The 100 most important women in pop – places 59 to 55

Music knows no gender: the struck string, the stepped foot drum or the loop in the audio software – everything is completely gender-neutral. Nice thought, right?

But beyond the tone and beat, the charged theme certainly plays a role. Music, once it has left the instruments, is always context. Music depicts realities and also influences them.

There is no need to tell anyone today that pop and society have become more diverse over the decades. But anyone who likes to scratch their beard with all the movement and prefers to turn around again is a tradition-conscious pop culture canon. Countless lists are still topped by Dylan and the Beatles – Radiohead are still seen as young challengers here. This view may also have an appeal for some, but when it comes down to the argument that there are so few influential female musicians, then the lights dim.

We dedicate ourselves in the current MUSIKEXRESS hence all the influential women in the music business. As obvious as all of this may be, the impulses that female acts have given us in addition to their hits are still valuable. Keep it up, we’ve only just begun.

Here is a tenth teaser from the list of the 100 most important women in pop – places 59 to 55:

59th place: Blackpink

With their rise in recent years, the Korean girl group has shaped the contemporary music landscape: the dominance of US and UK groups seems to be over. Today, pop is more global, language barriers are more permeable, and the digital audience is more aware of cultural diversity. And the bar for live performances has been raised higher since Blackpink’s breathlessly choreographed spectacles.

Without her the worldwide triumph of K-pop would never have happened.

(Annett Scheffel)

58th place: Joan Jett

She freed the world from the idea that women were only allowed to play acoustic guitar and rock bands had to be made up of men. In 1975 she founded the female hard rock band The Runaways, whose songs she electrified with straight rhythm guitar. Then in 1980 he embarked on a solo career, although 20 labels rejected the later global hit “I Love Rock’n’Roll”.

Without her we would never have known how important it is for women to simply meet the rousing standards of rock’n’roll.

(Sandra Grether)

57th place: Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono is a major Fluxus artist; Experimental composer and singer as well as peace activist – and advocate of primal scream therapy. But what she has really taught the world is a new understanding of an artistic couple relationship as equals.

Without her In the 1970s we would never have known that John Lennon, one of the most successful musicians in the universe at the time, was able to commit himself with passion and persistence to a woman who understood more than he did about the artistic utopias and provocations of the present.

(Kersty Grether)

56th place: FKA Twigs

Not only was she one of the first female protagonists of the electronic future pop of the 10s, she was also by far the most adventurous – compared to colleagues like Banks, Aluna Francis or Katy B. FKA Twigs’ abstract, intricate and complex sound constructions were also good for chart positions close to the top 20 in Great Britain.

Without her and their artful interpretation of art avant hyperpop, the development of post-dubstep would have been different.

(Albert Koch)

55th place: Annette Humpe

The now 73-year-old is one of the most influential figures in the local pop scene. She was often not as central to her projects as her sister Inga (Neonbabies, 2raumwohnung), but Annette Humpe (Ideal, Ich + Ich) was always a guaranteed hit in various decades. Udo Lindenberg, Die Prinzen, DÖF, Lucilectric and many others owe chart stays to the Hagen native.

Without her Today nobody would probably know who Adel Tawil is.

(Linus Volkmann)

+++ Our current issue has been in stores since February 9th. There is a complete list of the 100 most important women in pop. Here we often share excerpts from the rankings. +++