Rocking the Status Quo: A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Songwriting in Classic Rock
Research or Creativity Area
Conservatory of Music
Abstract
During an interview for The New York Times regarding his book The Masters, Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone, commented that the reason his book mentioned no female rock performers was because “none of them were as articulate enough on [an] intellectual level”. Wenner's book included interviews of classic rock icons such as Lennon, Dylan, Springsteen and others. Wenner further defended his comment, using Joni Mitchell as an example, saying that she “was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll” and that the “people [he] interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock.”
While no one can deny the monumental impact that male performers have had on rock music, female performers have made significant contributions to the genre while being ignored. This is unsurprising, as rock music has long been perceived as a male-dominated genre, with little room for female performers. This project analyzes the topics discussed in the music written by female rock musicians, such as Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Grace Slick, in the classic rock era in comparison to their male counterparts. The research also serves as a response to Wenner’s comment telling readers to “look at what Pete Townshend was writing about [...], or any of them. They were deep things about a particular generation, [spirit and] attitude about rock ’n’ roll. Not that the others weren’t, but these were the ones that could really articulate it.”
By analyzing the content of their works, this research served as a challenge to see if women were truly at the level of their male counterparts and deserved the same recognition. By comparing the lyrical content of songs written by female performers with male performers, consumers of rock music can better understand the monumental impact that female performers have had on the literature of rock music.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Room 211
Start Date
27-4-2024 11:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 11:45 AM
Rocking the Status Quo: A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Songwriting in Classic Rock
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Room 211
During an interview for The New York Times regarding his book The Masters, Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone, commented that the reason his book mentioned no female rock performers was because “none of them were as articulate enough on [an] intellectual level”. Wenner's book included interviews of classic rock icons such as Lennon, Dylan, Springsteen and others. Wenner further defended his comment, using Joni Mitchell as an example, saying that she “was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll” and that the “people [he] interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock.”
While no one can deny the monumental impact that male performers have had on rock music, female performers have made significant contributions to the genre while being ignored. This is unsurprising, as rock music has long been perceived as a male-dominated genre, with little room for female performers. This project analyzes the topics discussed in the music written by female rock musicians, such as Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Grace Slick, in the classic rock era in comparison to their male counterparts. The research also serves as a response to Wenner’s comment telling readers to “look at what Pete Townshend was writing about [...], or any of them. They were deep things about a particular generation, [spirit and] attitude about rock ’n’ roll. Not that the others weren’t, but these were the ones that could really articulate it.”
By analyzing the content of their works, this research served as a challenge to see if women were truly at the level of their male counterparts and deserved the same recognition. By comparing the lyrical content of songs written by female performers with male performers, consumers of rock music can better understand the monumental impact that female performers have had on the literature of rock music.
