[CaptainCrunch]

I usually take Friday's off from my job search, and I'm feeling pretty un motivated today, on top of that I'm stuck at home waiting for UPS to show up with a package.


So I want to do two lists broken into two posts. The first one

The best of Girl Bands.


Now I think its best to define Girl Bands as a complete set, every instrument played by Girls with the song writing by the Girls in the band. So when I was looking at it, I wasn't looking for a vocal group, or a band that had mostly girls and a guy or two in the band. This is the All Girl Band addition


1) The Runaways


Arguably the Girls band that started the genre. A all girl band that played hard and partied hard. They were defiant and extremely talented. They released four studio albums and had hits like Cherry Bomb and Hollywood.


The Runaways were also like a finishing school for several female rockers that went on to greater roles in the harder rock area. Joan Jett, Lita Ford went on to great solo careers, while Michael Steele went on to form the Bangles.




2) The Bangles


Formed by Susanna Hoffs and the Peterson Sisters, who were joined by Michael Steele from the Runaways. Its amazing that the Bangles success was fairly short lived as they were formed in 81 and broke up in 1989, before briefly reunited at the end of the century. This was a really talented band that played on a pop rock/psychodelic sound. To me their best song was the cover of Hazy Shade of winter.





3) The GoGo's


A lot of people challenge me on the Go Go's as an after through in the discussion of best female groups. But people tend to look past their talent. But this band was ridiculously talented and polished. The Go Go's came out of the LA Punk scene in the 80's and created a combination pop/punk/surfer group. There is no doubt that the Go Go's were ridiculously talented with Jane Wiedlin on Rhythm guitar, Kathy Valentine on bass, the amazing Charlotte Caffey on guitar and keyboard and Gina Schock on drums with Belinda Carlisle on vocals. Again this band was fairly short lived, breaking up at their height in 1983, and spending a lot of time fighting each other in court and having sporadic reunions.


(FYI if your ever board, this central park concert is a excellent watch.




4) Vixen

Its absolutely crazy how many walls this band broke down. They entered the hair metal revolution of the 80's and while they were as heavily made up and coiffed as most of the boy hair bands of the time, they could outplay and out party a lot of the bands out there. Originally formed by the late Jan Kuethemund, the most popular lineup included Roxy Petrucci, Share Ross and Janet Gardner. They had a brief career before breaking up in 1989 due to a major misunderstanding between Jan and the rest of the band. Petrucci and Gardner did reform in the 90's and released Tangerine sparking lawsuits and hurt feelings. Since them Vixen has appeared in various forms, but never found the success that they did during the Hair metal phase







5) The Dixie Chicks (Chicks)


Renamed recently as just the chicks,



I do consider them to be an all girl band, though they use touring members to fill out their sound. But primarily this is a band focused around Martie Maquire, Emily Strayer and Natalie Maines. Playing a combination Blue Grass/Country/Revial. The Chicks were dominate from the late 80's until the early 2000's when they sadly received extreme backlash over their statements about then President George Bush Jr and went on a long hiatus. While they're remember for hits like Open Spaces and Cowboy Take me away, it was Maines defiant voice on "Not ready to make nice" that really resonates with most fans.





6) L7


Formed in 2001 with Suzi Gardner, Donna Sparks, Jennifer Finch and Dee Plakas, this is probably one of the most aggressive sounding all girl groups, formed in the late 80's they still work to this day.