Forebears: The Teenage Wisdom of 'Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts'
Gore's impenetrable confidence singing emotionally complex songs humanized the image of the teen girl, adding an authoritative female teenage perspective to the Top 40.
This essay is one in a series celebrating women whose major contributions in recording occurred before the time frame of NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums By Women.
It feels understated that 16-year-old told millions of people that a man's opinion of her was irrelevant, if not meaningless, nearly fifty years later. Although written by two men — David White and John Medora — Gore's 1963 recording of "You Don't Own Me" would solidify her as a feminist pop icon, adding an authoritative female teenage perspective to the"
