Queens of Social Change: 13 Essential Records by Women Who Paved the Way

Socially conscious music has been changing the world for decades. And it all started with women.

It’s Women’s History Month, friends! (Whoot!)

One of our favorite months every year here at Ascent.

Centering women’s voices is a core commitment for us year round. 

Full stop.

But, since we’re in charge, we take the month of March every year to spin tunes by those who identify as women exclusively.

All women. All month long.

Socially-conscious music is our thing ‘round here, so we know this to be the truthiest truth:

Women are at the forefront of cultural change.

Always.

So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to the impact of music on social change, yet again, women have led the way. 

With anthems covering topics from racial injustice and inequality to women’s rights, contraception, war protest and the environment, we’re kicking off Women’s History Month celebrating these 13 legendary women, who were some of the first to give voice to the most critical social issues of our time.

1. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday

The first ever protest song was by a queer, Black woman, y’all. 

Deal with it.

In 1939, Billie Holiday recorded her seminal work, “Strange Fruit,” a harrowing outcry against lynching and racism. With what is widely considered to be the first culturally significant protest anthem, Holiday initiated a revolution: songs for social change.

A vivid and gruesome portrayal of black bodies as the “strange fruit” hanging from poplar trees, the song is a cultural landmark. In 1999, Time magazine named it the “Song of the Century,” for its cultural and historical significance. 

It’s in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2002, it was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

It’s not just a song, friends.

It’s the song.

As an anthem of resilience and a call to confront the painful truths of the past, fostering reflection in the ongoing struggle for racial equality, protest songs begin and end with Billie.

(And that gorgeous, haunting voice.)

2. You Don't Own Me - Leslie Gore

That time when a lesbian sang the timeless, feminist anthem that tells the boys what’s what.

Leslie Gore hit number TWO on the pop charts with “You Don’t Own Me” in 1964, a testament to the song’s popularity and how deeply its triumphant message of female independence and autonomy resonated with women upon its release. 

Don’t tell her what to do. (Or any other lady.)

Please and thank you.

While it was years later that Gore came out officially as a lesbian, the song remains to this day an iconic, cultural milestone for the queer community and feminists alike. 

Leslie’s syrupy, 60s pop-perfection delivery is full magic.

And we’re still obsessed.

3. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Nina Simone

There may be no other artist in the history of recorded music that understood their songs as a tool to address social issues more than Nina.

Nina said the words.

As a defining voice of the Civil Rights movement, she floated effortlessly between genres with razor sharp commentary.

She is beyond categorization.

Released in 1967, the rousing “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” became one of Nina’s many anthems to define the movement, conveying the innate human desire for freedom and right to self-expression.

A poignant, rallying cry, the song reverberates across generations, continuing its demand for equality and liberation in the face of oppression.

4. The Pill - Loretta Lynn

My body my choice. 

When Loretta dropped “The Pill” in 1975, she became 

A hero to women everywhere. 

A bold proclamation for women’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, the lyrics tell the story of a woman who decides to take control of her own family planning by using contraceptives - challenging traditional gender roles and speaking to the hardships of raising a large family.

Birth control is liberation.

While sparking great controversy at the time, the song was widely acclaimed for Loretta’s candid approach and unapologetic expression of women’s bodily autonomy.

A landmark moment in music, “The Pill” remains today a major milestone in the ongoing fight for women’s rights.

5. Respect - Aretha Franklin

It just doesn’t get any more iconic.

When the Queen of Soul got a hold of this Otis Redding tune, she became the first Black female to hit number one on the pop charts. 

Aretha set the world on fire.

Just a little bit.

A landmark achievement in the history of recorded music, Aretha walked away with two Grammys for Respect in 1968, and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for her powerful rendition.

As a defining symbol of empowerment in both the feminist and civil rights movements, Aretha’s soul-stirring performance is consistently ranked as one of the most important and influential songs of all time. Like Billie’s “Strange Fruit” above, “Respect” was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, recognizing its indelible cultural and historical impact.

Put some R-E-S-P-E-C-T on her name.

6. I Am Woman - Helen Reddy

“I am strong,

I am invincible,

I am woman.”

Helen is Women’s History 101…

…And her 1972 feminist hymn elevates women across the generations as a celebration of women’s strength and independence.

Reddy deservedly walked away with the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “I Am Woman” in ‘73, alongside a nomination for Song of the Year.

A symbol of female strength and solidarity, the song resonated widely, contributing to the broader social and cultural shifts of the time, and continues to this day to be celebrated as a cherished anthem for women’s rights and the feminist movement.

7. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton

Yea… It didn’t start with Elvis.

In 1952, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton - 

A badass, openly queer, Black woman - 

Released one of the quintessential songs that launched rock n’ roll.

With utter contempt and disregard for any and everything she was supposed to be,

Big Mama broke every rule and pushed every boundary, tearing down gender norms and all expectations of what women, and particularly Black women, were expected to be as she took command of her music, her image, and the stage, as a force to be reckoned with.

Big Mama’s “Hound Dog,” hits from the perspective of a powerful woman who is in command and is unwilling to put up with any bullshit from a lowlife, “hound dog” of a man who’s snoopin’ round her door. She sees through him. She’s not about to have it. And she’s letting him know about it. 

Obviously that wasn’t a song Elvis could sing.

(If you’d like a little more about Big Mama, click here to read our tribute to her from our Pride Song of the Day series.)

8. Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell

Joni says put away the DDT, and it gets banned two years later…

Coincidence? 

Perhaps. 

Is Joni a prophet though?

Oh, for sure. Because Joni speaks truth to power. And does so in gorgeously, eloquent verse.

The fearless golden songstress, poet laureate among an entire generation of singer-songwriters, brought us “Big Yellow Taxi,” in 1970, one of the celebrated tracks on her seminal Ladies of the Canyon.

Reflecting on environmental and urban development issues, the song expresses concern about the impact of human activities on nature. And in signature fashion, Joni is both whimsical and incredibly poignant at the same time.
 
More than 50 years later, it seems we still don’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone.

Give us spots on our apples.

But leave us the birds and the bees, please.

9. Color Him Father - Linda Martell

Lots of exciting buzz recently about Black Women in Country Music… and rightfully so!

(We’re here for it, Bey.)

But it all started with Linda.

In 1969, Linda Martell became the first Black woman to put a song on the Country charts with, “Color Him Father” - a landmark event in the history of country music, breaking through the genre's intense racial barriers.

She followed this up by becoming the first Black woman to perform on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, breaking those barriers even further down. 

And then in 1970, Martell released the first full length country album by a Black female artist, Color Me Country.

(Damn.) Talk about a pioneer…

In what was virtually an exclusively white industry, rife with racial prejudices and stereotypes, what Linda Martell accomplished - and endured - was profoundly heroic. Even after her triumphs, Martell would continue to encounter resistance and discrimination from both audiences and industry professionals as a Black woman. Tragically, with the lack of support, despite her talent and groundbreaking achievements, Linda struggled to gain widespread acceptance in the genre, and would ultimately step away from her career.

Despite her limited commercial success, Martell’s revolutionary place as the first Black woman in country music is celebrated among those who know her story, and cherished especially by the beautiful Black women in the industry who have followed in her footsteps (and continue her pioneering work in the country industry), such as Rissi Palmer, whose groundbreaking podcast, Color Me Country, is named after Martell’s legendary album.

10. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra

It’s the sass.

From that iconic baseline on up.

The song just drips with attitude and swagger.

Nancy has no time for it.

"Don’t keep “lyin’ when you oughtta be truthin.’

​Don’t keep “samin,’ when you oughtta be a changin.’” ​

Boots aren’t just sexy. Boots are power. Boots mean business. Boots aren’t messing around. And in this legendary anthem of female empowerment, Nancy is makin’ it clear: 

Boys, if you don’t get your shit together, the boots are gonna walk all over you.

Released in 1966, alongside the rise of the feminist movement, and conveying such a confident sense of strength and independence, it’s abundantly clear to us how Nancy and her 60s pop-perfection classic became a symbolic and enduring anthem in the ongoing fight for women’s liberation across the generations. 

“Are you ready boots? Start walkin’…”

11. I Should Be Proud - Martha Reeves and The Vandellas

It all started with “Dancing in the Street,”

…the song by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas that many claim started the wave of socially conscious anthems to come out of Motown in the late 60s and early 70s.

But while the danceable, political undertones of “Dancing in the Street” came through subtly, in 1969 Martha and the gals dropped a straight-up anti-war protest jam with, “I Should Be Proud.”

While the tune didn’t make a lot of noise commercially upon release, it stands right alongside any Motown anthem calling out the ills of society and racial injustice that Marvin, Stevie or the Temptations would go on to put out.

Martha sings of her beloved Johnny who has been shipped off to Vietnam and is lost in combat. She’s got everyone comin’ at her about how she “should be proud,” how those who are “too blind to see” what’s real want to tell her he was “fighting for” her. And then she hits with:

“But he wasn't fighting for me, 
My Johnny didn't have to fight for me,
He was fighting for the evils of society.”

Martha was telling everyone about it.

Young Black men being sent off to war to kill and die for a country that’s murdering them in their own streets.

What freedom?

Martha speaks plainly. Johnny was a “victim of the evils of society.”

12. Just Because I'm A Woman - Dolly Parton

It’s Dolly.

It doesn’t matter the question. 

If your question begins with, “who was the first woman in country to…”

It’s Dolly. Always.

Dolly is the First Lady of Country.

…Actually, Dolly just is country. She’s all of the things. 

When Dolly dropped “Just Because I’m A Woman,” she put feminism front and center, and traditional gender roles on trial - which, of course, were found guilty as charged.

No more double standards. No more imposed expectations. 

The groundbreaking song joined in chorus with the likes Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, who, alongside Dolly in the mid 60s, had begun to challenge the conservative norms within country. Since that time, the song has become an anthem, empowering the generations of beautiful and strong women who have followed in Dolly’s footsteps, paving the way for country music to be utilized as a platform to discuss women’s rights and social change.

“Just Because I’m A Woman,” was not simply a musical triumph for Dolly - though it was most certainly that. It was - and remains - a cultural landmark in the evolution of country’s music’s themes and social consciousness.

13. I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan

The African philosophy of ubuntu says, “I am because we are.”

The interconnectedness of all humankind.

When Chaka Khan delivered the spirited “I’m Every Woman” in 1978, the world was forever changed - especially for women.

“It’s all in me,” Chaka declared. 

All of it. 

The power, beauty, the royalty of the feminine… it resides in Chaka because it resides in all womankind. 

If there is an anthem that draws women together more comprehensively in unity and solidarity with one another, we’re just not sure what it is. 

Chaka’s soaring vocal over the irresistibly danceable disco beat was not simply a timeless, smash single.

It resonated and tapped into the very essence and glory of women, everywhere, all time.

“Don’t bother to compare, ‘cause

I’ve got it…”

The impact and influence of Chaka’s triumph has only continued to deepen and grow over the years. And if you need any further convincing, take a minute to watch this clip from the 2021 Newport Folk Festival from her Facebook profile - where the ageless wonder Chaka was invited to the stage as a surprise guest of the gorgeous and prolific Allison Russell, and absolutely sets the place on fire.

All of The Women

These 13 ladies are the heroes.

It’s all in them.

Utilizing their voices to amplify all of the causes, from their day to our own, they have made an indelible impact, inspiring real hope and change in the world through the power of song.

In honor of their legacy, we’re spinning these goddesses on the regular all month.

Joining them are hundreds of the gorgeous women who walked alongside them and have followed in their footsteps, as a part of our month-long celebration of Women’s History. 

All women. All month long!

Let us know what YOUR essential Women’s History Month jams are in the comments below - We’re adding new music to the library all the time!

Let’s radio together.

To listen along with us this month, click here to access our web player. Or download the FREE Ascent Radio App (available in both the Apple and Android stores) today!

Ascent is handcrafted radio at the intersection of great music and social change.

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