Joan Armatrading picks her six favourite albums
Joan Armatrading is best known for her influential career in folk, rock, and blues music. Born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, she is largely celebrated for her distinctive voice, heartfelt lyrics, and emotional songwriting. Throughout her long career, the musical icon has released numerous esteemed albums and singles, gaining recognition for songs like ‘Love and Affection’, ‘Drop the Pilot’, ‘Willow’, and ‘Me Myself I’.
Armatrading’s music often delves into themes of love, relationships, and personal introspection. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including several Grammy Award nominations for her music. In 2003, she was honoured with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection. She was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours for her services to music, charity, and equality.
When it comes to sharing her own personal nuggets of wisdom during the songwriting process, Armatrading’s advice is centred around the importance of being self-aware. “Writing is all about self-editing,” she said via the Sodajerker Podcast in 2014. “It’s all about being present, being aware of what’s happening.“
In terms of revealing some of her all-time favourite artists and albums, Bob Dylan sits atop her list. “What I love about him is his artistry,” she told Stereogum. “The way he crafts words, the way he tells his story and draws people into the plot is something that he is expert at. If you want to know about good songwriting, look to Bob Dylan. Not really known as the best singer, but he is the best at conveying an emotion with his powerful lyrics and phrasing.”
As a musical innovator, it comes as no surprise that Armatrading’s favourite albums are incredibly diverse. For starters, she names Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 as one that has a particularly profound impact on her, emotionally. “Without knowing what I was listening to, I heard classical music when I was younger on the radio and liked all the guys: Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Purcell. It’s what I listen to most. It has quite interesting rhythms at a point you don’t expect and it runs through all the emotions.“
Of course, rock luminary Led Zeppelin also makes the list, with the iconic album Led Zeppelin IV, home to hits like ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Going to California’ and ‘When the Levee Breaks’. “I talked about them in every interview I did when I started my career,” Armatrading admits. “I loved Robert Plant’s voice, the structure of the songs and Jimmy Page’s guitar playing. Their music still sounds powerful.“
Along with Leslie West and Purcell, Armatrading also calls Amy Winehouse “an amazing talent“, adding, “I loved her lyrics, her voice, her phrasing and how she moved her body. She made the jazz sound bang up to date. I was looking forward to seeing what she was like when I was a proper old lady.“
Check out the full list below.
Joan Armatrading’s six favourite albums:
- Beethoven – Symphony No.5
- Henry Purcell – Dido And Aeneas
- Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
- Leslie West – Mountain
- Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
- Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No.2
