Five musicians who clashed with Joni Mitchell
There is no arguing that Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential musicians of all time. Her impact on folk, confessional songwriting and lyricism as a whole is immeasurable. There are countless quotes from iconic artists singing Mitchell’s praises, but not everyone saw eye to eye with the musician.
It feels essential to disclose that there is really no discussion to be had on whether Joni Mitchell is objectively good or not. Mitchell’s sound helped define the generation she came up in and arguably rewrote the soundtrack to history. Without her unique guitar styling, rich storytelling and total, unrestrained vulnerability, we may never have had the work of Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and beyond. Her impact, especially on the work of female songwriters, is so important and vital for music history.
Even at the very beginning of her career, Mitchell quickly gained a position of respect so high it almost felt like worship. Artists like Leonard Cohen, James Taylor, Graham Nash, and Neil Young all penned odes to the artist, being vocal fans of Mitchell’s work. Mitchell has an air of holiness around her as her skill and vision feel almost intimidatingly sharp.
But music is so subjective, and not everyone can enjoy every release. Some artists have made no excuses for disliking Mitchell and her music. In fact, there are some pretty cutting chunks of feedback for the artist…
Five musicians who clashed with Joni Mitchell:
Jackson Browne
The relationship between Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell is strained at best. The pair were together in the early 1970s but ended explosively in 1972. Never one to hold back or mince her words in a song, Mitchell appeared to pen the 1994 track ‘Not To Blame’ about Browne.
Easily one of her most cutting tracks on record, the song feels like an exorcism of years of silenced resentment towards the relationship. Seemingly revealing Browne as an abusive partner, Mitchell sings, “Your charitable acts seem out of place / With the beauty with your fist marks on her face”.
Browne reportedly struck his wife, Darryl Hannah, in 1992, possibly prompting Mitchell to write the track and share her own experiences with the singer, whose violence is alleged to be the reason for their split.
Jackson Browne didn’t take to the song kindly, lashing out at Mitchell in return. “Joni Mitchell is, unfortunately, she’s not really well,” Browne said to the Tampa Bay Times, attempting to make excuses for the song. “At this point in her life, you know, she has had deep fallings-out with many people in her life. I think there’s quite a few people that she’s no longer on speaking terms with,” he continued. It seems, in this case, the hatred is mutual.
Judy Collins
Judy Collins’ cover of Mitchell’s track ‘Both Sides Now’ still sits as her most successful release. Collins was a huge fan of the 1960s folk scene, regularly covering tracks by Leonard Cohen as well. But her famous Mitchell cover may have led to more personal grief than glory.
Even though Mitchell allowed Collins’ to sing her song, it seems the musicians’ relationship was more sour than you might think. In conversation with Vulture, Collins hit out at Mitchell. “I remember hearing something about Joni not liking my version of the song,” Collins said.
But the ill feeling seems mutual, with Collins adding: “I couldn’t care less”.
Collins’ version of ‘Both Sides Now’ eclipsed Mitchell’s later released recording. “I’m sure she feels that way about a lot of people who sing her songs,” Collins added. “I’m sorry she didn’t have the hit, but I’m sure glad I did!”
John Lennon
John Lennon was well known to be a prickly figure. The in-fighting and tension within The Beatles, often coming from Lennon’s side, contributed to the bitter split between the Fab Four. But his critique wasn’t reserved for his bandmates only. He once shared his dislike for Joni Mitchell loud and clear.
“I watched this [English film], which was a roundup of the best musicians of the 20th century,” Mitchell once recalled. “As soon as it hit my era, the intelligence of it dropped considerably. When it came to me, this guy folded his arms and crossed his feet and said, ‘I never liked Joni Mitchell—she’s too twee.’ Well, that’s what John Lennon was like.”
Mitchell remained tight-lipped on her opinion of Lennon, stating, “I know I’m going to get into hot water if I get into this, but I have controversial opinions about him”.
Bob Dylan
Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan had a confusing dynamic. Mitchell didn’t hold anything back when she once said, “Musically, Dylan’s not very gifted”.
She didn’t stop there, either, going on to add: “He’s borrowed his voice from old hillbillies. He’s got a lot of borrowed things. He’s not a great guitar player. He’s invented a character to deliver his songs … it’s a mask of sorts.”
And while they seemed to put their differences aside as Mitchell joined him on his Rolling Thunder Revue tour and the pair sang together a few times, Dylan never really spoke on his opinion of Mitchell. One incident, however, seems to suggest he wasn’t a huge fan. Mitchell played a preview of her 1974 album Court and Spark to Dylan and friends at her former boyfriend and Elektra/Asylum record head, David Geffen’s party.
In the middle of the listening session, in front of everyone, Dylan fell asleep, giving Mitchell perhaps the most insulting review of all.
All the male songwriters of the 1970s
Hear me out…of course, not every male songwriter of the ‘70s hated Mitchell. However, the artist has spoken at length about the sexist reception she received from her peers. In a conversation with Elton John in 2022, Mitchell said she “took a lot of flak” from men in the folk scene who discredited her.
They believed her confessional songwriting style was too honest. “People thought that it was too intimate,” Mitchell added. “I think it upset the male singer-songwriters. They’d go, ‘Oh no. Do we have to bare our souls like this now?’” It seems Joni Mitchell hit a nerve with her male peers at the time, challenging them to dig a little deeper.
