Nita Strauss Makes History as First Active Rock Solo Female Chart-Topper
Rock guitar goddess Nita Strauss tweeted today (Jan. 10) that her song "Dead Inside" has hit No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart. This is a history-making event as, until today, a female solo rock artist had NEVER HIT NO. 1 on the chart.
According to Mediabase, a company that tracks what songs are played most on U.S. radio week-by-week, "Dead Inside" overtook Volbeat's "Shotgun Blues" to take the No. 1 spot. Nita seems ecstatic.
Nita's full-time gig has been as lead guitarist for Alice Cooper. She put out her debut solo album of instrumental music, Controlled Chaos, in 2018. "Dead Inside" was her first time releasing music with a vocalist.
The duet with Disturbed frontman David Draiman is the first single from a highly anticipated album expected to come sometime later this year. Nita told Loudwire Night's Toni Gonzales recently this album will have some of her "all-time favorite vocalists" on it. The album will be split: Half the songs will be instrumental shredding, half with guest singers. Nita says she isn't totally ready to abandon her identity as a lead guitarist, hence the mix of the two.
This has been an important year for female rockers as far as radio airplay goes. Earlier this year The Pretty Reckless banged out their 7th No. 1 song with "Only Love Can Save Me Now." They're the only band fronted by a woman to have seven singles peak at the top of the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. And Lzzy Hale of Halestorm noted that in early September, three female-led rock bands (The Pretty Reckless, Halestorm, and Evanescence) were in the Top 10 on the charts, something that she and Amy Lee were ecstatic about.
Congrats to Nita Strauss on this chart feat. Revisit the song that accomplished that for her below.
Nita Strauss Featuring David Draiman, "Dead Inside"
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