Joni Mitchell: Her Ten Best Albums

Joni Mitchell's ten best albums - my favourite Joni albums and it's been a difficult choice to narrow it down to a top ten.

From my teenage years, when I first heard Clouds and her most famous album, the classic Blue, I have loved Joni Mitchell's songs - lyrics, music, delivery, all are incredible. Then I bought Ladies Of The Canyon and I was completely hooked for life. Joni Mitchell's best albums show her moving over the years from folk to jazz styles, with African influences on some records, her classical piano training adorning others. Whatever the style she delivers beautiful music. She's remained one of my favourite artists and here I list my ten favourite Joni Mitchell albums.

As a young woman Joni moved from Canada to New York, then Los Angeles, becoming part of the scene that included David Crosby, Jackson Browne and a host of now famous names from that golden era. Her background was the Canadian folk circuit but despite her lack of experience she wowed anyone who heard her: she's been doing it ever since. Here's my selection of Joni Mitchell's ten best albums: They include some of her greatest hits as well as a couple of less famous albums. I hope they become your favourites as much as they are mine.

Click an album cover below to go to a post, click any song on track listings to bring up a Youtube clip. Some are straight from the albums but I've tried to find live performances from the right era where available - check out Little Green, for instance.


Blue

Hissing of Summer Lawns Ladies of the Canyon Hejira

Shadows and Light Clouds Song to a Seagull

Shine For The Roses Court and Spark
Intro Pic: Joni in concert, 1972, BBC

3 comments:

  1. Night Ride Home should be in her top ten!

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  2. and Turbulent Indigo. I would drop out the live one above and Shine.

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    Replies
    1. Turbulent Indigo is one I pondered for a while but couldn't decide. Night Ride Home is good but not great - it's one I listen to occasionally but probably wouldn't recommend to a non-fan.

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