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In a less-enlightened time, women were barely tolerated by the rock\u2019n\u2019roll establishment\u2026they could sing, shake a tambourine and look pretty\u2026but that\u2019s about it\u2026in retrospect, the sexism and misogyny was unbelievable\u2026but back in the day, it was business as usual\u2026\n\nSome strong women who broke through\u2026Joan Baez, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Carole King, Janis Joplin\u2026but they were the exceptions\u2026\n\nSexism continued through the early- and mid-seventies\u2026the prevailing \u201cwisdom\u201d was that women just couldn\u2019t rock\u2026it was a biological impossibility, apparently\u2026\n\nBut then along came punk rock and a sense of egalitarism\u2026the central tennet of being a punk was that anyone with anything to say should be allowed to say it, regardless of musical ability, class, race, religion\u2014or sex\u2026\n\nThe punk rock of the 70s opened musical doors for women more than any other era in musical history\u2026this doesn\u2019t mean that sexism and misogyny and abuse was over\u2026but it did mean way more strong, powerful female musicians\u2026\n\nSlow, steady progress was made in through the 80s\u2026and yes, there were setbacks\u2026but by the time we got into the next decade, the music world was flooded with women who, in many ways, set the agenda for all rock music\u2026\n\nThis is part 2 of our series on the 1990s\u2026\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices