An alternative rock radio programmer once told me he would never play two female singers next to each other because the audience doesn’t want to hear that many women. Sadly, he’s not the only one who feels that way. The charts don’t lie: According to Billboard the only women to break into the No. 1 spot on their alternative rock chart since 1996 are Lorde and Elle King. Of the top 40 songs in alt rock right now, three are by women Of note that the amazing Haim haven’t broken in with their new song yet, but they’re the very epitome of women rocking right now, so I’m pulling for them — though they’ve had only one song chart in their career thus far. The news gets even worse for hard and mainstream rock , where Paramore, Halestorm, the Pretty Reckless (a.k.a. Little J from Gossip Girl’s band) are basically the only bands with a female in them being played — and everyone else in the band is a dude. Does no one want to hear women rock?