Keeping to the rockier side of things, meaning no pop like Rihanna or Avril TheVigne or girlie-girl music like Sarah McLachlin and Jewel, here's some good ones to check out:
Old-School Ladies:
* Ann Wilson (Heart) - Classic track: "Crazy on You" [http://youtu.be/V44HiAX91Hs] (Yeah, there was a time when Ann wasn't obese.)
* Pat Benatar - "Heartbreaker" [http://youtu.be/jP0SnhtXVfk]
* Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) - Singularly seductive voice. Hot track: "Tattooed Love Boys" [http://youtu.be/CF_kUB_mdmA]
* Deborah Harry (Blondie) - Hot track: "Dreaming" [http://youtu.be/TU3-lS_Gryk]
* Christina Amphlett (Divinyls) - "I Touch Myself" is the song everyone knows, but their first three albums smoked their breakthrough album. In the beginning, Amphlett was a feral presence with bad teeth, but totally awesome. (Courtney Love admitted that she ripped off her signature "kinderwhore" look from Amphlett.) Hot single: "Boys in Town" [http://youtu.be/DMSyumchMWA]
* Cherie Curie (The Runaways who also had Joan Jett and Lita Ford in the band) - Signature song: "Cherry Bomb" [http://youtu.be/pMDn6V7ZLhE]
The Newer-School Girls:
* Maja Ivarsson (The Sounds) - Their first album sounded like it was recorded in 1983 and then fell behind the control room couch until it was found and released in 2002. This is off their 3rd album, but I love the title: "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" [http://youtu.be/8KN1FlrxQRk]
* Justine Frischman (Elastica) - Haters tried to claim her boyfriend (Damon Albarn of Blur) ghostwrote her songs, but considering Blur never had anything as good as Elastica, that's doubtful. Hot track: "Stutter" [http://youtu.be/0ie4x8hWYYE]
* Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) - No one takes her seriously because she was an actress on Gossip Girl and tries waaaaaaaaaaay too hard to look slutty, BUT she's the real deal on vocals and the songs are solid. She's like Cherie Curie 2.0. Hot track: "Miss Nothing" [http://youtu.be/hFlHsKExcYg]
Ones Almost No One Has Heard Of:
* Skin (Skunk Anansie) - What sounds like Pat Benatar and looks like an black lesbian skinhead from England? This one. First album was a mixed bag, but "I Can Dream" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJRIY9U4zhQ] RAWKS!!!
* Noelle LeBlanc (Damone) - CRIMINALLY under-appreciated band; find their "Out Here All Night" [http://youtu.be/TBqoHfeRNaE] album and love it. Their 3rd album was a letdown and they're defunct. Pity.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch right now and I've left out some who aren't rocky enough (e.g. Kim Wilde), but it's a decent sampler.
Old-School Ladies:
* Ann Wilson (Heart) - Classic track: "Crazy on You" [http://youtu.be/V44HiAX91Hs] (Yeah, there was a time when Ann wasn't obese.)
* Pat Benatar - "Heartbreaker" [http://youtu.be/jP0SnhtXVfk]
* Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) - Singularly seductive voice. Hot track: "Tattooed Love Boys" [http://youtu.be/CF_kUB_mdmA]
* Deborah Harry (Blondie) - Hot track: "Dreaming" [http://youtu.be/TU3-lS_Gryk]
* Christina Amphlett (Divinyls) - "I Touch Myself" is the song everyone knows, but their first three albums smoked their breakthrough album. In the beginning, Amphlett was a feral presence with bad teeth, but totally awesome. (Courtney Love admitted that she ripped off her signature "kinderwhore" look from Amphlett.) Hot single: "Boys in Town" [http://youtu.be/DMSyumchMWA]
* Cherie Curie (The Runaways who also had Joan Jett and Lita Ford in the band) - Signature song: "Cherry Bomb" [http://youtu.be/pMDn6V7ZLhE]
The Newer-School Girls:
* Maja Ivarsson (The Sounds) - Their first album sounded like it was recorded in 1983 and then fell behind the control room couch until it was found and released in 2002. This is off their 3rd album, but I love the title: "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" [http://youtu.be/8KN1FlrxQRk]
* Justine Frischman (Elastica) - Haters tried to claim her boyfriend (Damon Albarn of Blur) ghostwrote her songs, but considering Blur never had anything as good as Elastica, that's doubtful. Hot track: "Stutter" [http://youtu.be/0ie4x8hWYYE]
* Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) - No one takes her seriously because she was an actress on Gossip Girl and tries waaaaaaaaaaay too hard to look slutty, BUT she's the real deal on vocals and the songs are solid. She's like Cherie Curie 2.0. Hot track: "Miss Nothing" [http://youtu.be/hFlHsKExcYg]
Ones Almost No One Has Heard Of:
* Skin (Skunk Anansie) - What sounds like Pat Benatar and looks like an black lesbian skinhead from England? This one. First album was a mixed bag, but "I Can Dream" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJRIY9U4zhQ] RAWKS!!!
* Noelle LeBlanc (Damone) - CRIMINALLY under-appreciated band; find their "Out Here All Night" [http://youtu.be/TBqoHfeRNaE] album and love it. Their 3rd album was a letdown and they're defunct. Pity.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch right now and I've left out some who aren't rocky enough (e.g. Kim Wilde), but it's a decent sampler.