Women’s History Month: The 90s – Riot GRRRLS, Lilith Fair and Supa Dupa Fly

The 90s was a golden age for women’s music and saw women artists breaking through in multiple genres. There was the Riot Grrrl movement in grunge/punk, the Lilith Fair movement for pop / singer songwriters and women in hip hop broke through to huge success. Even though these were distinct movements, they all added to an increase of women artists across music. We are going to take a look at some of the most influential artists during this boom time in the 90s.

Bikini Kill: New Radio

I talk about Bikini Kill a lot, but you can’t talk about women artists in the 90s and not have Bikini Kill. They were one of the biggest bands in the Riot Grrrl era, and along with Hole, paved the way for women in punk music moving forward. The broke through a male dominated genre and became iconic. They will always be the faces of the Riot Grrrl movement, but were very influential in punk in general.

Sarah McLachlan: Building a Mystery

Kicked off the Lilith Fair movement when she was sick of people telling her that women couldn’t lead concert bills. Lilith Fair was immensely popular and brought a number of women artists to the forefront of music. They championed LGBTIQA+, feminist and race issues, while also playing some kick ass music. Apart from her amazing music, McLachlan’s determination and championing of women artists not only impacted the 90s, but that impact is still felt today.

Ani DiFranco: Untouchable Face

Feminist, LGBTIQA+ activists, social powerhouse, indie folk/rock icon…Ani DiFranco was many things to many people. Founding Righteous Babe Records, Ani showed that you can have your voice be heard and change the world. Her independent label took the 90s by storm when being an independent artist was risky and new. Her music touched millions of people and her concerts were legendary. She is still putting music out now and changing the world.

Missy Elliott: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Missy was not the first woman hip hop artist, but she took it to 11 and showed that women could hold their own in a male dominated genre. She was aggressive, sexy, raunchy and spit some amazing bars. Her career was derailed by health issues; however, she dominated the 90s and became a role model for modern women in hip hop. Still putting music out, Missy continues to impact hip hop.

Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Country music in the 90s was a bit of a wasteland. Dominated largely by uninspired pop country the genre became stuck and lost its soul. Lucinda Williams’ version of country rock and raw passion was a shot of electricity for country music and gave it some life. Her mix of country twang with old fashioned 70s era guitar dominated rock was a hit and earned her both commercial and critical acclaim. Her massive record Car Wheels on a Gravel Road still plays as fresh and powerful as it did in 1998.

Tracy Chapman: Fast Car

Ok…technically this track is 1988 and not 1990…but Tracy Chapman is a national treasure, so it’s a pass. This monumental track brought back the singer/songwriter tradition of the 60s and 70s into pop music. She showed that you can tell a compelling folk story in the midst of the grunge wave and sell millions of copies. This, along with Ani DiFranco and another band we’ll talk about later, kickstarted the pop folk explosion for women in the 90s. I love Tracy Chapman and she is one of the most influential women artists of all time.

Indigo Girls: Galileo

Picking up where Chapman left off, Indigo Girls put out probably one of the most important folk records in music history with Rites of Passage in the 90s. They bridged the gap between folk and pop, which also helped drive Lilith Fair. As one of the first openly gay bands in music, the Indigo Girls broke new ground and helped take folk to new heights. Still making music today, the Indigo Girls will always be important.

Bjork: Hyper-ballad

After leaving the Sugarcubes, Bjork went on to redefine dance music and pop. Her records Debut and Post were something no one ever heard before. Her mix of crushing club beats, strings, conventional instruments and her unique vocal was a genre in itself. Somewhere between music and performance art, Bjork continues to push the boundaries of music. Without Bjork there wouldn’t be Lorde, Billie Eillish, Grimes and hundreds of other dance artists. Truly a one of one, Bjork took music to the extremes.

Fiona Apple: Sleep to Dream

Speaking of pushing music, Fiona Apple deconstructed pop and rock with some of the hardest hitting tracks in the 90s. Coming out around the same time as Jagged Little Pill, Apple dialled the vocal power and alt pop to 11 with one of the most influential records of the 90s. Tidal remains an important record that plays as well now as it did in 1996. Apple is still pushing music to new places and every release generates new excitement.