Women Rock! Day Date in the current year: January 3, 2024

Rock music has historically been dominated by men. In his 2008 paper Suzi Quatro: A prototype in the archsheology of rock, Frank W. Oglesbee writes that “The rebellion of rock music was largely a male rebellion”. In the 1950s and 1960s music scene, mixed-gender bands were virtually nonexistent, and all-female rock bands were often viewed as a novelty and rarely broke into the mainstream.

The situation slowly began to change in the 1970s. Fanny were one of the first all-female rock bands to achieve critical and commercial success; their single “Charity Ball” became the first Billboard Top 40 hit by an all-female band in 1971. One of the first prominent female rock musicians working simultaneously as a vocalist, instrumentalist, and songwriter was Suzi Quatro, who released her self-titled debut album in 1973.

The advent of punk rock in the second half of the 1970s made it easier for women to participate in the rock music scene because, in contrast to the male-dominated heavy metal scene, the “anyone can do it” ethos of the punk rock scene was more welcoming and encouraged women to contribute. Female rock musicians started to be taken more seriously by industry heads in the early 1980s, when “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett and “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s made it to the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart.

On January 3, 1987, Aretha Franklin changed history by becoming the first female inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to music historians, her induction set the stage for generations of women and artists of color to come. To recognize Franklin’s accomplishments, January 3 is observed as Women Rock! Day.

How can you get involved with Women Rock! Day? There are many ways to celebrate this amazing holiday and pay tribute to talented female rock musicians! You can read about famous women in the rock music industry, support female artists by purchasing their music or streaming it legally, make a women’s rock playlist and share it with friends, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #WomenRockDay.

January 3 is also a great day to raise a toast to all women whose names will forever be linked to the history of rock music: Suzi Quatro, Joni Mitchell, Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Chi Coltrane, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Ronnie Spector, Gwen Stefani, Dolores O’Riordan, Sinead O’Connor, Melissa Etheridge, PJ Harvey, Courtney Love, Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, Orianthi, Nancy Wilson, Kaki King, Sheryl Crow, and many others – the list can go on and on. Stevie Nicks, by the way, became the first women to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Twice: as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a successful solo artist in her own right in 2019.