An “all-male rock band” is far from a commodity. Just off the top of my head, I can easily name over a dozen popular rock bands whose membership consists entirely of men: Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Godsmack, Metallica, Disturbed, Korn… I could go on and on. There are a handful of greatly successful female-fronted rock bands such as Evanescence, Halestorm, and Flyleaf – but the lead singers are the only women in these bands. Even the iconic kawaii metal group BABYMETAL, which appears to be all-female, tour with male instrumentalists. Do rock bands with a 100% female lineup—women on vocals AND instruments—even exist? They may be woefully rare, but the answer is YES! Here are 10 bands from all around the world that can rock the stage without any men to be seen!
The Warning
The three-piece alternative rock band The Warning was formed by the Villarreal Vélez sisters—Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra of Monterrey, Mexico—in 2013, when they were just 13, 11, and 9 years old! Their current lineup features Dany on guitar and vocals, Pau on drums and vocals, Ale on bass and backing vocals, and all three on piano. They dropped their first EP in 2015 and their first album two years later. They currently have four studio albums with their most recent, Keep Me Fed, dropping last June. Last year, their song “Qué Más Quieres” was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Latin GRAMMY Awards. They have amassed over a million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The Warning is currently on a headlining world tour with stops in South America, Europe, and the United States, and they will be opening for Halsey for 10 shows on her upcoming For My Last Trick Tour.
The Linda Lindas
Punk band The Linda Lindas formed in Los Angeles in 2018 with Eloise Wong on bass and guitars, Bela Salazar and Lucia de la Garza on guitars, Mila de la Garza on drums, and all four on vocals. Like The Warning, these girls were just kids when they started their band: Bela was 14, Lucia was 11, Eloise was 10, and Mila (who is Lucia’s younger sister) was only 8! These talented young ladies accompanied punk rock legends Green Day as the first of three openers on their stadium tour last year. The Linda Lindas appear in the 2021 movie Moxie, and their song “Little Bit ‘O Soul” is featured in the 2023 time travel slasher film Totally Killer. They released their first album in 2022; their song “Racist, Sexist Boy” won the Libera Award for Best Punk Record that same year. They currently have two studio albums, an original Christmas song, and a song on popular children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba!
The Linda Lindas will kick off their headlining North America tour later this month.
BAND-MAID
BAND-MAID formed in Japan in 2013 with Miku Kobato on rhythm guitar and vocals, Kanami Tōn on lead guitar and backing vocals, Akane Hirose on drums, MISA (mononymous) on bass and backing vocals, and Saiki Atsumi on lead vocals. Their theme is right in their name: they are a rock band that dresses up as maids. They have provided songs for several different anime, including the opening theme of Platinum End (“Sense”), the opening theme for season 3 of Log Horizon (“Different”‘), the second ending theme for season 3 of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS (“glory”), and, most recently, the opening theme for Zenshu (“Zen”) in 2025. Their song “Protect You” (which is also the ending theme for the anime Grendizer U) ranked #18 on Metal Hammer’s 50 best metal songs of 2024.
BAND-MAID will kick off a headlining tour in various cities across Japan this May.
Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot is a punk rock feminist protest group that began in Moscow, Russia in 2011. While we know that the band was founded by Nadya Tolokonnikova, the lineup is fluid and unofficial, consisting of anywhere from 10 to 20 anonymous women at a time. Other identified members include Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, Diana Burkot, Veronika Nikulshina, and Lucy Shtein. They first gained popularity in 2012 after an interrupted performance of their protest song “Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away,” which landed three of their members in prison. The group has been featured on tracks by popular rock bands including Our Lady Peace, Palaye Royale, and Avenged Sevenfold, and even appeared on one version of the song “Purge The Poison” by Welsh superstar MARINA . Pussy Riot has released two studio albums and a mixtape, though only the latter is available on Spotify.
Pussy Riot: Riot Days, a theatrical concert-like experienced based on the memoir written by aforementioned member Maria Alyokhina, is scheduled for several performances across North America starting in April.
Froggy
Froggy is a queer punk band formed in Philadelphia in 2020 with Brooke Feenie on bass, Fiona Clark on drums, and Morgan McClain on guitar and lead vocals. They released their first EP in 2021, then their first album in 2022 and an additional EP in 2024. Their song “7-Eleven Nachos,” which is currently their most-streamed track, appears in the 2022 film Clerks III. The group has also made multiple appearances on radio station 93.3 WMMR’s Preston & Steve Show.
Vixen77
Vixen77 is a retro rock band formed in 2018 in Philadelphia with Halle Clouser on lead vocals, Caitlin Walker and E.A. Cartwright on guitars, Jaz (surname undisclosed) on bass, and Mare Lemongelli on drums. Their sound is reminiscent of seventies punk bands like The Runaways (whom I will discuss later on in this article). They dropped their first album in 2022 and have released two singles since then. The band has been quiet lately, but they don’t seem to be on an official hiatus.
Crypta
Crypta is a death metal band formed in São Paulo, Brazil in 2019. Their lineup consists of Fernanda Lira on bass and lead vocals, Luana Dametto on drums, and Tainá Bergamaschi on guitar; Jéssica di Falchi, who had been one of their guitarists since 2022, amicably departed from the group earlier this month. They currently have two albums with a third in the works, as well as three songs with over one million streams on Spotify. They are signed to Napalm Records, which is also the label of several other female-fronted rock bands including symphonic metal supergroup Exit Eden, Ukrainian progressive metal band Jinjer, and Canadian power metal band Unleash The Archers.
Crypta will be one of the opening bands for Aborted during their European tour in April and May.
BarlowGirl
BarlowGirl was a Christian rock band consisting of three sisters from Illinois. The Barlow sisters started out as their dad’s backup band in 1999 when Alyssa and Lauren were still teenagers, then the trio signed to a label in 2003 with Alyssa on lead vocals, bass, and keyboards, Lauren on vocals and drums, and Rebecca on guitar and backing vocals. The band has four studio albums, a compilation album, and a Christmas album, the latter of which was one of the most downloaded holiday albums of 2008. Their most successful song, “Never Alone,” has over eight million streams on Spotify and was named Song of the Year on two different Christian music charts in 2004. The group disbanded in 2012.
Care Bears On Fire
One of my core childhood memories is tuning in to Nickelodeon and seeing the music video for “Everybody Else” by Care Bears On Fire. Baby emo me thought this was just the most badass song ever. The edgy trio responsible for this formative memory formed in 2005 with Sophie Kasakove on vocals and guitar, Izzy Schappell-Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jena (surname undisclosed) on bass. The band has two albums, although only one of them is available on Spotify. The “Everybody Else” music video was not their only appearance on Nickelodeon: Care Bears On Fire also guest starred on True Jackson, VP alongside sensational popstars such as Justin Bieber and Natasha Bedingfield, and one of their album covers makes a cameo in an episode of Victorious. The group disbanded in 2012 (coincidentally the same year as BarlowGirl).
The Runaways
This list wouldn’t be complete without classic rockers The Runaways. This legendary group, largely known for their explosive hit “Cherry Bomb,” formed their official lineup in late 1975 with Cherie Currie on lead vocals, Joan Jett on guitars and vocals, Sandy West on drums and vocals, Lita Ford on guitars, bass, and vocals, and Jackie Fox on bass and backing vocals (Jackie Fox was replaced with Vicki Blue in 1977). They released four studio albums before disbanding in 1979. A film called The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie came out in 2010, with Joan Jett herself serving as an executive producer. Even though the band was only together for four years, their impact on the rock genre was significant, proving that women could succeed in such a male-dominated genre. Female rockstars such as Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless and Courtney Love of Hole have cited The Runaways as one of their biggest inspirations.
