Blog → Top 100 albums of the decade by women

As other people have already noted, among the rash of lists proclaiming the best albums and artists of the ’00s, the majority all had one thing in common: a distinct and depressing lack of albums by solo female artists and by female-fronted bands. We had anticipated a representation rate of between 20% and 30%, but it turned out to be even lower. NME and Rolling Stone awarded a lousy 12–15% of spots to women, and even Paste magazine, who often champion many of the artists Wears The Trousers holds dear, could barely scrape 14%.

In mid-November, eight Wears The Trousers writers and editors gathered around a table at the Candid Arts Centre in Islington, where we spent a long afternoon debating the 300+ nominations for albums of the decade gathered from all our contributors. More than six hours later, we had come up with a rough outline of the 100 albums we thought were worthy of championing. Inevitably, some painful sacrifices were made, evident in the fact that only three artists were permitted to have two entries in the list, and some additional fine tuning was required.

The top 100 included all these artists.

Afrirampo, Aimee Mann, Alela Diane, Amy Winehouse, Anäis Mitchell, Ane Brun, Ani DiFranco, Au Revoir Simone, Bat for Lashes, Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man, Björk, Broadcast, Camille, Carina Round, Cat Power, CocoRosie, Diamanda Galás, Diane Cluck, Emilíana Torrini, Emmylou Harris, Espers, Erykah Badu, Feist, Fever Ray, Fiona Apple, Florence and The Machine, Gillian Welch, Goldfrapp, Gossip, Hanne Hukkelberg, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions, Invincible, Jenny Lewis, Joan As Police Woman, Joanna Newsom, Josephine Foster, Juana Molina, Julie Doiron, Kate Bush, KD Lang, Kirsty MacColl, Kristin Hersh, Laura Marling, Laura Veirs, Le Tigre, Leila, Lisa Germano, Lucinda Williams, Marissa Nadler, Mariza, Marnie Stern, Martha Wainwright, Mavis Staples, Meg Baird, Meshell Ndegeocello, Metric, M.I.A., Mika Miko, Mirah, Missy Elliott, múm, My Brightest Diamond, Neko Case, Nellie McKay, Nina Nastasia, Patty Griffin, Peaches, PJ Harvey, Portishead, Queen Adreena, Regina Spektor, Rilo Kiley, Robyn, Róisín Murphy, Rosanne Cash, Sarah Blasko, Shannon Wright, Shiina Ringo, Sleater-Kinney, Soap&Skin, St. Vincent, Stina Nordenstam, Tegan and Sara, The Be Good Tanyas, The Cardigans, The Distillers, The Dresden Dolls, The Indelicates, The Innocence Mission, The Knife, Tori Amos, tUnE-yArDs, Vivian Girls, Yo Majesty, Yoko Ono

For the full rundown with commentary on each album, click below

#100-76

#75-51

#50-26

#25-1

* * *

Wears The Trousers tribute to Odetta out now on CD and MP3.