_The erasure of Black people from the history and origins of American music is work that has been in progress for well over a century. If you look closer, you might notice Black women, in particular, being obscured from the roots of blues, gospel, soul, and rock music.

Even though I grew up in the Midwest with two parents who were born on the east coast, the women included in this list are women I heard in my home. I have spent a lot of time making small sonic maps: how to get from Memphis Minnie to Mahalia to Aretha. Once you get to Aretha, there's a whole world that opens up. This is a small playlist, but in it, I wanted to show an example of those maps, of a lineage that continues with artists like Adia Victoria and the punk band Special interest. Black women who have carried on the sonic and storytelling traditions of those who laid a foundation before them.