Where This Started, for Me
This starts in a sunny living room, with the hum of a vacuum and ABBA on the stereo. That’s where my love of music began. One of my earliest memories is my mother dancing around the room as she cleaned, completely lost in the music. There I was, just a baby, propped up in the corner, eyes wide with fascination.
It was a performance, scored by a Swedish pop band. Those moments, witnessing the pure joy music brought to my mother, laid the foundation for everything after. In that living room, amid the choreography of chores, I first understood what music does. It turns the mundane into something else entirely.
This piece is about the women who shaped the DJ and club scene from the 1980s to now, and the ones who changed how I play. The women who did it in Korea have their own article, Women Behind the Decks in Korea, because that story almost never gets written in English and deserves the room. I’m a man writing about women’s work, so I’ve kept myself out of the way where I can. What follows is documented material and what I watched from the booth.
The warm hum of vinyl, a childhood soundtrack.
- 1980sSharon White and Anita Sarko in New York, Norma Jean Bell in Detroit, Paulette at the Hacienda, Cosmo Murphy in the underground.
- 1990sDrum and bass with DJ Rap, hard house with Lisa Lashes and Anne Savage, electroclash with Miss Kittin, Chicago house with DJ Heather.
- 2000sBerlin techno with Ellen Allien, BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac, minimal with Magda, house with Honey Dijon and Colette.
- 2010sFestival stages and global labels: Nervo, Peggy Gou, Nina Kraviz, The Black Madonna and Amelie Lens.
Women DJs History: The Women Who Defined the Decades
Start in the 1980s and 1990s, the eras that built the club as we understand it. DJ Rap did groundbreaking work in drum and bass. Lisa Lashes did the same in hard house. Both of them led their scenes. Their tenacity and talent paved the way for a new generation of female artists.
The 2000s brought Ellen Allien and Annie Mac, and with them a different set of sounds. Ellen Allien has been a force in techno through her Berlin label BPitch Control. She shaped the genre and mentored the women who came next. Annie Mac used her platform for her own eclectic taste and for a steady championing of new artists. That made her one of the most influential figures in the music.
Then there’s the Swedish techno DJ Ida Engberg. She was spinning vinyl at her local youth centre at 13 and rose through the ranks from there. She honed her skills at Stockholm’s Cocktail Club and gained international recognition for her stripped back techno sets. She has played back to back with Adam Beyer.
Women who defined the decades
DJs named in the history section, by era
| DJ | Era | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| DJ Rap | 1980s and 1990s | Groundbreaking work in drum and bass |
| Lisa Lashes | 1980s and 1990s | Led the hard house scene |
| Ellen Allien | 2000s | Techno force through her Berlin label BPitch Control; mentored women who came next |
| Annie Mac | 2000s | Eclectic taste and steady championing of new artists |
| Ida Engberg | Swedish techno DJ | Spun vinyl at her local youth centre at 13; played back to back with Adam Beyer |
How to read itRows follow the article’s own order, from the earliest named scene leaders to later techno figures.
The Current Generation
That legacy runs on now through Nina Kraviz, Honey Dijon and Peggy Gou. They’ve headlined global festivals and filled clubs with their own sounds. Equal representation on stage still hasn’t arrived.
The Blessed Madonna’s We Still Believe parties, which grew from Smartbar into festivals and a London block party, made the same point. Lineups built around women can fill big rooms, and these events show how much talent turns up once the booking net gets cast wider.
The Parties and the Platforms
Some of the most important parties in dance music were run by women. The four below did more for representation than any lineup pledge.
The Ones Who Changed How I Play
Several women changed how I thought about this job. They played hard and they took apart what I assumed a DJ was. The first female DJ who caught my attention was Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. Her sets and her passion for music were like nothing I’d heard before.
The Names I Keep Coming Back To
Then came the queens of hard house: Anne Savage, Lisa Lashes, and Lisa Loud. These women played hard, fast and loud at a time when the assumption was that women wouldn’t. Their tracks pushed boundaries. Their fearlessness showed me what the job can do, which is reach people as well as move them.
They taught me that DJing is about making a space where people feel welcome. Their independence and their sound showed me what was possible behind the decks.
What Has Changed, and What Hasn’t
Two things have changed and one hasn’t.
So the useful thing isn’t a pledge. It’s more women in the chair that decides. Every room I know with a good record on this got there the same way. One person with taste did the booking, and nobody announced anything.
Who did I miss? Tell me. This piece will be wrong in places and I’d rather know.
One List, Decade by Decade
Any list of the most influential female DJs by decade is subjective, but it’s a way to honour what women have given this music. What follows runs from the 1980s to the 2010s, one era at a time, and covers women who left a mark on their respective eras:
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
These lists are a fraction of the women who shaped each decade, and each of them opened doors for the women who came after.
Most Asked Questions
Who were the most influential women DJs of the 1990s?
On this list, DJ Rap in drum and bass, Lisa Lashes and Anne Savage in hard house, Miss Kittin in electroclash and DJ Heather in Chicago house. Any list like this is subjective, and it covers a fraction of the women who shaped the decade.
Who are the biggest women DJs today?
Nina Kraviz, Honey Dijon, Peggy Gou, Amelie Lens and The Black Madonna have all headlined global festivals and filled clubs. Equal representation on stage still hasn’t arrived.
Where is the story of women DJs in Korea?
It has its own article, Women Behind the Decks in Korea, which covers Seoul’s first all female DJ crew, the women who played techno on vinyl, and the rooms Korean women run now.
Sources
Wikipedia, Detroit Electronic Music Festival (Movement)
Chicago Reader, profile of Marea Stamper, 2015
EDM.com, The Black Madonna announces We Still Believe US tour dates with Honey Dijon
Earmilk, Smirnoff Equalising Music at Printworks, 2018
Yahoo News, Annie Nightingale obituary, 2024
Resident Advisor, Magda biography
Red Bull Music Academy Daily, Sharon White interview, 2013
The FADER, SoundCloud Discwoman documentary, 2017
Further Reading
Written from Seoul by The DJ Diaries, in Seoul since 2002 and in the booth for thirty years. More on the site, or book a DJ.
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