From the magazine Julie Burchill

The pain of being a Bangle – despite sunshine through the rain

The more successful the female rock band became, the unhappier they seemed, with in-fighting and ‘suicidal thoughts’ leading to break up shortly after their greatest hit

Julie Burchill Julie Burchill
The Bangles, from left to right: Vicki Peterson, Susannah Hoffs, Michael Steel and Debbi Peterson.  Alamy
EXPLORE THE ISSUE 19 April 2025
issue 19 April 2025

I must say that my feelings about the 1980s American rock band the Bangles were – unusually for me – moderate. I loved some of their hits while being left cold by others. They were pleasant. But after reading this book’s press release, I realised how sorely lacking in appreciation of their impact I’d been:

It’s a story of the challenges faced by women attempting to follow their artistic dreams in a media and music industry ecosystem which seemed set up for their failure from the start… It is a long overdue corrective that restores the Bangles to their rightful place...

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