To commemorate Women’s History Month, World Cafe is looking back on a century’s worth of music history. Every week in March, we’re pinpointing distinct moments of every year from the past 100 years, a quarter century at a time.

Last week, we explored 1925 to 1949. Today, we’re digging into moments from 1950 to 1974: The golden age of rock and roll, the civil rights movement of the ’60s and the birth of electronic music.

While the previous 25 years exploring the early 20th century included names that may not be immediately recognizable today, this chunk of history is brimming with women whose work continues to serve as an immediate blueprint for musicians.

It’s a generation’s worth of star-making debuts, unforgettable voices and record-setting moments, some of which continue to hold up today.

1950: Influenced by the racism she experienced touring in the South, Clara Ward composes the gospel hymn “How I Got Over.” It’ll become one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time, and in 13 years, Mahalia Jackson‘s rendition — performed during the March on Washington — will help galvanize the civil rights movement.

1951: Esther Phillips, as Little Esther, records a string of songs, including “The Deacon Moves In” with the Dominoes. In 2023, she will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

1952: Nashville native Kitty Wells releases “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” The song tops Billboard’s country chart, making Wells the first solo woman artist to achieve the feat. Wells’ retribution of unfaithful men, an uncommon lyrical theme during this era, will become a classic trope in country music.

Big Mama Thornton | courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

1953: Big Mama Thornton releases her hit record, “Hound Dog.” The blues song, rife with tongue-in-cheek sexuality, will sell over half a million copies. Two years later, a version with sanitized lyrics is released by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Soon after, Elvis Presley will rework the Bell cover, and his version will ultimately sell over 10 million copies.

1954: Peruvian vocalist Yma Sumac, a pioneer of world music, releases “Malambo No. 1,” showcasing her incredible five-octave range.

1955: Etta James releases her debut single, called “The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry).” The Los Angeles-born contralto will help create a bridge between classic R&B and rock and roll.

1956: French singer and actress Dalida releases her debut single, “Bambino.” The song will become the longest-running No. 1 song in world history, spending 45 weeks on top of the French song charts.

1957: Patsy Cline performs “Walkin’ After Midnight” on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. It’ll become Cline’s first hit, and she will eventually be the first woman inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1958: The Shirelles & the birth of the “girl group”

Low Cut Connie: “Whips and Chains” (Recorded Live for World Cafe)