On The 50th Anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue,’ We Reflect On The Album’s Long Lasting Impact

One of iconic musician Joni Mitchell’s most beloved albums, “Blue,” has its 50th birthday this week. According to Ann Powers, NPR’s music critic, it’s an album that has continuously restored itself over the decades, offering new meanings to different listeners. 

Love, loss, place and loneliness, all themes of the album that resonate deeply and profoundly. Mitchell in the past has described making the album as bleeding the songs onto the pages. In honor of the anniversary, the artist’s label has also released “Blue 50,” which features previously unreleased recordings from the album. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the importance of the album on its 50th anniversary, how it evolved overtime and its connection to Los Angeles and California. What does “Blue” mean to you? Share your thoughts on the AirTalk Facebook page or Twitter or give us a call at 866-893-5722. 

NPR is hosting a listening party to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Blue.” Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile joins NPR music critic Ann Powers coming right up at 11 am Pacific Time. You can watch that conversation on YouTube.

NPR's Ann Powers wrote a piece celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Blue" and looking at her connection to Miles Davis. You can read that here.

Guests: 

David Yaffe, author of “Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell”; he tweets @davidmyaffe 

Jenn Pelly, contributing editor at Pitchfork and writer for the LA Times, her latest piece is “In 1971, nothing sounded like Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue.’ 50 years later, it’s still a miracle;” she tweets @jennpelly

One of iconic musician Joni Mitchell’s most beloved albums, “Blue,” has its 50th birthday this week. According to Ann Powers, NPR’s music critic, it’s an album that has continuously restored itself over the decades, offering new meanings to different listeners. 

Love, loss, place and loneliness, all themes of the album that resonate deeply and profoundly. Mitchell in the past has described making the album as bleeding the songs onto the pages. In honor of the anniversary, the artist’s label has also released “Blue 50,” which features previously unreleased recordings from the album. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the importance of the album on its 50th anniversary, how it evolved overtime and its connection to Los Angeles and California. What does “Blue” mean to you? Share your thoughts on the AirTalk Facebook page or Twitter or give us a call at 866-893-5722. 

NPR is hosting a listening party to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Blue.” Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile joins NPR music critic Ann Powers coming right up at 11 am Pacific Time. You can watch that conversation on YouTube.

NPR's Ann Powers wrote a piece celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Blue" and looking at her connection to Miles Davis. You can read that here.

Guests: 

David Yaffe, author of “Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell”; he tweets @davidmyaffe 

Jenn Pelly, contributing editor at Pitchfork and writer for the LA Times, her latest piece is “In 1971, nothing sounded like Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue.’ 50 years later, it’s still a miracle;” she tweets @jennpelly