Today (May 13), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland launches a major exhibit entitled Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, devoted to women and their contributions to the world of rock music over the years.
The exhibit will feature artefacts, videos, and listening stations featuring women who made it big in a male-dominated profession.
The idea for the exhibit finally became reality after Cindy Lauper visited last year and watched a film about the roots of rock. The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun hitmaker felt the movie was too male-dominated and wondered where the female artists were.
Rock is indeed a man’s world. Nine percent of museum inductees are women, reflecting the rock industry and its macho culture.
Since rock was "invented by men to get girls," as Heart member Ann Wilson puts it, female artists struggled to find their place in the industry.
Talking about the intense pressure for female artists to play up their sexuality, singer-songwriter Liz Phair noted, "There was a moment when the cool girls were kicking ass and taking names. And right now it’s the hot girl. I’m happy, personally, as long as our numbers are up."
Organized chronologically, from the 1920s Suffragettes to Juke-Joint Mamas up to the present day Ladies First: The ‘90s and the New Millenium, more than 60 female artists will be featured. From Billie Holiday and Brenda Lee, to Patti Smith, Joan Jett, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, the exhibit, which runs until February 26, 2012, pays tribute to a diverse roster of artists across many musical genres.