# Popular Bands With Both Men AND Women **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066 "2009-03-19T19:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/1 "2009-03-19T19:54:11Z")
What have been some bands to acheive some semblance of popularity (I suppose a good benchmark would be one or more Top 40 songs) that had both men and women in their lineups? Let’s exclude women in backup bands to solo musicians (Sherly Crow was once in Prince’s backup band); backup bands backing female solo musicians (such as Cheryl Crow); and bands consisting of a female headliner and a backup band (Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, for example). I’ll start: Paramore No Doubt Fleetwood Mac Blondie\* Abba Berlin Evanescence Sixpence None the Richer Eurythmics Swing Out Sister 10,000 Maniacs \*Blondie is the name of the _band_, not the name of the lead singer, who goes by Debra Harry and not “Blondie.” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/2 "2009-03-19T19:59:26Z")
The White Stripes Belle & Sebastian…are they popular? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/3 "2009-03-19T20:00:41Z")
Pretenders Talking Heads The Partridge Family:) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/4 "2009-03-19T20:02:11Z")
B-52s Til Tuesday Timbuk 3 ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/5 "2009-03-19T20:07:53Z")
That’s potentially a really, really long list. Most bands with female vocalists are otherwise mostly male; all-female groups are generally rarer. That said, here’s a few popular metal bands with female vocals: Nightwish Arch Enemy Lacuna Coil Within Temptation Therion (current lineup) Theatre of Tragedy Leaves’ Eyes Epica Sirenia After Forever Edenbridge Darkestrah (OK, maybe not all top-40 bands, but all pretty popular within their genres) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/6 "2009-03-19T20:08:24Z")
So it’s only the nomenclature that differentiates Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians from bands like No Doubt and Paramore? Because those are definitely bands headlined by a female. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/7 "2009-03-19T20:10:02Z")
Oh, and I might as well contribute: The Carpenters K’s Choice (both brother-sister duos) ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/8 "2009-03-19T20:10:47Z")
The Mamas and the Papas The Fifth Dimension Jefferson Airplane/Starship Heart The Velvet Underground (more influential than popular) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/9 "2009-03-19T20:11:33Z")
Just to give you an idea of how rigidly sex-segregated the jazz profession was - and still is - there has been exactly ONE fully unisex professional big band in 80+ years of the genre. The Mills Cavalcade Orchestra of 1935 made one record date and then disappeared, leaving no impression whatever on anybody. _All_-female jazz groups, by contrast, did well then and are still not unheard of. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/10 "2009-03-19T20:12:44Z")
The Gathering has a female vocalist and bassist, and male guitarist, drummer, and keys Rasputina, at least for a while, had two females and one male. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/11 "2009-03-19T20:12:46Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > So it’s only the nomenclature that differentiates Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians from bands like No Doubt and Paramore? Because those are definitely bands headlined by a female. Edie Brickell is basically a solo artist who’s backup band has a name. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/12 "2009-03-19T20:24:31Z")
The Pixies. I guess they’re popular. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/13 "2009-03-19T20:25:46Z")
Quarterflash. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/14 "2009-03-19T20:30:38Z")
Len - Marc and Sharon Costanzo are brother and sister. Aqua - the female vocalist (Lene) is currently married to their keyboardist (Soren), which is a lot of why they broke up, since she was originally involved with the main male vocalist (Rene). A couple non-American, but quite popular in their home country (Japan): Maximum the Hormone (3 men - vocals, guitar, bass - 1 woman - drums, some vocals) - the main vocalist and drummer (Ryo and Nao Kawakita) are brother and sister. the brilliant green (2 men - guitar, bass - 1 woman - vocals) - the vocalist and bassist (Tomoko Kawase and Shunsaku Okuda) are married. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/15 "2009-03-19T20:39:57Z")
Garbage Veruca Salt Smashing Pumpkins Flyleaf Mindless Self Indulgence Shiny Toy Guns Broken Social Scene Blond Redhead Skunk Anansie Sick Puppies Forget Cassettes ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/16 "2009-03-19T20:46:16Z")
The Velvet Underground (If Nico wasn’t an actual member of the band, Mo Tucker certainly was) The Dandy Warhols Nashville Pussy Hole Ike Turner’s various outfits generally had Ikettes in them; one in particular stands out… Alison Krauss and Union Station Peter. Paul and Mary Don’t inter-band romances kill most co-ed groups? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/17 "2009-03-19T20:47:24Z")
The Men, who had one minor hit with “Church of Logic, Sin & Love” had a female guitarist and a female bassist. > **[The Men](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_(band))** > > The Men may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/18 "2009-03-19T20:51:06Z")
This exercise would be more interesting if you excluded bands fronted by a female singer or singer-musician who was the only woman in the band. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/19 "2009-03-19T21:41:28Z")
Yo La Tengo Rilo Kiley Silversun Pickups The Blow The Knife The Fugees These stretch the definition of popular, perhaps, but someone who’s read a Rolling Stone or two should be familiar with most of 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066/20 "2009-03-19T21:49:02Z")
White Zombie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-with-both-men-and-women/490066.md?page=2)