A seismic debut that reshaped what rock music could be. Horses opens with one of the most defiant lines in rock history, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine,” a mission statement for an artist who refused to separate poetry from performance. Produced by John Cale, the album fuses Beat aesthetics with raw, unvarnished rock, carving out new space for punk, post-punk, and the alternative movements that followed.

Patti Smith’s influence radiates across generations, informing the work of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, Michael Stipe, U2, Sonic Youth, Madonna, Courtney Love, and countless others. Featuring “Gloria,” “Free Money,” “Birdland,” “Kimberly” (later reimagined by The Smiths for “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”), “Break It Up,” “Elegie,” and more, Horses remains a cornerstone of avant-rock expression, an album that didn’t just speak to its time but detonated it.