Popular music grew out of ragtime, vaudeville and the blues, to become global mass entertainment. Women like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith were the original pop divas, yet 80 years after they blazed a trail, have their successors achieved the recognition and affirmation they deserve? Or has the only way to success been to slot into saleable images of the cute babe or sexy chanteuse? This text refuses to look at women artists simply as personalities, problems or victims. From dream babes to rock chicks , this is the uncompromising story of women as creators and innovators. It aims to provide a history of women in rock, pop and soul - on stage, on camera and working behind the scenes in a male - dominated industry. This edition includes an additional chapter and dozens of extra interviews, covering trends such as Girlpower, Lilith Fair rock, and the rise of the corporate Diva.