Teena Marie is dead and I can’t stop crying. So little moves me, but her songs always did.
Teena began her music career in the late 1970s as a protegée of Rick James. She was also the first white artist to be signed to the Motown label. Over the course of 13 albums Teena Marie blurred genres and defied easy categorization. Lady Tee’s ability to string together some of the most intellectual and thought-provoking lyrics in modern music was unmatched. When Teena Marie was at the top of her game the hunger, idealism, romance, and genius of her music was peerless. “It Must Be Magic” and “Emerald City” easily sit amongst my top ten favorite albums of all time.
Here is a list of Teena Marie songs that I really love a lot. Dozens of her songs rank among the most important songs in my life…but these are my favorites.
This article appears in Dec 30, 2010 – Jan 5, 2011.