Why are there so few decent female songwriters?
Carole King, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Bjork (possibly) and then I'm struggling to think of many more; whereas when you think of decent male songwriters the list is virtually endless. Why is this?
Women are supposed to be able to express their emotions better than men which would suggest that they should be better at writing songs. I also don't buy the idea that it's to do with sexism because the very fact that there are some successful female songwriters would suggest thst there are no barriers to women who want to write songs.
Are women just less creative and less imaginative than men in general or is there some other reason for this that I am completely missing?
Women are supposed to be able to express their emotions better than men which would suggest that they should be better at writing songs. I also don't buy the idea that it's to do with sexism because the very fact that there are some successful female songwriters would suggest thst there are no barriers to women who want to write songs.
Are women just less creative and less imaginative than men in general or is there some other reason for this that I am completely missing?
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have you not heard of Diane Warren op http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_written_by_Diane_Warren
Madonna
Debbie Harry
Ani DiFranco
Patty Griffin
Dolly Parton
Stevie Nicks
Annie Lennox
Chrissy Hind
Joan Baez
Really, the list is endless
Kathryn Williams
Siouxsie Sioux
Joni Mitchell
Anna Calvi
Nina Persson
Sinead O'Connor
Rita Lynch
Nope, that is shite
But there have been several examples as quoted in this thread.
Given the other suggestions so far I would agree with you..
Thanks for your insightful contribution.
Mary J Blige,
Janet Jackson,
Chaka Khan,
Missy Elliot,
Lauryn Hill,
Toni Braxton,
Queen Latifah,
Alicia Keys,
Nicki Minaj
Nicola Roberts,
Amy Winehouse,
Sheryl Crow,
Norah Jones,
Sarah McLachlan
Emmylou Harris,
Janis Ian.....
This is easy....
I guess there's a balance everywhere.
I think that results in a two sided problem. Less talented females as they total number is eaten into by those who just want the fame. More record companies are interested in the next Britney Spears or Spice Girls or Girls Aloud etc etc than they are say a Madeleine Peyroux type or a Bjork.
Its not just pop music either, you take any metal band with a female member. Who is in the photos, who is doing the interviews, who is in the "top metal hotties" lists. Its a billion times easier if you have a female in the band, its been a problem with metal for years.
Hip Hop is much the same. Nicki Manij cannot rap. Its not an opinion or my personal taste, she is shit. Their are even better lyricists out their who are female, but they wont get their arse out and grind up poles in music videos. SO we all heard Superbass but no one saw RC-H rapping about being a female in hip hop is devaluing as its just sex appeal.
But their are plenty of talented female writers out their, just that nearly all of them will never gain popular success. Perhaps its for the best, because Simon Cowell would just have them do a duet with Ant and Deck about the power of Coca Cola.