100 MOST ESSENTIAL WOMEN IN ROCK / POP MUSIC. 
This post: #20- 11. Concludes next week.

Caffé Latté presents: The  100 MOST ESSENTIAL WOMEN in POP/ROCK MUSIC The history of rock music is dominated by males: Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones and countless other men. This countdown tells the rest of the story, highlighting the 100 female acts –soloists and groups- that have had a major influence on the evolution of rock & pop music.

- 20 - DEBORAH HARRY American lead singer of new wave band Blondie. She sang lead vocals on the group's groundbreaking songs such as “Rapture”, “Heart Of Glass”, “Atomic” and “Call Me”. Deborah Harry also enjoyed solo success. O✚ - 19 - ROBERTA FLACK American female singer/ songwriter whose recordings fused soul, gospel, jazz, pop, adult contemporary and folk into a uniquely captivating vocal approach. O✚ - 18 - FRIDA LYNGSTAD Often wrongly derided as cheesy bubblegum pop, ABBA’s songs revealed –upon closer scrutiny- faultless and intricate vocal skill. Norwegian-born Frida Lyngstad delivered outstanding lead vocals on the group’s songs such as “Fernando”, “I Wonder (Departure)”, “I Let The Music Speak”, “Money Money Money” and “Our Last Summer”. O✚ - 17 - KATE BUSH English singer / songwriter whose debut album ‘The Kick Inside’ still impresses to this day. Kate Bush inhabits a world of her own, with an unparalleled imagination. Among her best compositions are: “The Man With The Child In His Eyes”, “Army Dreamers”, “Oh To Be In Love”, “Babooshka”, “The Sensual World” and “Running Up That Hill”. O✚ - 16 - BEYONCE` Drawing from the past, American superstar Beyoncé evokes memories of the gift possessed by Diana Ross and Whitney Houston while simultaneously establishing her own undeniable influence on women in music today. Beyoncé’s talent soon left the other Destiny’s Child members in her shadow. As a soloist she has frequently changed the rules. O✚ - 15 - TINA TURNER Tina Turner overshadowed her then abusive husband Ike Turner before she made her escape from the toxic relationship. American powerhouse Tina re-emerged in the 1980s as a strong and confident performer, serving a string of hits that included: “Let’s Stay Together”, “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, “The Best”, “Better Be Good To Me”, “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and “Private Dancer”. O✚ - 14 - NINA SIMONE American jazz legend who paved the way for artists such as Roberta Flack, Erykah Badu, Anita Baker, Sade and Jill Scott. Nina Simone also served up some of the most empowering civil rights anthems including: “To Be Young, Gifted And Black”, “Mississippi Goddam” and “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. O✚ - 13 - RUTH BROWN Long before Aretha Franklin arrived at Atlantic Records, the label had thrived thanks largely to the string of R&B chart achievements of American R&B/ jazz and blues vocalist Ruth Brown. The influential label was often referred to as ‘the house that Ruth built’. O✚ - 12 - AGNETHA FALTSKOG The female members of ABBA may have made their singing sound easy, but anyone tackling a song by the Swedish group soon discovered the depth of their abilities and range. Agnetha Faltskog in particular could deliver a breathtaking vocal. What made her stand out more as a singer was the drama and emotion she injected into pop gems such as “The Winner Takes It All”, “The Day Before You Came”, “S.O.S.”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and “Chiquitita”. O✚ - 11 - PATSY CLINE No woman has influenced country music to the same extent as Patsy Cline. There are countless singers that have followed in her wake, including: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, K.D. Lang, Linda Ronstadt, Tammy Wynette and LeAnn Rimes. O✚