Hayley Williams Discusses Paramore’s Standout Position as Female-Fronted Band in 'Most-Streamed Rock Acts' Chart

Hayley Williams has weighed in on Paramore being one of the few bands with female members on Spotify's latest "most-streamed rock acts of all time" list and called for improved inclusion and diversity on the chart.

The 35-year-old singer-songwriter took to Instagram Stories Tuesday to share her thoughts about the news that Paramore recently secured the 20th spot on the most-streamed rock acts of all time on Spotify, beating U2.

A screenshot of the list posted by a Paramore fan page on X, formerly Twitter, showed Queen, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, and Red Hot Chili Peppers at the forefront of the ranking. Aside from Paramore, Fleetwood Mac is the only other act with female members, securing the 10th position among the 20 artists listed.

In her now-deleted Instagram story -- reposted by Pop Crave on X -- Williams shared a screenshot of a tweet from "The State of the Scene" podcast about Paramore's achievement.

Williams responded to the news by writing: "We are [one] of only [two] bands that include women in the Top 20 of all time. Of course I'm beyond honored, but in my lifetime I hope to see more women, more LGBTQ+, and black/brown talent on this list."

The "Ain't It Fun" singer added, "Also 'rock' is funny... are Paramore a rock band or just not quite 100% pop? What [the f**k] are we?"

Williams also shared her experience meeting Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. Describing the encounter, she said that the iconic singer lived up to all expectations and more.

Per The Line of Best Fit, Williams said, "There isn't a world in which I come close to their magic, but she and Christine [McVie] make me feel proud to be considered a woman in rock."

Earlier this year, their paths crossed when Paramore, Nicks, and Taylor Swift enjoyed a night out together in Dublin following the latter's "Eras Tour" shows in the city.

This wasn't the first issue concerning female representation in the rock music industry that Williams pointed out.

In 2020, Williams talked about challenges she faced after Paramore had a notable lineup change after Zac and Josh Farro left.

"I find it interesting that bands we've loved who have been through lineup changes -- even bands who haven't -- have been honest about how much they hate each other, and you never question their loyalty," she told Vulture. "You never think, 'Oh, Thom Yorke must be the f**king Hitler of Radiohead.' He can be an a*shole."

Tags

Paramore, Hayley Williams, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, Fleetwood Mac