Louder Than the Backlash: The Feminist Anthems That Defined the 1980s
Part 5 of "From Suffragettes to Taylor Swift: The Feminist History of Protest Songs"
The 1980s were a brutal decade for women’s rights, as the feminist movement faced one of its fiercest backlashes yet. After a decade of political and legal victories in the 1970s, the Reagan administration worked aggressively to reverse feminist progress. The Equal Rights Amendment, which had once seemed within reach, was defeated, thanks in large part to conservative activists like Phyllis Schlafly, who waged a relentless war against feminism. Government funding for women’s programs was slashed, making it harder for women to access reproductive healthcare, domestic violence shelters, and workplace protections. Laws against sexual harassment, which feminists had fought so hard to bring to national attention, faced corporate and political resistance. Even the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which had once expanded protections for working women, was weakened under Reagan, as he stacked it with appointees who were openly hostile to gender equality.
Beyond politics, the backlash seeped into culture, reinforcing the idea that feminism had gone too far. Women were told that their push for equality had made them bitter and unlovable, and that true happiness lay in traditional gender roles. The ideal woman of the 1980s was expected to be everything at once—successful in her career, beautiful, feminine, a devoted wife, and an involved mother—without ever complaining. Meanwhile, the corporate world, still dominated by men, made it clear that women were not welcome at the top. Even when they broke into male-dominated industries, they were met with harassment, pay discrimination, and the expectation that they should be grateful for simply being allowed into the room.
But if conservatives thought feminism was dead, they forgot one thing: women had the microphone now—and they weren’t going to be quiet.
While politicians tried to push women back into their homes, women in music were taking center stage. Through rock, pop, punk, and hip-hop, they channeled their anger, frustration, and defiance into songs that refused to play nice. Some tackled workplace sexism head-on, others celebrated female independence, and many called out misogyny with pure, unfiltered rage. These weren’t just songs to dance to—they were battle cries, defiant declarations that feminism wasn’t just alive, it was thriving.
So if you’re ready to kick misogyny in the teeth, here’s the soundtrack that fought the backlash and kept the feminist movement alive. So if you’re ready to put on a power suit, demand a raise, and terrify mediocre men in your office, here’s the feminist soundtrack that got us through the Reagan years.
“9 to 5” – Dolly Parton (1980)
Before girlboss became a meme, Dolly Parton was calling out workplace sexism with a coiffed head of hair.
Written for the hit film 9 to 5, this song captured the exhaustion, frustration, and rage of women working twice as hard for half the pay—all while being expected to smile through it. It was catchy, fun, and also a scathing critique of corporate America.
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely gettin' by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and you never get the credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
And let’s not forget: Dolly wrote the rhythm using her acrylic nails. Iconic.
“Bad Reputation” – Joan Jett (1980)
Joan Jett wasn’t here for anyone’s approval. This punk-rock masterpiece was a defiant screw-you to the idea that women needed to be sweet, likable, or respectable.
While conservatives were busy trying to push women back into the kitchen, Joan Jett was kicking down doors, smashing guitars, and making it clear that she did not give a single damn.
If the 1980s backlash against feminism had a theme song? This was it.
“You Can’t Kill the Spirit” – Naomi Littlebear Morena (1980s)
While Dolly and Joan were fighting sexism in pop culture, Naomi Littlebear Morena’s folk anthem was being sung by thousands of women at the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp in the UK.
These women were protesting nuclear weapons, but the song became a global feminist anthem, symbolizing resistance, strength, and survival.
Because if history has taught us anything, it’s this: You can try to silence women, but you can’t kill the spirit.
Nobody can push back an ocean
It's gonna rise back up in waves
And nobody can stop the wind from blowing
Stop a mind from growing
Somebody may stop my voice from singing
But the song will live on and on
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
What’s that? A fun, bubbly pop song can be a feminist anthem? You bet your Aqua Net it can.
Originally written by a man (ugh), Lauper rewrote the lyrics to turn it into a song about female independence and joy. No longer just another song about chasing men, it became a celebration of women wanting to live life on their own damn terms.
It was colorful, campy, and revolutionary, which explains why conservatives hated it and feminists loved it.
Also Cyndi Lauper now has a foundation called “Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights” so that’s awesome.
“Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” – Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin (1985)
This song was pure feminist power, thanks to an unstoppable duo: Aretha Franklin and the Eurythmics.
The message? Women aren’t waiting for men to hand them opportunities anymore—we’re taking them. In a decade where the government was slashing funding for women’s programs, this anthem was a reminder that women were STILL rising up.
It was bold, loud, and impossible to ignore—just like feminism itself.
“Ladies First” – Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love (1989)
Hip-hop in the ‘80s was a boys’ club, but Queen Latifah was NOT having it.
With Ladies First, Latifah and Monie Love didn’t just demand respect for women in hip-hop—they took it. This wasn’t just a feminist anthem, it was a declaration of Black female power in a society that constantly erased and overlooked them.
“Some think that we can’t flow / Stereotypes, they got to go.”
Damn right.
“Woman in Chains” – Tears for Fears ft. Oleta Adams (1989)
A haunting ballad about domestic abuse, gender oppression, and the violence women endure, featuring the powerhouse vocals of Oleta Adams.
Well I feel
Deep in your heart there are wounds time can't heal
And I feel
Somebody somewhere is trying to breathe
Well you know what I mean
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps woman in chains
At a time when conservatives were trying to defund women’s shelters and survivors had nowhere to turn, this song was a painful reminder of the reality many women faced behind closed doors.
“Express Yourself” – Madonna (1989)
Madonna in a power suit, grabbing her crotch, bossing men around, and telling women not to settle for less?
That’s feminism, baby.
That said some of the lyrics are a little…problematic? I don't know a single woman who needs a "big strong hand to life you to your higher ground.”
That said…
In a decade where women were still told to be quiet, agreeable, and grateful, Madonna’s message was clear: Know your worth, and don’t waste your time on men who don’t.
“Fast Car” – Tracy Chapman (1988)
A folk ballad about poverty, gender inequality, and trying to escape a broken system, Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car hit like a gut punch.
Chapman, a Black queer woman in an industry dominated by white men, didn’t just break barriers—she rewrote the rulebook. This song was quiet, devastating, and a radical act of storytelling in a decade that often ignored women like her.
Final Mic Drop: The Feminist Soundtrack That Refused to Back Down
The 1980s tried to silence women, but these songs made sure that didn’t happen. While politicians and cultural critics declared feminism irrelevant, women in music rewrote the rules. They weren’t just fighting for their rights—they were taking over the airwaves, MTV, and entire genres of music. Their voices were loud, raw, and impossible to ignore.
These anthems weren’t just about personal empowerment—they were about survival in a world that was actively trying to erase the progress women had made. They reflected the frustration of a generation watching its rights be stripped away and the determination to never stop pushing forward. From Joan Jett’s defiance to Madonna’s demand for independence, from Queen Latifah’s refusal to be sidelined in hip-hop to Tracy Chapman’s haunting storytelling, these songs carried the feminist movement through one of its most hostile decades.
The Reagan years might have been a political nightmare, but they proved one thing: women weren’t going anywhere.
And if men didn’t like it? Well, as Joan Jett would say—“I don’t give a damn.” 🎤
See you back here next time when we cover the feminism of the 1990s. This the decade that spawned many of my personal anthems, from No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” to Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch.”