Feminism and rock music have always had, at best, a spotty relationship. There was the horrific Led Zeppelin “mud shark incident,” 1980s hair metal (all of it), and even punk — with its ideal of complete inclusion — has had an awful history of misogyny.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t exactly been a ton of music that counteracts this ugly strand of rock’s history. Very few rock songs that have championed women’s empowerment have become bonafide hits. During the Women’s Liberation Movement there was Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” and Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.”, both of which hit the top of the charts. There was also countless songs in the 90s that people related to as quasi-feminist anthems — No Doubt’s “Just a Girl,” Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know,” and Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch,” to name a few — but these weren’t exactly political in any explicit sense. And that’s about it when it comes to feminist hits.

The most famous wave of feminist rock was the Riot Grrrl movement, led by Kathleen Hanna and her band Bikini Kill, originating in Olympia, WA in the 1990s. But as influential as the movement was and despite the massive amounts of media coverage it received, it was basically an underground scene. Unless you count Sonic Youth and Hole — both of whom were associated without being full-on Riot Grrrl bands — L7’s “Pretend We’re Dead” is the only thing resembling a smash to come out of the movement.

What’s often forgotten, however, is that Nirvana and Pearl Jam were feminist through and through. As the years go by, their very public attacks against sexism in the early 90s look even more remarkable than they did at the time. They were the two biggest bands in the world and they stood up for feminism in ways that today would set the internet on fire. And they were men! But they welcomed the challenge, practically egging on anyone who disagreed with them.

Although they’re mostly remembered for destroying hair metal and making mainstream rock respectable again, they should be recognized for using their platforms as the two biggest bands in the world to stand up for women’s rights. No one else on that big of a stage has come close in rock history.