The 15 best female guitarists in history

Women are often less recognized than men. When music magazines list the best artists, the presence of women is usually considerably less. If we talk about guitarists, it is much lower, and not because there are not many since there are and very talented.

In the history of music, many female guitarists have left their mark and made great contributions. The genres in which they stand out are very varied and there are so many that this list of the best female guitarists in history may be too small.

• Other users have read: "The only 25 women who are Presidents (or Prime Ministers) of a country"

The 15 best female guitarists in the world

Women with great guitar skills have reached the top in different genres. Blues, punk or metal. Electric guitar or Spanish guitar. As soloists or as leaders of a band. There is no role that has not been played by great women.

Many of them are still at the top and increasing their presence. Others, on the other hand, are already part of the history of music, but it is not difficult to find their records or even a video on the internet. Here is a list of the best female guitarists in history.

• You might want to read: "The 10 most famous women in Spain

1. Joan Jett

Joan Jett is one of the most popular guitarists. She is a singer and songwriter, and has even performed as an actress. She is the leader of the band Blackhearts, and thanks to the success of “I Love Rock N’ Roll ”Joan Jett gained international fame and became one of the great female references in rock history.

2. Jennifer batten

Jennifer Batten for many years Michael Jackson's guitarist. At age 30 she was selected out of 100 people to be part of the Bad World Tour with Michael Jackson. Although she had played the guitar since she was 8 years old, it was from that moment that she rose to fame and she became one of the most recognized and talented guitarists of all time.

3. Sister Rosetta

Sister Rosetta was a huge influence on Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. Born in 1915, her greatest musical splendor was in the 1930s. A powerful combination between her voice and her undoubted talent on the guitar highlights the importance of her influence on rock and roll. Anyone who likes gospel, blues and folk should listen to Sister Rosetta.

• We recommend you: "The 10 best perfumes for women (the best sellers)"

4. Orianthi

Orianthi is one of the most recognized guitarists today. She is considered a guitar virtuoso, and at 34 she has made history collaborating with Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson. Although she already had a consolidated career, she rose to world fame when Jackson chose her to participate in his This is It tour, which although it did not materialize, positioned Orianthi in the sights of all for its extraordinary talent. Listening to a solo by her is enough to understand the reason for her fame.

5. St. Vincent

St. Vincent (Annie Erin Clark) is a difficult guitarist to pigeonhole. She is already considered one of the best contemporary guitarists with an innovative style. She has won a three-time Grammy Award for Best Rock Song and Best Alternative Music Album. In addition, St. Vicent has a great voice, achieving an explosive combination with her guitar. In the video she appears playing a Nirvana song.

6. Gabriela quintero

Gabriela Quintero is part of the Rodrigo y Gabriela duet. However, Gabriela has managed to shine with her own light and through her enormous talent on the guitar. She has managed to fuse rock, flamenco and heavy metal. She also makes use of the "wah" effect and the guitar as percussion in a masterful way that she leaves her breathless as she is seen.

• You might want to read: "The 10 most famous curvy models in the world

7. Memphis Minnie

Memphis Minnie is one of the first guitarists in history. Simply the direction of the music would not be the same without the presence of Memphis Minnie. She was born in 1897 and between 1940 and 1950 her fame had grown throughout the United States as a great performer and owner of the stage. She is without a doubt one of the most influential blues artists.

8. Kaki King

Kaki King possesses an unrivaled interpretive force. Her acoustic sound has become a benchmark that defines her musical style, which explodes with electric guitars and loops. Although the presence of her voice is minimal, she has also incorporated it a little more over time. Her live shows are energetic and have become part of her hallmark as well.

9. PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey had great influence on the music scene of the 80's and 90's. She is said to be one of the great creative minds in the music industry, and has been an influence and inspiration for bands like U2. Three of his albums appear on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

• It might interest you: "Diseases of women: the 10 most common they can suffer"

10. Courtney love

Courtney Love proved to be more than Kurt Cobain's partner. Her talent as a guitarist and being in front of her band Her Hole has put her at the top for years. She has also done various solo jobs and has even had significant acting roles. Without a doubt, she is a woman with a great personality and who has contributed a lot to music.

11. Beverly watkins

Beverly Watkins is a true blues legend. She is currently 79 years old and, thanks to the Internet, her career has come to light again to obtain the deserved recognition. Beverly Waltkins worked with B.B King, James Brown, and Ray Charles. Fortunately to this day she can still enjoy her music. In 1999 she released a CD to relaunch her career.

12. Joni mitchell

Joni Mitchell is the author of the famous song Woodstock. Originally from Canada and currently 79 years old, she developed into the folk genre. After her, her work was also related to jazz and pop. The harmonic complexity of her and her voice made her a reference point and in addition to her it does not lose validity, and listening to her today is still a great experience.

• We recommend you: "Top 15 Netflix Original Movies"

13. Elizabeth cotten

Thanks to Elizabeth Cotten there is the technique to play the guitar in the “cotten picking” way.. She was born in 1895 and passed away in 1987, and was a great folk and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In 1984 she won a Grammy Award for her album Elizabeth Cotten Live. Her peculiar technique is due to the fact that she began to play right-handed bass while being left-handed, so she used her thumb for melodies and bass with the other fingers.

14. KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall shows great talent on guitar in the pop genre. This artist has managed to get some of her songs to the top of the charts or have been used for very famous teen series in the United States. The fresh and very pop style of her are the flag of her. Her great talent on the guitar and as her singer-songwriter has made her position herself as one of the greats.

15. Jess lewis

Jess Lewis is one of the best current guitarists. There are many women around the world and of very different genders doing cool things, but Jess Lewis has gained a huge legion of fans on YouTube. This, added to her undoubted talent, positions her as one of the favorite female guitarists among today's young people.

• You may be interested: "The 12 best and most successful Spanish actors"

Bibliographic references

• Freeth, N., Douse, C. and Rojo, M. (2004). Great Guitarists: A History in Pictures 1900-2000. Libsa.

• Luzuriaga, M. (2018). Guitarras De Fuego I: History of the best guitarists of all time.