100 Best Feminist Songs

I have been an online writer for over six years. I am passionate about books, philosophy, music, and the music industry.

The strength and courage women possess is echoed aesthetically in songs. Feminist themes and ideas are creatively brought to life with engaging lyrics. Songs that empower women play a pivotal role in shaping life-determining decisions that lead to pursuing desired goals. Viewpoints of women are showcased in an intriguing manner in many feminist songs that advocate beliefs to redefine gender roles and rules.

What Are Feminist Songs?

Feminist songs are songs that define social, economic, political, and personal attributes of gender equality. These songs cover a wide-range of ideologies associated with girls and women. A diverse range of moral philosophies, political theories, and social theories are covered with feminist themes. With feminist causes, singers and songwriters are able to bring about a change in gender stereotypes. A number of songs about feminism propagate the fight against unjust treatment of women in a male-dominated society. The entitlements for girls or women are presented in a thoughtfully inspiring way in certain awareness songs.

The lyrics in these songs spread the message about equal opportunities and resources regardless of gender. While majority of songs celebrate women’s empowerment with raising the status of women through social awareness, certain songs outline the privileges of women with literacy, training, and education. Certain aspects of gender inequality highlight the plight of women through a social construct of hierarchy. While many songs campaign against the atrocities of women, certain songs convey a deeper understanding of feminism with metaphorical elements.

Feminist Themes in Songs

Feminist themes in songs are often showcased through three traditions which are liberal, radical, and socialist. In each tradition feminist strategies are integrated to alter the structure of perceived mindsets about women in society. Songs about feminism showcase different aspects of women’s empowerment with the freedom of strategic life choices that are denied to women in certain societies. Gender stereotypes relating to attitudes and behaviors are brought to life tastefully in certain songs with empowerment themes.

Many feminist themes in songs question the male-dominated hierarchy of supremacy in society and the oppression and discrimination carried out on women. Feminist views are expressed in songs to redefine socio-political norms that are not in favor of women. Biased attitude towards certain sections in society are often highlighted with thematic references, either factually or figuratively. Themes in songs focus on fostering relationships to raise consciousness about personal struggles through means of female empowerment. The popular feminist themes often showcased in songs are

• Women’s Rights
• Equal Pay
• Sexual Harassment
• Oppression
• Domestic Violence
• Gender Inequality
• Body Image
• Maternity Leave
• Women’s Empowerment
• Independence
• Social Norms
• Gender Role
• Discrimination
• Self-Empowerment
• Stereotyping
• Patriarchy
• Emancipation
• Sexual Violence
• Reproductive Rights
• Sexual Objectification
• Victimization

The list below showcases an epic collection of feminist songs from different genres, and different decades. If you have a view, opinion, or song suggestion, let us know in the comments section.

Top 10 Best Feminist Songs

1. “New Rules”—Dua Lipa
2. “God Is a Woman”—Ariana Grande
3. “Roar”—Katy Perry
4. “Body”—Megan Thee Stallion
5. “Fight Song”—Rachel Platten
6. “The Man”—Taylor Swift
7. “Love Myself”—Hailee Steinfeld
8. “Bodak Yellow”—Cardi B
9. “Lush Life”—Zara Larsson
10. “Kings & Queens”—Ava Max

#11—20

11. “Run the World (Girls)”—Beyonce

12. “Girl on Fire”—Alicia Keys

13. “Black Widow”—Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora

14. “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”—Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

15. “Just a Girl”—No Doubt

16. “Sit Still, Look Pretty”—Daya

17. “Good As Hell”—Lizzo

18. “Confident”—Demi Lovato

19. “Me, Myself & I”—G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha

20. “Respect”—Aretha Franklin

#21—40

21. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”—Kelly Clarkson

22. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”—Cyndi Lauper

23. “Wannabe”—Spice Girls

24. “Express Yourself”—Madonna

25. “You Don’t Own Me”—Leslie Gore

26. “No”—Meghan Trainor

27. “Girl in a Country Song”—Maddie & Tae

28. “Don’t Touch My Hair”—Solange featuring Sampha

29. “Independent Women Part 1”—Destiny’s Child

30. “Q.U.E.E.N.”—Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu

31. “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”—Shania Twain

32. “Don’t Start Now”—Dua Lipa

33. “Born This Way”—Lady Gaga

34. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”—Beyonce

35. “All I Wanna Do”—Sheryl Crow

36. “Control”—Janet Jackson

37. “Bossy”—Kelis featuring Too Short

38. “Most Girls”—Hailee Steinfeld

39. “I Love It”—Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX

40. “Can’t Hold Us Down”—Christina Aguilera featuring Lil’ Kim

#41—60

41. “Bitch”—Meredith Brooks

42. “About a Girl”—Sugababes

43. “Dumb Blonde”—Avril Lavigne

44. “WAP”—Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion

45. “Team”—Iggy Azalea

46. “Juice”—Lizzo

47. “Woman”—Kesha featuring Dap-King Horns

48. “9 to 5”—Dolly Parton

49. “Pretty Hurts”—Beyonce

50. “Quiet”—MILCK

51. “Irresistible”—Jessica Simpson

52. “Who Let the Dogs Out”—Baha Men

53. “Miss Independent”—Ne-Yo

54. “Hard Out Here”—Lily Allen

55. “Fighter”—Christina Aguilera

56. “Scars to Your Beautiful”—Alessia Cara

57. “Call Me”—Blondie

58. “Nice For What”—Drake

59. “I Will Survive”—Gloria Gaynor

60. “Obsessed”—Mariah Carey

#61—80

61. “Unstoppable”—Sia

62. “Mother’s Daughter”—Miley Cyrus

63. “Worth It”—Fifth Harmony

64. “Sorry”—Madonna

65. “Rare”—Selena Gomez

66. “Pretty Girls”—Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea

67. “Fancy”—Drake

68. “Survivor”—Destiny’s Child

69. “Part of Me”—Katy Perry

70. “If I Were A Boy”—Beyonce

71. “Ain’t Your Mama”—Jennifer Lopez

72. “Picture to Burn”—Taylor Swift

73. “When I Grow Up”—The Pussycat Dolls

74. “So What”—Pink

75. “Fall in Line”—Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato

76. “Pynk”—Janelle Monae

77. “Flawless”—Beyonce featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

78. “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)”—Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer

79. “Ex’s & Oh’s”—Elle King

80. “G.U.Y.”—Lady Gaga

#81—100

81. “Let It Go”—Idina Menzel

82. “Holloback Girl”—Gwen Stefani

83. “Papa Don’t Preach”—Madonna

84. “Who Says”—Selena Gomez & the Scene

85. “Miss Independent”—Kelly Clarkson

86. “Polly”—Nirvana

87. “I Don’t Need a Man”—The Pussycat Dolls

88. “Really Don’t Care”—Demi Lovato featuring Cheryl Lloyd

89. “Oops (Oh My)”—Tweet featuring Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot

90. “What It Feels Like for a Girl”—Madonna

91. “Like a Boy”—Ciara

92. “Black Magic”—Little Mix

93. “IDGAF”—Dua Lipa

94. “No Scrubs”—TLC

95. “Girls Like You”—Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

96. “I’m Coming Out”—Diana Ross

97. “U + Ur Hand”—Pink

98. “I Do Not Hook Up”—Kelly Clarkson

99. “Womanizer”—Britney Spears

100. “Sin Pijama”—Becky G and Natty Natasha

Other Notable Feminist Songs

• “Wind It Up”—Gwen Stefani
• “Hey Hey Hey”—Katy Perry
• “Learn to Let Go”—Kesha
• “None of Your Business”—Salt-N-Pepa
• “Don’t Call Me Angel”—Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey
• “Walking on Air”—Kerli
• “She Wolf”—Shakira
• “Boss”—Fifth Harmony
• “Me, Myself and I”—Beyonce
• “Rebel Girl”—Bikini Kill
• “Follow Your Arrow”—Kacey Musgraves
• “Bulletproof”—La Roux
• “Secrets”—Mary Lambert
• “Diva”—Beyonce
• “Monstro”—Downtown Boys
• “I’m Every Woman”—Chaka Khan
• “Say You’ll Be There”—Spice Girls
• “Creep”—TLC
• “The Pill”—Loretta Lynn
• “Human Nature”—Madonna
• “Boys Will Be Boys”—Dua Lipa
• “Stronger”—Britney Spears
• “Girls in the Hood”—Megan Thee Stallion
• “Bad Girls”—M.I.A.
• “All Hands on Deck”—Tinashe
• “No You Girls”—Franz Ferdinand
• “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”—Blu Cantrell
• “Tiny Hands”—Fiona Apple
• “Girl”—Destiny’s Child
• “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady”—Helen Reddy
• “Jump”—Madonna
• “Feeling Myself”—Nicki Minaj featuring Beyonce
• “Independence Day”—Martina McBride
• “Don’t Bother”—Shakira
• “Little Baby Nothing”—Manic Street Preachers
• “Woman”—Neneh Cherry
• “Suggestion”—Fugazi
• “Catching My Breath”—Kelly Clarkson
• “A Rose Is Still a Rose”—Aretha Franklin
• “Primadonna”—Marina and the Diamonds
• “Hot Topic”—Le Tigre
• “Skinny Genes”—Eliza Doolittle
• “Drunk Girl”—Chris Janson
• “Ugly Heart”—G.R.L.
• “Think (About It)”—Lyn Collins
• “A Woman’s Worth”—Alicia Keys

• “Violet”—Hole
• “Land”—Patti Smith
• “Red Dress”—Sugababes
• “A Scary Time”—Lynzy Lab
• “Female”—Keith Urban
• “Bills, Bills, Bills”—Destiny’s Child
• “Ladykillers”—Lush
• “Power”—Little Mix
• “Keeps Gettin’ Better—Christina Aguilera
• “She Bop”—Cyndi Lauper
• “Get Some”—Lykke Li
• “You Don’t Know Me”—Jax Jones featuring Raye
• “21”—Lily Allen
• “Dirty Laundry”—Kelly Rowland
• “Girls Need Love”—Summer Walker
• “Paper on Plastic”—Brooke Candy
• “Man’s World”—Marina
• “Real Things”—Javine
• “U.N.I.T.Y.”—Queen Latifah
• “Hair”—Little Mix
• “Celebrity Skin”—Hole
• “Prayer in C”—Lilly Wood and the Prick and Robin Schulz
• “Broken Heels”—Alexandra Burke
• “Stupid Girls”—Pink
• “Pretty Girl Rock”—Keri Hilson
• “White Houses”—Vanessa Carlton
• “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”—Nancy Sinatra
• “Asking for It”—Hole
• “I Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”—Kitty Wells
• “Good Good”—Ashanti
• “Tomboy”—Princess Nokia
• “What You Waiting For?”—Gwen Stefani
• “Salute”—Little Mix
• “Future Nostalgia”—Dua Lipa
• “Strong Enough”—Cher
• “Listen”—Beyonce
• “In the Party”—Flo Milli
• “Unpretty”—TLC
• “A Toast to Men”—Willa Ford featuring Lady May
• “Doubt”—Mary J. Blige
• “Your Dog”—Soccer Mommy
• “Think”—Aretha Franklin
• “All Woman”—Lisa Stansfield
• “Wild Things”—Alessia Cara
• “I Am a Woman”—Jordin Sparks
• “Dare Me”—Pointer Sisters

• “The Joke”—Brandi Carlile
• “She”—Green Day
• “Partition”—Beyonce
• “Typical Girls”—The Slits
• “Like This”—Kelly Rowland featuring Eve
• “Harper Valley PTA”—Jeannie C. Riley.
• “Praying”—Kesha
• “Superwoman”—Alicia Keys
• “Leash Called Love”—The Sugarcubes
• “Pretend We’re Dead”—L7
• “Woman’s World”—Cher
• “#1 Must Have”—Sleater-Kinney
• “Girls With Guitars”—Wynonna
• “Not Ready to Make Nice”—The Chicks
• “I Can’t Do That Anymore”—Alan Jackson
• “She Loves Control”—Camila Cabello
• “Little Me”—Little Mix
• “Who’s That Girl”—Robyn
• “No Black Person Is Ugly”—Lil B
• “Cornflake Girl”—Tori Amos
• “Shadowland”—Heather Headley and Tsidii Le Loka
• “Liberty Walk”—Miley Cyrus
• “I Got That”—Amil featuring Beyonce
• “M.I.L.F. $”—Fergie
• “Brenda’s Got a Baby”—2Pac
• “Woman Is the Nigger of the World”—John Lennon and Yoko Ono
• “FM Doll”—Queenadreena
• “React”—Pussycat Dolls
• “Men Explain Things to Me”—Tacocat
• “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin On but the Rent”—Gwen Guthrie
• “Try”—Colbie Caillat
• “Four Women”—Nina Simone
• “Renaissance Girls”—Oh Land
• “Cherry Bomb”—The Runnaways
• “Upgrade U”—Beyonce featuring Jay Z
• “You Don’t Own Me”—Skygrace
• “Whole Lotta Woman”—Kelly Clarkson
• “That’s the Way It Is”—Mel and Kim
• “Nasty”—Janet Jackson
• “XXL”—Mylene Farmer
• “Me Me Me”—Serebro
• “King of Anything”—Sara Bareilles
• “Free”—Ultra Nate
• “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker”—The Ramones
• “Raining Men”—Rihanna featuring Nicki Minaj
• “Love ‘Em All”—K Michelle
• “Girl Blunt”—Leikeli47

• “Whatcha Think About That”—The Pussycat Dolls featuring Missy Elliot
• “Dear Mama”—2Pac
• “Lady Powers”—Vera Blue featuring Kodie Shane
• “Commander”—Kelly Rowland featuring David Guetta
• “Break Free”—Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
• “Kick Your Game”—TLC
• “Into the Unknown”—Idina Menzel featuring Aurora
• “Lipstick”—Alesha
• “Joan of Arc”—Little Mix
• “Pretty Girl”—Maggie Lindemann
• “Keep Ya Head Up”—2Pac featuring Dave Hollister
• “I Am Woman”—Helen Reddy
• “Oh Bondage Up Yours!”—X-Ray Spex
• “Part of Your World”—Jodi Benson
• “Lookin Ass”—Nicki Minaj
• “Do It Like a Dude”—Jessie J.
• “Girl”—Maren Morris
• “Sledgehammer”—Fifth Harmony
• “Karma”—Marina
• “You Oughta Know”—Alanis Morissette
• “She Works Hard for the Money”—Donna Summer
• “Fight Like a Girl”—Bomshel
• “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”—Carly Simon
• “Grown Woman”—Kelly Rowland
• “Django Jane”—Janelle Monae
• “Rock Steady”—All Saints
• “No Hey”—Ivy Queen
• “Two Black Cadillacs”—Carrie Underwood
• “Party for One”—Carly Rae Japsen
• “When a Man Loves a Woman”—Jody Watley
• “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”—Mary Chapin Carpenter
• “Superwoman”—Karyn White
• “La Tortura”—Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz
• “I Don’t Think About You”—Kelly Clarkson
• “Give Me My Name Back”—Meg Mac
• “Kiss My Fat Ass”—Sheppard
• “Put a Woman in Charge”—Keb’ Mo featuring Rosanna Cash
• “Handle Me”—Robyn
• “Bickenhead”—Cardi B
• “That’s My Girl”—Fifth Harmony
• “Sheela-Na-Gig”—PJ Harvey
• “Libertad”—Ivy Queen
• “What Have You Done for Me Lately”—Janet Jackson
• “People Grinnin’”—Nervo
• “Jennifer’s Body”—Hole
• “Sisters, O Sisters”—Yoko Ono
• “Bag it Up”—Geri Halliwel

© 2021 Ansel Pereira