School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Patti Smith

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Patti Smith was born in 1946 in Chicago and grew into a singer, songwriter, poet and writer. In New York she became one of the faces of the punk scene. Her debut album Horses from 1975 made her influential and earned her the nicknames Queen of Punk and Godmother of Punk. Smith brought rock and poetry together: she worked as a poet and writer, and you can hear that in her lyrics.

Music and breakthrough

Her best-known song is Because the Night from 1978, which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen. It reached number thirteen on the American Hot 100 and number five in Britain. Later came albums such as Dream of Life (1988), Gone Again (1996), Peace and Noise (1997), Gung Ho (2000), Trampin' (2003) and Banga (2012). In 2010 she won the National Book Award for Just Kids, her memoir about her friend and former partner, the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. She wrote the book to keep a promise to him.

Influence

Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Polar Music Prize in 2011. She showed that a rock record can also be literature, and brought that to the fore in the New York punk scene.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Because the Night and pay attention to the vocals. Try to hear how Smith sings the chorus with total commitment.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists