Patti Smith

USA, 1974–now

American singer and poet, known as the Godmother of Punk. Horses (1975) set spoken and written poetry against rock accompaniment, an approach that widened what punk-era records could contain.

MusicRoots documents 6 artists who influenced Patti Smith and 4 artists Patti Smith influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Patti Smith?

• The Velvet Underground — The Velvets' simple, masterful rhythms are all over Horses — and John Cale, their founding violist, produced the album.
• The Doors — Jim Morrison was a defining model for Smith — the shamanic poet-frontman she named among her core musical influences.
• Jimi Hendrix — Hendrix's free improvisatory spirit was a touchstone for Smith — she opened her recording career in the spirit of his Electric Lady Studios.
• John Coltrane — Coltrane's ecstatic free-jazz reach was a model for Smith's improvisatory, incantatory performance.
• Bob Dylan — Dylan was Smith's poet-musician model — Horses grew from the ambition to fuse Rimbaud with rock the way Dylan had.
• The Rolling Stones — Smith wrote rapturous essays on the Stones for rock magazines before performing — her stage aggression is documented Stones inheritance.

Which artists did Patti Smith influence?

• The Smiths — Morrissey cited Patti Smith's fusion of poetry and rock as a direct literary influence on his own lyrics.
• U2 — Bono has named Horses a record that made U2 possible — Smith's ecstatic seriousness is documented U2 scripture.
• Garbage — Patti Smith's fierce art-punk is among the influences behind Garbage's attitude and songcraft.
• Hole — Patti Smith's fierce, poetic punk is a model for Courtney Love's confessional rage.