The 1970s had some stunning music across many genres. That period also featured a huge contribution from a wide range of female artists. They released many absolute classic albums which remain highly rated to this day. Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Carly Simon are all examples of brilliant albums to their name which will be in many music listeners' collections. And let's not forget Joni Mitchell either, especially after her moving appearance at the 2024 Grammys.
Others like Annie Lennox, another Grammy 2024 act, became solo performers much later in their musical careers. But they started off during the 1970s initially as part of a band. In her case The Tourists which she then followed in the 1980s in the brilliant Eurythmics with Dave Stewart.
Alongside those legends of the music business are many other amazing female artists and the records they released. Among all the multi-platinum chart-topping huge sellers there are other albums that didn't get the commercial success they deserved. Despite them being very well received and regarded.
Time to revisit these four great 1970s albums
Those albums may still be played regularly or feature great songs which get plenty of airtime. Others may have been forgotten or even missed by many people. It is after all over 40 years since they were released. Which could open up a whole new audience for these great female artist’s albums.
Let’s take a look at four of those albums from female artists back in the 1970s. We should either remember these warmly or perhaps discover them as new if they are unfamiliar. Whatever their level of commercial success, they all deserve praise as superb albums, even after all those years.
Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading
If you haven’t heard this brilliant album by Joan Armatrading you really need to listen and catch up soon. It’s full of emotion, honesty, and great songs. This July 1976 self-titled release was Armatrading’s third album and her big breakthrough.
Joan Armatrading was reasonably successful as an album, but it's so good it deserves far more. It reached number 12 in the UK charts and gold status, but only made it to 67 in the US album charts. Additional exposure and success came through the single release “Love And Affection”. Ultimately one of her best songs and yet so early in her music career.
A further single “Down To Zero,” another great song, surprisingly failed to chart. It has since become a firm favourite on live shows and various song collection albums. The song definitely stands the test of time.
The album is crammed with brilliant songs, upbeat numbers like “Water With The Wine”, and the emotional “Save Me” close to being on a par with “Love And Affection”. The closing track “Tall In The Saddle” is another that tells a story through clever lyrics and displays great musicality and vocals from Armatrading.
Critics loved the album and spoke highly of her songwriting, the way there is a great lightness to the songs, but with depth and feeling. It captures you on first listen and keeps calling you back even after all these years. It’s another go-to on my collection to play on a regular basis.
The Roches - The Roches
This was very much a feminine album in so many ways. Until this point, Maggie and Terre Roche had been performing and recording as a duo. They even appeared as backing singers for Paul Simon on his There Goes Rhymin’ Simon album. Younger sister Suzzy made it a trio before they recorded this self-titled album, The Roches which was released in April 1979.
The record continued to include The Roches’ songs about life as a woman. The album wasn’t about rampant feminism, a lot was focused on day-to-day life, growing up and leaving home or moving on. Clever lyrics, some smart humour, and simple instrumentation all contributed to the charm and appeal of the record.
It’s a bit of pop music, a bit of folk, with slight rock influences from Robert Fripp who produced the album, which all combined very well. As did the sisters' wide range of vocal tones on some well-worked harmonies. Particularly beautiful and poignant is “Hammond Song”, while the album goes from the quirky, humorous opener “We” through to the folky but sophisticated “Pretty And High” as the closing track.
There wasn’t much in the way of commercial success for the album. It wasn’t a big seller at all. But it was so well respected and admired by critics and reviewers, both at the time and subsequently. It’s a cult classic of sorts, which has sadly bypassed many listeners who would love it.
The Runaways - The Runaways
And now for something completely different. Very different in fact. The Runaways crashed into being in Los Angeles in 1975. Sandy West and Joan Jett formed the band initially as a five-piece teenage girl rock band. Lita Ford, Cherrie Currie, and Jacky Fox all signed on alongside.
Their debut and self-titled album was recorded in January 1976 and released soon after in March of that year. It’s loud, noisy, angry, punky, rocky, and full of lyrics on teenage angst, getting rowdy, jail, and lots more. The album opener is an absolute classic, “Cherry Bomb”. Great guitars and drums set the pace while the lead vocals from Currie add a distinct tone change and difference from what we were used to at that time.
That's quickly followed by the very bluesy rock of “You Drive Me Wild” written and sung by Jett. Then we’re into the great intro and rhythm of “Is It Day Or Night”. All setting the scene for more hard-hitting songs to follow. The closing track “Dead Ends Of Justice” is a seven-minute epic with Currie and Jett at times breathlessly bouncing off each other vocally, a great way to end the album.
The Runaways wasn’t a huge seller either. It barely scraped into the top 200 in the US charts. But the band certainly trailed the way for female rock groups. They had great exposure through touring and supporting big names like Talking Heads and Van Halen. If you want to see more of their story then either the 2010 movie The Runaways or the earlier 2004 documentary Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways are both well worth watching.
Bonnie Rait - Give It Up
Bonnie Raitt has an amazing background as a blue and rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter over the years. As a session player and collaborator, she has worked with many other great artists too. Give It Up is her second album in her own name.
The album, released in September 1972, is a great insight into Raitt and her music. It has some self-written songs and covers from others and brings a wide range of styles with a mix of blues, rock, and a touch of folk and R&B all in there. Critics and reviewers loved the album and the package of songs. But it only made it to 138 on the US charts, though did achieve gold status.
Have a listen below to the opener “Give It Up Or Let Me Go”, one of the self-written tracks, there’s a very blues-based opening and a then Dixie-style brass breaking in superbly with Raitt's voice in great form. A definite toe-tapping start. A folkier start on “Too Long At The Fair” switches up midway with a neat guitar solo. Released as a single, it sadly didn't have any impact. Then there’s Raitt’s bright cover of Jackson Browne’s “Under The Fallen Sky” which rocks along in great style with some brilliant keyboards too.
There’s plenty more of that folksy, bluesy, rocky mix in the album. It's an excellent combination that still sounds as good as ever. An album that surely deserved more success.