I Wanna RRRiot! Playlist

Most people used to detest punk rock because they found it too loud, too aggressive, and too confrontational. But to the kids like me that it managed to convert, punk became an unlikely conduit that exposed them to viewpoints they would never have encountered otherwise.

Beneath all the noise and anger, punk presented an unapologetic view of the world and had a sincere desire to change it. Punk taught me lessons about politics, history, war, racism, poverty, addiction, and other social injustices and inequalities I previously didn't know about.

But I suppose one of punk's most surprising contributions in my life was its introduction of feminism into my consciousness. Before punk, I didn't even realize gender inequality existed--both in the general society and in the music industry.

The masculine aggression of Rock & Roll had long alienated women from the music scene, but punk rock became instrumental in smashing gender division. It gave females an entirely new medium to air their socio-political grievances and rock out at the same time.

Girls in the punk rock scene showed that they could be as hardcore and anarchic as their male counterparts without sacrificing any aspect of their identity. They spoke their minds, and they made us listen.

Now, I'd like to share with you a list of some of the most influential female punk rock icons in my life and the songs that helped me reshape my views on women.

Patti Smith

Song: 25th Floor

"We explore the men's room. We don't give a shit. Ladies' lost electricity, take vows inside it."

As one of my father's favorite musicians, Patti Smith significantly impacted me, both musically and intellectually, early on in life. She is one of the best artists alive that continues to influence personalities--some of which are included in this list--with her brilliant mind and talent.

Considered the Grandmother of Punk, Patti Smith laid out many of the elements that defined the genre. Smith's first album, Horses, contains the socially conscious narratives and bold experimentation that punk bands would later adopt in their music.

Joan Jett of The Runaways

Song: Bad Reputation

"I don't give a damn about my bad reputation; you're living in the past it's a new generation."

Joan Jett is the epitome of the female Rock Star. Even after the demise of her first band The Runaways, she continued to open the doors of rock & roll wider for generations to come with her infectious songs.

Jett's signature lip curl, which disrupted her otherwise expressionless face while singing Bad Reputation in a leather jacket, openly declared her I-don't-give-a-damn demeanor to the rest of the world.

Poly Styrene of X-ray Spex

Song: Oh Bondage, Up Yours!

"Some People think that little girls should be seen and not heard, but I think, oh bondage, up yours!"

Poly Styrene was undoubtedly one of the best punk rock scribes who ever lived. While most punk bands rumbled about sophomoric lyrics on teenage rebellion, Poly Styrene, with her ear-shattering female energy, protested the adverse effects of consumerism and the struggle with identity.

Poly Styrene was the true embodiment of punk rock as she squashed all sorts of stereotypes even within her own scene. She wore bright-colored outfits when everyone else wore spike-studded leather jackets. She was also one of the very first punk rock girls to affiliate themselves with feminism. Inevitably, this ideology would, later on, become a recurring theme in the female punk circle.

Kathleen Hannah of Bikini Kill

Song: Rebel Girl

"When she talks, I hear the revolution. In her hips, there's revolutions."

Sometimes, I like to think that the character, Sooze in Richard Linklater's Suburbia was based on Kathleen Hannah. Sooze stomping and shouting the words in her performance piece, 'Burger Manifesto pt. 1: The Dialectical Exposition of Testosterone,' can only remind me of Hannah's militant-feminist inclinations.

Kathleen Hannah was the one who spraypainted 'Kurt smells like Teen Spirit' across Kurt Cobain's wall, inadvertently becoming responsible for the song's title that best represented the X-generation, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.'

But Hannah's graffiti wasn't the only mark she left in the music scene. She cemented her status in the music industry by becoming one of the pioneers of the Riot Grrrl movement, creating a solid platform for the feminists in the punk scene.

Brodie Dalle of The Distillers

Song: Young Crazed Peeling

"Are you ready to be liberated, on this sad side city streets. All the birds have been freed from their cages, I got freedom in my youth."

Australian punker Brodie Dalle has come a long way as a musician since eloping with Rancid's Tim Armstrong and moving to California in her early teens.

Some may attribute Brodie Dalle's success to her marriage to Armstrong, but that assumption can only go so far, as her talent as a musician is simply undeniable. Dalle's abrasive voice, reminiscent of Hole's Courtney Love, is the perfect vehicle to deliver the required intensity in her songs.

The Distillers frontwoman's songwriting abilities also often go unappreciated. Listen closely to her songs, and you'll encounter some of the most colorful confessions you can ever find in the punk canon.

Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Song: Y Control

"I wish I could buy back the woman you stole. Y-control, Y-control. You walk, walk, walk, my winner's out of control, out of control."

In the early 2000s, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs became an unlikely role model to many young misfits while all the other teenagers worshipped the cookie-cutter pop queens that saturated the airwaves.

Karen O's outlandish outfits and electrifying persona made her stand out even from her rock and roll contemporaries, who often opted to perpetuate the stereotypical punk look and attitude.

Apart from her striking stage presence, Karen O's unique voice and broad vocal range also made her genuinely sui generis. Her slow, emotional delivery of Yeah Yeah Yeahs ballads is just as powerful as her rock and roll shrieks.

Jemina Pearl of Be Your Pet

Song: Damn Damn Leash

"But you got me on a leash, a damn damn leash, now it's hard enough to be myself."

By the mid to late 2000s, punk rock's influence began to decline as the indie scene started to take over. But as other female musicians cautiously steered away from all forms of aggressive music in exchange for a softer sound, Jemina Pearl pledged allegiance to a unique brand of distortion-driven rock & roll.

Her band Be Your Own Pet's concoction of California beach rock and garage punk was indicative of their propensity towards old-school rock & roll while keeping in mind more modern sonic aesthetics. Their noise was contemporary, while the underlying melodies of their songs remained sentimental to the '60s and 70's music.

Despite Be Your Own Pet's breakup in 2008, Jemina Pearl continues to enjoy a flourishing career. Pearl's collaboration with the punk rock legend Iggy Pop in the song 'I Hate People' could, in a way, be interpreted as a passing of the baton to ensure the survival of the genre for future generations.

Lydia Night of The Regrettes

Song: Seashore

"You're talkin' to me like a child. Hey, I've got news, I'm not a little girl. And no, I won't give you a little twirl."

It's safe to say that punk rock started to slip from the mainstream consciousness in the mid-2010s. That's why it's quite a surprise that the band The Regrettes, fronted by the charismatic Lydia Night, would become a favorite among critics when their debut album 'Feel Your Feelings Fool!' came out in 2017.

Although The Regrettes has a more polished sound with heavy 60s doo-wop influences than typical punk bands, Lydia Night makes up for it by being relentless with the feminist themes in her songs. Despite being only 17-years-old when her band's debut album came out, she already showed confidence in her voice and maturity in her thoughts.

Some critics consider Night as the apparent successor of feminist punk, and rightfully so. The hardliners may easily dismiss her for being too pop, but there's no denying that her music resonates with today's teens. And at the end of the day, her influence and the message she carries are all that truly matters.

If you like the incredible artists I mentioned, then you'll need to listen to the rest of the playlist below! Put on your headphones and prepare to rock out!

Bratmobile - Love Thing

Hole - Celebrity Skin

Big Joanie - Dream Number Nine

The Slits - Typical Girls

The Coathangers - Watch Your Back

Skating Polly - Hey Sweet

No Doubt - Just A Girl

Babes in Toyland - Bruise Violet

Otoboke Beaver - Don't Light My Fire

Potty Mouth - Cherry Picking

The Runaways - Cherry Bomb

Sort Sol ft. Lydia Lunch - Boy/Girl