Judee Sill (Judith Lynne Sill) top 10 songs (including GMVs and kernels if applicable) with the peak position and peak date for each song. Judee Sill was an obscure yet brilliant singer-songwriter singing mostly of occult mysticism and love. She was openly bisexual before it was commonly accepted and thought of herself as an “androgynous angel” which was well represented in her music. She created a genre of her own which she called baroque country - an eclectic ensemble of classical, country, folk and pop. She was classically trained and studied Pythagoras’ “music of the spheres” and gospel. She was influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ray Charles. Judee had a happy enough childhood until her father died, and her older brother moved away to join the Army. Her mother married an abusive alcoholic which led her mother to alcoholism and the three of them were constantly fighting - “I always had scars on my knuckles”. After Judee graduated from high school she ran away and moved in with a friend. She started experimenting with drugs and eventually developed a heroin addiction which led to a chain of armed robberies and prostitution until she was arrested - “I didn’t care one way or another. That’s why I was doin’ those robberies I guess…because my heart was reachin’ out, tryin’ to get me to care about something”. After she was released, she let history repeat itself after finding out that her brother had died in a Hong Kong hospital of hepatitis C and pancreatitis while being treated for the flu. After getting arrested for the second time, she dreamt of being a star, so she cleaned herself up and upon release, she went to a reform school where she became the church organist, honed her musical abilities and started writing songs. Judee started playing gigs at bars and clubs in L.A. and eventually landed one of the first record deals with Asylum Records, David Geffen and Elliot Roberts’ new label. She recorded two albums: “Judee Sill” and “Heart Food”. To promote “Judee Sill” she opened for David Crosby and Graham Nash on their tour. Unfortunately, she tail-ended the west coast singer-songwriter scene; her music was too mystical and complex for the listeners of her predecessors and neither album sold well. The “Judee Sill” album was critically acclaimed upon release and both albums have received further acclaim in later years. After the release of these two albums, Judee was T-boned in a car accident, enduring several painful surgeries and placed in a full-body cast. Eventually she fell back into old habits and died of a drug overdose in late 1979. She is known for her touching and soulful lyrics and her “achingly beautiful melodies and chord structures” - Andy Partridge of XTC. She heard complex sounds in her head in a similar fashion to Brian Wilson and was able to compose those sounds into reality. Judee Sill was a bold, intelligent and thoughtful person, loved and respected by her peers, “always challenging authority” - close friend and jazz musician Tommy Peltier. Judee Sill was never afraid to share her opinion. (C.M. 11 May 2025)
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Song | Peak | Date | |
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Judee Sill | |||
Crayon Angels | 2 | 21 Oct 1971 | |
Judee Sill | |||
My Man On Love | 2 | 25 Nov 1971 | |
Judee Sill | |||
The Kiss | 3 | 22 Mar 1973 | |
Judee Sill | |||
There's A Rugged Road | 3 | 12 Jul 1973 | |
Judee Sill | |||
The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown | 5 | 25 Nov 1971 | |
Judee Sill | |||
Down Where The Valleys Are Low | 5 | 12 Jul 1973 | |
Judee Sill | |||
Jesus Was A Cross Maker | 6 | 25 Nov 1971 | |
Judee Sill | |||
Abracadabra | 8 | 14 Oct 1971 |