Welcome to the ultimate Riot Grrrl starter pack — or maybe it’s your reminder that this movement never ended, just evolved, shapeshifted, and screamed louder in the margins. Whether you were moshing in a basement in Olympia in ’93 or you’re just discovering that punk has a feminist side, this mixtape is for you. It’s a crash course in the blood, ink, distortion, and brilliance that made Riot Grrrl more than just a moment — it made it a movement.
Every track here has teeth. And a story.
1. Bikini Kill – “Rebel Girl”
The battle cry. The anthem. The song you scream alone in your car at red lights. Kathleen Hanna’s voice is an unapologetic weapon here, worshipping girlhood, queerness, and the raw electricity of feminist friendship. If Riot Grrrl were a religion, this would be the hymn.
Line to yell along with:
“That girl thinks she’s the queen of the neighborhood / I got news for you — she is!”
2. Bratmobile – “Cool Schmool”
Sarcastic, bratty, and brilliant, this track takes a blowtorch to the pressure of being “cool” in scenes dominated by dudes. Bratmobile never pretended to be polished — and that was the point. This is the sound of sneering at the social ladder while stomping on it in Mary Janes.
Why it matters:
They recorded this in under an hour, which feels like the ultimate DIY flex.
3. Heavens to Betsy – “My Secret”
Corin Tucker (before Sleater-Kinney) delivers this gut-punch of a song about sexual trauma with haunting rage. It’s not a catchy bop — it’s a visceral confrontation. And that’s what makes it essential. Riot Grrrl was never just about girl power; it was about dragging everything into the light, even when it hurts.
CW: sexual violence.
4. Le Tigre – “Deceptacon”
Post-Riot Grrrl and dripping in electro-punk sass, this one’s a danceable snarl. Kathleen Hanna again — but filtered through drum machines, glitter, and political satire. It’s part performance art, part call-out, and part party.
Backstory bonus:
The lyrics came from zine snippets, old arguments, and scene in-jokes. It’s a collage — like everything Riot Grrrl touched.
5. Team Dresch – “She’s Amazing”
Queer punk excellence. Team Dresch came out swinging with love songs, rage songs, and this — a burst of admiration for another woman, delivered with the emotional urgency of a scene that never saw itself in the mainstream. One of the best examples of Riot Grrrl queering the punk canon.
Extra credit:
Their lyrics are basically zine entries with power chords.
6. L7 – “Pretend We’re Dead”
L7 existed on the edge of Riot Grrrl and grunge, but their impact on feminist punk is massive. This track is deceptively catchy — but listen closely, and it’s a critique of apathy and performative politics.
Live footage tip:
Look up L7 throwing a used tampon into a hostile crowd at Reading Fest ’92. Enough said.
7. The Linda Lindas – “Racist, Sexist Boy”
A new generation, same fury. This went viral for a reason: it’s raw, sharp, and furious — written by tween girls who’ve clearly inherited the Riot Grrrl flame. If you think the movement is dead, these girls are here to slap you with a power chord.
Fun fact:
They performed it at the LA Public Library. Never underestimate the power of a library.
8. Sleater-Kinney – “Dig Me Out”
Post-Riot Grrrl, but inseparable from the legacy. Sleater-Kinney made feminism sound like a guitar duel between witches. This track is all tension and release — the sound of needing someone, then realizing you don’t. Essential listening for anyone who’s ever outgrown a version of themselves.
Line we love:
“All hands on deck now / The sea is rough again.”
9. Dominatrix – “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight”
Electro-punk with a sneer, this proto-riot track was ahead of its time in ’84. It’s not “Riot Grrrl” in the zine-and-safety-pins sense, but it drips with subversion, femme power, and nightlife rebellion. Play this when your eyeliner is melting at 2AM and you still won’t go home.
Vibe:
Gender-bending warehouse party on the edge of collapse.
10. Big Joanie – “Fall Asleep”
Black feminist punk rooted in Riot Grrrl’s DNA but doing its own thing entirely. London-based Big Joanie is everything Riot Grrrl promised — expanded, global, and actually intersectional. This track is quiet but sharp. A soft rebellion. A lullaby for when you’re too exhausted to scream.
Why it matters:
Representation in punk isn’t a bonus — it’s a necessity.
11. Tacocat – “Crimson Wave”
Surf pop meets period politics. It’s playful, clever, and makes PMS sound like a beach party. Riot Grrrl didn’t invent menstrual anthems, but this song carries the legacy into the sunshine with tongue firmly in cheek.
Line to make your Catholic school nervous:
“I ride the crimson wave, I surf it every day.”
12. X-Ray Spex – “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!”
Before Riot Grrrl, there was Poly Styrene — biracial, anti-fashion, punk-as-hell frontwoman of X-Ray Spex. This 1977 banger is the blueprint: anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchy, anti-everything-you-want-it-to-be. If this isn’t on your playlist, your playlist is broken.
Opening line that changed everything:
“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard…”
13. Hole – “Gutless”
Say what you want about Courtney Love — she’s complicated, messy, and unapologetic. And so was Riot Grrrl. This track is snarling, spitting rage at the industry boys club. Hole wasn’t in Riot Grrrl, but they kicked in the same doors.
Bonus listen:
“Miss World” if you want self-destruction with a side of mascara.
14. The Gossip – “Standing in the Way of Control”
Beth Ditto’s powerhouse voice, queer politics, and no-fucks energy made this a queer anthem for the 2000s. It’s a dancefloor riot with Riot Grrrl roots — proving that sometimes rebellion sounds like a disco-punk scream.
Play it when:
You’re about to walk out of a shitty job and never look back.
15. The Julie Ruin – “Radical or Pro-Parental”
Solo Kathleen Hanna, home-recorded, lo-fi and lethal. This track captures the essence of Riot Grrrl’s handmade ethos — zines turned into songs, vulnerability turned into venom. It’s weird, smart, and full of sharp turns.
Zine vibes:
This one sounds like it was recorded in your best friend’s bedroom between journal entries and feminist manifestos.
Final Thoughts:
This playlist isn’t the full story — it’s a doorway. Riot Grrrl was never just a sound. It was a Xeroxed flyer, a basement show, a body on stage refusing to be pretty, a group of teens making a scene because no one else would. It was flawed. It was fierce. And it’s not over.
Put this on. Turn it up. And go make something loud.
If you want more Riot Grrrl vibes, check out ‘the Riot Grrrl Collection‘ by Lisa Darms, Rachel Lacey, K.J. Charles.
Scream it louder.
Got a track that belongs on the She Zine Riot Grrrl Mixtape?
Tag us @shezinemagazine or drop your recs in the comments.
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AXO (she/her) is a multidisciplinary creator, editor, and builder of feminist media ecosystems based in Toronto. She is the founder of She Zine Mag, Side Project Distro, BBLGM Club, and several other projects under the AXO&Co umbrella — each rooted in DIY culture, creative rebellion, and community care. Her work explores the intersection of craft, technology, and consciousness, with an emphasis on handmade ethics, neurodivergent creativity, and the politics of making. She is an advocate for accessible creativity and the power of small-scale cultural production to spark social change. Her practice merges punk, print, and digital media while refusing to separate the emotional from the practical. Above all, her work invites others to build creative lives that are thoughtful, defiant, and deeply handmade.
