It seems as though feminist rock critic Jessica Hopper was destined to be a writer her whole life. Growing up in Minneapolis with her mother and father working as a newspaper editor and journalist respectively, Hopper had been surrounded by media from a young age. In a Q&A with Paper Mag, she has credited her parents’ careers as what first sparked her interest in both journalism and in the pursuit of the truth, saying “I grew up with these really staunch ideas about the importance of the truth, whether it be journalism or what my parents do for a living. I knew what my truth of experience was.”
She experienced her first encounter with music criticism when she was just fifteen years old. Hopper called a magazine that she believed had written a poorly-informed article about her favorite band—Babes in Toyland—and insisted that she be able to write her own review. This incident launched her into the world of music journalism, leading her to start her own fanzine and to begin freelancing at age 16 for City Pages, an alternative weekly. She caught the attention of music critic Terri Sutton, who encouraged her to find her own voice and to continue to pursue rock criticism.
Since her early start as a teenage journalist, Hopper has written for a handful of publications—including becoming the first music editor of teenage female-centric webzine Rookie and a senior editor at Pitchfork. She also took on the role of editor-in-chief for Pitchfork’s quarterly, “The Pitchfork Review.”
Hopper has written and published three books since her advent, in addition to her fanzine “Hit It or Quit It,” which ran between 1991 and 2005. Her second book The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, is a compilation of her best works of criticism throughout her career. This collection was followed by her latest publication Night Moves, Hopper’s memoir.
Night Moves consists of short blog entries that Hopper wrote throughout her late 20s, living in Chicago and writing about her day-to-day experiences with music and friends. Something about Night Moves is very nostalgic and relatable, and the detail in each excerpt makes it feel as though you’ve been transported to that very time and place. In an interview with the New York Times, Hopper described Night Moves as “…a book about falling in love with a city. And if you’ve ever been someone who’s truly fallen in love with a city, and been thrilled to discover your place in it, it’s a book for you.”
In addition to journalism, Hopper deejayed for This American Life, an hour-long radio program that is broadcasted across many public radio stations every week. Hopper also managed bands and worked in public relations until she quit to pursue writing full time in her late 20s. This experience led her to write her first book, The Girls’ Guide to Rocking: How to Start a Band, Book Gigs, and Get Rolling to Rock Stardom in 2009. In an interview with LongReads, when asked how working in other aspects of the music industry had informed her writing, Hopper stated, “For me, it was just another way to participate in my community.”
As a music critic, Hopper’s career begs the question of how she has time to listen to all of the music she critiques. In an interview with the Creative Independent, Hopper discussed her favorite place to listen to music—her car. “Particularly if I have a long, very familiar commute… I’ll listen to a record or certain songs over and over and take bad notes that are almost not readable, crumple them up and jam them in my purse. Then I have to read them and try to figure out what the hell they say later,” she reflected on her writing process.
Dynamic journalists like Hopper are vital to the growth of music journalism, and can serve as an inspiration to those young journalists who are motivated to start their own platform and dip their toes into various aspects of the music industry. Hopper and others like her have inspired a new generation of young female creatives with a passion for music, feminism and for finding the truth. In an interview with The Creative Independent, Hopper was asked about the disappearance of zines despite how instrumental they had been in her and other writers’ careers. “I don’t think I’m being old-fashioned in really kind of feeling a desperation or really trying to keep that alive and trying to keep talking about music and the culture of music and fandom and what it means to love things,” Hopper said.
Jessica Hopper is a true role model for any young creative who wants to experience everything the music industry has to offer. Her impact on feminism and music as a female rock critic is important in an age where women are often pushed to the side in many fields but especially in the music industry. Her work will continue to inspire women to get involved and find their voice in music journalism.