Alanis Morissette (Voice of Her Generation from 1995-1997, Cruel Ex, Proponent of Irony): You owned Jagged Little Pill, I owned Jagged Little Pill, your mom and your little sister's gymnastics coach owned Jagged Little Pill. For a few years, the world was Alanisitized and it was great. Pill would end up yielding five radio singles, all of which you can hear at least thrice a day on classic AC radio.

See Also: Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson

D'arcy Wretzky (Nipple-Baring, Pumpkins Rumbler, Creepy Mugshot-Taker): It was hard to go to any rock concert in the '90s and not see a thousand chicks sporting the pixie-cut that the Smashing Pumpkins' Wretzky was known for most of the decade. It's hard to judge her by her bass-playing, since reportedly Billy Corgan played all of her parts and she was there to look cool and add atmosphere to the stage.

See Also: This

The Deal Sisters (Pixies, Breeders, Lovers, Fighters, Headbangers): Thanks to Kim and Kelley Deal, I had their Breeders single "Cannonball" stuck in my head for six months in 1994.

I think it hurt my grades even. It was worth not making it into a good college.

See Also: Belly

Hope Sandoval (Prom Song Queen, Secret Influencer of the Deftones, Not Related to Ringo Starr): There are few songs from the '90s that hold a timeless quality to them. Mazzy Star's "Fade into You" can soundtrack a make-out session, a breakup and a quiet drive home, all within its five-minute running time. As the decade progresses, Hope Sandoval's vocal style would become a secret influence of countless groups, even touching ambient metallers like the Deftones.

See Also: Beach House, Scarlett Johansson (I guess?)

Björk (Queen of Iceland, Probably Immortal, Fierce Mother): I wrestled with putting Little B on this list, seeing that she isn't too terribly rock, but "Army of Me" and "Human Behaviour" sealed the deal. Plus, you guys would be hella pissed if I left her off.

The case could have been made that she was too esoteric to be on a rock vixen list, but the fact that she's a fighter and she wears crazy shit onstage puts her into femme Bowie (oxymoron?) territory, so she stays here. Also, she throws nickels into ovens and makes music! Girls are still copying what she did in 1995.

See Also: Florence + The Machine, Lykke Li

Tori Amos (Avid Reader, Piano Lady, Earth Mama, Redhead): "It's like if Leonard Cohen has red hair and was a chick," said a friend of mine when I was in high school. For newbies, 1992's Little Earthquakes is your beginning point. Quite like Björk, she doesn't "rock" as much as she enchants, but on her more damning pieces, she has a punk snarl that isn't to be denied. Also, it's been too long since she has graced a Houston stage.

See Also: Fiona Apple, Amanda Palmer, Regina Spektor

Kim Gordon (Thurston No More, Noise Sister, Sonic Aged, Alpha Indie MILF) Though Sonic Youth was touring and recording in the early '80s, it wasn't until the explosion of Seattle gahhhhh that the band and Kim Gordon hit mainstream heights. The clothes, the dull, wry stare and the blond hair made her just as much a SY icon as an extended jam on "Dirty Boots."

Though she and SY leader Thurston Moore are now separated, we hope that the 58-year-old doesn't disappear from music. There has got to be a great breakup album in there somewhere, from both her and Moore.

See Also: Oh, a lot of people.

Louise Post & Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt (Neither Loose Nor Tight, Neither Black Nor White): Veruca Salt's American Thighs and Eight Arms to Hold You are two great slabs of AC/DC, Joan Jett and Runaways-inspired rock and roll, with singles like "Seether" and "Volcano Girls" both making for great FM radio crunch. What's sad is that they get lost amidst the morass of '90s one-hit wonders, like a female Local H. We swear that Buckcherry has been copying them since 1999. Veruca's swagger seems to be infectious.

See Also: The Sounds, The Donnas, The Subways

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