Suzanne Vega is an American singer-songwriter whose artistic career really began in 1984, when she signed her first contract with a major label. Signature that will make her one of the very first folk singers to obtain this privilege.
Signature which allows her to release a first self-titled album a year later in 1985. And for a first album, it is a masterstroke. The album is a real global hit, carried at arm's length by the title "Marlene on the wall". A Single which was released for the first time in 1985 but which goes unnoticed. On the other hand, the second version, released in 1986, will experience a much greater success and will launch the singer's career in a sensational way.
This success amplified two years later in 1987 when the album "Solitude standing" was released. Album that will produce the biggest success of her career, namely the enormous Single "Luka", Single which will be one of the biggest global successes of this year 1987. And to a lesser extent "Tom's diner". Single which will not be her best classified but which will be taken up a few years later by two Englishmen presenting themselves under the name of DNA. And the remixed track will make a phenomenal hit !
We will have to wait three years and the 90s to see the album "Days of open hand" released. Three years which unfortunately broke the dynamic. The album is selling very well but paradoxically only produces small hits. Ditto for the next album "99.9 F°" which was released in 1992.
The singer will experience a last notorious hit with the title "Blood makes noise" also released in 1992. But which will indeed mark the starting point of a decline that will prove irreversible.
This will not prevent her from coming back later and continuing to deliver titles of more than certain quality.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Marlene on the wall 1985
Small blue thing 1985
Knight moves 1985
Left of center 1986
Gypsy 1986
Luka 1987
Tom’s diner 1987
Solitude standing 1987
90s Decade :
Book of dreams 1990
Tired of sleeping 1990
In Liverpool 1992
Blood makes noise 1992
99.9F 1992
Where heroes go down 1993
Caramel 1996
No cheap thrill 1996
Book & a cover 1998
Rosemary (Remember me) 1999
2000s Decade :
Penitent 2001
Soap and water 2001
Last year's trouble 2001
Ludlow street 2007
Frank & Ava 2007
Bound 2007
2010s Decade :
Some journey 2010
Ironbound 2010
Undertow 2011
Cracking 2011
Widows walk 2012
Pilgrimage 2012
Fool's complaint 2014
Horizon (There is a road) 2014
Silver bridge 2014
I never wear white 2014
We of me 2016
Lover, beloved 2016
Carson's last supper 2016
2020s Decade :
Walk on the wild side 2020
Tracks :
1985 ... the first steps. Everything is already there : the style, the voice, the originality. It only remains for the singer to step up and especially to find the title that goes well. Something that will not be long ...
1985 ... a obvious talent for the Intimist. Here she delivers a sumptuous ballad which shows that in this area, she has more than obvious predispositions !
1985 ... a real UFO in this decade where everything is electronic music and drum machines. A difference which for the moment marginalizes her. For the moment...
1986 ... the rise in power, here it is. After releasing 'Marlene on the wall' and obtaining a much greater success than during her first release, she does it again with this new title. Planetary recognition, the real one, is now within reach !
1986 ... everything is now ready for the great fireworks display. A fireworks display which will not be long in coming and which will propel the singer to a level of success that she did not even imagine ...
1987 ... then THIS title comes ! Here is the title that goes well, the title that changes everything in a career and propels you to the sum of the mountain. The singer obtains here the biggest success of all her career and especially a planetary mega hit which makes her fit One Shot into the musical legend of the 80s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1987...an exceptional year in every way with this new title which will surely remain as one of its most emblematic. At least in the version that DNA will make...
1990...and the famous version, here it is ! All they had to do was add a Dance rhythm and the song was set to set fire to all the Dancefloors on the planet. HU-GE !
1987 ... a year 1987 when everything succeeds for her. Each song that comes out immediately turns into a huge success and makes the singer one of the biggest musical phenomena of the moment...
1990 ... one would have thought that the end of the decade was going to be great. Unfortunately, this will not really be the case. The singer suddenly disappears, and especially surprisingly, from the radar for 3 years. Anyway, she comes back to us in great shape in this decade of 90 and delivers here a title which shows that we will still have to rely on her for the years to come...
1990 ... another sumptuous ballad of which she has the secret. Unfortunately, her absence of 3 years somewhat marginalized and especially relegated her to oblivion. Difficult in these conditions to come to the surface ...
1992 ... in a decade where rhythms spin at the speed of light, the singer persists in her ballad register. A daring, risky decision that will unfortunately lose out despite the quality of the title more than certain...
1992 ... she tries to adapt somehow to new trends but we can see that this is not her natural playground. Hence very random results ...
1992 ... a year 1992 which saw her innovate by all possible and imaginable means. But it is already too late and there is only her not to notice it ...
1993 ... only one title in this year 1993 and of average quality. The singer really does not manage to take the measure of this decade and things will not go smoothly, unfortunately ...
1996 ... new 3 years air hole. And it is not this title that risks changing the situation. A title full of finesse that could have found its place during the previous decade but certainly not this one ...
1996 ... furtive return of success with this title. But it will be the last time. When it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want anymore ...
1998 ... a decade of 90 which saw her gradually disappear from radar. Too bad because the potential was enormous but the singer did not know how to take the measure of the changes and adaptations necessary to make during this decade ...
1999...which will not prevent her from continuing the adventure, far from it. Of course, the best years are now behind but still...
2001...because it is clear that she still has things to offer and especially to sing. And given the success of each new opus that comes out on the Charts, it is clear that its core fans believe in it too...
2001...here she goes for a new decade. It now remains to be seen whether she intends to continue or completely reinvent herself...
2001...for the moment we would rather say that we are in a transition phase. Will she take into account the new musical trends of the moment, good question...
2007...we lost sight of her for almost 6 years but here she is again regardless. And the least we can say is that she has lost none of her talent...
2007...the only small problem is that she doesn't seem determined to change anything in terms of style and sound. A risky bet to say the least...
2007...on certain titles, the evolution is certain, on others much less so. This title would rather belong to the first category...
2010...and one more decade, one more ! Then it remains to be seen what she intends to do during this new decade, continue with the old or do something new ? Good question...
2010...at first glance nothing should change. Not changing anything weakens her opus after opus and it shows in the Charts...
2011...but it doesn't seem to affect her that much. She continues to do what she knows how to do without necessarily asking herself the right questions...
2011...it is clear that her situation will deteriorate opus after opus and soon there will only be a base of very limited fans left to support her a little longer...
2012...afterwards everyone leads their career as they wish. As long as she continues to enjoy what she does, why would she change anything...?
2012...the adventure continues and continues in any case. For how much longer, only her and the future can answer it...
2014...she will go as far as she can at first glance and it doesn't matter whether there is success or not. The important thing for her is to continue to show that she still exists...
2014...frankly a shame that she didn't want to challenge herself as she should have because the second part of her career could have been very different...
2014...she still impresses with this desire to believe in it again and again. More than one in her place would have thrown in the towel a long time ago...
2014...we still have to remember that she started her career almost 30 years ago, which is no small thing. Which is not the case for a bunch of singers who started at the same time as her and who have already disappeared from the radar for a long time...
2016...who could have imagined that she would still be here almost 30 years later, not many people that's for sure. And yet this is indeed the case !
2016...she only owes it to one thing in any case, namely her talent. You don't last this long for no reason, that's for sure...
2016...the presence in the Charts becomes more and more random. She still seems to have arrived somewhat at the end of her adventure...
2020...here she revisits Lou Reed's emblematic title from 1972. It starts with a good feeling but her revisited version will not bring much more than the original unfortunately...
Top Bonus : 2022...she gives us here a title full of finesse and simplicity which shows once again that she still has things to offer and above all to sing...
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime...
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Greatest Hits :
Discography :