Album · Joni Mitchell
Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell
Court and Spark is an album by Joni Mitchell, released in 1974. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 32 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Free Man in Paris”, on 12 lists with a best position of #116.
Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell's sixth album, came out on Asylum in January 1974, and it's where the folk singer let the jazz in without ever losing the songs. She produced it herself, and the record glides: supple rhythms, sophisticated harmonies and her voice sliding over them like silk over glass, folk-rock bones in a sleek new suit.
"Help Me" swoons and sways, "Free Man in Paris" skips along on restless, sunlit energy, and both became radio hits. The title track and "Down to You" show off the album's deeper, moodier side. It was an immediate smash with critics and buyers alike: No. 2 in the United States, No. 1 in Canada, double platinum, her best seller ever, and the winner of a major critics' poll for 1974. The Grammy Hall of Fame took it in during 2004.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Court and Spark on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free Man in Paris | 12 | #116 | – | 2001–2026 | |
| 2 | Help Me | 13 | #112 | – | 2001–2025 | |
| 3 | Court and Spark | 6 | #295 | – | 2001–2026 | |
| 4 | Down To You | 1 | #653 | – | 2020 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.