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 Pussy 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.