VMP Magazine

Classic country music of the 1950s,’60s, and ’70s has always been a boy’s club. Ask many fans of the era for their favorites and you’ll get some familiar names: Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, John Prine, etc. But that time period also bred a crop of feisty, hard-living women who could simultaneously down a shot of whiskey, bounce a baby on their arm and verbally decimate a man—all while keeping that big hair perfectly intact. Below are the essential classic country albums to own on vinyl by the women who were never content to just let boys be boys.

In 1991, the Bikini Kill Zine 2 was published and the world of Riot Grrrl was born. What began as a foundational manifesto for a new DIY scene turned into a revolution as a new generation of feminist musicians stopped accepting the “beergutboyrock” status quo and started making their voices heard. As loudly as possible. Riot Grrrl sent a ripple effect through culture with an influence that can be seen today in the proliferation of zines, pro-inclusivity spaces and plenty of sharp, hard-rocking all-girl bands to carry the torch. Below are the pioneers of the musical genre that felt it was about time they got girls to the front.