Riot Grrrl: Courtney Love

Riot Grrrl: a girl who can rock out and doesn't give a shit what anyone else says.

Riot Grrrl: feminism rooted from the punk rock movement.

Riot Grrrl: Courtney Love.

As our incredibly outrageous, slightly insane Courtney Love turns 48 this week, it leaves you to reminisce on the great feminist movement that was Riot Grrrl.  The woman who is adored by millions and despised by a further few million.  Since the late 80's, Love has been through the good, the bad and the seriously awful times, but still manages to keep true to her rock roots, oblivious to the world that surrounds her.

Hitting fame in the early 90's, Courtney Love dreamed the rockstar dream, and was living it.  Her band, Hole, grasped the limelight with their debut album Pretty on the Inside released in 1991.  Along with Love on the pursuit of fame was band members Eric Erlandson, Jill Emery and Caroline Rue.  This line up changed multiple times over the years, with additions of Kristen Pfaff, Patty Schemel and Melissa Auf der Maur.  Finding love in 1991 with Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, together they created a notorious, toxic marriage and together had a daughter, Frances Bean, in 1992. 

The band went onto release their iconic album to date, Live Through This in 1994, in which there was speculation whether or not Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, wrote the album, in which all band members unanimously disagree.  Popular singles were Doll Parts, Miss World and Violet, becoming more and more relevant as time passes.  The band went on to create their final album as their most favourable album, Celebrity Skin in 1998, where Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins contributed to the writing of the album.

Hole: Their famous line-up

Love has been attracted by the media for her outrageous actions, words and feuds.  Most notably, she lost custody of her child Frances Bean, now 19, and later accused Nirvana drummer, Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl of abusing her.  She later admits that they were lies, and demands Frances' love back.  Although receiving bad press, Love has an alluring attraction like no other.  She is a true feminist, fighting for women in rock and in society through the Riot Grrrl movement, where punk rock, noise rock and grunge all followed.

To this day, she pushes the boundaries of music and continues her feminist ways, with the release of Hole's latest album, Nobody's Daughter in 2010, alongside a completely different line-up.  She also had a short-lived solo career.

Love was deeply affected by the death of her husband and rock icon, Kurt Cobain.  Again, media continue to speculate his suicide, ruthlessly twisting the story to believe she killed him, although no evidence relates back to her.  Courtney Love will always be iconic for her music, her family mishaps, her 'fuck you' attitude, her feminist ways, and her short blonde locks and red lipstick.  Courtney Love is Riot Grrrl.