In honor of Women’s History Month, which feels more symbolic each day we tread deeper into the strange dystopia of an unraveling democracy, we remember the female pioneers of music and celebrate the work they were able to achieve despite the odds stacked against them.

Before delving in, it’s worth noting how many freedoms we take for granted that were simply inaccessible to women until just a few years ago:

American women were not granted the right to wear pants in public until 1910.