5 Grammy Awards, Straight to Billboard's number One, 6 times Platinum, 18 million copies sold...'Songs in A Minor' is the 2001 debut by Alicia Keys (born Alicia Cook from Hell's Kitchen NYC). The 2011 anniversary re-release is worth getting.
Soul, Hippity Hop, Gospel, R&B and Jazzy, it was a huge record. 'Fallin' was the song that got it huge attention but 'Girlfriend' was the first single. She cites Stevie Wonder and Carole King as key influences, so you get the picture.
She wrote most of the songs ('Someday we'll all be free' is by the great Donny Hathaway and 'How Come' is by Prince). She has a magnificent vocal range. Often compared to Aretha although, Aretha is incomparable!
Still gigging, she features on the newest Eminem Album 'Revival' (good it is too, worth a listen). She was a speaker at The Women's March on Washington following Trump's election and is involved with 'Amnesty'.
Definitely a record to have. 'Fallin' is superb and so, here you go.....
Previous "listen to's" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Beatles 'Revolver': The Allergies 'Push On' (Our Album of 2017): Sinatra 'Jolly Christmas': Stranglers 'Rattus Norvegicus': Happy Mondays 'Pills Thrills and Bellyaches': The Verve 'Urban Hymns': Jim Croce 'You don't mess around with Jim': America 'America': Hall & Oates 'The Singles': George Michael 'Older': Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers': Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue': Mink Willy De Ville 'Backstreets of Desire': Ten Years After 'Undead': The Beat 'Just can't stop it': George Thorogood/The Destoyers '2120 Michigan Avenue': Tom Waits 'Franks Wild Years'; Glen Campbell 'Rhinestone Cowboy': Rory Gallagher 'Live in Europe': Michael Jackson 'Thriller': Daft Punk 'Discovery': DJ Dimitri 'Disco Forever': John Martyn 'Grace & Danger': Peter Gabriel 'So': Crowded House 'Woodface': Springsteen 'Born to Run': ACDC 'Back in Black': Grace Jones 'Nighclubbing': Stevie Wonder 'Songs in the key of life': The Cars 'The Cars': Billy Joel '52nd Street': Beatles 'Sgt Pepper': Tom Petty 'Damn the Torpedoes': World Party 'Bang': Eric Clapton 'Slowhand': John Mayer 'Room for Squares': Ry Cooder 'Bop til you drop': Jon&Vangelis 'Friends of Mr. Cairo': Mary Chapin 'Come on, Come on': Frank Zappa 'Joe's Garage': Joni Mitchell 'Blue': Steve Gibbons 'Caught in the Act': Elton John 'Tumbleweed Connection': Elton John 'Honky Chateau': Gallagher & Lyle 'Breakaway': Warren Zevon 'Excitable Boy': Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly': Supertramp 'Breakfast in America': George Michael 'Listen without Predujice': Radiohead 'The Bends': Beyonce 'Lemonade' Album of the year 2016: Oddisee 'The mix Tape': Soul 11 Soul 'Club Classics': Jennifer Warnes 'Famous Blue Raincoat':Art Garfunkel 'Watermark': REM 'Out of Time': Van 'Keep me Singing': Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black';Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill.
