Vixen: The Hard Rock Queens of the Sunset Strip

Vixen is an all-female hard rock band that emerged from the vibrant Los Angeles music scene in the 1980s. The group achieved mainstream success with their self-titled 1988 debut album, which sold over one million copies in the United States and spawned several charting rock singles.

Early career

Vixen was formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1980 by guitarist Jan Kuehnemund before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue a major label deal. The classic lineup solidified in 1987 with vocalist Janet Gardner, guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, bassist Share Pedersen, and drummer Roxy Petrucci, signing a contract with EMI-Manhattan Records.

Breakthrough

The band's breakthrough came in 1988 with the release of their debut album, Vixen. Propelled by heavy rotation on MTV and rock radio, the album climbed to number 41 on the Billboard 200 chart and was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA.

Key tracks

Edge of a Broken Heart — This power ballad became the band's highest-charting single, reaching number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and establishing their commercial appeal.

Cryin' — A driving rock anthem that became a staple on MTV and remains the band's most recognizable song to this day.

Love Made Me — This track showcased the band's melodic songwriting and harmonies, receiving significant airplay on AOR radio stations.

How Much Love — Featured on the 1990 follow-up album Rev It Up, this single demonstrated the band's continued ability to craft radio-friendly hard rock.

The success of Vixen led to extensive touring throughout 1989 and 1990, including opening slots for major acts like Ozzy Osbourne and The Scorpions. Their second album, Rev It Up, was released in 1990 and achieved respectable chart placement, but shifting musical trends contributed to the band's initial dissolution in 1991. Vixen has reunited in various forms over the decades, with Janet Gardner and Roxy Petrucci leading a current iteration that continues to perform their classic material live.

Fans of Vixen's brand of melodic hard rock should also explore Heart, another pioneering female-fronted rock band with massive 80s hits. The glam metal energy of Poison shares a similar Sunset Strip heritage and pop-rock sensibility. For the guitar-driven sound, check out Europe, whose anthemic choruses parallel Vixen's approach. The raw power of Lita Ford offers a harder-edged counterpart from the same era.

Vixen's music maintains a strong presence on radio, particularly on classic rock FM stations and dedicated hair metal or 80s rock online radio streams. Their anthems are regularly featured in programming blocks celebrating the biggest rock hits of the late 1980s.

You can hear the powerful anthems of Vixen on dedicated rock radio stations featured right here on onairium.com. Tune in to discover why their music remains a vital part of the hard rock canon on our platform's independent music radio stations.