Top 10 Iconic Women of Heavy Metal

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No one can deny that these women rock! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most influential women within the historically testosterone-driven worlds of heavy metal and hard rock.

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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most influential women

00:08within the historically testosterone-driven worlds of heavy metal and hard rock.

00:2210.

00:23Amy Lee – Evanescence The genre of gothic metal didn't originate

00:34with Evanescence, but that band's success certainly helped lift the style's commercial

00:39profile.

00:40Amy Lee served as the focal point for much of this success, thanks to her emotionally

00:44resonant performances as Lee's singer.

00:53Lee always felt like she was laying bare her soul on stage, and fans reacted in droves

00:58to this approachability.

01:03Evanescence's debut album, Fallen, has sold over 17 million copies worldwide, underlining

01:13how closely audiences connected with Lee and her bandmates.

01:17She's also something of a fashion plate, bringing her goth-chic style to the masses

01:23with each of her wonderful outfits.

01:299.

01:34Lee Aaron The woman-born Karen Lynn Greening has recorded

01:43music in a wealth of different genres, from pop and jazz to opera.

01:49However, it's Greening's musical breakthrough from the 1980s under the moniker of Lee Aaron

01:54that solidified her as one of Canada's best-known heavy metal icons.

02:04The Metal Queen album, from 1984 in particular, featured 10 tracks that were all co-composed

02:10by Aaron herself, and combined hard-hitting riffs with unabashed melodic hooks.

02:22Metal fans may have flocked to Lee Aaron's physical beauty during the 1980s, but they

02:27also stuck around once they heard the level of impressive vocal talents on display.

02:368.

02:39Roxy Patrucci – Vixen, Madame X The 1980s glam metal scene was notorious for

02:53its bad boys club, but the members of St. Paul, Minnesota's Vixen weren't going

02:58to hold anybody's coats.

03:00Instead, founding members like original lead singer Janet Gardner, and especially drummer

03:06Roxy Patrucci, boldly blazed their own musical trail.

03:18Patrucci had already proven that girls could hit the percussive skins just as hard as boys

03:23with the group Madame X, but she really got things cooking with Vixen.

03:35The band's glam metal attack was sharpened to a razor's edge, while Patrucci's enthusiastic

03:40and energetic drumming kicked things up to another level.

03:44She's still going strong today, too, rocking Vixen fans all around the world with her charm

03:50and talents.

03:557.

03:58Tarja Turunen – Nightwish The symphonic metal band Nightwish has employed

04:09a number of supremely talented vocalists over the years.

04:13But it's Tarja Turunen that will always live within the hearts of many fans.

04:23Turunen's classical training immediately struck a chord with audiences, as her power

04:28and range was juxtaposed against some truly bombastic-sounding metal.

04:39Her solo work has continued to straddle that line as well, with many Nightwish fans following

04:44Turunen's musical journey.

04:46The effect as a whole almost feels like Tarja is auditioning to be the Celine Dion of heavy

04:51metal, and this is no insult.

04:53Instead, consider Turunen to be the ultimate heavy metal diva, worthy of respect, admiration,

04:59and love.

05:046.

05:07Angela Gossow – Arch Enemy The Swedish melodic death metal group Arch

05:16Enemy didn't always employ a female vocalist, but fans certainly stood up and took notice

05:21once Angela Gossow joined the group.

05:28This German-born singer broke the mold the second she opened her mouth with Arch Enemy,

05:33unleashing deep growls and harsh rasps that emulated musical heroes such as Carcass and

05:38Morbid Angel.

05:43Gossow eventually parted ways with the group on a creative level, but continued to work

05:47behind the scenes in management, while also growing her brand as an influencer and yoga

05:53teacher.

05:54Simply said, Angela Gossow is the real deal.

06:025.

06:03Wendy O. Williams – Plasmatics There will never be another performer or

06:14provocateur like Wendy O. Williams.

06:17This bold and uncompromising spirit was a punk rocker, metalhead, and performance artist

06:23fearless in the face of criticism.

06:31Live shows for the Plasmatics were known for flirting with legal disaster, thanks to daring

06:36bits of destruction, nudity, and giant-sized explosions.

06:40Wendy O. would appear on talk shows and in movies, always using her outrageous reputation

06:45to push the envelope.

06:47Despite this, the real-life Wendy Orlean Williams was a historically shy person who loved animals,

06:53was a dedicated vegetarian.

06:55Sadly, Wendy O. Williams took her own life on April 6th, 1998, but her legacy as a musical

07:02icon will live on forever.

07:124.

07:13Sean E. Soltz – White Zombie

07:15Yeah, I am the astral creep, a demolition-style hell-American spring, yeah

07:21Her 2010 scrapbook just sort of says it all.

07:25Sean E. Soltz wasn't with the band, she was in the band.

07:29White Zombie, to be precise.

07:31E. Soltz's blower bass tone, magnetic stage presence, and captivating style made the musician

07:37fans wherever she went, all over the world.

07:41Yeah, I am the rip-off man, a locomotion man, love American style, yeah

07:46Art always seemed to surround the woman born Shauna Reynolds, and this balanced diet of

07:51culture assisted in guiding Sean E. Soltz's musical journey into adulthood.

07:55Yeah, things keep looking easy, and that's what I said

08:00She also enjoyed a successful journey into designing home goods, while also having her

08:04photography exhibited in states like Texas, as well as her beloved Louisiana.

08:09Sean E. Soltz will forever be the coolest chick in the room.

08:13Yeah, I'm a snake, and I'm a hammer, and I'm back door, yeah

08:18Yeah, I'm on my way, yeah

08:213.

08:22Kim McAuliffe – Girl School

08:24We may be singling out rhythm guitarist and vocalist Kim McAuliffe here, but if we're

08:33being honest, the entire line-up of Britain's Girl School deserves praise.

08:38McAuliffe and lead guitarist Kelly Johnson were clear focal points, but the rhythm section

08:42of Enid Williams and Denise Dufour also supplied plenty of heavy metal thunder.

08:54McAuliffe and her Girl School bandmates were at the forefront of the new wave of

08:58British heavy metal, and took no guff from anyone.

09:02The group enjoyed a lifelong collaborative relationship with Motörhead, but McAuliffe's

09:06passionate vocals and electric guitar never sat on the back seat.

09:11Instead, Girl School took the wheel and smashed down all forms of heavy metal sexism that

09:16lay in their way.

09:252.

09:26Doro Pesh – Dora the Exorcist

09:292.

09:30Doro Pesh – Warlock

09:37There's no other way to say it.

09:39Doro Pesh lives for heavy metal.

09:42This German-born icon first turned heads, fronting the group Warlock in the 1980s.

09:47But Pesh would also thrive as a solo artist.

09:50Her career continues today, together with an intimate connection with her audience that's

09:55quite unlike any other performer from the genre.

10:05Pesh's dedication to her cause feels genuine because it is genuine.

10:10The woman has dedicated her life to music, and her fans have felt this honesty.

10:14Doro Pesh rocks hard to this day.

10:17She remains humble through it all, but we know a queen when we see one.

10:27Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

10:31Jinx Dawson, Coven, The Roots of Satanic Shock Rock begin right here.

10:37Suzie Quatro, A Pleasure Seeker and Glam Rocker.

10:48Lizzy Hale, Hailstorm, leads Hailstorm and works with many other artists.

10:52She's also the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Music Video.

10:56She's also the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Music Video.

11:01Lizzy Hale, Hailstorm, leads Hailstorm and works with many other artists.

11:11Maria Brink, In This Moment, a multi-faceted singer and performance artist.

11:23Morgan Lander, Kitty, one of Canada's new metal queens.

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11:50Number 1. Lita Ford, The Runaways

11:54It doesn't feel unfair to say that back in the 70s, The Runaways walked so future

12:05female-fronted rock acts could run in the decades that would follow.

12:09The group made stars out of both of its guitarists, Joan Jett and Lita Ford.

12:14The former would explore punk and rock sounds after The Runaways disbanded,

12:24while it would be Ford who would go on to become one of the first ladies of heavy metal.

12:36Ford's flashy playing style was tailor-made for the extravagant 80s,

12:40and she would play this up to the hilts. Lita could compose, sing and, of course,

12:45play a mean guitar, while she even found time for bit parts in films like 1991's Highway to Hell.

12:51Lita Ford could do it all.

13:01Have you heard any of these artists? Who's your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

13:11Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,

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