Greatest Women in Rock Music

Shirley Manson grabbed the attention of the rock work as the lead singer for Garbage, who had a string of hits in the latter half of the 1990s. The band went on hiatus after releasing their fourth album, 2005's Bleed Like Me, which opened the door for Manson to do some acting, appearing on the short-lived TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. However, Garbage reunited to release their dynamite 2012 effort, Not Your Kind of People.

Essential Song: "#1 Crush" (Purchase/Download)

Alison Mosshart is the singer for the British postpunk duo the Kills, but her profile grew significantly when she teamed up with Jack White to form the Dead Weather, a bruising garage-rock quartet that put out their first album, Horehound, in 2009. As the vocalist for the Dead Weather, she adds a sensual, scary undercurrent to the band's raw songs.

Essential Song: "Treat Me Like Your Mother" (Purchase/Download)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O has ably guided her band since the early 2000s, becoming the face of the New York trio's intense, dramatic indie-punk songs. With her severe haircut and commanding presence, she's an intimidating force, but just as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have segued from rock to New Wave over their career, so has she easily transitioned from heartsick to raging in her vocals.

Essential Song: "Maps" (Purchase/Download)

Before Liz Phair came onto the scene in the early '90s, indie-rock was a male-dominated field. But after her debut, Exile in Guyville, a frank and astounding collection of sexually-charged songs, Phair became an unofficial spokesperson for all the female singer-songwriters who wanted to speak honestly about relationships and insecurities. Her career has found her evolving over time, exploiting her come-hither demeanor while at the same time addressing issues of motherhood and divorce.

Essential Song: "Supernova" (Purchase/Download)

Granted, they split up after their last album, 2005's The Woods, but Sleater-Kinney's legacy still looms large. This indie-rock trio, led by guitarist-vocalists Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, tackled celebrity, feminism, suicide, and the struggles of being women in a male-dominated rock world. But over the span of a 10-year career, they rock-and-rolled as ferociously as anyone, raising the bar for the competition, whether male or female.

Essential Song: "You're No Rock N' Roll Fun" (Purchase/Download)

She may speak less than her bandmate Jack White, but White Stripes drummer Meg White was an absolutely crucial component in the duo's combustive garage-rock. Serving as the rhythmic backbone for Jack's songs -- and also being his muse on the band's early albums -- Meg has long since silenced the doubters who questioned her skills behind the kit. (Plus, she's a pretty decent vocalist, as witnessed on "In the Cold, Cold Night.")

Essential Song: "In the Cold, Cold Night" (Purchase/Download)

Before Hayley Williams was old enough to drink, her band Paramore had released three albums of pop-punk material that displayed a growing sophistication and emotional heft. As the frontwoman for one of rock's most promising up-and-coming bands, she attracts most of the attention from the press, but Paramore's tight musicianship argues that this quintet are a unit rather than just a cute girl and a bunch of dudes.

Essential Song: "Decode" (Purchase/Download)