Who are the greatest women in Rock ‘n Roll? Today’s top music artists named their choices for the best female Rock singers of all time, and, here is our selection of top 10 out of many greatest female vocalists of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Presenting the list of 2023’s top 10 women of Rock N’ Roll, in no particular order.
Joan Jett
When you think of Joan Jett, most people immediately hum “I Love Rock N’ Roll” and that’s just a small part of her growing legacy. The platinum selling songwriter and “Godmother of Punk” has had her hands in different creative pots throughout the decades, and has penned more chart topping hits than we can list.
With a fashion sense, vocal style and catalog of music that has influenced multiple genres, Jett has left one of the biggest marks in the music industry that will rub off on generations to come. In recent years Jett has been busy supporting acts such as Foo Fighters and The Who, and even joined Nirvana on stage to perform “Smells Like Teen Spirit” for their Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction.
See also; top 10 female artists that don’t fit into a box.
Juliette Lewis (Juliette Lewis and the Licks)
Although her legacy is set in stone with her iconic acting career, Juliette Lewis also is well known for her diverse musical prowess with her rock act Juliette Lewis and the Licks. Widely known to have broken up in 2009, Lewis surprised fans with reuniting in 2015 and releasing new music 2016.
Lewis formed the band to focus on the live element of music and has been known for throwing some of rock’s music intense and eclectic concerts.
See also; Top 10 Hottest Female DJs.
Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless)
Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen has already gone deep down the rabbit hole of a second career in rock n’ roll. Her band The Pretty Reckless formed in 2009 and has found massive success with multiple top charting rock singles and countless tour and album releases.
With roots in acting like Juliette Lewis, Momsen also shows the world that her acting skills can translate into a top tier live show with her incredibly talented live band. The Pretty Reckless recently supported Soundgarden on their 2017 tour which had the untimely death of vocalist Chris Cornell. She paid tribute to the singer by soon after performing a cover of his band Audioslave’s single “Like A Stone”.
Amy Lee (Evanescence)
The impact of Amy Lee and her band Evanescence on the world of rock, goth metal and pop is often underestimated. Often copied but never duplicated, Amy Lee is a rock goddess who is idolized for her iconic voice, music and fashion sense.
Behind the scenes she is known for her grounded attitude, philanthropic efforts and recent efforts to make music that is family friendly. As one of the most gifted songwriters on the list, her overall contributions to music make her one of the most respected female singer-songwriters in rock n’ roll.
See also; 10 Most Beautiful Female Singers Right Now.
Betty Moon
With a successful career spanning over 20 years, Betty Moon is known for being a Canadian and US based music tour de force in fashion, production and songwriting. Currently promoting her 2017 album ‘Chrome”, Moon recently attended the 2018 GRAMMY awards and is preparing for the release of her latest single and music video for “Parachute”.
Her unique rock n’ roll style and voice earned Moon a major label record deal in her teens which set the stage for her continued success throughout the years. As of March 2018 Moon officially reached #5 on the New Canadian Music global charts.
Patti Smith
One of the most iconic songwriters, activists, poets and visual artists of our time, Rolling Stone rightfully has named Patti Smith as one of the top 100 greatest artists. With a rich history spanning decades, there are sides of Smith that intrigue creative types throughout multiple avenues of entertainment.
To those that are unfamiliar with Patti Smith, she is best known for her 1978 hit “Because The Night”, which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 5 in the U.K. In addition, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Also, she was listed at number 47 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Artists published in December 2010.
Stevie Nicks
Without a doubt the most respected, successful and prolific female artists of all time, Stevie Nicks is the driving force of Fleetwood Mac and of her own decades spanning solo career. As with Janis Joplin before her, Nicks is known for both her unique vocal prowess and hypnotizing stage presence, almost taking the listener to a place they never expected.
At nearly 70 years old, Nicks shows no signs of slowing down and even shared the stage at a festival in 2017 with Tom Petty before his untimely passing. Nicks has also recently lended her vocals on the newest Lana Del Rey album and toured extensively with the Pretenders through 2016 and 2017.
PJ Harvey
English multi-instrumentalist PJ Harvey has been on the scene since the late 80’s, and although in the US she may be known as a “90’s artist”, she has been receiving awards and playing music around the world up to present day. Harvey has released over 10 albums, and has toured and collaborated with some of the planets biggest artists including U2 and Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
Her attitude, music and rock n’ roll confidence has earned her millions of fans (and Youtube views) that follow her every move globally. Her 9th studio album ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ was released in 2016 to mostly positive media praise.
Sheryl Crow
With over 50 million albums sold, Sheryl Crow is quite the household name and one of the top selling female artists of all time. Although she is known for many of her 90’s hits, she continues to shine with the 2017 release of her 9th studio album “Be Myself”.
With her mark made primarily in the pop world, Crow also draws heavy influence from iconic blues, country and folk musical stylings. As one of the busiest artists on this list, we feel tired even thinking about all that Crow is up to year after year.
Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine)
As one of the youngest on the list, Florence Welch of the popular group Florence and the Machine is just under 10 years into their iconic career of making undeniably unique art pop. Since the release of her 2009 smash hit debut ‘Lungs’, Welch has only continued to ascend the rockstar ladder of success with hit after hit.
With her eclectic fashion sense and incredible vocal range, Florence and the Machine crafts music that is distinct and not for your average pop music listener. Welch and her band are currently experience success with latest singles including “Ship To Wreck” and both Grammy and iHeart Radio award nominations.
List Created By: Bob Bradley
