A collection of Kim Gordon’s favourite songs
Throughout musical history, there has been nobody quite like Kim Gordon. From her early career as an icon of New York’s underground no-wave scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s to the mainstream alternative rock success of Sonic Youth albums like Goo, Gordon has constantly been at the forefront of abrasive, experimental and, above all, else, original music making. Even in the modern age, following the disbandment of Sonic Youth in 2011, the New Yorker has continued to create incredible new sounds through her celebrated solo records.
Following her graduation from art school, Kim Gordon immersed herself in the strange and obscure world of the New York no wave scene. This period allowed her to forge relationships with figures who would go on to be hugely influential in her later career; Glenn Branca, for instance, was a stalwart of the no wave movement and later produced a lot of Sonic Youth’s early material. It was also this scene that imbued Gordon with a staunch set of subversive anti-pop principles, which she has carried throughout much of her discography.
Despite, on the face of it, only being one part of Sonic Youth’s line-up, Kim Gordon’s influence permeated throughout virtually all of the band’s material. The songs on which she took vocal duties remain the greatest efforts produced by the band, and her lyricism within the group was unrivalled, often detailing issues of gender ideology and femininity, which helped to set Sonic Youth apart from other combos of the same ilk.
That seems to be a common theme throughout her career; she always seems to be happiest when doing her own thing, completely removed from the mainstream. This can be clearly seen in her recent solo albums, 2019’s No Home Record and the most recent effort, The Collective, released earlier this year. Expectedly, for an artist who has drawn upon such a vast range of influences, Kim Gordon’s record collection is eclectic, subversive, and beautiful.
Back in 2020, the songwriter hosted a programme on BBC 6 Music, sharing some of her favourite tracks from over the years with listeners. As you might expect, the songs selected by Gordon transcended time, genre and nationality, ranging from the discordant post-punk of The Fall to the electropop stylings of Charli XCX. It is easy to see how this mismatch of artists has culminated in Gordon’s latest work, in the electronica-driven post-punk-influenced sounds of The Collective.
Many of the tracks included in Gordon’s playlist speak to her continued legacy in the world of alternative music, featuring the likes of My Bloody Valentine, J Mascis, and Mazzy Star – in addition to early influences like Television and Nico. Those last two inclusions, in particular, reflect Gordon’s deep roots in the underground scene of New York City. In addition to old-school inclusions, the playlist also showcases the songwriter’s dedication to keeping an eye on new music releases too.
The broad range of tracks included on Gordon’s list makes for an emotional rollercoaster of a playlist, switching from the incredible jazz vocals of Abbey Lincoln to the pop mastery of Charli XCX within the blink of an eye. If you wish to immerse yourself in this disparate yet captivating collection of songs, we have collated each of the songs in a playlist just for you.
Kim Gordon’s favourite songs:
- The Fall – ‘Gut Of The Quantifier’
- Nina Simone – ‘Suzanne’
- Alice Coltrane & Pharoah Sanders – ‘Journey In Satchidananda’
- The Stooges – ‘Ann’
- DNA – ‘Blonde Redhead’
- J Mascis – ‘See You At The Movies’
- Heron Oblivion – ‘Your Hollows’
- Missy Elliott – ‘Work It’
- PJ Harvey – ‘Shame’
- Gold Dime – ‘Hindsight’
- Television – ‘Venus’
- Talk Normal – ‘In a Strangeland’
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Cortez the Killer’
- Brigitte Fontaine – ‘Le goudron’
- Eleanor Friedberger – ‘I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight’
- Linda Ronstadt – ‘Different Drum’
- Stina Nordenstam – ‘Purple Rain’
- Aimee Mann – ‘Save Me’
- Nas – ‘N.Y. State of Mind’
- Nico – ‘It Was A Pleasure Then’
- Karen Dalton – ‘Something On Your Mind’
- My Bloody Valentine – ‘when you sleep’
- Islaja – ‘Laivat saapuu’
- Mazzy Star – ‘Fade Into You’
- Abbey Lincoln – ‘Straight Ahead’
- Cardi B – ‘Bodak Yellow’
- Charli XCX – ‘Shake It’
- Patty Waters – ‘You Thrill Me’
