by Kris Smith

An article on “The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women” was published last month. Despite describing itself as only “the start of a new conversation” and containing some brilliant music, any selection declaring itself “the greatest” is asking for trouble when it regurgitates so many tired old choices while leaving so much out. One response was this list: which brought the total up to 300 albums but this time with no explanations.

Not wishing to spend any more time in their musical middle-of-the-road, here’s our selection of 201 LOUD WOMEN-endorsed albums from the last 50+ years which aren’t on either aforementioned list (though some of the same artists reappear). One album only per artist (which makes for a tough choice with the likes of PJ Harvey) and of course this is still just a small part of the story, so look out for part 2 coming soon-ish!

Who and what have we missed? In future editions of the zine we’ll be running a LOUD WOMEN Classic Album feature in which musicians and fans nominate one of their fav albums by a female artist and tell us why. Want to contribute? Get in touch!

Nina Simone – Pastel Blues (1965)

Etta James – Tell Mama (1968)

Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing (1969)

Marlena Shaw – The Spice of Life (1969)

Nico – Desertshore (1970)

Staple Singers – Staple Swingers (1971)

Esther Phillips – From a Whisper to a Scream (1971)

Lyn Collins – Think (About It) (1972)

Betty Davis – Betty Davis (1973)

Yoko Ono – Approximately Infinite Universe (1973)

Labelle – Pressure Cookin’ (1973)

Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand the Rain (1974)

Millie Jackson – Caught Up (1974)

Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark (1974)

Pointer Sisters – Steppin’ (1975)

Patti Smith Group – Radio Ethiopia (1976)

Lene Lovich – Stateless (1978)

Chaka Khan – Chaka (1978)

Essential Logic – Beat Rhythm News (1979)

Au Pairs – Playing With a Different Sex (1979)

Sister Sledge – We Are Family (1979)

Pauline Murray & the Invisible Girls (1980)

The Sequence – Sugarhill Presents The Sequence (1980)

Siouxie & the Banshees – Kaleidoscope (1980)

Mo-dettes – The Story So Far (1980)

Androids of Mu – Blood Robots (1980)

Pylon – Gyrate (1980)

The B52s – Wild Planet (1980)

Ludus – The Seduction (1981)

X – Wild Gift (1981)

Delta 5 – See the Whirl (1981)

Crass – Penis Envy (1981)

Y Pants – Beat It Down (1982)

Liliput – Liliput (1982)

Kate Bush – The Dreaming (1982)

The Dance – Soul Force (1982)

Yazoo – Upstairs At Eric’s (1982)

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983)

Tappi Tikarass – Miranda (1983)

The Raincoats – Moving (1983)

The Gymslips – Rocking With the Renees (1983)

The Pandoras – It’s About Time (1984)

Delmonas – Dangerous Charms (1985)

Ut – Conviction (1985)

Shonen Knife – Pretty Little Baka Guy (1986)

Salt-n-Pepa – Hot, Cool and Vicious (1986)

Sinead O’Connor – The Lion and the Cobra (1987)

Danielle Dax – Inky Bloaters (1987)

Throwing Muses – House Tornado (1988)

Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good (1988)

MC Lyte – Lyte As a Rock (1988)

Darling Buds – Pop Said (1988)

Blake Babies – Earwig (1989)

Roxanne Shante – Bad Sister (1989)

Scrawl – Smallmouth (1989)

Kirsty MacColl – Kite (1989)

Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi (1989)

The Breeders – Pod (1990)

Fifth Column – All-Time Queen of the World (1990)

Ani DiFranco – Ani DiFranco (1990)

Monie Love – Down to Earth (1990)

Calamity Jane – Martha Jane Cannary (1991)

Queen Latifah – Nature of a Sista (1991)

Sister Souljah – 360 Degrees of Power (1992)

Silverfish – Organ Fan (1992)

Bratmobile – Pottymouth (1992)

The Gits – Frenching the Bully (1992)

Curve – Doppelganger (1992)

L7 – Bricks Are Heavy (1992)

Bjork – Debut (1993)

Huggy Bear – Our Troubled Youth (1993)

Spitboy – True Self Revealed (1993)  

Bikini Kill – Pussy Whipped (1994)

Heavens To Betsy – Calculated (1994)

7 Year Bitch – Viva Zapata (1994) 

Da Brat – Funkdafied (1994)

Mambo Taxi – In Love With (1994)

Tori Amos – Under the Pink (1994)

Skinned Teen – Bazooka Smooth (1994)

Slant 6 – Soda Pop Rip Off (1994)

Luscious Jackson – Natural Ingredients (1994)

Juliana Hatfield – Only Everything (1995)

Excuse 17 – Such Friends Are Dangerous (1995)

Elastica – Elastica (1995)

International Strike Force – Love Is (1995)

Emily’s Sassy Lime – Desperate, Scared but Not Social (1995)

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love (1995)

Team Dresch – Captain My Captain (1996)

Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)

Witchknot – Squawk (1996)

Total – Total (1996)

Ruby – Salt Peter (1996)

702 – No Doubt (1996)

Kenickie – At the Club (1996)

Aaliyah – One in a Million (1996)

Fugees – The Score (1996)

Coping Saw – Outside, Now! (1997)

Red Monkey – Make the Moment (1997)

Bis – The New Transistor Heroes (1997)

Lungleg – Maid to Minx (1997)

Bangs – Tiger Beat (1998)

Julie Ruin – Julie Ruin (1998)

Hole – Celebrity Skin (1998)

The Rondelles – Fiction Romance, Fast Machines (1998)

Le Tigre – Le Tigre (1999)

Wack Cat – That’s What My Girlfriend Says (1999)

The Butchies – Population 1975 (1999)

Third Sex – Back to Go (1999)

Angie Stone – Black Diamond (1999)

Kelis – Kaleidoscope (1999)

Sleater–Kinney – All Hands on the Bad One (2000)

Peaches – The Teaches of Peaches (2000)

Rah Digga – Dirty Harriet (2000)

Linus – Good Listener (2000)

Erase Errata – Other Animals (2001)

Eve – Scorpion (2001)

Sahara Hotnights – Jennie Bomb (2001)

Ursula Rucker – Supa Sister (2001)

Life Without Buildings – Any Other City (2001)

Missy Elliott – Under Construction (2002)

The Donnas – Spend the Night (2002)

Chicks On Speed – 99 Cents (2003)

The Distillers – Coral Fang (2003)

Gertrude – Up the Wrong Tree (2003)

The Bellrays – The Red, White and Black (2003)

 Alicia Keys – The Diary Of (2003)

Cat Power – You Are Free (2003)

The Organ – Grab That Gun (2004)

Estelle – The 18th Day (2004)

Shystie – Diamond in the Dirt (2004)

Jill Scott – Beautifully Human (2004)

Electrelane – The Power Out (2004)

M.I.A. – Arular (2005)

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – Naturally (2005)

Scout Niblett – Kidnapped by Neptune (2005)

Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control (2006)

Partyline – Zombie Terrorist (2006)

CSS – Cansei de Ser Sexy (2006)

Shoplifting – Body Stories (2006)

Finally Punk – Finally Punk (2006)

Bettye Lavette – Scene of the Crime (2007)

Bat For Lashes – Fur and Gold (2007)

New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom (2007)

Roisin Murphy – Overpowered (2007)

New Bloods – Secret Life (2008)

Love Is All – A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night (2008)

Those Dancing Days – In Our Space Hero Suits (2008)

Wetdog – Frauhaus (2009)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz (2009)

The Plastiscines – About Love (2009)

Pariah Piranha – People People (2009)

Brilliant Colors – Introducing (2009)

Spinnerette – Spinnerette (2009)

The Brownies – Our Knife Your Back (2009)

White Lung – It’s The Evil (2010)

Plug – Plug (2010)

Envy – Set Yourself On Fire (2010)

Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be (2010)

Screaming Females – Castle Talk (2010)

Ana Tijoux – 1977 (2010)

Warpaint – The Fool (2010)

Vivian Girls – Share the Joy (2010)

Something Beginning With L – Beautiful Ground (2011)

Grace Petrie – Mark My Words (2011)

Maria and the Gay – Greatest Hits, Volume 1 (2011)

Le Butcherettes – Sin Sin Sin (2011)

Joy Formidable – The Big Roar (2011)

The Coathangers – Larceny and Old Lace (2011)

Las Kellies – Las Kellies (2011)

MEN – Talk About Body (2011)

Pettybone – From Desperate Times Comes Radical Minds (2011)

Hysterical Injury – Dead Wolf Situation (2012)

Shrag – Canines (2012)

Colour Me Wednesday – I Thought It Was Morning (2013)

Marnie Stern – The Chronicles of Marnia (2013)

St. Vincent – St. Vincent (2013)

Tunabunny – Genius Fatigue (2013)

Cate Le Bon – Mug Museum (2013)

Kitten Forever – Pressure (2013)

Halo Halo – Halo Halo (2013)

Lizzo – Lizzobangers (2013)

Lorde – Pure Heroine (2013)

Good Throb – Fuck Off (2014)

Trash Kit – Confidence (2014)

Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence (2014)

The Wharves – At Bay (2014)

Los Cripis – Long Play (2014)

NOTS – NOTS (2015)

Sharkmuffin – Chartreuse (2015)

The Stops – Nameless Faces (2015)

Junglepussy – Pregnant with Success (2015)

Downtown Boys – Full Communism (2015)

Ivy Sole – Eden (2016)

Deux Furieuses – Tracks Of Wire (2016)

Lithics – Borrowed Floors (2016)

Bleached – Welcome the Worms (2016)

Witching Waves – Crystal Cafe (2016)

Crumbs – Mind Yr Manners (2017)

Cherry Glazerrr – Apocalypstik (2017)

The Franklys – Are You Listening  (2017)

Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator (2017)