'How Women Made Music' reexamines the history of music with women at its center

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2024

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Earlier this week, several legendary female artists–including Cher, Mary J. Blige and Big Mama Thornton–were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But despite this recognition, the history of women in popular music has always been marked by struggle. How Women Made Music, a new book from NPR Music and edited by Alison Fensterstock, centers and celebrates that radical history by compiling archival interviews, essays and images from the past 50 years. In today's episode, NPR's Ann Powers talks with NPR's Scott Detrow about the multi-platform project that inspired the book and how female artists have changed history by making revolutionary music–not just by telling their stories.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. I will forever stump for the
0:07.1	importance of art criticism. Whether we're talking books, movies, or in today's case, music,
0:12.7	criticism has the power to set the conversation, to dictate what art is important and what art can be
0:19.1	dismissed. Today's book is about reassessing the pop
0:22.5	music canon to better appreciate and understand women's role. This book actually comes from NPR's
0:28.3	own music team and it's titled How Women Made Music. And NPR Music's Anne Powers spoke with
0:34.3	NPR Scott Detrow about what went into this project, why this felt necessary,
0:39.4	and what the future of pop music looks like.
0:42.8	That's coming up.
0:44.4	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:49.2	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
0:53.7	On our new show, Sources and Methods.
0:55.8	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
0:59.5	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:03.4	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:08.8	It really feels like women have conquered pop music lately.
1:11.6	Girl who run the world.
1:13.6	Global newsmakers like Taylor Swift and Beyonce produce record-setting tours.
1:19.6	Mary J. Blyde, Cher, and Big Mama Thornton are about to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1:24.6	And when Grammy nominations are announced next month, it is expected that women will again dominate the field. Perfect time for a new book called How Women Made
1:32.3	Music a Revolutionary History. It's out now and it was made by our friends at NPR Music.
1:37.9	Join now by Ann Powers, NPR's music critic and correspondent. Hey, Ann.
	...

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