K SPECIAL
VA - Girl Power: The 200 Greatest Female Alternative Anthems of the 90s (Super Deluxe Edition) (11CD) (2025)
Inspired by BB's excellent 'Ladykillers' post:
http://butterboycompilations.blogspot.com/2025/09/va-ladykillers-1996.html
I decided to put together my own compilation of 200 of the very best female alternative anthems of the 1990s.
Before Beyonce, Taylor, and Rihanna were the resident heroines of the pop charts, the female artists we looked up to were fronting their own bands. The 90s alternative scene was more about groups than solo singers, and women lead some of the most kick-ass bands that were the soundtrack to the decade.
The Britpop era was a golden age for female musicians. Although Britpop and the “Cool Britannia” scene of the mid 90s were eventually characterised by the laddish swagger of Oasis, Blur and Loaded magazine, many of the scene’s figureheads featured women.
The likes of Elastica, Sleeper, Echobelly, Garbage, Kenickie, Saint Etienne, Catatonia, Republica, Dubstar and Lush were all fantastic female fronted bands who were just as successful as the other defining bands of the era. Justine Frischmann, Louise Wener, Sarah Cracknell, Shirley Manson and many more were all talented, intelligent gorgeous ladies making great music and creating a scene alongside Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp.
Prominent girl-fronted alternative and indie bands from the 90s UK scene include Elastica, Lush, Sleeper, Kenickie, and Echobelly, with the Britpop era also featuring the punk-infused sound of Skunk Anansie. These bands often blended indie rock, punk, and alternative styles.
Here are some notable UK girl alternative bands from the 90s:
Elastica: A key Britpop-era act known for their punk and new wave influences.
Lush: An influential indie band with a shoegaze sound, also associated with the 90s scene.
Sleeper: A popular band that emerged during the Britpop era with a melodic, indie-pop style.
Echobelly: A successful band fronted by Sonya Madan, they achieved significant chart success with their blend of alternative and Britpop sounds.
Kenickie: An indie rock band known for their energetic performances and distinctive style.
The Cranberries: This Irish band had global success with their distinctive alternative sound.
The Sundays: A jangle-pop band whose dreamy sound captured a quintessential 90s indie vibe.
Saint Etienne are an English band from Greater London, formed in 1990. The band consists of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. Initially emerging from the indie dance scene of the 1990s, their music has blended club culture with 1960s pop and other disparate influences.
Their debut album, Foxbase Alpha, was released to critical acclaim in 1991, featuring their most enduring hits "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Nothing Can Stop Us". It was followed by So Tough (1993), with the number twelve single "You're in a Bad Way", and the techno folk experiment of Tiger Bay (1994); both albums reached the top-ten. Their early period was rounded out by the gold-certified compilation Too Young to Die: Singles 1990-1995, producing the band's highest-charting single, "He's on the Phone" with Étienne Daho.
The band recorded Good Humor (1998) at Tambourine Studios in Sweden on entirely analogue equipment, and the album's lead single "Sylvie" reached number twelve in the UK charts.
The band's name comes from the French football club AS Saint-Étienne.
Saint Etienne - You're in a Bad Way (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/OEDAGNYYa1o?si=DedYpx1Y58CkxRuT
These bands were part of a vibrant UK music scene that saw many female-fronted acts gain prominence in the 1990s.
The US also saw an emergence of prominent 1990s alternative bands with female members or singers including Garbage, Hole, No Doubt, Belly, L7, The Breeders, and Luscious Jackson. Other notable female artists and bands from the era include PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, along with grunge/riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney.
Well-Known Bands:
Hole: Led by Courtney Love, this band was a significant part of the grunge scene.
Garbage: With Shirley Manson on vocals, this band brought a unique sound to the alternative scene.
No Doubt: Gwen Stefani's band was known for its ska-influenced alternative rock and hit songs like "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak".
Belly: This band featured Tanya Donelly on vocals and gained a following in the early 90s.
Veruca Salt: Known for their grunge-influenced rock, Veruca Salt was a popular band in the mid-90s.
Riot Grrrl & Punk Influenced Bands:
Bikini Kill: A foundational band of the riot grrrl movement, they were known for their feminist lyrics and DIY ethos.
L7: This all-female band was a significant force in the grunge and punk scenes.
Key Solo Artists & Associated Acts:
PJ Harvey: A critically acclaimed artist known for her experimental and evolving style within alternative rock.
Liz Phair: An influential singer-songwriter who blended indie rock with honest, candid lyrics.
Fiona Apple: An artist known for her complex piano compositions and powerful, emotive vocals.
Björk: The Icelandic artist's unique and avant-garde approach to alternative music made her a distinctive figure.
Alanis Morissette: Her album Jagged Little Pill was a massive commercial success, bringing her unique vocal style to the mainstream alternative world.
Alanis Nadine Morissette born June 1, 1974, is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress. Regarded as the "queen of alt-rock angst", she became a cultural phenomenon for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting. She has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Brit Award, seven Grammy Awards, fourteen Juno Awards, and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award.
Alanis Morissette - Ironic (Official 4K Music Video)
https://youtu.be/Jne9t8sHpUc?si=QcURvYvBxuvE9czI
Her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill with combined sales of over 33 million copies worldwide, is one of the best-selling albums of all time. It has been included on several all-time lists, such as those of Apple Music, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone.
The Breeders: Fronted by Kim Deal, this band offered a distinct indie rock sound.
Sleater-Kinney: This influential band emerged as a major voice in the indie rock scene.
Mazzy Starr: Led by Hope Sandoval, the band was known for its dreamy, ethereal, and somewhat psychedelic sound.
Luscious Jackson: An alternative group that incorporated hip hop and funk elements into their music.
10 essential alternative 90s bands fronted by women you should know:
Alternative indie girl bands from the 90s UK include Elastica, Sleeper, Echobelly, Dubstar, Kenickie, Shampoo, Lush, Republica, The Cardigans (with significant UK presence) and Catatonia. These groups, with their strong female leads and unique blend of pop, rock, and punk influences, were key figures in the era's diverse British music scene, from the height of the Britpop movement to darker, more introspective sounds.
Here are some notable examples:
Elastica: Fronted by Justine Frischmann, they were a leading band in the Britpop scene.
Dubstar are an English indie-dance duo, performing songs with hints of Britpop, dream pop and synth, as well as the occasional pop ballad and guitar-laden rock with industrial twists. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Sarah Blackwood joined in 1993 as vocalist.
Dubstar appointed Darlington-based record producer and talent manager Graeme Robinson as their manager after Robinson had seen them play in a sparsely attended Newcastle club in March 1994. Robinson renamed the band and provided studio time and produced independent demos of seventeen songs which he brought to the attention of former Sounds journalist, Andy Ross, who promptly signed the band to his Camden-based label, Food Records. Ross engaged the services of Pet Shop Boys and New Order producer Stephen Hague, to co-produce a number of tracks with Robinson for their critically acclaimed debut album, Disgraceful (1995), and commissioned an advertising campaign featuring Robert Steel's controversial "pencil case vulva" artwork. The album charted well on release in July 1995, and by January 1996 Dubstar had arrived in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart with "Not So Manic Now", (originally written and recorded by Brick Supply).
"Stars" is the best-selling single by Dubstar and received a great deal of play time in clubs. Many remixes were also created of this song and it was covered by metal band Lacuna Coil on their 2000 EP Halflife.
Shampoo: This duo, consisting of Jacqui Blake and Carrie Askew, blended bubblegum pop with a punk attitude.
Skunk Anansie: Fronted by Deborah "Skin" Dyer, they were a powerful force in the alternative rock scene with hits like "Weak".
Texas are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, founded in 1986 by Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, and Sharleen Spiteri. They made their performing debut in March 1988 at the University of Dundee, and released their debut album Southside in 1989, along with their debut single "I Don't Want a Lover". Southside entered at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number 88 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, and sold over two million copies worldwide. Despite the success of Southside, the follow-up albums Mothers Heaven (1991) and Ricks Road (1993) were less successful, but achieved moderate success on various European markets.
Their fourth album, White on Blonde (1997), debuted atop the albums charts in their native Scotland and in the United Kingdom and became their biggest seller, being certified six times platinum in the United Kingdom. Follow up album The Hush (1999) achieved similar commercial success which continued in 2000 with the release of The Greatest Hits. They released a further two studio albums, Careful What You Wish For (2003), and Red Book (2005), before beginning an "indefinite hiatus" in 2005. During their hiatus, lead singer, Sharleen Spiteri, launched a solo career, releasing her debut solo album, Melody, in 2008.
Their hiatus ended in 2013 with the release of their eighth album, The Conversation. In February 2017, they released "Let's Work It Out" as the lead single from their ninth album, Jump on Board (2017), which peaked within the top ten of the album charts in Belgium and France. Their tenth album, Hi (2021), became their highest-charting album in the UK since The Hush, debuting at number three on the official UK albums chart, number one on the UK independent albums chart, and entering at number one in their native Scotland. As of 2017, Texas' worldwide sales were 40 million records.
Catatonia: A Welsh band with a distinctive sound within the alternative music landscape.
Their breakout success came at the start of 1998 with the International Velvet album and the release of the single "Mulder and Scully" some two weeks apart. The album went to number one in the UK Albums Chart, and sold more than 900,000 copies being certified triple platinum by British Phonographic Industry, while the single reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, the highest any Catatonia single would chart.
The follow-up release, "Road Rage", reached number 5 in May, and was nominated for best song at the Brit Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards, winning at the Q Awards. The title track of the album International Velvet received additional attention, and the band performed it at the opening of the opening ceremony of the 1999 Rugby World Cup on 1 October in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. While in Catatonia, Matthews collaborated with Space on "The Ballad of Tom Jones" in March 1998 and with Tom Jones on a cover of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in December 1999. Their final top ten single came in April 1999 with "Dead from the Waist Down" off the following album, Equally Cursed and Blessed.
Other groups with significant UK impact or connection to the era's sound include:
The Cardigans: A Swedish band that made a big impression in the UK.
Garbage: While not exclusively a UK band, lead singer Shirley Manson had Scottish roots, and they were a highly influential female-fronted alternative band.
The 25+ Best 90s Bands with Female Singers:
The music scene of the 1990s was bustling with rebellion and new sounds, especially in the rock scene. Grunge, industrial, shoegaze, and other forms of the genre became popularized and with it came some excellent 90s bands with female leads. Some of these bands contained all women while some had female singers backed by a mixed or male instrumental band. The contrast of a feminine voice and hard guitars was the recipe for success for a lot of bands on this list:
https://www.ranker.com/list/90s-bands-with-female-singers/akansha-kakkad
This compilation contains the 200 greatest female alternative anthems of the 90s from the likes of Elastica, Sleeper, Echobelly, Garbage, Kenickie, Saint Etienne, Catatonia, Republica, Dubstar, Lush, The Cardigans, The Sundays, Björk, Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey, Hole, Bikini Kill, No Doubt and many many more.
Hundreds of hours of extensive online research were put into compiling this collection, plus I paid particular close attention into how the original singles were released, using many hard to find correct 7" single versions, radio edits and 12" mixes.
This fully packed 11CD set contains many extremely rare tracks. Only the original 1990s recordings are included. No later remixes, re-recordings or live bootleg versions here!
Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable number of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.
Over 14 hours of the greatest 1990s female alternative anthems ever recorded!
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Track lists
CD01
1 Garbage - Stupid Girl 4:18
2 Elastica - Connection 2:18
3 Lush - Ladykillers 3:13
4 Echobelly - Dark Therapy 4:46
5 Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart 4:32
6 Republica - Drop Dead Gorgeous 3:32
7 Sleeper - Sale of the Century 4:31
8 Dubstar - Stars 4:10
9 Air feat. Beth Hirsch - All I Need 4:28
10 Kirsty MacColl - Angel (Single Mix) 3:40
11 Dubstar - Anywhere 3:40
12 Groove Armada feat. Patti Page - At the River (Original Version) 6:33
13 Saint Etienne - Avenue 7:33
14 Space feat. Cerys Matthews - The Ballad of Tom Jones 4:11
15 Babble feat. Q-Tee - Beautiful 6:18
16 Mandalay feat. Nicola Hitchcock - Beautiful (7" Canny Mix) 4:34
17 Massive Attack feat. Tracey Thorn - Better Things 4:16
CD02
18 Björk - Big Time Sensuality 3:56
19 Meredith Brooks - Bitch 3:56
20 Texas - Black Eyed Boy (Radio Edit) 3:12
21 Cocteau Twins - Bluebeard 3:53
22 The Innocence Mission - Bright as Yellow 3:34
23 Throwing Muses - Bright Yellow Gun 3:45
24 The Breeders - Cannonball 3:33
25 The Cardigans - Carnival 3:36
26 Slowdive - Catch the Breeze 4:18
27 Hole - Celebrity Skin 2:42
28 Cocteau Twins - Cherry-Coloured Funk 3:11
29 Black Box Recorder - Child Psychology 4:07
30 Kylie Minogue - Confide in Me (Master Mix) 5:51
31 The Primitives - Crash (The '95 Mix) 3:20
32 Fiona Apple - Criminal 5:43
33 The Darling Buds - Crystal Clear 3:48
34 Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (Radio Version) 4:13
35 Catatonia - Dead from the Waist Down 4:03
36 Shampoo - Delicious 3:00
CD03
37 The Adventures of Stevie V feat. Melody Washington - Dirty Cash (Sold Out 12" Mix) 7:31
38 Hole - Doll Parts 3:31
39 No Doubt - Don't Speak 4:22
40 PJ Harvey - Down by the Water 3:14
41 The Cranberries - Dreams 4:14
42 PJ Harvey - Dress 3:18
43 Salad - Drink the Elixir 4:28
44 Beats International feat. Lindy Layton - Dub Be Good to Me 3:58
45 The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind 3:34
46 Mazzy Star - Fade into You 4:51
47 Drugstore - Fader 3:55
48 Curve - Fait Accompli (Single Version) 4:15
49 Julee Cruise - Falling 5:24
50 Belly - Feed the Tree (Radio Remix) 3:41
51 Cocteau Twins - Fifty-Fifty Clown 3:11
52 Lush - For Love 3:31
53 Cocteau Twins - Fotzepolitic 3:29
54 Drugstore - The Funeral 4:16
55 Belly - Gepetto (Single Version) 3:28
CD04
56 Shampoo - Girl Power 3:16
57 Portishead - Glory Box 5:08
58 Echobelly - Great Things 3:29
59 Annie - The Greatest Hit (Extended Disco Mix) 7:28
60 Texas - Halo 4:11
61 The Cardigans - Hanging Around 3:44
62 Babes in Toyland - He's My Thing 2:52
63 Saint Etienne feat. Étienne Daho - He's on the Phone 4:09
64 Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas 4:56
65 Letters to Cleo - Here and Now 3:38
66 Dido - Here with Me 4:16
67 The Sundays - Here's Where the Story Ends 3:54
68 The Cardigans - Higher 4:32
69 Soho feat. Jacqui and Pauline Cuff - Hippychick 4:31
70 Propellerheads feat. Miss Shirley Bassey - History Repeating 4:04
71 Saint Etienne - Hobart Paving 4:50
72 Curve - Horror Head (Single Remix) 3:45
73 The Pretenders - Human (Tin Tin Out Remix) 3:55
CD05
74 Björk - Human Behaviour 4:13
75 Fluffy - Husband 2:14
76 theaudience feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough) 3:16
77 Garbage - I Think I'm Paranoid 3:38
78 Divinyls - I Touch Myself 3:47
79 Cocteau Twins - I Wear Your Ring 3:28
80 Kenickie - I Would Fix You (Radio Edit) 3:26
81 Dubstar - Not So Manic Now 4:29
82 Cocteau Twins - Iceblink Luck 3:17
83 Kenickie - In Your Car 3:46
84 Sleeper - Inbetweener 3:20
85 Alanis Morissette - Ironic 3:50
86 Portishead - It Could Be Sweet 4:17
87 Opus III feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw - It's a Fine Day 5:28
88 Concrete Blonde - Joey 4:08
89 Saint Etienne - Join Our Club 3:18
90 No Doubt - Just a Girl 3:26
91 Dubstar - Just a Girl She Said 4:42
92 The KLF feat. Maxine Harvey - Justified & Ancient (All Bound for Mu Mu Land) 7:47
CD06
93 Echobelly - King of the Kerb 3:59
94 Saint Etienne - Kiss and Make Up 5:14
95 Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me 3:27
96 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kiss Them for Me 4:37
97 Sonic Youth - Kool Thing 4:06
98 Luscious Jackson - Ladyfingers 3:28
99 Thievery Corporation feat. Pam Bricker - Lebanese Blonde 4:51
100 Mono feat. Siobhan de Maré - Life in Mono 4:27
101 Saint Etienne - Like a Motorway 3:43
102 Elastica - Line Up 3:15
103 The Cranberries - Linger 4:34
104 The Cardigans - Lovefool 3:18
105 Blondie - Maria 4:52
106 Garbage feat. Tricky - Milk (The Wicked Mix) 4:26
107 Kenickie - Millionaire Sweeper 2:31
108 Everything but the Girl - Missing (Todd Terry Remix) 3:54
109 Voice of the Beehive - Monsters and Angels (Radio Edit) 3:35
110 Salad - Motorbike to Heaven 4:11
111 Neneh Cherry - Move with Me 5:18
CD07
112 Catatonia - Mulder and Scully 4:11
113 The Cardigans - My Favourite Game 3:40
114 The Sundays - My Finest Hour 4:00
115 Intastella feat. Stella Grundy - The Night 3:49
116 Dubstar - No More Talk 3:33
117 Saint Etienne - Nothing Can Stop Us 4:22
118 Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U 5:10
119 Lush - Nothing Natural 5:54
120 K's Choice - Not an Addict 4:48
121 Garbage - #1 Crush (Nellee Hooper Remix) 4:45
122 Sleater-Kinney - One More Hour 3:19
123 Joan Osborne - One of Us (Short Version) 4:14
124 Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains 3:56
125 My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow 4:18
126 Intastella feat. Stella Grundy - People (Chris Nagle 12" Remix) 6:10
127 Saint Etienne - People Get Real 4:45
128 theaudience feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed 3:42
129 Stereolab - Ping Pong 3:02
CD08
130 Björk and David Arnold - Play Dead (Tim Simenon 7-inch remix) 3:57
131 Liz Phair - Polyester Bride 4:05
132 L7 - Pretend We're Dead 3:54
133 Massive Attack feat. Tracey Thorn - Protection 7:48
134 Kenickie - Punka 3:06
135 Garbage - Push It 4:02
136 Bocca Juniors feat. Anna Haigh - Raise (63 Steps to Heaven) (12" Redskin Rock Mix) 6:05
137 Madonna - Ray of Light 5:20
138 Republica - Ready to Go (1997 Radio Edit Remix) 3:40
139 Bikini Kill feat. Joan Jett - Rebel Girl (1993 7" Single Version) 2:36
140 The Cardigans - Rise & Shine 3:31
141 Catatonia - Road Rage 5:08
142 Julee Cruise - Rockin' Back Inside My Heart 5:48
143 Massive Attack feat. Shara Nelson and Robert Del Naja - Safe from Harm 5:19
144 Texas - Say What You Want (Single Edit) 3:51
145 Morcheeba feat. Skye Edwards - The Sea 5:47
146 Belly - Seal My Fate (Radio Remix) 4:02
CD09
147 Veruca Salt - Seether 3:16
148 The Other Two - Selfish (The 7" Version) 4:09
149 Youssou N'Dour feat. Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds (New Old Dub Mix) 11:52
150 Lush - 500 (Shake Baby Shake) 3:23
151 Tiny Monroe - She 2:31
152 The Cardigans - Sick & Tired 3:25
153 Moloko - Sing It Back (Boris Dlugosch Musical Mix Edit) 4:36
154 Lush - Single Girl 2:35
155 Sneaker Pimps feat. Kelli Dayton - 6 Underground 3:52
156 Garbage - Sleep Together 4:03
157 Drugstore - Sober 4:05
158 Utah Saints feat. Kate Bush - Something Good 5:54
159 Portishead - Sour Times 4:12
160 Garbage - Special 3:43
161 The Juliana Hatfield Three - Spin the Bottle 2:21
162 Saint Etienne - Spring 3:44
163 Sleeper - Statuesque 3:23
164 Elastica - Stutter 2:24
165 Texas - Summer Son 4:03
CD10
166 The Other Two - Super Highways 5:03
167 Liz Phair - Supernova 2:48
168 Garbage - Supervixen 3:55
169 Saint Etienne - Sylvie 4:02
170 The Other Two - Tasty Fish (Pascal Mix) 3:51
171 Massive Attack feat. Elizabeth Fraser - Teardrop 5:30
172 Garbage - Temptation Waits 4:36
173 Dido - Thank You 3:37
174 Saint Etienne - The Bad Photographer 4:00
175 10,000 Maniacs - These Are Days 3:42
176 Cocteau Twins - Tishbite 3:51
177 DNA feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner (12" Version) 5:28
178 Natalie Imbruglia - Torn 4:03
179 Garbage - The Trick Is to Keep Breathing 4:11
180 Powder - 20th Century Gods 2:50
181 Smoke City feat. Nina Miranda - Underwater Love 6:46
182 Massive Attack feat. Shara Nelson - Unfinished Sympathy 5:13
CD11
183 Björk - Venus as a Boy 4:41
184 Elastica - Waking Up 3:12
185 Kirsty MacColl feat. Johnny Marr and Aniff Cousins - Walking Down Madison (Full-Length Album Version) 6:35
186 Everything but the Girl - Walking Wounded 6:05
187 Skunk Anansie - Weak 3:32
188 Sleeper - What Do I Do Now? 3:40
189 4 Non Blondes - What's Up 4:50
190 Garbage - When I Grow Up 3:24
191 Goldbug feat. Sandy McKenzie - Whole Lotta Love 3:47
192 The Sundays - Wild Horses 4:45
193 The Cardigans - Explode 4:05
194 Garbage - You Look So Fine 5:23
195 Air feat. Beth Hirsch - You Make It Easy 4:01
196 Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know 4:09
197 The Sundays - You're Not the Only One I Know 3:52
198 Catatonia - You've Got a Lot to Answer For 3:17
199 The Cranberries - Zombie 5:07
200 Saint Etienne - You're in a Bad Way (Alan Tarney 7" Single Version) 3:03
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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