A happy International Women’s Day to all my ladies (and men – you can join in too). We work hard every day to be who we went to be. We deal with never-ending bullshit from everyone. But we’re awesome and definitely worth celebrating today. Let me tell you, it’s been a particularly difficult week. So in honor of this special day, I want to recognise some fantastic, sassy and hard working women in music.

Donna Summer’s ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ is now often considered a tacky tune. But it really shouldn’t be, especially because the song still rings true three decades later. Not only because there are still women that struggle to make ends meet, but there’ still a massive gap in wages between men and women. Summer’s wrote this song about a bathroom attendant she met. The woman is also featured on the single’s back cover. Nothing like great solidarity among ladies. 

The Preteners’ Chrissie Hynde is a goddess. ‘Brass in Pocket’ is a single worthy of her. It’s a song that is filled with a self-assured confidence that just bleeds through Hynde’s singing.

Cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me

Singing along to ‘so special, SPECIAL’ makes you feel absolutely unbeatable. I’m gonna have some of your attention, give it to me.

‘If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)’ is a super sexy beast of a song. Meshell Ndegeocello is one hell of a singer and bassists, probably best known for her cover of Van Morrison’s ‘Wild Night’ with John Mellencamp. The track has some rather catty lyrics, but you cannot deny how good they are:

Now I’m the kind of woman
I’ll do almost anything to get what I want