In two decades, she has released five chart-topping LPs and has won 15 Grammys. A classically trained pianist, she writes, sings, and produces, freely mixing jazz, hip-hop, classical, and gospel strains into her R&B based music. Her philanthropic/social justice reach is legendary; she is Alicia Keys, by any measure, one of the most impressive artists of our time.

            Turning down an Ivy League education to focus on a career in music, her 2001 debut album, Songs in a Minor, was a soulful best seller, already enshrined in the Library of Congress, and features the #1 hit “Fallin’,” a bluesy, piano based ballad about the ups and downs of young love. Other notable LPs include 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys, 2005’s live Unplugged, and 2007’s As I Am.

            Musically, Keys has drawn on such diverse artists as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Nina Simone, and Quincy Jones. Lyrically, she touches on relationships, urban poverty, female empowerment, and hope. Among her most memorable tracks are “If I Ain’t Got You”  (2004), “No One” (2007), “Girl on Fire” (2012), and “Underdog” (2020).

            Steve Williams (11/13/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #62