kt007

I have this project, where the topic is Women Leaders, so I chose to do women leaders in Rock music.
I'm comparing 3 female artists, each, to a male artist of their time/era (playing the same genre, so its all equal). Then, on a certain basis, I'll compare and determine whether the females have made as equal, or even greater, contributions to rock music, than the males (thus, going against popular belief).

Now, I need some help regarding the male-counterparts. I've posted the pairings based on research and what I think below:

Patti Smith - Lou Reed
Joan Jett - Bruce Springsteen
Janis Joplin - Jim Morrison

Now I don't know whether the comparisons will make you aghast, or whatever, but please, comment away.

Trollheart

Joplin, fair enough, though I don't like her music: she's certainly considered an innovator and a leader. But Patti Smith and Joan Jett? Nah, I would have gone for Kate Bush, maybe Suzi Quatro or even Tina Turner. You should be looking for huge figures in the music world, who changed the way women are/were perceived within that business. Smith and Jett don't say that for me, not at all.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

blastingas10

Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin for sure

cledussnow

Joni Mitchell had an HUGE impact on SO MANY.
Led Zeppelin certainly and countless others as well.

kt007

Well I clearly have a lot more to discover about music, but that's why I'm loving the process of this project.

Ok so I did some more listening and research, and I do agree with you guys.
Definitely considering Joni Mitchell and Suzi Quatro. When it comes to personal style, influence, and impact, these guys have definitely done it.
So who do you think would be the most suitable male-counterparts for them?

cledussnow

Joni Mitchell male counterpoint?

Maybe Tim Buckley or James Taylor?

Perhaps any of the CSNY guys (David Crosby [who "discovered" her], Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young).

More folksy like her? Perhaps Bert Jansch or John Renbourn.

Bob Dylan (although SHE wouldn't consider herself ANYTHING like him).



Just a bit more history, Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" is partly about her.
These two lines especially:

Someone told me there's a girl out there
with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.

To find a queen without a king,
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings... la la la



Sounds like a super fun project and I wish you luck.

William Zanzinger

You took Joni`s male counterparts out of my mouth.

Never knew that about "Going to California"-and am a big Zep fan.(Not doubting you, BTW).
I personally agree with the Patti Smith/Lou Reed analogy.
How about Joan Baez and Cliff Richard?
(Sorry Joan-only joshing!)

Trollheart

I think in a way your whole process is fundamentally flawed though.

You're picking female artistes who contributed a lot to music (which is fine, many did) and then trying to compare them to male counterparts. But men have been making waves in music as far back as Mozart, when music was a totally male-dominated business. Even the early blues, jazz, rock and roll, all a very high percentage male. It was only relatively recently that women started getting the proper recognition they deserve.

Of course, you have the trailblazers --- Billie Holliday, Eartha Kitt, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Aretha, Dionne and so on --- but mostly they worked AS trailblazers, alone (almost) in a man's world.

So to try to compare the two: well, you could say, ostensibly, that Suzi Q made as big a contribution to rock as Rory Gallagher or Jimi Hendrix, but how do you make a proper comparison when the playing field, so to speak, is nowhere near level?

These thoughts came to me when I considered who Suzi's counterpart would be, and I could think of dozens, but none that really fit.

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