885 Greatest Songs By Women - WXPN Host List - WXPN | Vinyl At Heart

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For two decades WXPN has crowd-sourced its most popular on-air countdowns. With themes like the 885 Greatest Songs of All-Time, 885 All-Time Greatest Albums, 885 Greatest Desert Island Songs, and more, each event resulted in a Top 10 list dominated by male artists. This year will be different.

Here are the various lists chosen by the XPN hosts for the 2023 885 Greatest Songs by Women countdown.

Kristen Kurtis

Morning Show Host & Asst. Music Director

Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit
Lesley Gore – You Don’t Own Me
Joni Mitchell – A Case Of You
Tori Amos – Crucify
No Doubt – Just A Girl
Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Lady Gaga – Poker Face
Janelle Monae – Tightrope
Alabama Shakes – Gimme All Your Love
Fiona Apple – Under The Table

Bob Bumbera

News Director/Morning Show Co-Host

Bonnie Raitt – Angel From Montgomery
Annie Lennox – No More I Love You’s
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Tori Amos – Silent All These Years
Etta James – At Last
Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Kate Bush – This Woman’s Work
Sinéad O’Connor – No Man’s Woman
Gladys Knight – Midnight Train To Georgia
Joni Mitchell – Blue

Mike Vasilikos

Midday Host / Operations Manager

Aretha Franklin – The Weight
Brandi Carlile – The Story
Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
Wanda Jackson – Funnel Of Love
Patti Smith Group – Because The Night
Yaz – Only You
Waxahatchee – Recite Remorse
Amy Winehouse – Valerie (’68 Version)
The Chicks – Goodbye Earl
Patty Griffin – Long Ride Home

Raina Douris

World Cafe Host

Joni Mitchell – Free Man In Paris
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Missy Elliott – Work It
The Weather Station – Thirty
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
Judee Sill – Jesus Was A Crossmaker
Azaelia Banks – 212
Cardi B – WAP Feat. Megan Thee Stallion
Cass Elliot – California Earthquake
Lana Del Ray – Video Games

Stephen Kallao

World Cafe – Contributing Host

Portishead – Glory Box
Nina Simone – Feeling Good
Bjork – Hyperballad
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Cece Peniston – Finally
Paramore – Misery Business
Mazzy Star – Fade Into You
Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
The Cardigans – My Favorite Game
Madonna – Like A Prayer

Dan Reed

Music Director / Afternoon Host

Dolly Parton – Jolene
The Pretenders – Private Life
Joni Mitchell – Coyote
Liz Phair – Never Said
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
Patti Smith – Ask The Angels
Veruca Salt – Seether
Blondie – Heart Of Glass
Kathleen Edwards – 6 O’Clock News
Rufus Feat. Chaka Kahn – Once You Get Started

Kathy O’Connell

Kids Corner Host

Judy Garland & Barbra Streisand – Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again
Genya Ravan – Jerry’s Pigeons
Marshall Chapman – Why Can’t I Be Like Other Girls?
Jennifer Hudson – Change Is Gonna Come
Susan Werner – Time Between Trains
Donna Summer – Bad Girls
Madeline Kahn – I’m Tired
The Ronettes – Be My Baby
The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells – Danny Boy

John Vettese

Music News Editor / WXPN Local Host

Bjork – Hyperballad
Joni Mitchell – California
Lauryn Hill – Everything Is Everything
Sleater-Kinney – You’re No Rock N’ Roll Fun
Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam
Carole King – So Far Away
Rilo Kiley – With Arms Outstretched
PJ Harvey – Sheela-Na-Gig
Hole – Malibu
Mitski – Last Words Of A Shooting Star

Rahman Wortman

Radio Announcer/Writer

Sade – Kiss Of Life
Anita Baker – You Bring Me Joy
Eve – Love Is Blind
Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly
Erykah Badu – Didn
Amy Winehouse – What Is It About Men?
Evanescence – Bring Me To Life
Teena Marie – Square Biz
Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
Dionne Warwick – You

John Morrison

Tina Turner – River Deep, Mountain High
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Throwing Muses – Not Too Soon
Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddamn
Bjork – Joga
Cibo Matto – Sugar Water
Lauryn Hill – Everything Is Everything
The Breeders – Divine Hammer
Mary J Blige – All That I Can Say
Kate Bush – Eat The Music

Eric Schuman

Host/Producer, Indie Rock Hit Parade

The Ronettes – Be My Baby
Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
Hurray For The Riff Raff – Pa’lante
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Annette Funicello – Pineapple Princess
Tom Tom Club – Genius Of Love
Shilpa Ray – EMT Police And The Fire Department
Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance
Julee Cruise – Falling
Enya – Orinocco Flow

Keith Kelleher

Host/Programmer Sleepy Hollow

Aretha Franklin – Respect
Patti Smith – Rock & Roll N*****
Joni Mitchell – A Case Of You
Shirley Horn – Here
Peggy Lee – Is That All There Is?
Richard & Linda Thompson – Dimming Of The Day
Kate Bush – All The Love
Aldous Harding – Treasure
Feist – Now At Last
Offa Rex (Feat. Olivia Chaney) – Willie O

Julian Booker

On-Air Host, Sleepy Hollow

Billi Holiday – Strange Fruit
Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam
Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog
Fiona Apple – Criminal
Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper
The Pointer Sisters – Yes We Can Can
Valerie June – Astral Plane
SIster Rosetta Tharpe – Strange Things Happening Every Day
Waxahatchee – Lilacs

Bruce Warren

Program Director

Aretha Franklin – Respect
Patti Smith – Gloria: In Excelsis Dio
Carole King – It’s Too Late
Joan Jett – I Love Rock ‘N Roll
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
Beyonce – Single Ladies
The Supremes – Stop! In The Name Of Love
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Lorde – Royals
Madonna – Like A Prayer

David Dye

Joni Mitchell – Coyote
Allo Darlin – Tallulah
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Gillian Welch – April The 14th Part 1
The Pretenders – Message Of Love
Lucinda Williams – Passionate Kisses
Sandy Denny – Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Dorothy Love Coates – Strange Man
Irma Thomas – Ruler Of My Heart
Bonnie Raitt – Angel From Montgomery

Wendy Rollins

Lesley Gore – You Don’t Own Me
Hole – Violet
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning
Bjork – Isobel
Fleetwood Mac – Gold Dust Woman
Florence + The Machine – Delilah
Garbage – Stupid Girl
Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
Blondie – Call Me
Sinead O’Connor – Feel So Different

Chuck Van Zyl

Star’s End On-air Host

Hildegard Of Bingen – O Euchari
Caterina Barbieri – Knot Of Spirit
Hélène Vogelsinger – Ceremony
Martha Bahr (Panic Girl) – Woodpecker
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Careen
Julianna Barwick – Nepenthe
Maggi Payne – Lunar Earthrise
Laurie Spiegel – The Expanding Universe
Pauline Oliveros – I Of IV
Wendy Carlos – Winter

Debra D’Alessandro

Host/Producer, Amazon Country

Joni Mitchell – Urge For Going
Brandi Carlile – The Mother
Cris Williamson – Sweet Woman
Ferron – Ain’t Life a Brook
Jamie Anderson – Dark Chocolate
Aretha Franklin – RESPECT
Joan Armatrading – Love And Affection
Bonnie Raitt – Something To Talk About
Toshi Reagon – Happy And Satisfied
Sweet Honey In The Rock – On Children

Jonny Meister

Host/Producer “The Blues Show”

Linda Waterfall – Song Like A Roar
Memphis Minnie – Nothing In Rambling
Tríona ní Dhomhnaill – Sixteen Come Next Sunday
Aziza Mustafa-Zadeh – Stars Dance
Ma Rainey – See See Rider Blues
Ida Cox – One Hour Mama
Ellen McIlwaine – Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (But Nobody Wants To Die)
Martha & The Vandellas – Dancing In The Street
Dory Previn – The Game
Dolly Parton – In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)

Jim McGuinn

Assistant Program Director / On-Air Host

Patti Smith – People Have The Power
Kate Bush – Cloudbusting
Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
PJ Harvey – This Is Love
X-Ray Spex – Oh Bondage Up Yours!
Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)
Blondie – Heart Of Glass
Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best
Bjork – Army Of Me
Sharon Jones – 100 Days, 100 Nights