The Women of Rock

Just like the modern rockin’ men in our recent Men’s Issue, 2008’s Women of Rock blend originality, collaboration, support for environmental causes, a little philanthropy, forward-thinking, accomplishment and that elusive balance of quantity and quality. It was a somewhat quieter, more subtle year for the rockin’ girls as the men really took center stage throughout 2008, but the ladies still managed to make an impact of their own.

8. Jennifer Hudson
In spite of unfortunate recent events, Jennifer Hudson’s 2008 kept her in the spotlight, continuing along the track she’s been on since 2006. After becoming a finalist on the TV talent show American Idol, Hudson went on to take the singing role of Effie White in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls, and won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her role; also in 2006, she signed a record deal with Arista Records. Her own album would take a little longer, though. She returned to the studio this year to begin recording new material after her older songs were scrapped, and her debut album, Jennifer Hudson, including collaborators Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Diane Warren, hit stores earlier this fall. Hudson also appeared in the new Sex and the City movie, to which she contributed the soundtrack song “All Dressed in Love,” and she sang the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

7. Sarah McLachlan
Although much of McLachlan’s year has been spent somewhat under the radar, it’s been pretty busy under there, with plenty of attention being paid to her accomplishments to date. This past spring saw the release of McLachlan’s Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff, a worthy set that includes her covers of Joni Mitchell and Dave Stewart songs, as well as collaborative work with other musicians. This past summer, a special 15th anniversary 3-disc set of her landmark Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album was released, and was followed by a best-of disc called Closer this past October, which includes two new McLachlan songs. You’ve probably already seen McLachlan’s dog-friendly public service commercial for the ASPCA, which features her song “Angel.” She’s also been funding a music-education program in Vancouver. McLachlan is expected to begin work on a new album in 2009.

6. Madonna
What can we say about Madonna Louise Ciccone that hasn’t already been said? The Detroit native is on our list for her chutzpah as much as for her work in the music industry. She’s gone through more personas and musical genres than anyone, but the most devoted fan can keep track of, and released her 11th studio album, Hard Candy this year, where it sold 100,000 copies in the U.S. on the first day of its release. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sent Madonna off on another international tour, which began this past August.
Madonna continues her controversial activities as well, which of course, help keep her in the public eye, from the charitable (her work with the Raising Malawi charity initiative and her devotion to her Kabbalah studies) to the gossip-based (her many relationships and her currently-in-divorce proceedings status with husband Guy Ritchie.) But no matter what your opinion is, Madonna knows how to surround herself with the right people, and she remains one of the most interesting pop artists of our time.
5. Beth Orton
Having collaborated with everyone from Beck to former paramour Ryan Adams, Finley Quaye to the Chemical Brothers or her other former love interest, William Orbit, Orton’s distinctive, unusual, often haunted-sounding voice has made her much in demand for her vocal contributions, primarily to electronica and chill music.
After garnering great success with her Comfort of Strangers album, Orton spent much of 2008 hard at work on the set’s follow-up disc, which is expected for release this winter. In addition, she recently collaborated with the likes of Annie Lennox and Dido on the African-charities-benefitting track “Sing,” and sang the duet “Sunny Afternoon” with Ray Davies on a tribute album to the Kink’s frontman. Orton has also refused opportunities to promote her music in a “too commercial” manner, and instead supports fair trade, performs in opposition of the current Iraq war conflict and makes sure her CD releases are carbon neutral, having a tree planted in Mexico for each specific amount of CDs produced.

4. Alicia Keys
Keys’ third studio album, As I Am, was released in 2007, and has sold nearly six million copies since – a major factor in Keys’ being inducted into the All Time Hot 100 Artists by Billboard magazine. Since then, she’s seen several of her songs hit the high end of the charts, has opened her own recording studio in Long Island, New York (The Oven Studios) and won Best Female R&B Artist at the 2008 BET Awards.
Keys’ also stars in the movie The Secret Life of Bees, and her next move will be alongside the White Stripes’ Jack White (one of our 2008 Men of Rock), with whom she’s recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond movie. In her spare time, Keys is a very active philanthropist for African charities, for which she’s recorded
music. She also visited African sites in-person to film an aid documentary called Alicia in Africa that was released in July of this year.

3. Dido
After a sold-out world tour in 2004 and a three-stop performance in one day during July 2005’s Live 8 Concerts, distinctive-voiced trip-popster Dido stepped out of the spotlight for a little while and began working on her third album late in the year in Los Angeles with Jon Brion plus collaborators Brian Eno (with whom she co-wrote the song “Grafton Street”), Mick Fleetwood, Questlove and her brother Rollo (of Faithless). Her fans may have had to wait quite a while for new Dido music, but now her new album, Safe Trip Home, is now in stores, and is already winning critical and fan acclaim with a mix of her old familiar sound plus new experiments with instrumentation. Dido also collaborated
with Annie Lennox and 22 other female singers for the aforementioned track
“Sing” which benefitted African charities, and this year, Dido was awarded the
2008 ASCAP UK Award for Songwriter of the Year.

2. Duffy
Teaming up with Suede ex-guitar player Bernard Butler–who’s credited with giving Aimee Duffy her education in soul music–the last-name-only singer has crafted a new-retro sound that’s seen her take stages across the world as well as at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival. Starting with a 2004 EP, she worked her way up to a contract with A&M Records, with whom she signed in 2007. On February of this year, she appeared on the prestigious British music shows Later with Jools Holland and The Culture Show; and she was named second in the annual BBC News Online poll of emerging acts to watch for 2008. She was the fifth best selling artist worldwide in the first half of 2008, with 2.25 million copies of her debut album, Rockferry, having been sold; and her album so far this year has become the best-selling album in the UK. For November and December, she’ll be busy touring the United Kingdom. She just received a 2008 Q Award for Breakthrough Act; she’s on the way to more honors next year after having recorded a cover of Paul McCartney’s James Bond theme song “Live and Let Die,” which will be included in the
War Child charity album Heroes, to be released in February 2009.


1. Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood has had quite a ride indeed since her win on American Idol. Quickly taking advantage of the opportunity and showcasing her work ethic, Underwood’s albums, including her latest (Carnival Ride), have stuck close to the top of the country charts, and this year garnered her four Grammy Award and the Top Female Vocalist Awards at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards. Also this year, the singer/guitar player was inducted by fellow country musician Garth Brooks into the Grand Ole Opry, a high honor given the short length of her career so far.
But perhaps the nicest thing about Underwood’s quick climb to fame is that she’s heavily utilized her still-wholesome public persona for charity work. A vegetarian since the age of 13, Underwood supports both PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, for which she’s done several public service announcements. She’s traveled overseas several times to perform in Iraq for the troops, and has had several of her gowns and other items auctioned for various charities. This fall, Underwood joined Beyonce, Fergie and other singers in performing a pop single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. And not forgetting the show that started it all for her, she returned to American Idol this year to perform on the Idol Gives Back charity show. View On Our Website