Mick Jagger Names His 5 Favourite Rock Women
For more than half a century, Mick Jagger has stood as the ultimate archetype of the rock frontman—an explosive blur of kinetic energy, blues-infused grit, and unmatched charisma. Yet, the architecture of Jagger’s legendary persona was not built in a vacuum. Behind the swagger and the stadium-shaking vocals lies a deep, enduring reverence for the women who redefined the boundaries of rock and roll. While Jagger has rarely confined his musical tastes to a rigid list, his public declarations and shared history point to five transcendent artists who captivated his artistic soul.
The first and perhaps most visceral impact came from Janis Joplin. To Jagger, Joplin was not merely a singer; she was a force of nature who weaponized vulnerability. Watching her command Madison Square Garden in 1969, Jagger was transfixed by her ability to channel absolute emotional chaos into melodic mastery. Joplin’s raw, unfiltered projection taught a generation of frontmen—including Jagger himself—that true rock and roll requires stripping away the ego and exposing the raw nerves underneath.
If Joplin represented the chaotic storm of rock, Stevie Nicks brought the magnetic, mystical allure. As the mesmerizing centerpiece of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks forged a decades-long bond of mutual respect with Jagger. He has frequently marveled at her unique vocal tone and her uncanny ability to hold tens of thousands of fans captive with a single, theatrical gesture. For Jagger, Nicks remains the gold standard of rock majesty—a peer whose stage presence matches his own in sheer hypnotic power.
Yet, when tracing the roots of Jagger’s famous stage choreography, all roads lead to Tina Turner. The relationship between The Rolling Stones and Turner began in the 1960s when she toured alongside them, delivering nightly masterclasses in explosive energy. Jagger has openly credited Turner with teaching him how to move, how to engage an audience, and how to command a stadium. To Jagger, Turner was the ultimate performer—a hurricane of rhythm and soul whose vocal power was matched only by her relentless physical endurance.
In contrast to the stadium filling powerhouses, Marianne Faithfull influenced Jagger from the inner sanctum of his personal and creative evolution. As his muse, partner, and artistic collaborator during the turbulent late 1960s, Faithfull was instrumental in shaping the darker, more poetic undertones of the Stones’ catalog. Jagger fiercely championed her transition from a sweet pop starlet into a gritty, weathered solo icon. Her survival and artistic reinvention earned his deepest, lifelong respect.
Finally, the technical summit of rock vocalists belongs to Ann Wilson of Heart. Jagger has long admired Wilson for possessing one of the most formidable instruments in music history. Confronting rock’s most demanding anthems with operatic precision and heavy-metal thunder, Wilson proved that female vocalists could out-rock any male contemporary on the planet. For Jagger, her vocal discipline and soaring range represent the absolute pinnacle of rock execution.
Ultimately, Mick Jagger’s admiration for these five pioneers reveals a profound truth about his own career. Rock and roll was never a boys’ club; it was a revolution sparked by anyone brave enough to burn bright on stage. By celebrating Joplin, Nicks, Turner, Faithfull, and Wilson, Jagger does not just name his favorites—he acknowledges the towering giants who helped him build the very kingdom he rules.