The spotlight and fight for gender equality in many aspects of this world is at a much-needed, long overdue, all-time high. Over the last year, the conversation about this issue across a multitude of industries, as well as strong women coming together and supporting each other and fighting for change, has grown tremendously.

But even more importantly, moves are being made to bring about change to a gender gap within the music industry that spans from the pop star on stage/the radio, to the producers/songwriters in the studio, to those in the boardroom.

There have been many women who have been leaders in the music industry, and who have stepped up in more ways than one — too many to count. Take a look at just a small handful of powerful females who have changed music, and just how they did it below.