Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s

Pearson (Why Marianne Faithfull Matters), founder of the Women in Rock Oral History Project, provides a vibrant account of the golden age of women’s rock music and the forces that capsized it. She traces how the growth of independent record labels, college radio, and an “inclusive” grunge movement in the 1990s set the stage for the rise of Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, and others who took ownership of their sexuality with provocative lyrics, and who used their platforms to further feminist causes. Yet by the end of the decade, the advent of corporate radio and political conservatism sparked by 9/11 spurred a return to traditional gender norms, with the “transgressive” feminism of ’90s music replaced by a more “commercially viable” feminism that lent itself to banal pop and scantily clad stars. This type of nonthreatening feminism persists in today’s popular music, Pearson argues, describing how it aligns with the interests of the music industry’s “corporate overlords” to create a succession of interchangeable pop princesses. Pearson concludes with a hopeful call for a new generation of fans and musicians to revive the transgressive spirit of the ’90s, and her stirring blend of oral history and sharp cultural insight opens a fascinating window into a dynamic chapter in music history. It’s a valuable complement to Alison Fensterstock’s How Women Made Music. (Feb.)