Although the images on her album covers are already striking, the music inside is even more electrifying. Whether she’s looking back at her disco beginnings or reimagining herself as a dance artist, Jones commanded every stage she stepped on when she sang these songs, turning any stadium she played into a sweaty club every time she opened her mouth .

Even when singing songs by other artists, he displayed his diverse range in a way that few were able to match at the time, and no one has been able to match since. While Jones may not be as prolific a songwriter as the Bob Dylans of the world, every song he performed or soloed belonged to him within the first thirty seconds of play.

Top 10 Grace Jones Songs

10. “The Blood of Williams” – Hurricane

For Jones, a comeback album was always going to have to be groundbreaking, and after nearly two decades away from the scene, Hurricane proved that no amount of time away from the spotlight would ever affect Jones’ monumental impact and ability to privacy to feel just as grand. and electrifying as a show. With Hurricane, Jones not only reestablished his position in the music industry, but demonstrated his ability to reinvent himself without compromising all the reasons he was successful in the first place.

“Williams’ Blood” is arguably the highlight of the album and Jones’s larger comeback. It focuses on her personal upbringing and experiences of feeling bound by family expectations at the center of attention. In many ways, this song feels like a signifier of Jones’ career coming full circle and how, even as one of the biggest and most celebrated stars of all time, she can channel negative aspects into works of art.

9. “Do or Die” – Fame

It’s about time more people gave the record a proper apology for the way it was treated during its golden age. Although many people argued that it was the death of good musicmany of the biggest names in the genre could take that four-on-the-floor beat and feel like something that mattered far more than filling the dance floor. And when Jones hit the stage with “Do or Die,” the song’s hypnotic groove was enough to make any musician fall in love.

While many dance songs rely on a single riff to guide them through the entire song, this one feels like a mini journey in a six-minute span, featuring some wild left turns in chord progressions that make it sound like and like a classic producer. decided to become a disco icon for a song. As opposed to sacrificing one genre for the other, “Do or Die” is the kind of song that most people can passively listen to and then get a lot more out of when listening outside of the club.

8. “Private Life” – Warm skin

Although originally by The Pretenders, Jones’ take on “Private Life” proved she’s better equipped than anyone else to take an existing song and make it completely her own. Jones’ signature smoothness also pronounced the song’s themes of disillusionment, making it a fitting addition to her continued command of the spotlight.

While the original also forced a broader sense of raw aggression, mainly thanks to Chrissie Hynde’s charged delivery, Jones seemed more icy, showing that her lovable exterior was never a front and that suspicions were correct – she was the most authentic musician around at the time.

7. “She Lost Control” – Warm skin

Around the same time that Jones’ star was rising, post-punk sounds were beginning to claw their way into the mainstream. Although bands like the Sex Pistols brought destruction wherever they went, the New York scene was just as interested in disco as it was in revolutionary acts like television making their way through CBGBs. While Joy Division was a much more visceral band than anyone else on the scene,She lost control‘ is almost too perfect for her image.

What Ian Curtis did with the song could never really be surpassed, but when Jones took it, she made something upbeat out of the song. While the Joy Division song sounded like it took place while Curtis was at the edge of his mind, Jones is basically living the story of this woman who’s lost control, only this time she’s flipping it into someone who lets loose on the dance floor instead of being on the sidelines. of a mental break.

6. “I’ve seen that face (Libertango) before – Nightclub

Clearly, there is a reason why Nightclub became one of Jones’ most iconic albums, as “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)” also proved his ability to blend open sensuality with reggae and tango melodies, redefining what it means to blend diverse sensibilities with a quintessential 1980s. darkness. Written about the haze of Parisian nightlife, this classic pays homage to existence in times of horror, but succumbing to instant gratification anyway.

Despite the chaos emanating from the track, the video gave its own flavor of prominence with an image that best defined who Jones has ever been as an artist. It featured the musician playing the accordion against a minimalist background and her own shadow, showing that no matter what she’s singing about, she’ll always do it with a copious amount of ‘cool’.

5. “La Vie En Rose” – portfolio

Most people are usually busy when they make their first album. It’s one thing to not have anyone breathing down your neck about what they expect from you, but not knowing where to take your song with no recording experience is a daunting task for anyone. If it worked in the clubs, it had the potential to work in the studio, and Jones actually showed a lot more depth than anyone thought possible when he adopted one of the most beloved easy-listening songs of all time.

Compared to other artists who would put a beat directly behind this song, hearing Jones take the tracks from “La Vie En Roseand cut them to fit her own style is exactly what any artist should do when tackling such a beloved song. Everyone has heard the original a hundred times, but bringing some R&B into the mix is ​​something no one has thought of yet. And judging by how Lady GaGa has flirted with recording standards, there’s a good chance she listened to this deep cut before changing her image.

4. “Pull up to the bumper” – Nightclub

For many, Nightclub was the greatest musical sign of the changing times. Aside from the obvious social commentary, the whole effort was filled with the kind of sensual groove only someone as confident as Jones could ever pull off. Additionally, “Pull Up To The Bumper” centered everything great about the album while also being one of her most controversial songs.

With sexually suggestive lyrics like “Pull up to my bumper baby / In your long black limo / Pull up to my bumper baby / And drive it in between,” the song epitomizes the unapologetic sensuality that Jones exuded -o in her nightclub years as he paid tribute to her. 1980s nightlife and all the gimmicks and trophies that come with it.

3. “The Demolition Man” – Nightclub

For any great song, you have to have a solid foundation underneath it all. Many artists have tried their hand at shaking their groove thing from time to time, but if all they have to go on is a weak attempt at what they think disco music is, it’s all going to fall apart (just ask The Rolling Stones). While Sting had a nice attempt at a reggae-tinged rock and roll song on “Demolition Man,” Jones’ version made the song shine much brighter than The Police ever imagined it could.

Considering her image as one of the most appealing figures in any disco, hearing her belt out this song about someone about to explode in an instant felt like it was tailored for her voice, especially when she sings her signature. the bass line in the lyrics. And as much as Sting tried to have fun, Jones held the entire audience in the palm of his hand whenever he played this song, the same way a drill sergeant cooks his soldiers.

2. “Night Club” – Nightclub

There are many reasons why “Nightclubbing” became one of Jones’ most popular songs, one of which is the serendipitous story that once brought together three of the biggest names in the business – Jones, David Bowie and Iggy Pop. “Feeling like a woman, look like a man,” Jones sings on the first track, pointing to the power of androgyny while laying out every reason to ever enter the raucous nightclub scene.

“Nightclubs” was a force – not only did it defy racial stereotypes, pushing against the limitations often placed on black artists, but it also combined various genres and overcame prejudice, giving a sense of resilience and resilience. The song was the message at the album’s epicenter, changing the face of both culture and modern pop while blazing a path that would be followed by other pioneering female musicians.

1. “Slave to the Rhythm” – The slave of rhythm

Every now and then a song comes along that is completely formed without the right vocals. While many artists may attempt to cut their own tracks, there’s no telling what it will sound like when they have proper power behind it. And while Frankie Goes to Hollywood might have done a serviceable job on “Slave to the Rhythm,” hearing Jones wrap her voice around the song is the definition of a perfect marriage.

Unlike the simplistic groove that Trevor Horn and Co created, it was Jones who really breathed life into the song, especially considering what the mindset of her music was about. The whole purpose of her disco beginnings is to serve the beat of the song, and considering what she would bring to the rest of the world in the 1980s, this was the kind of song that reminded everyone that if a song doesn’t rock . , it was not worth materializing.

Related topics