As the 2024 biopic Back to Black (2024) puts Amy Winehouse in the spotlight once again, there’s no better time to be getting into the music of this legend. While Winehouse’s career and life were unfortunately short, she left behind an incredibly solid discography. The album from which the film is named, Back to Black, may be her crowning achievement musically, but there are plenty of great Amy Winehouse tracks that you may not know of but also deserve your love. Here are some of our picks.
Honorable Mention: “Rehab (Remix)” ft Jay-Z
While “Rehab” itself may be far from the most obscure song in Winehouse’s discography, the series of remixes it received are a little less known. The most notable is the Jay-Z remix which features a guest verse from the rap legend at the tail end of the song. While the novelty of Jay-Z on an Amy Winehouse track is enough alone for a listen, Jay’s verse isn’t terrible, riding the beat with a relatively simple, but effective flow. Lyrically, he sticks to the themes of overindulgence that the original song is based around, but with a vibe that feels a little more fun than what Amy does on the original.
“I Heard Love is Blind” from Frank
“I Heard Love is Blind” is an interesting track from Winehouse’s first studio album Frank. In it, she demonstrates a lot of the skills that made her the icon that she is today. Her vocals are the sole carrier of the track melody, with the instrumental behind her providing minimal rhythm and accompaniment. Even on her first LP, she carries the track flawlessly, showing her incredible dynamic range. The song is also a good example of some of her unorthodox lyrical topics. The song centers around Amy trying to justify her infidelity by claiming the man she cheated with looked just like her partner and that’s the only reason she did it. While this may not be a morally sound stance, it’s definitely unique in Amy’s discography, and music as a whole.
“Between The Cheats” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures
Along the same lines, “Between The Cheats” is another song about infidelity, but it’s got a little less lyrical focus and a more substantial instrumental. This song has a more relaxed and gentle swing, another style Amy consistently excels at. The standout in this regard is the chorus with the background vocals perfectly trading off with Amy’s lead. The syncopated saxophone line that plays behind the melody is also exceptional. The song has a romantic feel, despite a title that suggests otherwise. The lyrics on this track are also rather strong. The title’s play on words is clever along with Amy’s description of her complicated relationship with her love. She once again contrasts lyrics with the mood of the romantic feeling instrumental to create a sonically pleasing track with an underpinning of unease.
“Best Friends, Right?” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures
Another one of Amy’s more lyrically interesting songs is “Best Friends, Right?”, a story about a dissolved friendship between Amy and her roommate. This song’s use of the sarcastic title along with Amy’s description of their feud is charming. Along with that, the peppy instrumental dominated by a xylophone really sells the irony of the song. It also instrumentally builds well to a rather grand final verse that ties the whole track together really well.
“Amy Amy Amy” from Frank
“Amy Amy Amy” is another highlight from Winehouse’s first album. The simple groove of the drums and bass allows Amy to create instantly catchy melodies for every second of the track. Just like “Between the Cheats,” Amy’s play off her background vocalists is a leading factor in creating a phenomenal chorus. The muted trumpet also serves as a great accompaniment. It blends well with Winehouse’s voice and flows in and out of the track in a way that always adds to Amy’s performance without dominating it. Winehouse clearly takes strong inspiration from classic jazz and blues traditions and this is one of the tracks where the best shows of her ability to excel in that genre.
“Round Midnight” from Take the Box
Amy also shows her excellence in jazz tradition with her covers of some of the genre’s standards. A case in point is her interpretation of “‘Round Midnight,” which has been famously performed by legends such as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald. Considering the latter which is also a vocal-forward version, Ella’s cover serves as the best point of comparison. Just as all covers should, Amy does a great job of making “‘Round Midnight” suit her own style and discography. What Amy most obviously adds to “‘Round Midnight” is a defined groove and more enthusiastic delivery. Winehouse’s version adds a more sultry feel as opposed to Ella’s barren and lonely version. Both versions are great, but neither would make sense if performed by the other singer. Keeping the bones of the original, while adding enough to make it uniquely your own is not only a sign of a great cover but a great performer who has a honed musical identity. Amy, as usual, shows all that and more.
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