As we celebrate Women’s History Month and bring recognition to the impact that so many incredible women have in all fields of life, I am here to highlight the careers of four very important women that have been remarkable in music and have graced the world with talents that have inspired others and positively impacted the music industry for women…
-
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is well known for being in popular music group Fleetwood Mac as well as having a successful solo career. With a powerful voice and remarkable songwriting capabilities, her success is not at all shocking. She is the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice; once for her work in Fleetwood Mac, and recently for her solo work. Her music and writing has drawn inspiration to many other musicians, including; Florence Welch, Taylor Swift, Lorde, and countless others. Stevie Nicks has been a force of nature in the music industry, as she sings in Fleetwood Mac’s song Storms, “…never have I been a blue calm sea, I have always been a storm.” She is otherworldly and with no doubt a rock & roll legend.
Here are a few songs from Stevie to listen to:
-
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was a remarkable singer and actress, holding the Guinness World Record as the most awarded female artist of all time. She has received over 400 awards in her career, and a detailed list of her achievements can be found here. In the 1980’s Whitney’s presence in the music industry as a huge pop star helped influence and open doors for Black women to be represented more on the radio and in television. Sadly, Whitney passed away in 2012, but her presence remains in the artists that she has inspired. She has had a strong influence on so many big name artists, including; Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Hayley Williams, Destiny’s Child, and Ariana Grande.
Here are a few songs from Whitney to listen to:
-
Beyoncé
Beyoncé rose to fame as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, one of the most famous girl groups of all time, but her success did not end there. Her solo career has been more than fruitful, as she has sold 118 million records worldwide and is currently the most nominated woman at the Grammy awards. Her success led her to being named Artist of the Decade for the 2000s and coined her the nickname “Queen Bey.” After releasing Lemonade in 2016, she became the first artist to debut on the Billboard 100 with all six of her studio albums. It is safe to say that there are not many people who do not know the name of the powerhouse that is Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Beyoncé has used her platform as an activist for minorities and vocalized their struggle of injustice. She is well aware of her impact and uses her voice to uplift others and demand change. I have no doubt that her positive impact and influence on culture will extend for decades and the name Beyoncé will always be relevant.
Here are some songs from Beyoncé that you should listen to:
-
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is a well-accomplished song-writer and country singer, also known for acting and her work as a businesswoman and humanitarian. She owns her own label called Dolly Records and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has been nominated for a Grammy 50 times, the second most of any female musician. There really is not much Dolly has not done; she even donated 1 million dollars towards the COVID vaccine to Vanderbilt University and later she posed getting her vaccine to encourage others to do the same. She is an incredibly humble woman, having been offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice and turned it down both of those times. She also asked for a statue that was put up in her honor to be removed because she thought that it was an inappropriate time to put her on a pedestal, according to her letter that she wrote and posted to her twitter.
Here are a few songs from Dolly to listen to: