Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: Hit Parade | Building a Herstory Edition

Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: June 30, 2020

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Hit Parade explores the rise and impact of women in 1990s popular music, focusing on the cultural, commercial, and historical significance of Lilith Fair—a groundbreaking all-female music festival launched by Sarah McLachlan in 1997. Chart analyst and music historian Chris Molanphy examines how women artists not only dominated charts and airwaves in the '90s, but also challenged persistent industry stereotypes and barriers, culminating in the triumph of Lilith Fair. The episode considers whether this moment was a lasting breakthrough or a fleeting pinnacle in the recognition of women in rock and related genres.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spark of Lilith Fair and Its Unique Approach

In the early summer of 1997, a group of women, led by Sarah McLachlan, organized Lilith Fair, an unprecedented, nationwide tour featuring only woman-fronted acts.
Molanphy points out how revolutionary this was for the time:

"It was a traveling festival that defied conventional wisdom, the idea that no concert tour should have more than one or two women on the bill. This tour would be all women and woman fronted bands." (01:20)
Lilith Fair quickly became "the highest grossing touring festival of the year on its very first run." (01:38)

2. Women’s Commercial Dominance in 1990s Music

The episode spotlights how, by 1997, women were chart-toppers across pop, rock, and R&B, whether or not they performed at Lilith.
Music samples punctuate these points, showcasing the musical and sales power of women like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette:
- Sheryl Crow’s “Everyday is a Winding Road” (02:43)
- Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” (03:13)
Lilith Fair included not just rock artists, but also women at the forefront of R&B and hip-hop, "those women were platinum sellers too" (03:20).

3. Irony and Industry Resistance

Molanphy highlights striking industry resistance to women in rock, even as they achieved commercial success:

"At the very moment Lilith was selling out venues nationwide, radio—rock radio in particular—was pivoting away from women performers. It was a story as old as rock and roll itself...They were frequently treated as footnotes or sidebars to rock history." (03:39)
Despite immense popularity and acclaim, women were still fighting to “convince radio programmers and tour promoters they could sell tickets and keep listeners from changing the station.” (04:35)

4. Challenging Stereotypes About 'Women in Rock'

The episode addresses the problematic notion of “women in rock” as a genre, contrasting this with the immense stylistic diversity of female artists in the 1990s.
Molanphy:

"...contrary to the conventional wisdom, the music of this period was far more varied than the stereotype of the soul bearing diary lyrics singer songwriter. But the women who banded together as 90s sisters in song made that stereotype moot the most undeniable way possible by topping the charts." (05:25)

5. The Culmination—And the Turning Point

The focal point is July 1997, when Sarah McLachlan’s “Building a Mystery” debuted on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, coinciding with Lilith Fair’s opening show.

"...the week ending July 5, 1997, when Building a Mystery by Sarah McLachlan made its debut on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. The same week her Lilith Fair Festival played its first show at the Gorge Amphitheater..." (06:07)
Lilith Fair’s overwhelming success is framed as a crest of female achievement in pop—but also hints at being an end, not just a beginning:

"It was a triumph, the culmination of a decade of female success in popular music. But like many culminations, it was closer to the end of something than the beginning." (06:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the necessity and skepticism of Lilith Fair:

"This was the perception Sarah McLachlan and her traveling festival were aiming to correct in 1997. For a few glorious summers, these women were proved right." (04:55)
On rewriting music history:

"They were frequently treated as footnotes or sidebars to rock history. And even after women released some of the 1990s most acclaimed albums... they still spent the 90s convincing radio programmers and tour promoters they could sell tickets..." (03:48)
On breaking the genre stereotype:

"Generations of performers who happen to be female have said they are sick of women in rock being treated as a genre..." (05:08)
On the momentous cultural shift:

"The women who banded together as 90s sisters in song made that stereotype moot the most undeniable way possible by topping the charts." (05:50)

Important Segments with Timestamps

[01:20-01:38] – The launch and early impact of Lilith Fair
[02:43-03:13] – Recognition of women’s chart dominance with musical interludes
[03:39-04:35] – Industry resistance, the irony of radio ignoring female-led success
[05:08-05:50] – Dismantling the ‘women in rock’ genre stereotype
[06:07-06:32] – Lilith Fair’s correlation with McLachlan’s charting success, representing both a peak and an inflection point

Episode Tone & Language

Chris Molanphy carries a tone of historical analysis blended with reverence and a critical lens—championing the achievements of women in music while lamenting the systemic industry challenges they faced. The language is accessible yet insightful, inviting listeners to both reminisce and rethink the cultural narratives around women in the 1990s music scene.

Conclusion

"Building a Herstory Edition" provides a thoughtful look at a pivotal moment in music history, examining how the triumph of Lilith Fair both celebrated and exposed the fragile industry status of women artists. Through historic anecdotes, data, and evocative music moments, Chris Molanphy offers listeners both a celebration and a critical reflection on the ongoing challenges for women in the music industry. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in pop culture, gender studies, or music history.

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Transcript9 lines

[00:00]
A
You're listening ad free on Amazon Music. Hey there, Hit Parade listeners. What you're about to hear is a preview of our latest episode. As we announced recently, Slate, like many media organizations, has been hit hard by the economic downturn caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. We need your help to continue producing this show and all the other work we do at Slate. So we're asking you to sign up for Slate plus our membership program. It's just $35 for the first year and it will go a long way toward supporting us at this crucial moment. Sign up@slate.com hitparadeplus and you'll get to hear this and every episode of Hit Parade in full. That's slate.com hitparadeplus thanks. And now your episode preview. Welcome to Hit Parade, a podcast of pop chart history from Slate magazine about the hits from coast to coast. I'm Chris Melanfy, chart analyst, pop critic and writer of Slate's why Is this Song Number One? Series on today's show. 23 years ago, in the early summer of 1997, a team of women mounted a tour that was the first of its kind. It was a traveling festival that defied conventional wisdom, the idea that no concert tour should have more than one or two women on the bill. This tour would be all women and woman fronted bands. They called it Lilith Faire. Founded by Canadian singer songwriter Sarah McLachlan, Lilith Fair would prove a blockbuster success, the highest grossing touring festival of the year on its very first run. And why should that have been surprising? After all, Lilith's mainstage acts were all certified gold. Or platinum. Or multi platinum.
[02:44]
B
Every day is a winding road I get a little bit closer.
[02:52]
A
At the time, Lilith Fair was received as the consummation of a decade and a genre, 90s rock that had been very good to women performers. Many of the biggest acts on the radio and the Billboard charts at the time were women. Even the ones who weren't at Lilith Fair.
[03:13]
B
Cause I've got one hand in my pocket and the other one is flicking a cigarette.
[03:21]
A
Moreover, when Lilith expanded its roster to include artists at the forefront of R and B and hip hop, those women were platinum sellers too.
[03:35]
B
I feel the win. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9.
[03:39]
A
But the great and sad irony was this. At the very moment Lilith was selling out venues nationwide, radio rock radio in particular was pivoting away from women performers. It was a story as old as rock and roll itself. Even as generations of women had helped shape what rock became, inspiring countless artists in their wake, They were frequently treated as footnotes or sidebars to rock history. And even after women released some of the 1990s most acclaimed albums. And some of the decade's biggest hits, They still spent the 90s convincing radio programmers and tour promoters they could sell tickets and keep listeners from changing the station. This was the perception Sarah McLaughlin and her traveling festival were aiming to correct in 1997. For a few glorious summers, these women were proved right. Today on Hit Parade, we'll consider the women rockers, rappers and iconoclasts of the 1990s before, during and after Lilith Fair. To be sure, generations of performers who happen to be female have said they are sick of women in rock being treated as a genre and contrary to the contrary conventional wisdom, the music of this period was far more varied than the stereotype of the soul bearing diary lyrics singer songwriter. But the women who banded together as 90s sisters in song made that stereotype moot the most undeniable way possible by topping the charts.
[06:03]
B
A Mystery.
[06:07]
A
And that's where your Hit Parade marches today, the week ending July 5, 1997, when Building a Mystery by Sarah McLachlan made its debut on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. The same week her Lilith Fair Festival played its first show at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State. One month later, McLachlan would have the top single artist album in the country, while Lilith sold out venues across the nation. It was a triumph, the culmination of a decade of female success in popular music. But like many culminations, it was closer to the end of something than the beginning. Thanks for listening to this episode Preview to listen to the full Hit Parade episode, please go to slate.com hitparade plus.