Every generation has its defining voices<\/a> \u2013 artists whose songwriting, cultural impact, and chart-topping success reshaped the music landscape. While we\u2019re currently in awe of Taylor Swift<\/a>\u2019s musical prowess, before the Life of a Showgirl<\/a>hitmaker, the \u201870s were led by women who alongside having countless chart toppers and global fanbases, remain the cultural blueprint for today\u2019s songstresses.<\/p>\n Today, we\u2019re diving into the lives of some of the biggest female musicians of the \u201870s, exploring not just their musical genius and global adoration, but the generations of fans they inspired \u2013 and the path they paved for performers like Taylor.<\/p>\n Carole King<\/p>\n Taylor indicted Carole into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame<\/p>\n The definitive most successful<\/a> female songwriter of the 20th century in the US, Carole King had an astounding 118 songs that she\u2019d either written or co-written chart on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the era. The legendary lyricist co-wrote countless smash-hit songs with her first husband, Gerry Goffin, including Aretha Franklin<\/a>\u2019s \u201c(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman\u201d.<\/p>\n The hitmaker later redefined the role of a singer-songwriter with her bestselling album Tapestry (1971), which won several Grammys<\/a> and brought us hits like \u201cI Feel the Earth Move\u201d. Taylor Swift, who cites Carole as a great influence on her music, inducted the star into the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame<\/a>, remarking that \u201cshe created the purest works of love and strength and catharsis\u201d during an era that \u201cdidn\u2019t make space for the idea of a female genius\u201d.<\/p>\n Emmylou Harris<\/p>\n Emmylou talked about the changing face of country music, including Taylor’s impact<\/p>\n Like Taylor, Emmylou Harris<\/a> helped push country music into new territory, becoming one of the biggest voices in country-rock \u2013 and a key architect of its mainstream popularity. The Sweet Dreams singer had several number-one country albums throughout the \u201870s, like the mega-hit\u00a0Elite Hotel\u00a0(1976), and became known for interpreting past hit songs, like Buck Owens\u2019 \u201cTogether Again\u201d.<\/p>\n Emmylou also became a champion of other female artists \u2013 fans may remember Trio (1987) with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt<\/a> \u2013 and platformed<\/a> the likes of Gillian Welch. Reflecting on the changing face of country music in 2010 \u2013 including Taylor\u2019s influence \u2013 Emmylou said<\/a>, \u201cAs an artist, you\u2019re influenced by all different kinds of music\u2026I think that\u2019s how every generation reinvents itself artistically\u201d.<\/p>\n Olivia Newton-John<\/p>\n Olivia reportedly was a fan of Taylor’s, and attended her concert in 2010<\/p>\n Even before we were Hopelessly Devoted\u00a0to the star\u2019s memorable performance in Grease, Olivia Newton-John<\/a> was already a force to be reckoned with in country-pop music. The Physical\u00a0hitmaker won the Record of the Year Grammy for her 1974 track \u201cI Honestly Love You\u201d, renowned for her sweet vocals and country influences \u2013 often drawing comparisons to Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n The singer went on to become a huge Hollywood<\/a> star while simultaneously continuing to dominate the charts and tour globally \u2013 including her astounding three-year long Heartstrings World Tour in 2002. Though she passed away in 2022, Olivia\u2019s publicist told TMZ<\/a> that the star thought Taylor was a \u201csweet, talented and smart girl” after attending her concert in 2010.<\/p>\n Joni Mitchell<\/p>\n Taylor is a huge fan of Joni’s groundbreaking record Blue<\/p>\n Joni Mitchell<\/a> changed the game for female songwriters in the \u201870s with the release of Blue (1971), a hauntingly confessional album that showed plenty of raw emotion \u2013 a rarity for a female performer back then. Joni is often cited as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and Taylor herself is a huge fan<\/a> of Blue, as it \u201cexplores somebody\u2019s soul so deeply\u201d including her \u201cmost haunting demons\u201d.<\/p>\n The legendary performer accepted a Kennedy Center Honor in 2021, after a lifetime of breaking boundaries in the music industry. Like Taylor, her personal experiences have connected with fans across the world \u2013 and made for some of the most poetic lyrics of all time.<\/p>\n Janis Ian<\/p>\n Janis sang candidly about being a young woman<\/p>\n One of the most iconic voices to capture the coming-of-age experience, Janis Ian used her folk-pop to articulate the experiences of young women \u2013 from heartbreak to societal expectations \u2013 becoming one of the first mainstream artists to do so. Her memorable track \u201cAt Seventeen\u201d (1975) draws on feelings of teenage alienation and growing pains, and has often been compared to Taylor\u2019s song \u201cFifteen\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Seventeen” earned Janis a Grammy in 1975, and has been covered by other legendary artists like Celine Dion<\/a>. Much like Taylor\u2019s battle to own her music, Janis was also a trailblazer in demanding respect for women in the production process; she launched her own label, Rude Girl Records<\/a>, in 1992, insisting on full creative and branding control.<\/p>\n Stevie Nicks<\/p>\n Stevie attended Taylor’s Eras Tour concert in Dublin, and previously joined her on-stage<\/p>\n \u201cYou look like Stevie Nicks\u2026\u201d Taylor sang in \u201cClara Bow\u201d; the legendary Fleetwood Mac frontwoman<\/a> has long been an idol for female fans and performers alike, whose image and narrative-driven lyrics continue to resonate. After spending the \u201870s breaking barriers with Fleetwood Mac \u2013 Rumours\u00a0(1977) is currently 21x Platinum<\/a> in the US. Stevie ventured into solo stardom, and became the first woman inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, first in 1998, and again in 2019.<\/p>\n Both singers have previously shared the stage, and Taylor honoured the star when she attended the Eras Tour in Dublin, calling her<\/a> \u201cone of the reasons why \u2013 or any female artist \u2013 get to do what we do\u201d. During an interview with Rolling Stone<\/a> in 2024, the Edge of Seventeen singer also showed off the friendship bracelet Taylor gave her, calling her \u201creally smart\u201d and remarking that she\u2019s \u201cin a good place right now\u201d.<\/p>\n Carly Simon<\/p>\n Carly joined Taylor on-stage at the Red Tour to sing You’re So Vain<\/p>\n As a Gen-Z, I confess that the first time I heard Carly Simon<\/a>\u2019s \u201cYou\u2019re So Vain\u201d was when Taylor and Carly performed together<\/a> on-stage during the Red Tour, with Taylor remarking that \u201cevery girl out there will be thinking of someone when we\u2019re singing\u201d. Alongside the hit 1972 single, the beloved performer has given us countless deeply personal tracks that have proven timeless, from \u201cAnticipation\u201d to the James Bond<\/a> theme song \u201cNobody Does It Better\u201d.<\/p>\n After facing her own gendered criticism for writing about relationships in the \u201870s, Carly candidly told Maclean\u2019s<\/a> magazine, \u201cAnybody who\u2019s as successful as Taylor is going to get raked over the coals\u201d, adding that the singer was the \u201cideal girl\u201d and \u201cborn for the job\u201d.<\/p>\n Dolly Parton<\/p>\n Dolly called Taylor “amazing” and “a great inspiration”<\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to talk about country-pop crossover success without talking about Dolly Parton<\/a> herself; a global icon beyond her music, Taylor has previously called<\/a> the 9 to 5\u00a0hitmaker \u201ca legendary empath\u201d and a \u201cstoryteller for the ages\u201d. Having written hundreds of songs during her career \u2013 from the \u201870s hits \u201cJolene\u201d to \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d \u2013 Dolly has remained a tour de force in the industry, continuing to make music to this day.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Carole King<\/h2>\n
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Emmylou Harris<\/h2>\n
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Olivia Newton-John<\/h2>\n
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Joni Mitchell<\/h2>\n
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Dolly Parton<\/h2>\n