She makes me cream my jeans when she walks this way!

June 29, 2005 7:23 AM

I'm looking for songs by female artists that would be considered risque and/or daring and explicit. There is a focus on the 80's, with a maybe a little overlap in the 70's and 90's being okay. Example: The Divinyls I Touch Myself, Marianne Faithful's Why d'Ya Do It? and Rough Trade's High School Confidential.
posted by ashbury to Media & Arts (54 answers total)

I'd say "follow me" by Amanda Lear, but never figured out how female she actually is (was?). "Passion" by The Flirts - very electro 80s disco, if that would have been available as a ringtone, it would have been mine.
posted by ouke at 7:30 AM on June 29, 2005

She Bop by Cyndi Lauper
posted by Constant Reader at 7:31 AM on June 29, 2005

Wendy O Williams did a song called Fuck That Booty, Work That Muscle. Or maybe it was called Work That Muscle, Fuck That Booty...who can remember these things. She did a few other songs with sexually explicit lyrics too.
posted by iconomy at 7:35 AM on June 29, 2005

"Flower" and "H.W. C. (hot white come)", both by Liz Phair, would be decadent additions to your collection.
posted by dagnyduquette at 7:40 AM on June 29, 2005

Do the lyrics have to be sexually explicit? Patti Smith comes to mind (ie Rock & Roll Nigger).
posted by Evstar at 7:40 AM on June 29, 2005

A great deal of songs by Salt N Pepa (warning: popup) have sexually-explicit lyrics.
posted by itchie at 7:41 AM on June 29, 2005

Bikini Kill with "I Like Fucking"?
posted by kungfujoe at 7:42 AM on June 29, 2005

Romeo Void "Never Say Never"
Berlin "Sex" (though it's a duet between a man and a woman)
Bow Wow Wow "Sexy Eiffel Tower"

if the 00's can be included, the entire first CD by Peaches
posted by BoringPostcards at 7:48 AM on June 29, 2005

Madonna. A lot of them will do. A good number of songs on the Immaculate Collection are nothing more than bump & grind background music, especially "Justify My Love".
posted by Doohickie at 7:49 AM on June 29, 2005

Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" was considered risque enough that I remember hearing a lecture in church about its dangers.
posted by agropyron at 7:52 AM on June 29, 2005

How about the incomparable Sugar Walls by Miss Sheena Easton?
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:55 AM on June 29, 2005

Sex Shooter by Apollonia 6.
posted by jrossi4r at 7:58 AM on June 29, 2005

Donna Summer's Love To Love You was pretty daring at the time, as it features a significant amount of ecstatic moaning.

And Silverfish's Organ Fan album from 1992 has a 'parental advisory: explicit lyrics' sticker on the front, primarily because Lesley Rankine says 'fuckin', 'tits' and 'pussy' quite a lot.
posted by nylon at 8:05 AM on June 29, 2005

Bell Biv DeVoe "Do Me"

or

"I'm too sexy" Right said Fred
posted by Gooney at 8:06 AM on June 29, 2005

If you would like to branch out into show tunes, "Dance 10, Looks 3" from Chorus Line is a possibility.
posted by JanetLand at 8:11 AM on June 29, 2005

Garbage, "Sex Never Goes Out Of Fashion." It's a b-side, but it fits the bill perfectly.
posted by Aster at 8:15 AM on June 29, 2005

Well, almost perfectly, since it's a female vocalist in a mostly male band (now that I actually read the text of the question). Peaches and Liz Phair are two that actually do fit the bill perfectly.
posted by Aster at 8:21 AM on June 29, 2005

that song from Beverly Hills Cop 2 in the club....ummmm *google*

Nasty Girl by Vanity Six
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 8:22 AM on June 29, 2005

Karen Finley - more a performance artist and the music itself was pretty bad, but it was the epitomy of "sexual shock value" music.

Also maybe Vanity6 - the girl group produced by Prince. (on preview weretable beat me to it)
posted by p3t3 at 8:25 AM on June 29, 2005

Mother F***ing ***hole by Martha Wainwright.
posted by onlyconnect at 8:32 AM on June 29, 2005

Oh wait, that's from a few years ago. Sorry!
posted by onlyconnect at 8:35 AM on June 29, 2005

"Don't Touch Me There"
...from The Tubes' second album, now available on their WPOD compilation CD.
posted by Rash at 8:36 AM on June 29, 2005

Most songs by The Donnas.

Most songs by Lil Kim.
posted by gwint at 8:37 AM on June 29, 2005

"Rub til it Bleeds", "Dry", "Long Snake Moan"; by PJ Harvey
posted by LionIndex at 8:42 AM on June 29, 2005

Not from the 80s, but Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" brings a chill to my spine every time I hear it.
posted by rajbot at 8:44 AM on June 29, 2005

The Karen Finley song you're looking for is called Tales of Taboo - it's pretty crazy. My college roommate was nuts for house music, but not really into performance art or whatever Finley falls under, but he LOVED this song.
posted by chr1sb0y at 8:45 AM on June 29, 2005

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" brings a chill to my spine every time I hear it.

Umm...it's about lynching.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:20 AM on June 29, 2005

Also, don't miss Lords of Acid. I don't know about the rest of the band, but the lead singer and figurehead of the group is a female. And with songs like "The Crab Louse" and " Ride With Satan's Little Helpers", how can you go wrong?
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:24 AM on June 29, 2005

Ani DiFranco.
posted by Specklet at 9:27 AM on June 29, 2005

Someone mentioned Madonna, but to be specific I think you'd want "Hanky Panky," "Erotica," and "Where Life Begins" (an album track from the "Erotica" album, it's about cunnilingus).
posted by dnash at 9:32 AM on June 29, 2005

Allofmp3.com offers a whole bunch on this album.

Also, didn't Serge Gainsbourg's duet with Jane Birkin, "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" scandalize mid-60's France?

If you wanted to start off fairly light and get sleazier as the night went on, you could use the Waitresses' "I Know What Boys Like" near the "Let's Get Physical" side of the spectrum.

Oh, wait: Berlin's "Sex (I'm a....)" has to be in there, too!
posted by kimota at 9:38 AM on June 29, 2005

Pretty much Princess Superstar's entire catalog, but especially
"Fuck Me On The Dancefloor" and "Come Up To My Room".
posted by signal at 10:03 AM on June 29, 2005

Patti Labelle - Voulez-vous Coucher Avec Moi?
posted by theora55 at 10:08 AM on June 29, 2005

Early 00s - Peaches
Early 90s - BWP (Bitches with Problems)
posted by Boydrop at 10:10 AM on June 29, 2005

Umm...it's about lynching.

No shit? really??!!1?!!
posted by rajbot at 10:56 AM on June 29, 2005

Yeah, I misunderstood the question. 'Daring' meant something else back in my day.
posted by rajbot at 11:01 AM on June 29, 2005

Lucinda Williams' "Right in Time"
posted by sagwalla at 11:23 AM on June 29, 2005

Hey Rajbot, as in black people hanging in a tree with a rope around their neck. The most impressive album cover from my parents ep collection. Don't tell me that you thought that was a song about Durian or something.
posted by ouke at 11:28 AM on June 29, 2005

You Twist I Shout by 8 Eyed Spy fronted by Lydia Lunch.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:51 AM on June 29, 2005

"Come Into My Mouth" by Thee Headcoatees
posted by mcsweetie at 11:56 AM on June 29, 2005

"In My House" by the Mary Jane Girls was one of the "Filthy Fifteen".
posted by apple scruff at 12:15 PM on June 29, 2005

gah!!!!!!!! *bangs head on desk*
posted by rajbot at 12:44 PM on June 29, 2005

this is late 90s but...

Mirah - murphy bed and pollen
posted by jetskiaccidents at 12:44 PM on June 29, 2005

"Leather" by Tori Amos (1991)
posted by CrunchyFrog at 12:48 PM on June 29, 2005

Sophie B. Hawkins - "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover", and others.
posted by Caviar at 1:32 PM on June 29, 2005

"Naughty Girls Need Love Too", "I Wanna Have Some Fun", "Do Ya Do Ya Wanna Please Me", and various other cheesy pop songs from Samantha Fox, circa 1985-1988.
posted by Asparagirl at 1:42 PM on June 29, 2005

In the Vanity 6 vein also try Apollonia 6 (Happy Birthday Mr. Christian & Blue Limosine), Sheila E (Noon Rendezvous), The Family (technically male & female leads) or some of the other Prince proteges.

Also, Mary Jane Girls
posted by jaimystery at 2:08 PM on June 29, 2005

Sonic Youth -- "Halloween"
posted by LionIndex at 2:56 PM on June 29, 2005

Pixies–“Gigantic”
posted by signal at 3:04 PM on June 29, 2005

Also in the Tori Amos vein, try "Icicle" (94), about - among other things - masturbation. I'm sure there are more in her catalogue, but I can't think of them.
posted by chronic sublime at 3:12 PM on June 29, 2005

"It ain't the Meat, It's the Motion" Maria Muldaur.
posted by BoscosMom at 3:22 PM on June 29, 2005

Also,"Masturbation Can be Fun" on the album from the musical "Hair"
posted by BoscosMom at 3:24 PM on June 29, 2005

Boscos: That song is called Sodomy, and sung by a guy.
posted by klangklangston at 9:03 AM on June 30, 2005

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin: "Je t'aime... moi non plus"

It has some nice heavy breathing towards the end. Caused quite a bit of controversy back in the day.
posted by jasonspaceman at 9:54 AM on July 12, 2005