Heavy Rotation

Amy Winehouse leads this list of 13 pain-filled albums.

Heavy Rotation - A year ago today, music lost a singular talent: Amy Winehouse, who was found dead from alcohol poisoning in her London apartment. Her voice was one of a kind, beautifully brittle and filled with hurt—perfect for bringing her dark tales of lost love, heartbreak and, yes, substance abuse to life. In remembrance of Amy and her gift for making sadness soar, we've assembled this stark soundtrack of albums that bring the pain. 
Etta James - Tell Mama - After battling a heroine addiction for many years, Etta James went back into the studio to record one of her biggest hits, “Tell Mama," the title track off her 1967 album. The song made the R&B Top 10 and peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.  But it was the soul-stirring “I’d Rather Go Blind,” where James cried, “Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy/Then to see you walk away from me, child, no,” that is the standout track of this effort.
Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West's depressing fourth album used his breakup from fiancée Alexis Phifer as fodder, at times getting shockingly personal and specific, calling her "a spoiled little L.A. girl" on "Robocop."  (Photo: Courtesy Roc-A-Fella Records)Mary J. Blige, My Life - The creative union between Mary J. Blige and this album's producer, Diddy, is uncanny. To this day, My Life, her sophomore album, released on November 29, is arguably one of Diddy's best productions ever, with its distinctive hip hop-soul sound, and is coveted as one of Mary's best — she penned most of the lyrics herself, outlining a pivotal time in her growth as heard on hit singles "You Bring Me Joy," "I'm Going Down" and "Be Happy."Together, they undoubtedly created the blueprint for '90s R&B. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 1995; that same year it was certified three times platinum. The album was so influential, in 2002 Blender magazine named it one of the 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time.(Photo: Uptown Records)

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Heavy Rotation - A year ago today, music lost a singular talent: Amy Winehouse, who was found dead from alcohol poisoning in her London apartment. Her voice was one of a kind, beautifully brittle and filled with hurt—perfect for bringing her dark tales of lost love, heartbreak and, yes, substance abuse to life. In remembrance of Amy and her gift for making sadness soar, we've assembled this stark soundtrack of albums that bring the pain. 

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