Riot Grrrl is a music movement that originated in the early 1990’s in the Pacific Northwest that empowered women in punk. Some of the most notable bands that came out of this movement were Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Bratmobile, and Heavens to Betsy. Though the movement was considered dead by the end of the decade, its legacy lives on in modern punk today.

What makes Riot Grrrl so unique is that the music isn’t necessarily the main focus. The music is simply an outlet to spread messages that might not be able to be said in other ways. Politics, anti-establishment, and pure rage are the main themes you’ll find when exploring this genre. It gave women a platform to be loud and angry, something that women were not allowed to be at the time. Even now, women are compartmentalized based on stereotypes. This is what makes feminist punk music so profound both when it started all the way to the present. Here are some of the best Riot Grrrl bands throughout the years:

1. Bikini Kill/ Kathleen Hanna

You cannot talk about Riot Grrrl without talking about its creator Kathleen Hanna. Kathleen is the vocalist of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, famous for her amazing voice and lyrics. She is the original feminist punk singer who changed the genre forever. When asked why she started Bikini Kill, she replied: “I wanted to have fun, travel and use music to spread feminist theory.” ‘Rebel Girl’ and ‘Double Dare Ya’ are arguably some of the best punk songs of all time. When she played shows, she would invite all of the women to the front of the stage.

While punk shows can be a positive environment, they can be dangerous for women as a lot of the shows are full of aggressive crowds (typically male dominated) thrashing themselves around with no regard for anyone around them. By bringing the girls to the front, they are not only safe from the moshpit, but sexual harassment is less likely to happen as well. After Kathleen retired from Le Tigre, her fans feared she may not return to music again. Their anxiety ended when she re-debuted with her current band, ‘The Julie Ruin’. She made herself abundantly clear that feminism is not about being superior to men, but that people can all coexist with respect for all genders.

2. Amyl and the Sniffers/ Amy Taylor

Amy Taylor is an icon that we didn’t know we needed. Amyl and the Sniffers are an Australian band that have gained traction in the punk scene with their 2024 release, ‘Cartoon Darkness’. Their music is loud and unapologetic just like their lead singer Amy. Her revealing style earned her a lot of attention, for better and for worse. Despite this, Amy remained undeterred. She expresses her feelings about the criticism in their song ‘Tiny Bikini’. When asked about what the song means to her, she told Paper magazine: “My small victory is how I dress and what I wear. It’s my way of carving out my feminine space. I’m gonna wear these micro-shorts and this tiny bikini and make my hair all big. That’s a small victory, I get to express my femininity. Femininity is a strength and not a weakness.”

Her positive attitude defies the belief that punk has to be angry all of the time. People don’t feel just one emotion, so why should punk music be that limited? The topics of their songs range from living in the moment, love, struggles in our world, and so much more. Amy continues to push boundaries that women have been confined by for years, making her one of the most pivotal punk rockers roday.

3. Red Aunts

A lesser known band originating from California in 1991, the Red Aunts were a fusion of grunge and hardcore punk. They were an all female quartet that rode out the 90’s California Punk Revival movement.  What makes them different from other bands on this list is that they were not explicitly feminist or really political at all. They were just 3 girls who wanted to rock out without worrying whether or not they lived up to the male standard of what music should be. Led by Terri Wahl, the band was active from 1993 to 1998 when the band broke up due to artistic differences. The girls started with no musical training at all, developing their skills as they went.

Their debut album “Drag” put them on the map, “Lethal Lolita” being their most popular hit. Their style was raw, witty, and imperfect in the best way. Similar to part of Amyl and the Sniffers’ discography, a lot of Red Aunt’s music was less political. Their songs were fun and uncomplicated, another factor that made them stand out in the punk community. They focused on making their music sound catchy rather than writing lyrics with deep meaning.  “We always gravitate to unusual time signatures. None of us were formally trained as musicians, so we just felt it out and played what sounded good to us. We, of course, hope that it sounds good to the audience, but actually, we don’t care.” Debi Martini, the vocalist and bassist of the band, told Westword Magazine. As of 2019, Martini passed away. She will always be remembered for her contribution to the Riot Grrl genre.

4. The Linda Linda’s

“Our thoughts and opinions could matter to people, and that means we can play shows around the world and make a difference.” The Linda Linda’s said in an interview. They didn’t know at the time just how many people their music would reach. The Linda Linda’s started making music in 2018 when all of the members were only teenagers; with ages ranging from only 11 to 17 years old. The band blew up 2 years later for their single “Racist, sexist boy” which called out the harassment they faced as Asian women in America. The song was so special to people because it called out the problems that are experienced so often but are almost never talked about.

They opened for Kathleen Hanna’s Bikini Kill reunion tour in 2019, boosting their success by the masses. While the original Riot Grrrl movement was progressive in many ways, it was a movement that was mainly populated by white women. The exclusion of people of color in punk music in general is undeniable, and something that The Linda Linda’s are working hard to change. The Linda Linda’s made history by being an all asian Riot Grrrl band that achieved such a high level of popularity and respect in the music industry. Recently, they opened for Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Rancid on Green Day’s “The Saviors Tour.” They are still young and give modern punk music a promising future to look forward to.