The 100 most important women in pop – ranks 94 to 90

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 third teaser from the list of the 100 most important women in pop – places 94 to 90

94th place: Lorde

At the age of just 16, he shaped the pop sound of a generation with “Royals”: ​​dark, minimalist, sublime. Bowie called it “the future of music” and Grohl described the song as “revolutionary”. Instead of repeating her successful formula, the New Zealander focused on bright dance pop in the future.

Without her: We would have a whole squad of pop stars less, from Billie Eilish to Banks to Troye Sivan.

(Stephan Rehm Rozanes)

93rd place: Ellen Allien

The forefather of the Berlin techno scene fell in love with electronic music during London’s “Second Summer of Love”, moved to the eastern part of Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall and was soon DJing in all of the city’s important techno clubs. To this day she plays at the most renowned parties worldwide.

Without: We would have to do without their pioneering label BPitch Control and brilliant deeds from Paul Kalkbrenner to Modeselektor.

(Stephan Rehm Rozanes)

92nd place: Jutta Hipp

After emigrating to the USA, the Leipzig jazz pianist released three albums on the legendary Blue Note label as a bandleader. In the 50s this was not a given. Hipp retired from the music industry in 1956 and died in New York in 2003 at the age of 78.

Without her: Jazz would still be a purely male domain today.

(Albert Koch)

91st place: Lizzo

Even if the current accusations against the rapping vocal miracle prove true, the social-improving effects of Lizzo’s messages about body positivity, self-love and sexual openness can no longer be reversed.

Without her: André 3000’s flute masterpiece NEW BLUE SUN might not exist either.

(Stephan Rehm Rozanes)

90th place: Hildegard Knef

Knef was a self-confident, creative and complex world star when women were still almost exclusively responsible for children, kitchen and church. She acted, wrote novels and her own songs, and gave us sentences that still apply in the club today: “I’m too tired to go to sleep.”

Without her: It would rain red roses far too rarely.

(Thomas Winkler)

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