The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women
130. Teena Marie
Wild and Peaceful (Motown Records, 1979)
Teena Marie's debut album, Wild and Peaceful, couldn't have had a more accurate title. Released in 1979 and largely composed by her longtime collaborator Rick James, the album bounced between moods and moments that represented either end of the emotional spectrum. On it, Marie also flits deftly from high-energy disco and funk to ballads that are steeped in rhythm & blues and jazz. She was signed to the Gordy imprint of Motown, which intentionally marketed her overtly soulful album to black radio. The cover of the album itself didn't feature Marie, but instead portrayed a serene scene of an ocean and a cloud-filled sky. When the album was released, listeners had no artist image to go off of; consequently, many listeners assumed Marie was black, based on her uninhibited singing style and the record's production. This assumption was proven wrong when she performed the album's lead single "I'm A Sucker For Your Love" with James on Soul Train, making her the show's first white female guest. Wild and Peaceful was the world's introduction to Marie and her powerhouse vocals, which were fully embraced in a space that was traditionally reserved for black artists.
