Kim Gordon

First coming to prominence as Sonic Youth's bassist/vocalist, Kim Gordon keenly questions consumerism and women's roles in society with her music, writing, and visual art. Her smoky, half-spoken, half-sung vocals and feminist viewpoint added depth to Sonic Youth's experimental rock and made her a major figure on the American indie rock scene from the '80s onward. She made a name for herself as an inventive collaborator with P***y Galore's Julia Cafritz as Free Kitten, and in projects with artists such as Ikue Mori and Yoko Ono that strengthened her ties to the avant-garde. After Sonic Youth disbanded in 2011, Gordon pursued a career as a visual artist and published 2015's best-selling memoir Girl in a Band. As a solo artist, her juxtaposition of subversive commentary with experimental and pop sounds was as trenchant as ever on solo albums like 2019's No Home Record and 2024's The Collective.