Latest Release
- JUL 9, 2024
- 23 Songs
- Yes I Am · 1988
- Yes I Am · 2005
- Your Little Secret · 1995
- A New Thought for Christmas · 2008
- Melissa Etheridge · 1988
- Melissa Etheridge · 1988
- Just Stand Up! - Single · 2008
- Yes I Am · 1993
- Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled · 1993
- Brave and Crazy · 2005
Essential Albums
- 1992
- Along with Tracy Chapman and the Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge spearheaded a fresh wave of female singer/songwriters in the late 1980s. Her raw-throated vocals and confessional songwriting set her apart from the pack, and Melissa’s 1988 self-titled debut album still packs a considerable wallop — from first track to last, she pours out her innermost torments as if her very sanity were at stake. Etheridge seems on the verge of shredding her vocal chords on torrid testimonies like “Bring Me Some Water” and “Similar Features.” More modulated tunes like “The Late September Dogs” prove that she can hold back and still make her point. Her obsession with romantic break-ups and recriminations narrows the range of the album, but few artists can wear their scars of romantic combat as proudly as she can — her survivor’s strength transforms tracks like “Chrome Plated Heart” into anthems of passion. For all the sorrow and rage in her performances, Etheridge keeps her dignity and seems ennobled by her suffering. Melissa Etheridge became the foundation for an impressive career; it remains her most enduring work. (This deluxe edition includes 15 tracks of live material from the same year.)
- 2021
- 2014
Artist Playlists
- She's a heartland rocker with emphasis on the heart.
Appears On
More To Hear
- The acclaimed rock artist talks her Broadway show.
- Melissa plays her favorite singer-songwriters from the nineties.
- Christian Lopez discusses his artistic ascension and evolution.
- Jenn is joined by the legendary Melissa Etheridge.
About Melissa Etheridge
Since releasing her self-titled debut in 1988, award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge has sold more than 25 million albums. ∙ In 1986, Etheridge was spotted playing in a bar by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who was so impressed with her songs and performance that he offered her a three-album deal. ∙ Powered by the radio hits “Bring Me Some Water” and “Like the Way I Do,” her first LP, Melissa Etheridge, hit the Top 25 in the US, Australia, Austria, and the Netherlands. ∙ Coproduced by Hugh Padgham (Peter Gabriel, The Police, Sting), her 1993 album, Yes I Am, sold more than 6 million copies in the US alone. ∙ Etheridge has won two Grammy Awards for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance—1992’s “Ain’t It Heavy” and 1993’s “Come to My Window.” ∙ “I Need to Wake Up,” from the soundtrack for the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, won her an Academy Award for Best Original Song. ∙ She has reached the US Top 40 with 13 of her 15 studio albums, most recently with 2016’s acclaimed covers collection Memphis Rock and Soul.
- HOMETOWN
- Leavenworth, KS, United States
- BORN
- May 29, 1961
- GENRE
- Rock