The modern era is filled with empowered, inspiring women dominating many musical genres, with the likes of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Rihanna standing out as some of the most iconic entertainers of our times, but the music industry has historically been a difficult one for female artists to break into. Women typically have had to work much harder than men to make a name for themselves over the years, and this can clearly be seen in the history of girl groups, dating all the way back to the 1940s.
Mr. Lee by The Bobbettes
The likes of The Andrews Sisters had helped pave the way for girl groups back in the early ’40s, but it was The Bobbettes, with their 1957 release of Mr. Lee, who started to show what a group of women could be capable of when allowed to write and perform their own songs.
Source: pitchfork.com
They actually wrote this classic about an ‘ugly’ teacher at their school but were advised to change the lyrics to make Mr. Lee a handsome figure instead. At the time, many girl group songs were written by men, but The Bobbettes inspiringly penned their own music.