15 Female Rock Singers of the 2000s You’ll Love
While rock n’ roll often gets unfairly dismissed as something of a “boy’s club,” women have been flying the rock flag since the genre’s inception nearly seventy years ago. Rock has always been a cultural melting pot, and in this list we’ll explore 15 female rock singers of the 2000s who are helping keep rock alive.
The Best Female Rock Singers of the 2000s
One of the biggest female rock singers of the 2000s is Hayley Williams, who has scored numerous hit songs with her band Paramore. Actress Tayor Momsen is the frontwoman for The Pretty Reckless, a group bringing back the grunge sound of the 90s. In the metal world, Stacey Savage of Savage Master has a stunning set of pipes.
1. Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams is the spunky frontwoman of 2000s pop punk icons Paramore. Hayley is not an opera singer by any means, but her raw passion and unmistakable attitude helps set Paramore apart from their peers. She also cites a variety of influences, from Motown to Radiohead to Bjork.
Favorite Song by Hayley Williams: “Decode” is a song I’ve always been partial to. It’s one of the moodier Paramore tracks, written for the Twilight soundtrack but more memorable than its competition.
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2. Angela Gossow
While Swedish melodic death metal group Arch Enemy initially had standard male death metal vocals, Angela Gossow took over the reins in the early 2000’s and helped elevate the band to stardom in the metal community. Gossow can sing melodic clean vocals and harsh, brutal metal vocals in the same breath.
Favorite Song by Angela Gossow: “Dead Eyes See No Future” is an awesome track from Arch Enemy’s 2003 Anthems of Rebellion. This is solid, no frills death metal.
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3. Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Scabbia has fronted Lacuna Coil for nearly three decades, writing glossy and goth-influenced metal that appeals to both a mainstream audience and metalheads alike. She’s clearly been accepted as a major player in the field, considering her popular duet with Megadeth’s legendary Dave Mustaine.
Favorite Song by Cristina Scabbia: “Enjoy the Silence” closes out Lacuna Coil’s Karmacode album. Cristina puts a unique and engaging spin on this Depeche Mode classic.
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4. Amy Lee
It’s hard to discuss female rock singers of the 2000s without mentioning Amy Lee of Evanescence. She was an inspiration to many in the early to mid-2000s with her powerful voice and stage presence, and she collaborated with many of the biggest names in rock, such as Korn.
Favorite Song by Amy Lee: “Bring Me to Life” is Amy Lee’s most iconic track, a goth-infused hit that put Evanescence on the map back in 2003.
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5. Stacey Savage
Savage Master have made a name for themselves in the heavy metal underground. Savage’s banshee vocal range and captivating stage presence are a sight to behold, and her band keeps the heavy metal and speed metal traditions of the 1980s alive in the modern era.
Favorite Song by Stacey Savage: “With Whips and Chains” is a killer heavy metal anthem that virtually acts as a time machine for the listener. Fans of old school metal will enjoy Savage Master’s take on it.
6. Fernanda Lira
This Brazilian metaller got her start with thrash group Nervosa before tackling the death metal world with her all-female group Crypta. Lira is obviously a go-getter with a passion for metal, acting as the vocalist, bassist, and chief songwriter for all her musical projects. Crypta offer an especially unique spin on old school Florida-style death metal.
Favorite Song by Fernanda Lira: “Starvation” is a brutal track by Lira’s group Crypta. This is old school death metal in the style of Florida titans like Morbid Angel, and Lira can growl and shriek as well as any man.
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7. Brett Anderson
While Brett Anderson hasn’t done much since The Donnas split in 2012, she was the vocalist on the band’s best material. The Donnas, especially on their 2002 Spend the Night album, took clear inspiration from bands like The Runaways, Joan Jett, and Bikini Kill, offering a fun and raunchy rock n’ roll experience that stood out amidst the nu-metal and pop of the era.
Favorite Song by Brett Anderson: “Take It Off” is a simple, fist-in-the-air, power-pop rock song, and it’s one you might’ve heard if you don’t realize it—it’s been used in movies, TV, and more. The sexual innuendos are intentional, reminiscent of AC/DC at their dirtiest.
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8. Karen O
The garage rock revival was in full force in 2003, ushered in by bands like White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines, and more. Karen O and her band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, offered a sexier, dirtier, female perspective on this movement. She mixes elements of punk, garage rock, soul, and more.
Favorite Song by Karen O: “Date with The Night” is a killer track from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2003 debut Fever to Tell. Personally, I don’t think the band ever topped this album, which offered a fresh take on punk rock and garage rock.
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9. Kayla Dixon
Kayla Dixon is the woman who sings for Witch Mountain, a band that take strong inspiration from the doomy, slow-paced riff styles of bands like Black Sabbath and Sleep. Kayla is an African American woman in a genre largely dominated by white men, and she certainly leaves her mark with her soulful, dynamic vocals.
Favorite Song by Kayla Dixon: “Hellfire” is the most compact track on Witch Mountain’s 2018 self-titled release. While I love the lumbering doom of the other tracks, “Hellfire” provides a respite for the listener. It’s not a metal song at all, but Dixon’s eerie vocals add a layer of darkness and mystique.
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10. Dorthia Cottrell
Dorthia Cottrell is another female vocalist making her way in the doom and stoner metal subgenre, again writing long, slow, and heavy tunes influenced by Black Sabbath. What makes Cottrell’s band Windhand stand out is the unmistakable influence of Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick on her vocals. This adds an element of 60’s psychedelia and soulfulness to the band’s music.
Favorite Song by Dorthia Cottrell: “Winter Sun” is an epic, plodding, twelve-minute jam from Windhand’s self-titled 2012 release. I don’t think this type of music is for everybody, but fans of bands like Sabbath will find a lot to dig here.
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11. Avril Lavigne
Possibly the most famous female rock singer of her early 2000’s heyday, Avril Lavigne had an interesting aesthetic and variety of influences that endeared her to a variety of listening groups. Her music had pop hooks and punk rock chords, occasionally drawing in influences from groups like Hole and Nirvana as well.
Favorite Song by Avril Lavigne: “Girlfriend” is essentially a bubblegum pop track from the 50’s or 60’s– think of the old school “girl groups” of the Phil Spector era—dressed up in a punk rock, power pop package. It’s an infectiously catchy hit you likely heard if you were alive in the late 2000’s.
12. Maria Brink
Maria Brink is the founder and lead singer of gothic and alternative metal group In This Moment since the group’s inception in 2005. In This Moment are like others on this list like Lacuna Coil who have managed to maintain a mainstream audience while also appealing to the underground from which they came.
Favorite Song by Maria Brink: “Adrenalize” is a solid metal song that manages to blend old school guitar riffing with a new school, modernized sound. The music video is also worth a watch, as Brink has a captivating presence.
13. Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen is an interesting case. She got her start as a child actress, most known for her role in the hit show Gossip Girl. Turns out her passions were elsewhere, as she used her income to fund her grunge and riot-girl influenced rock group The Pretty Reckless. Momsen has a stage presence that evokes Courtney Love and Debbie Harry.
Favorite Song by Taylor Momsen: “Light Me Up” is the title track of The Pretty Reckless’s debut album, and I can’t figure out why it wasn’t the single. It’s a catchy, no frills rock n’ roll song, and it’s the title of the record. The whole album is a fun throwback.
14. Amy Taylor
One of the more recent singers on this list, Amy Taylor is the mastermind and front woman of Amyl and the Sniffers, an Australian punk rock group that have been making waves in the underground.
Amy has clearly studied the great figures of rock n’ roll—watching her on stage you’ll be reminded of everyone from Bon Scott to Iggy Pop, and her band clearly takes some cues from the Ramones.
Favorite Song by Amy Taylor: “Punisha” is bare bones, simplistic, raw. And Amyl and her Sniffers waste no time here, since this track isn’t even two minutes. Yet you’ll immediately want to hear it again. Maybe other newcomers should take a few cues from this lesson in economic songwriting.
15. Simone Simons
“Symphonic metal” can often be a hard sell for people who aren’t already drawn in by the fantasy-inspired, over-the-top world it inhabits. This is metal that conjures up images of sitting in your basement dressed up like a wizard, taking turns rolling dice with your friends.
If that’s appealing to you as it is to me, check out Epica. Their name sums it up—this is epic, grandiose music, filled with shred guitar, classical keyboards, and the operatic and soaring vocals of Simone Simons.
Favorite Song by Simone Simons: “The Divine Conspiracy” is the 14-minute progressive rock-inspired epic that closes out Epica’s 2007 album of the same name. Fans of bands like Kamelot, Nightwish, and Dream Theater will want to check this out right away.
Wrapping It Up
Well folks, there you have it! These are my picks for the best female rock singers of the 2000s! While some of these are no doubt names you’re already acquainted with, I encourage you to take a look at some of the lesser-known selections offered here as well. Women continue to innovate and produce quality rock music.
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This article was written by Amanda and edited by Michael.
