Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Lady Gaga's Grammy Awards Performance Outfit, 2010
Lady Gaga wore this outfit at the 2010 Grammy Awards. That year, her song "Poker Face" won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording, and her album
The Fame won for Best Electronic/Dance Album.
More about Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986, in New York City. She began performing on New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. She worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of the rap artist Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.
Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album,
The Fame, in 2008. The album reached number one in six countries, peaked at number two in the United States and spawned two hit singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face."
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Rihanna's American Music Awards Performance Outfit, 2008
Rihanna wore this leather, studded bustier during her performance at the 2008 American Music Awards.
More about Rihanna
Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados in 1988. She signed with the Def Jam label at age 16. In 2005, Rihanna released her debut album,
Music of the Sun, which synthesized Caribbean rhythms and urban-pop songwriting. Thanks to the hit single, "Pon de Replay," and a promotional tour with
Gwen Stefani, the album sold nearly 2 million copies worldwide. Less than a year later, Rihanna released
A Girl Like Me. Her second album included her first number one single, "SOS."
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Kim Deal of the Breeders' "Cannonball" Video Outfit, 1993
Kim Deal, lead vocalist for the Breeders, wore this suit in the music video for "Cannonball," a single off the group's 1993 album, Last Splash. The video was co-directed by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.
More about Kim
Kim Deal was born in 1961 in Dayton, Ohio. Kim and her identical twin sister, Kelley, were introduced to music at a young age. Kim and Kelley set up a studio in their bedroom and formed a band called the Breeders. Kim moved to Boston, where she answered an ad for a bassist who was into Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul and Mary. Kim was the only respondent and became bassist for the Pixies. Kim sang lead on the song "Gigantic," which she co-wrote, from the Pixies' second album, Surfer Rosa. During a Pixies hiatus, Kim reformed the Breeders with Tanya Donelly from Throwing Muses and Josephine Wiggs from the Perfect Disaster. The Breeders released their critically acclaimed first album, Pod, in 1990.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour Bustier, 1990
Madonna wore this iconic bustier during her controversial Blond Ambition world tour. The tour featured multiple references to both Catholicism and sexuality, causing Pope John Paul II to demand a boycott of the concerts in Italy; one of three shows was canceled.
Rolling Stone described the tour as an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990."
More about Madonna
Since the '80s, Madonna has dominated the pop-music world in a way few women ever have. Using her savvy and her smarts, Madonna has manipulated her image and the media, stirring up frequent controversies, yet always remaining at or near the top of the charts. Born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Queen Latifah's African Print Outfit, 1989
Dana Owens, better known as
Queen Latifah, added feminist activism to hip-hop's agenda with her declaration of "Ladies First" on her debut album,
All Hail the Queen. Throughout the '90s and into the 21st century, Queen Latifah has been a strong presence in hip-hop, television and film.
More about Queen Latifah
One of the first female hip-hop artists to rise to international fame, Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens in Newark, New Jersey, in 1970. She got her start in the music industry as a rapper/human beat box with the all-female ensemble Ladies Fresh. At age 18, she went solo and released the single "Wrath of My Madness," followed the next year by the album
All Hail the Queen.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Ruth Brown's Hairspray Dress, 1988
Ruth Brown, the singer and actress who played Motormouth Maybelle in the 1988 John Waters film
Hairspray, wore this dress onscreen.
More about Ruth
Atlantic Records was often called "the House that Ruth built," owing to the fact that Ruth made the Billboard charts 24 times during the '50s. Born in Virginia, Ruth signed with Atlantic in 1948. She gave the fledgling company its second-ever hit with "So Long," a simple, bluesy showcase for her torchy, church- and jazz-schooled voice. "Teardrops from My Eyes," her second R&B hit, brought out her more swaggering, aggressive side, and she was rewarded with her first number one R&B hit. For the duration of the '50s, Ruth dominated the R&B charts and even crossed over into rock and roll with some success.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders' Debut Album Jacket, 1980
Chrissie Hynde can be seen wearing this jacket on the cover of the Pretenders' debut album.
More about Chrissie
Chrissie graduated from Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio. She worked with several bands in Ohio before moving to England. By 1978, Chrissie hooked up with a three-piece outfit from the English town of Hereford. The newly formed quartet called themselves the Pretenders, and, in 1980, they released a self-titled first album that redefined the role of a woman in a band, stretched the boundaries of lyrical subject matter and frankness, and most importantly, rocked like the roar of a Harley gang.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads' Bass Guitar, 1978
Tina Weymouth played this bass guitar onstage and during the recording of the first three Talking Heads albums.
More about Tina
Tina was born in Coronado, California, in 1950. While attending the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, she formed Talking Heads with fellow students Chris Frantz and David Byrne. They applied a minimalist approach to their songs and performances that immediately appealed to the sensibilities of the growing punk-rock scene in New York City. As their popularity grew, they added former Modern Lovers keyboardist Jerry Harrison to the lineup. Talking Heads became one of the most adventurous bands in rock history, eventually drawing from funk, minimalism and African and Brazilian music to create a new sound that was both visionary and visceral.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" Lyrics, 1976
The Runaways were an all-female band that played loud, guitar-driven rock. At a time when aggressive female rockers were the exception rather than the rule, the Runaways wrote and sang rowdy, brash songs about sex, drugs and life on the edge. "Cherry Bomb" is a rebellious-girl anthem that paved the way for female rockers today.
More about the Runaways
The Runaways were started by Joan Jett and Sandy West in 1975. The classic lineup included Joan on guitar and vocals, Sandy on drums, Cherie Currie on lead vocals, Jackie Fox on bass guitar and Lita Ford on guitar. The band was ahead of its time, with its hard-rock sound emerging during an era when disco music ruled the airwaves. In 1976, the Runaways released their debut, self-titled album. The song "Cherry Bomb," which Joan wrote with band manager Kim Fowley, became a surprise hit.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Patti Smith's Boots, 1975
Patti Smith's androgynous punk-rock style influenced the street fashion of the late 1970s. Her look embraced both rock and roll and New York's downtown aesthetic via threadbare jackets, ripped T-shirts and army boots.
More about Patti
Patti was born in Chicago and grew up in southern New Jersey. She fled to New York in 1967. By 1974, she had formed the Patti Smith Group. The band's first album, Horses, came out the following year. The album fused punk rock and spoken poetry and opens with a cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria." Patti followed Horses with the even more experimental and extreme Radio Ethiopia. The following year, she released Easter, which yielded the Top 20 hit "Because the Night."
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Mary Wilson of the Supremes Green Petal Dress, 1968
Mary Wilson purchased this dress at a boutique on Hollywood Boulevard in California. She wore it on the cover of the album
Diana Ross and the Supremes Sing and Perform Funny Girl.
More about the Supremes
The Supremes were the most successful female group of the '60s, amassing 12 number one pop hits in a five-year span. The original trio of
Diana Ross, Mary and Florence Ballard, who grew up together in Detroit's Brewster housing project, was Motown personified; no other Motown act fit so well into the hit-making machinery of Berry Gordy's label. Working hand-in-hand with the songwriting and production team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, the Supremes began their run of hits with "Where Did Our Love Go" in 1964. It was followed by such classics as "Baby Love," "Come See about Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "I Hear a Symphony," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas' "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" Boots, 1967
Michelle Phillips wore these boots on the cover of the Mamas and the Papas' debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, in 1966.
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears includes the hits "Monday, Monday," "California Dreamin'" and "Go Where You Wanna Go." The inclusion of the toilet in the album cover photograph was deemed offensive and later pressings removed it, making earlier versions highly collectible.
More about Michelle
Michelle was born Holly Michelle Gilliam in Long Beach, California, in 1944. She met John Phillips while he was touring California with his band the Journeymen. John and Michelle were married on December 31, 1962, when she was 18. Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and John and Michelle formed the Mamas and the Papas in 1965.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas' Dress, 1967
While the Mamas and the Papas were defining a lifestyle for their fans to emulate, Cass Elliot was redefining the concept of beauty. There's no doubt that with her rich, vibrant contralto, vocally she was the strongest member of the group. Most critics, however, focused on her size. While Cass may or may not have internalized all of the attention paid to her weight, she gave every appearance of being comfortable in her skin and is a seminal influence in the movement towards destigmatization of obesity. In 1966, New York magazine wrote about Cass, "She is a star, not despite her weight, or because of it, but beyond it."
More about Cass
From 1965 to 1968, the Mamas and the Papas recorded a series of Top 10 hits. The group's last hit, "Dream a Little Dream of Me," essentially launched Cass Elliot's solo career. Her solo hits included 1969's "It's Getting Better," "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "New World Coming." In 1974, Cass traveled to London, where she had a two-week engagement at the London Palladium. After performing to sellout audiences, Cass succumbed to a heart attack on July 29, 1974.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane's Woodstock Dress, 1967
Grace Slick wore this vest onstage for Jefferson Airplane's performance at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair on August 16, 1969. Grace recalled about her choice of clothing for the performance, "We were not aware that it was going to be that big—I thought, 'August—it will be hot and dry on the East Coast.' So I got a white sleeveless outfit. Okay, so then it rains a lot—there was just mud. I suppose I could have been funky and walked around in the mud and played with it on me, but I was kind of being prissy." Grace went on to say, "Some people never even have a couple of really good years in their life, so I feel really lucky that [Woodstock] showed that people do have a desire to live for both freedom and peace."
More about Grace
A biographer once said that Jefferson Airplane epitomized the San Francisco scene of the mid-to-late '60s, and Grace's importance to Jefferson Airplane cannot be underestimated. "White Rabbit," which she wrote, helped define not only her band but also an entire era. Her iconoclastic vocals on "Somebody to Love" gave the Airplane its biggest hit. As one of the first female rockstars, Grace helped redefine a woman's role in rock as more than just a sex symbol backed by a band.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
LaVern Baker's Dress, 1965
This dress was a gift from singer LaVern Baker to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
More about LaVern
With "Tweedlee Dee," a huge hit single in 1954 on both the pop and R&B charts, LaVern became one of the first women to capture the essence of rock and roll. With her rich musical background and flamboyant personality, LaVern was a natural figure to help usher in the rock and roll era.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Mahalia Jackson Topeka, Kansas, Concert Poster, 1962
Mahalia Jackson was the rare devotional-music performer who could headline concerts in large, nonchurch venues.
More about Mahalia
Mahalia was born in 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she listened to both Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith. She migrated north to Chicago in 1927. There, she met Thomas Dorsey, and the two performed as a duo at church meetings. In 1937, she made her first commercial recordings for Coral Records. In 1954, legendary talent scout John Hammond signed her to Columbia Records. From that point on, she became the most famous gospel singer in the world. She sang for Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, performing at the latter's inauguration. A favorite of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson sang at his request immediately before his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington in August 1963.
Courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Wanda Jackson's Acoustic Guitar, 1958
Vintage Martin D-18s are favorites of guitarists and are among the most costly and collectible of vintage guitars. Wanda Jackson played this guitar throughout her career.
More about Wanda
Wanda emerged from a small town in Oklahoma to become the first "Queen of Rockabilly." She started out her career singing with the likes of Hank Thompson and Red Foley, who hosted the Ozark Jubilee. She had a country hit in 1954 with "You Can't Have My Love," a duet with Billy Gray. With encouragement from Elvis Presley, whom she met while on a package tour in 1955, Wanda moved in the direction of rock and roll.
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