In a matriarchal rock band — woman in the spotlight, dudes in the shadows — the singer isn't one of the boys. Oh no, she runs the boys, all action, eyes, excitement going through her. If she leaves the band for a solo jaunt (think Gwen Stefani), the men best be reaching for the want ads (think the rest of No Doubt).
It's chicks rule! And it makes for a sexy, electric dynamic. The rock canon isn't exactly stuffed with matriarchal bands (maybe because guys are lousy at taking orders? Hmm . . .), so that's why it's still such a refreshing concept. With Gwennie and the boys in No Doubt coming to Tampa on Tuesday, we got to thinking of history's other female-fronted, male-supported classic groups:
— Sean Daly, Times pop music critic
BLONDIE
With equal parts club-hopping apathy and face-slapping sass, peroxide princess Debbie Harry ruled the '70s. "One way or another, I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha."
THE PRETENDERS
Chrissie Hynde, the pride of Akron, Ohio, has a smoker's growl and a snarled lip. She's steely (Brass in Pocket) yet vulnerable (I'll Stand by You), and you never question who's running the show.
BERLIN
As the leader of the '80s synth-pop band Berlin, Terri Nunn plays both femme fatale and bubbly victim. She's a geisha, a goddess — but she also longs to take your breath away.
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE Jefferson Airplane was a freaky ensemble. Jefferson Starship was a leaky ensemble. But no matter where she played, Grace Slick was a spooky-eyed icon, following the rules that existed solely in her big, scary head.
10,000 MANIACS In the 1990s, Natalie Merchant brought a new feminism to pop music. She was small, and quiet, a brainy wallflower. But her voice was huge, hot, intimidating even, and when she left the Maniacs, her fans left with her.
Other great female-fronted rock bands include: Missing Persons, Scandal, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Motels, Garbage, Cowboy Junkies, Heart.
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