Nina Simone Vinyl Records – Little Girl Blue, I Put a Spell on You & Essential Albums on Vinyl

Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in North Carolina in 1933, trained as a classical pianist, and went on to become one of the most vital voices in modern music — part jazz, part soul, part classical, all uncompromising. She rejected the jazz label her whole life, seeing it as a reduction of her artistry, and instead claimed the title of folk singer to better reflect the depth and range of what she did.

In the 1960s she became the voice of the Civil Rights movement, writing and performing songs of extraordinary power. What made Simone irreplaceable was the complete integration of her identities: her virtuosity at the piano, her searing contralto voice, and her unwillingness to separate the personal from the political. On vinyl, her records come alive in a way that demands to be heard in full — they're performances, not playlists. Few artists have left behind a catalogue this deep, this varied, or this emotionally honest.

Best Nina Simone Albums on Vinyl

Little Girl Blue (1959)Simone's landmark debut, recorded in a single day with just bass and drums — an intimacy that lets her distinctive piano and voice dominate completely. Features I Loves You, Porgy (her first hit) and My Baby Just Cares for Me (which found a whole new audience decades later). A showcase for her as a complete musician: arranger, pianist, and singer all in one.

Pastel Blues (1965)Stripped down and introspective, with Nina leading a small quintet rather than a full orchestra. The standout is a near ten-minute rendition of Sinnerman — minutes of building intensity that feels like a sermon and a cry at once. One of her most emotionally exposed records.

I Put a Spell on You (1965)A mix of bawdy blues, sophisticated French songwriting, and jazz-infused soul. The title track became a huge hit, but it's Feeling Good — opening with that soaring, effortless confidence — that became truly iconic. This album shows Nina at the height of her powers, moving seamlessly between styles while making everything feel like it came from the same source.

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BluesFolk, Country & AmericanaJazz / SwingSoul, Funk & R&B