Rock’s long history is peppered with influential female bandleaders, songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists.
Before rock fully became a genre in its own right, there were a host of artists, such as Elvis Presley, who set its foundation with their music. One of those artists was singer-songwriter Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who created driving gospel adaptations with electric guitar and a unique charisma that inspired many rockers that came after her. The video below provides a good example of that charisma:
By the late ’60s, rock had become both a fully-fledged genre and lifestyle, best illustrated by the many psychedelic and blues-influenced rock bands of the time period. With her dynamic, gritty vocal performances, Janis Joplin became an icon that set the bar higher for rock vocalists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bld_-7gzJ-o
Through the ’70s and ’80s, rock branched out into a variety of subgenres, including new wave and punk. In the early ’80s, Chrissie Hynde formed the Pretenders, whose self-titled album produced a number of hits that are still representative of that style and era of rock.