Janis Joplin Albums Ranked

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter who sang rock, soul and blues music. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and “electric” stage presence. In 1967, Joplin rose to fame following an appearance at Monterey Pop Festival, where she was the lead singer of the then little-known San Francisco psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. After releasing two albums with the band, she left Big Brother to continue as a solo artist with her own backing groups, first the Kozmic Blues Band and then the Full Tilt Boogie Band. She appeared at the Woodstock festival and the Festival Express train tour. Five singles by Joplin reached the Billboard Hot 100, including a cover of the Kris Kristofferson song “Me and Bobby McGee”, which reached number 1 in March 1971. Her most popular songs include her cover versions of “Piece of My Heart”, “Cry Baby”, “Down on Me”, “Ball and Chain”, and “Summertime”; and her original song “Mercedes Benz”, her final recording. Joplin died of an accidental heroin overdose in 1970 at age 27, after releasing three albums. A fourth album, Pearl, was released in January 1971, just over three months after her death. It reached number one on the Billboard charts. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and number 28 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She remains one of the top-selling musicians in the United States, with Recording Industry Association of America certifications of 15.5 million albums sold. Here are all Janis Joplin albums ranked.

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10. Live in Honolulu (1975)

“I love Janis Joplin and this album is awesome to add to my record collection. Her rugged voice is something to love on record and definitely needed to be added to any real record collectors collection. It sounded good and my record needle glided smoothly right over the record.”

9. Live in Amsterdam (1974)

“one of the BEST albums released this past decade. OUTSTANDING. Yes, you want to listen to great, amazing music? get this, play it loud and enjoy! Yes, I highly recommend!!!”

8. Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968 (2012)

“Wow! This is BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY the way they should be heard. This night was somehow different. One of those times that happens to good bands (and audiences) every so often. This is the stuff of legend. Something special was happening right before your eyes and ears. A couple of songs in and you just knew. Everything came together into one overwhelming sonic experience-one of those special nights when everything was right. The late Chet Helms was right in 1966, adding Joplin into this band that felt they needed a powerful singer. Both Janis Joplin and the band (especially James Gurley’s guitar work) are so connected, so in tune with each other and the music, that this particular night stands as one of their best shows-period. The band came to play-no aimless noodling or overwrought vocals, on that summer evening in 1968 (shortly before the band broke apart), at the Carousel Ballroom.”

7. Cheaper Thrills (Live) (1984)

“Big Debut of Janis Joplin live with her original “Big Brother & Holding Company” Band…some of the best songs, headliner “Piece of My Heart” is the song that made Joplin’s career in my opinion…R. Crumb Album cover is a classic, and this is a must in ALL listeners libraries for sure!”

6. Live at Winterland ’68 (1998)

“Being from SF I have to give this CD a rave review. Some of the recording was so so but it was well worth it with the over 9 minute Live version of Ball and Chain,. A great song that only Janis can sing with such fervor, heart filled soul, and true meaning, not to mention that trademark wailing of hers. She is truly an original. There was never one before her and so far there has never been one after her either. The great Janis Lyn Joplin!”

See more: Led Zeppelin Albums Ranked

5. Big Brother The Holding Company (1967)

“Loved this album (that’s right vinyl and I still have it) when it came out – still love it now more than 40 years later on CD or iPad – but nothing takes the place of the scratches and hissing that comes from listening the music over and over. Big Brother was a great band whose promise was cut short.”

4. Joplin In Concert (1972)

“I’ve been enjoying this, I think it’s from a couple of different shows. Generally speaking, I think I like her studio stuff better, at least from a pure sound perspective (she’s probably better focused there). These live shows, however, have the advantage of revealing more of her personality, since she likes to chat with the audience between songs. Never get tired of listening to her…”

3. I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969)

“Kozmic Blues was more her being Janis. The blues was her backdrop here. This album was the bulk of her career’s songs live. She wrote several songs on here. The title track but also One Good Man, which is Awesome in it’s raw power where she shines out. But it also features one of the best guitarists of the sixties blues revival . Michael Bloomfield who is often forgot about in music. The same guy that was on Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone. He was a fabulous guitarist , think what Peter Green was to England at that time was Bloomfield to to America.”

2. Cheap Thrills (1968)

“Big Debut of Janis Joplin live with her original “Big Brother & Holding Company” Band…some of the best songs, headliner “Piece of My Heart” is the song that made Joplin’s career in my opinion…R. Crumb Album cover is a classic, and this is a must in ALL listeners libraries for sure!”

1. Pearl (1971)

““Pearl” was released posthumously, like 4 months after her death (10/04/1970), so she didn’t live to see its release or get to know it’s reception by her fans, but it’s still very much cherished & listened to by many all over the world, even now! Her music just never gets old! I know that there’s no need to describe to many of you, who this lady was or what her music was about, & I admittedly wasn’t even around back then, I was born in a much later time, I would’ve loved to been alive in that era, but you don’t have to have been around then to appreciate her unique & uncanny voice or to acknowledge the passion she pours out into a song or performance, to detect every ounce of joy & a lot of pain that’s there in her sound; in her music, or to know that she had to have felt what she was singing & meant it!”