Black Women on the Soundtrack of History
Every genre of music that has flowed through the ears of Americans has black roots, or at least the faintest trace of a black creator's fingerprint. From rock to disco, ragtime to R&B and everything in between, the soundtrack of our history has been shaped and shared by the voices of black artists.
This month for Black Music Appreciation Month (but also every month), we recognize and appreciate the black females who have paved the way for creatives everywhere, from the 1920s to today. You can find an original playlist at the bottom of this article to listen to our picks of the best songs from the most influential black women in music.
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Mamie Smith
She may not be a household name, but Mamie Smith started it all. Born in 1883, She became the first black blues singer ever recorded. We owe ya, Mamie.
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Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith started out as a street performer before signing a deal with what later became Columbia Records in 1923. She was the most popular and highest-paid singer of her day, often recording music that touched on subjects of poverty, racism, and sexuality.
The racial issues she spoke about in her music ended up being the cause of her demise. In 1937, Smith was fatally injured in a car accident. Because of Jim Crow Laws, she was not allowed at the local white hospital and bled to death in the ambulance that tried to rush her across town. Her gravestone remained blank until 1970, when Janis Joplin and an old employee of Smith’s paid to have it engraved.
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Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey, although not the most successful artist of her time, became the first to successfully bridge the gap between vaudeville (cabaret-style shows that catered to white audiences), and authentic black southern expression. She’s known now as “Mother of the Blues.”
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Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday is arguably the greatest jazz singer of all time, but also earned space on the pop and R&B charts. Holiday was the first black singer to lead an all-white orchestra in 1938. Her most famous song “Strange Fruit,” based off of a poem about lynching, is still discussed and studied today. Recently, and perhaps just as famously, Kanye West used a sample of the song for "Blood on the Leaves," a track on Yeezus.
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Nina Simone
Nina Simone was the valedictorian of her high school and went on to study classical piano at The Juilliard School in New York, working towards her goal of becoming the first African American pianist. Her formal music training ended however, when she was denied a scholarship from The Curtis Institute of Music in Pennsylvania. “I was refused a scholarship because I was black,” said Simone in an interview in 1991. Simone still continued to sing and perform, blending jazz, folk, classical piano and blues for a totally unique sound. She became extremely active in the civil rights movement, and recorded several songs that became civil rights anthems, like “Mississippi Goddamn,” and “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black.”
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The Supremes
The Supremes, made up of Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross, formed in the Detroit housing projects in 1959. Just a few years later, they had a dozen no. 1 pop hits to their credit- more than any group at that time except The Beatles.
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Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul, as we know her, was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, opening the floodgates to women for years to come.
Tracy Chapman
Songs like those Tracy Chapman was singing in the 80s got people talking about the issues of the working class. She gave an incredibly strong voice to those who wanted to escape their troubles of living in a struggling community or broken home. She was someone who brought life to every day hardships like unemployment, domestic violence and mental health.
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Ms. Lauryn Hill
When hip hop was a confused genre, Lauryn Hill gave it direction. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill appealed to both the pop and hip hop world, and made the artist an icon. Ms. Hill made history at the 41st GRAMMY Awards in 1999 when she was the first hip-hop artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. She was also the first woman to take home five GRAMMY Awards in one night. This was a massive win for hip-hop and for women in music.
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Missy Elliott
Missy Elliot has constantly pushed the boundaries of Hip Hop, especially when the genre was soaked in misogyny. She pushed through a male dominated industry and became one of the biggest female rappers of all time. She was body positive, sex positive, and positively worth it and worked it and put her thang-down-flipped-it-and-reversed-it.
Santigold
Santigold not only paved the way as an artist herself, but also has a professional in the industry. Before Santigold became a known artist on her own, she had worked as an A&R rep, songwriter, and producer. For anyone who thinks you can’t do it all, refer them to Santigold.
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys was tackling Beethoven and Mozart at age 7, writing her own songs at 12, and a signed artist at 15. Keys has written songs with feminist themes since she first broke into the pop scene in 2001, and is constantly encouraging women though her music, actions and activism.
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Beyonce
Queen Bey is a cultural icon and figure of a generation, her music spanning over three decades long. We watched Beyonce and pop music evolve hand in hand as we worshiped her in venues, on t.v. and through our car speakers. She embraces her womanhood, sexuality, independence, and celebrates her black identity.
Rihanna
Rihanna is an influencer across all industries. Refinery29 calls her “a quintuple threat as a music artist, clothing designer, beauty maven, actress, and philanthropist.” Rihanna’s who-cares attitude when it comes to her image, weight, men, and drama makes her shine as a top notch class act in everything she does.
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Janelle Monae
Monae is a trailblazer in the entertainment industry and makes it known that her goals are not just to “succeed.” She won’t be put into any boxes created by the system, and you’re in for it if you think she’ll stand for anything close. She has always been an artist with a drive to express her sexuality and her blackness. Every song, every outfit, every performance has a message and she’ll make sure that message smacks you right between the eyes.
You can get a taste of each of these artists on the playlist below. Work with us to continue to support, respect, and protect black music.