Few musicians make a big name for themselves with their debut album, fresh out of the gate. Back in 1975, though, Patti Smith did exactly that with her debut album, Horses.
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Patti Smith’s Horses was released on November 10, 1975. It remains one of the most memorable early punk rock albums of all time. A pioneering record, Horses is made up of elements that are typical of punk rock, as well as elements that are pretty uniquely Patti Smith. Smith and her band used simple chord arrangements, which is not unlike what the punk bands that followed stuck to. However, she also used avant-garde ideas and improv on Horses as well.
Unsurprisingly, this early punk-meets-garage rock album was a bit too ahead of its time. Horses put Smith on the map, but it only earned a little bit of commercial success. It narrowly avoided the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at No. 47. The album also only made it to No. 157 on the UK charts. And yet, it has become a retrospective masterpiece from Smith, with countless critics praising the album in the years since it was released. Punk rock might not be what it is today without the release of Horses in 1975.
The Legacy of ‘Horses’ by Patti Smith
Patti Smith’s Horses is a poetic romp from start to finish. The album opens up with one of its most famous songs, “Gloria”. A number of other excellent songs make up the album, from “Redondo Beach” to Free Money” to a live cover of “My Generation” by The Who that was added on for the album’s CD reissue.
Ahead of Horses’ release, Patti Smith and her band performed often throughout 1974 and became a popular local act in New York City’s underground music scene. Smith found significant notoriety through a two-month residency at the legendary punk club CBGB, notably with the outfit Television.
Patti Smith’s success with Horses is a great example of how powerful the art of “hype” was back in the day when it came to promoting music. Smith herself said that her goal was to “pump blood back into the heart of rock ‘n’ roll” by putting together a punk album that would preach a humanist perspective to the masses. I think she did that with Horses. This album is absolutely essential listening.
Photo by Suzan Carson/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
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