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.
885 Greatest Songs By Women – WXPN Host List
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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