How the 1990 All-Female Rolling Stones Tribute Album Came Together – and Why The Bangles’ ‘Stupid Girl’ Still Shines

In 1990, British label Luminous Records assembled a curious project: an entire tribute album to the Rolling Stones performed exclusively by women. The idea wasn’t just a novelty—it was a statement. At a time when female rock musicians were still fighting for airplay, producer William Orbit (who contributed a cover of “She Smiled Sweetly”) and others corralled a surprising lineup that included Sinead O’Connor, The Pretenders, The Bangles, and even a young Sheryl Crow (then still a backing vocalist). The album deliberately flipped the Stones’ swaggering, often macho persona on its head.

Most covers stuck to well-known hits, but the most interesting one came from The Bangles: a jangly, power-pop take on “Stupid Girl.” Originally a deep cut from Aftermath (1966), the Stones song is a snarling dismissal of a superficial woman. The Bangles—three women