Nina Simone Top Songs: The Essential Playlist

Nina Simone, born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon, is counted among one of the greatest female jazz singers. A pupil of the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, she started by playing the piano before becoming a jazz vocalist. She was proficient in various musical styles including classical, R&B, gospel, blues, folk, and pop. If you’re a fan of old-school jazz music, surely you must have heard Nina’s deep distinctive voice at a jazz music radio station in USA. Along with being a celebrated singer, Simone was also a respected songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist.

In this blog, we take a look at some of the biggest hits that made Nina Simone a jazz legend.

· ‘I Love(s) You Porgy’

Released in her 1959 debut album, Little Girl Blue, Nina tasted her first success with this song. Originally part of the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess, this track was penned by Ira Gershwin and musically composed by George Gershwin. A popular classic in its own right, the song had already been covered by many artists before, including Billie Holiday. But Nina’s rendition became an instant hit playing on the radio waves. A light jazz version, she masterfully conveys the vulnerability, longing and tenderness reflected in the lyrics. The performance throws a light on Nina’s vocal strengths. The song made a surprise entry in the Billboard Top 20 US Hits.

· My Baby Just Cares For Me

Also a part of her Little Girl Blue album, this track went virtually unnoticed during its release due the success of ‘I Love(s) You Porgy’ overshadowing it at the time. But years later in 1987, the song was used in a perfume commercial which introduced Nina to a brand new set of audience. Originally released in the 1930 film version of the musical comedy Whoopee! and written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn, the movie version was sung by Eddie Cantour. Nina’s cover of the song was rendered in a much more stylised jazz version. One of her very best tracks, it features an astonishingly good virtuoso piano solo by the singer that is a testament to her Juilliard training. The song expertly merges her classical training with improvisational jazz style and her woeful tone set against a powerful narrative and upbeat mood creates a wonderful paradox that is much appreciated by all listeners.

· Mississippi Goddam

A civil rights activist who used her social position and musical talent to speak out against the inequality and atrocities against the African American population, Mississippi Goddam was her first song where she directly addressed racial injustice. The song was written and composed by Nina herself in response to the cold-blooded murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers by the white supremacist terrorist group Ku Klux Klan and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing incident in Birmingham, Alabama, which led to the death of four black girls. These incidents greatly moved Nina and the song is an angry and rebellious cry out against the unfair and unjust situations. Released in her 1964 album, Nina Simone in Concert, the track was recorded live during her concerts at Carnegie Hall.

· I Put A Spell On You

· Feeling Good

Featured in her 1965 album, I Put A Spell On You, both these tracks were cover songs delivered by Nina in such a powerful way that she made them her own. Showcasing the strength and uniqueness of Nina’s vocal talents, both songs became huge hits thanks to the singer’s voice working its magic on the listeners.

Wrapping Up

Any jazz music radio station in USA that plays a definitive list of Nina Simone hits will surely include all the songs we have mentioned above along with Four Women, To Be Young, Gifted and Black, and many more. Nina Simone was truly one of the greats!