U.S.A.: VH1 SALUTE WOMAN IN ROCK WITH A SERIES ON THE '100 GREATEST WOMEN IN ROCK AND ROLL'

Record ID: 386741

  • Title: U.S.A.: VH1 SALUTE WOMAN IN ROCK WITH A SERIES ON THE '100 GREATEST WOMEN IN ROCK AND ROLL'
  • Date: 23rd July 1999
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 23, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SOUNDBITE (English) BILLBOARD MAGAZINE WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF MELINDA NEWMAN SAYING (VH1 COUNTDOWN GRAPHIC) "More than anything for you to say I agree with this is that they want you to say look who's not here. So you have people who got left off but in a way its very nice to think wow, they'v
  • Embargoed: 7th August 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND VARIOUS FILM
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVABSUHINL6434QZTAQL4TV1E6G5
  • Story Text: In one more millennial rush to judgement as the century swiftly closes, cable channel VH1 has rolled out a 5-hour series proclaiming their "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll."
    VH1 tossed aside the testosterone in its salute to what it has deemed the "100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll."
    Ballots were sent out to some of the most influential women in society today, all of whom share a passion for music.The panel of over 300 women included politicians, photographers, writers actresses, fashion figures, music industry executives and of course, the musicians themselves.
    Among the celebrity voters were Joan Armatrading, Sandra Bullock, Debbie Harrie, Lauryn Hill, Penny Marshall, Stella McCartney, Satrah McLachlan, Penelope Spheeris, Ronnie Spector, Gloria Steinem, and Donatella Versace.
    The special is currently airing in the United States as a five night, five hour series, beginning chronologically, with number 100, and counting down to the top twenty by week's end.
    Each night will spotlight twenty artists through vintage performances, classic cuts and new interviews with voters as well as winners.
    In what was surely a daunting compilation from a lengthy list of women, the network was bound to get some criticism on the choice of the title for its programme, as the list is not entirely composed of rock and rollers in the pure sense of the phrase.
    There have also been opinions expressed on who made it and who was left off, but according to Melinda Newman of Billboard Magazine, the critics may be missing the point.
    "You have people who got left off, but in many ways it's very nice to think, wow, they've named a hundred here and there's still some that we can think of; there really have been a lot of tremendous women who have made contributions."
    While the inclusions and omissions may be from a subjective point of view, the fact remains that female artists have increasingly staked their claim in the traditionally male-dominated music industry across all genres.
    Calling attention to this achievement and the ever increasing role of the woman's point of view as it has been expressed through music and as it relates to social mores, politics, and history may have been the underlying force behind the network producing such a special.
    Then again, there is the chance that the approaching millennium is driving media entities worldwide to generate lists and compilations motivated by popular opinion and/or organizational clout: witness the much criticised list of the 100 top movies recently publicised by the American Film Institute.
    "At the risk of stating the obvious, the new millennium only comes along every thousand years," says Newman."It's really a chance for marketing hooks to run crazy.I think we're going to see lists of everything.
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