Androgyny and Rock & Roll

 

Bright blue eyeshadow with glitter on top, hair as close to heaven as it can be and striped pink blush are things that male rock musicians have never strayed away from. From the 70s to the late 80s, androgyny has played a great role in rock & roll. From David Bowie's Alladin Sane era to Mick Jagger in general, these rockers had redefined masculinity in their own way.

David Bowie during Aladdin Sane era

Rock & Roll has always been a counter culture. Something that opposes the general societal views in a way and maybe this is the main reason why most of our parents aren't so fond of rock & roll in general.

Mick Jagger and his flamboyant style

After World War II ended, western society had tried its best to make things more normal and perhaps, conservative. From the romanticism of the nuclear family to the marketing of blue for boys and pink for girls. Men working long hours in the office or doing manual work and women taking care of children. The 50s and 60s were quite big on strict gender roles. But of course, when something exists within society, there would be people opposing it. The punk movement called for Anarchy while the rock & roll movement called for hedonism, free love and of course, not following the strict gender roles put up by society. All of the things that were unacceptable for that time period. 

In a way, Rock & Roll celebrated femininity. Robert Plant famously said, 

"Women tend to be much more creative and ambitious, I think I may have been a woman in the past life"

Robert Plant on Stage

While Mick Jagger piled on the blue eyeshadow, there were women rockstars approached a more masculine turn. Joan Jett's shaggy haircut and leather jacket clad stature gave her the ultimate tomboy look. While other women like Patti Smith and Janis Joplin went fully makeup free, often donning menswear, not paying a single heed to what that era thought the perfect woman was supposed to look like.

Joan Jett showing off her raunchy t-shirt

Think of what you will of androgyny or as The Kinks said, "boys would be girls and girls would be boys" but you have to admit that they were good at what they did and looked awesome doing so.

(Written by Sunny)