The Bitch High Five: Which Frontwoman Would You Like to Be?

Bitch HQ post by Kelsey Wallace on March 22, 2011 - 12:00pm; tagged Bitch High Five, music, newsletter.

Each month in our nifty newsletter (sign up on the homepage if you haven't already), we'll be polling Bitch staffers and readers on their top five in different categories and posting the polls and results on the Bitch blog. This month, it's frontwomen whose talents we wish we possessed. So c'mon, give us five!

poll by twiigs.com
"Share"

Comments

54 comments have been made. Post a comment.

Are you kidding me? WTF is Chrissie Hynde?

Posted by Jen Leist (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:04pm

I'd be Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. I expected to see Debbie Harry of Blondie too.

Chrissie Hynde!

Posted by Lysistraata (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:10pm

Chrissie Hynde!

re: front woman

Posted by carol (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:11pm

beth ditto

Garbage. Love Shirley

Posted by Cristina (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:13pm

Garbage. Love Shirley Manson!

In full agreement. Oh, the

Posted by Blackbird Betty (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 3:07pm

In full agreement. Oh, the things I'd do for a voice that hot... (Version 2.0 era, preferably).

Frontwoman

Posted by Susan J (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:14pm

Kim Gordon- Sonic Youth
Multi-talented hotness.

Sandra Nasic from Guano Apes,

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:15pm

Sandra Nasic from Guano Apes, hands down!

others, others everywhere...

Posted by will house (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:17pm

OI! for Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex.

& then there's Polly Jean Harvey...

PJ

Posted by automator (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 8:18am

I voted for Corin (that wail, oh, that wail), but if S-K had never existed, I would've gotten Polly Jean on this poll and voted for her like 50 times.

Kathleen Hanna for Bikini

Posted by Lily (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:20pm

Kathleen Hanna for Bikini Kill. or for Le Tigre
Kim Deal for The Breeders

Debbie Harry all the way

Posted by Donna Vuitton (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:22pm

I agree with the comment expecting to see Debbie Harry/Blondie. And what about Joan Jett? Also Beth Ditto/The Gossip.

Or Others...Such As

Posted by Lily (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:23pm

Kathleen Hanna for Bikini Kill (or Le Tigre)
Kim Deal for The Breeders (or just a part of Pixies)

Or

Posted by Lily (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:25pm

Kathleen Hanna for Bikini Kill (or Le Tigre)
or
Kim Deal for The Breeders

Debbie Harry

Posted by radonley (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:27pm

All about the Blondie.

Where is my option...

Posted by Kimwithak (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:37pm

...for Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders? Talk about a bad ass woman.

Gotta say...

Posted by Owl on March 22, 2011 - 12:45pm

...there are a lot of male-fronted bands that I, as a woman, would like to replace, too.

Another vote for Kathleen

Posted by Jenn (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:55pm

Another vote for Kathleen Hanna - either during her Bikini Kill or Le Tigre Days
And Amanda Palmer would be a close second!

or....

Posted by cheri (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 12:57pm

Janis Joplin!
All the sadness would be worth it to have talent like that.

Le Tigre

Posted by Jesse (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 1:09pm

JD Samson of Le Tigre all the way. Lo-fi riot grrl electronica + queer gender bending = win.

PJ Harvey, Bjork or Kimya

Posted by gussy (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 1:21pm

PJ Harvey, Bjork or Kimya Dawson

Ani DiFranco!! She's hardly

Posted by Julie Setele (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 1:30pm

Ani DiFranco!! She's hardly a "bandmember," but she fronts for herself and her record label.

Breaking the rules just a bit

Posted by kperfetto on March 22, 2011 - 1:35pm

Breaking the rules just a bit (because she doesn't really "front" a band other than her own backing band -- that still counts, right?), I'd love to be Lucinda Williams for a day. Love her throaty, croaky, whiskey-soaked voice.

I think we're missing one, here

Posted by S (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 1:51pm

BIKINI KILL?

Other...

Posted by Iris (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 1:57pm

Most of the comment suggestions I am surprised are not on the list but for my money it's all about Patti Smith. Debbie Harry and PJ Harvey are neck and neck as well.

I wanna be

Posted by laxsoppa (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 2:12pm

Siouxsie Sioux!

My vote goes out to

Posted by laxsoppa (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 2:18pm

Siouxsie!

garbage

Posted by mo (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 2:18pm

i'd want to be shirley manson ALL THE WAY! so haunting and deep and incredible.

Amanda Palmer!

Posted by Briznecko (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 2:27pm

Since she is mostly solo now, she kinda breaks the rules, but she did lead for the Dresden Dolls.
I emphatically vote for Amanda F*cking Palmer!

I'm going old-school.

Posted by J Cruz (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 2:58pm

I have to say Grace Slick. What a voice!

KatieJane Garside (Queen

Posted by Dae (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 3:33pm

KatieJane Garside (Queen Adreena, Ruby Throat, Daisy Chainsaw)!

nina hagen lol tori amos :-)

Posted by pinafore (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 3:59pm

nina hagen lol
tori amos :-)

As a teenager, my rock-girl

Posted by zotlot (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 4:01pm

As a teenager, my rock-girl icon is Hayley Williams of Paramore, because she has the kind of confidence and vocals I wish I had, and writes lyrics I can really relate to.

Also: Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.

You all forgot the baddest

Posted by mrliving (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 4:43pm

You all forgot the baddest chick of all, Joan Jett!!!!

So many options!

Posted by Jen Joyce (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 5:00pm

Skin of Skunk Anansie or Shingai Shoniwa from the Noisettes. They're both amazing but I really do love the grit in Shingai's voice.

Ladies of color ftw.

dammit you beat me to it

Posted by anaisninja (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 5:21pm

Chrissie Hynde.

kathleeeeeeeeen

Posted by VH (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 5:21pm

kathleeeeeeeeen

Brody Dalle of The

Posted by Shawna (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 6:01pm

Brody Dalle of The Distillers.

I agree! Brody Dalle rocks

Posted by Jaymon (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 1:18pm

I agree! Brody Dalle rocks my socks!

Sarah Bettens, K's Choice!

Posted by Michelle Bledsoe (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 8:52pm

Sarah Bettens, K's Choice!

Alison Mosshart for either

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 9:12pm

Alison Mosshart for either The Kills or The Dead Weather. Messy, sexy hottness.

Gwenno Saunders of The

Posted by B (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 9:39pm

Gwenno Saunders of The Pipettes, and bring back RiotBecki and Rosay.

Grace Potter of Grace Potter

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 22, 2011 - 10:29pm

Grace Potter of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

bikini kill

Posted by monty (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 8:35am

i voted for corin but i would of picked kathleen hannah....i would loved to have sang 'suck my left one' and spit in a dude's face,

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Posted by Amanda Alexander (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 10:38am

Karen O is amazing.

Other!

Posted by Amanda Henry (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 11:53am

Linda Perry, 4 Non-Blondes. Heck yes.

I wanna be Jenny Lewis or

Posted by Liza Marie (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 11:52am

I wanna be Jenny Lewis or Florence of the machine!

PJ Harvey

Posted by anon (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 11:54am

Most definitely PJ Harvey

front of band

Posted by Siací (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 11:54am

Chrissie Hynde is the ultimate band leader. For her, and for me, being female is completely coincidental. She walks the walk and talks the talk, and wails on her 'caster and needs no quarter given. I'd also follow up with Shirley Manson and Karen O, doing their own thing always, and being musicians above all else.

WHAT ABOUT ANN & NANCY WILSON

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 12:28pm

WHAT ABOUT ANN & NANCY WILSON OF HEART?!?!
I can't believe no one has mentioned them yet...

Shirley for sure.

Posted by Mmbris (not verified) on March 23, 2011 - 3:35pm

Shirley Manson all the way

If it doesn't have to involve American rock music...

Posted by Laura T (not verified) on March 26, 2011 - 9:00am

...I'd want to be Mart'nalia, who is an absolutely bad ass Brasilian singer and percussionist. But then, I also play Brasilian percussion so that's a huge reason behind my choice. And if you don't know who she is, get to know her. She's just amazing.

THAO FTW

Posted by laurenipsum (not verified) on March 27, 2011 - 1:45am

Thao on the banjo YEAH. Except I'd rather hang out with her than be her, even if it meant I could play banjo.

I went Sleater-Kinney, but

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on April 7, 2011 - 10:56am

I went Sleater-Kinney, but *Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna*

Alison Mosshart!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 7:57am

End of discussion :)