought a well-needed feminine perspective to the genre. Often channelling anger through their guitars, many women used their music to criticise patriarchal structures and demands, as well as other forms of exploitation and discrimination. Elsewhere, women simply explored less political themes, such as love and relationships, but with a perspective that was rare to come by in a landscape led by male voices. In turn, many women were able to find music they could relate to for the first time.
The riot grrrl scene was a significant musical movement that began in the early ‘90s, led by bands such as Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. Taking inspiration from artists like Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, who often used the band’s songs to call out sexism, the riot grrrl explosion similarly used punk-influenced music to explore women’s rights. While Gordon was not a riot grrrl herself, Sonic Youth continued to release music in the ‘90s, with some of Gordon’s most potent feminist songs emerging around this time, like ‘Swimsuit Issue’ and ‘Kool Thing’.
The riot grrrl community was based upon DIY ethics, with many of the members making zines to advertise shows and form a feminist community. Other important riot grrrl and similarly adjacent bands from this period include Sleater-Kinney, L7, Heavens to Betsy and Huggy Bear (a rare British riot grrrl act). Some of these bands were directly identified with the label, while others were grouped into the subgenre due to musical and political similarities. For example, bands like L7 were also considered grunge, a genre that felt overwhelmingly male. There were a few other female-led grunge bands that succeeded, such as Hole, featuring Courtney Love, Veruca Salt and Babes in Toyland, yet they are routinely overshadowed by their male counterparts.
During the Pixies’ first hiatus, Kim Deal’s new band, The Breeders, became an important alternative rock act, held in just as high esteem as her other outfit. Kurt Cobain cited The Breeders’ Pod as one of his favourite albums, getting its’ producer Steve Albini to work on Nirvana’s final record, In Utero, because of it.
Across the pond, one of alternative rock’s dominant genres was shoegaze, which emerged in the late 1980s before flourishing in the early half of the next decade. Most of the genre’s biggest bands featured female vocalists and guitarists, such as Slowdive (Rachel Goswell) and My Bloody Valentine (Bilinda Butcher and Debbie Googe). The genre was known for its fuzzy, distorted instrumentation, which was often accompanied by feathery, obscured vocals that were well-suited for a female voice. Shoegaze was also associated with dream pop, which featured a less noise-rock-influenced sound. Many dream pop artists that were popular at this time, in both the United Kingdom and the United States, featured female vocalists, like Mazzy Star (Hope Sandoval) and Cocteau Twins (Elizabeth Fraser).
Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the Britpop movement saw bands like Elastica, Sleeper and the shoegaze-adjacent Lush gain success. These bands were a welcome change to the voices of Damon Albarn and the Gallagher Brothers, who seemed to have a monopoly over mainstream radio. Moreover, Skunk Anansie were a vital British alt-rock band who are often overlooked, and one of the few to feature black members.
In an interview with The Observer, lead vocalist Skin explained, “Black women from Tina Tuner to Grace Jones and Mel B are perceived as aggressive, overtly sexual, animalistic, panthers in cages. The industry then was owned and run by middle-aged white men. If you weren’t sexual, they didn’t know what to do with you. You made them feel uncomfortable because you weren’t playing the game.”
The decade also saw many female solo artists rise to prominence, proving that women could become successful musicians on their own. There was PJ Harvey, who was unapologetic in her exploration of femininity, often weaving overt themes of violence and sexuality, as well as Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and experimental musician Björk. These musicians paved the way for today’s artists, proving that there is hope for women with dreams of making it in such a male-dominated industry.
