Amy Winehouse: The Songs She Loved, From Carole King to the Zutons

Amy Winehouse, in excerpts from a previously unbroadcasted interview published by the Guardian to mark the anniversary of her death, spoke of her favorite Shangri-Las song "I Can Never Go Home Anymore," which she deemed "the most depressing ever."

This inspired us to track down some of the other songs that had made a similarly strong impact on Winehouse's. After all, what better way to pay tribute to Miss Winehouse than by shining some light on the music that had helped shape her whole life?

Here are five of Amy Winehouse's favorite songs:

The Shangri-Las "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" (1965)

You know the line "I cried for you on the kitchen floor?" from "You Know I'm No Good"? That was inspired by her use of this dramatic downer of a song during one of her many break-ups with eventual husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

"When me and my boyfriend finished, I used to listen to that song on repeat, just sitting on my kitchen floor with a bottle of Jack Daniel's," she said during a 2006 BBC interview recorded at the Other Voices festival. "I'd pass out, wake up and do it again. My flatmate used to come in, leave bags of KFC and just leave. She'd be like: there's your dinner, I'm going out. It's the saddest song in the world."


Sarah Vaughan "Tenderly" (1947)
Winehouse has said that Sarah Vaughan was her all-time favorite jazz vocalist -- even including her in the lyrics of "October Song": "Ava was the morning, now she's gone/she's reborn like Sarah Vaughan."

So we could have picked any number of songs, including her stirring cover of "Lullaby of Birdland." But this 2006 performance on Jools Holland was just too adorable not to pick, especially that all-too-rare smile at the end.


Carole King "So Far Away" (1971)
As a teenager, Winehouse studied the songwriting of Carole King's Tapestry as she was developing her own signature style. "So Far Away" was her favorite song of all, and was sadly sung by the gathered congregation to conclude her funeral service on July 26, 2011 at Edgwarebury Cemetery in North London.


The Zutons "Valerie" (2006)
Most of Winehouse's favourite songs seemed to be from mid-last century, but one of her biggest hits was actually a cover of a mid-last decade indie rock song by Brit-rockers The Zutons. It was a top ten hit in the UK, but "Valerie" only became well-known on this side of the pond after Winehouse covered it for Mark Ronson's album Version. (In fact, The Zutons have said fans think they're covering Amy when they play their own song.)

In an interview with Liverpool magazine, Ronson said "I explained that it was soul covers of guitar records. She only listens to things made before 1967; she didn't know any indie songs. Then one day she came up and said 'I like Valerie by the Zutons.' At the time I couldn't hear her voice singing it in my head. I wasn't sure how it would work, but she went into the studio and tried it. I loved it."


The Specials "Hey, Little Rich Girl" (1980)
The track from ska legends The Specials was covered by Winehouse for the deluxe version of Back to Black, demonstrating her appreciation for the genre. It's also become a part of her legend as she showed up unannounced at V-Fest in 2009 to perform the song with the Specials themselves: "I'd like to introduce our good friend Amy, who's gonna sing on this one."

But mostly, on a sad anniversary like this, the song feels appropriate because of its closing verse:

"You were a rich girl, and only having fun
But you're worn out dresses brought stares from everyone
Hey, little rich girl where did you go wrong?
Hey, little rich girl where did you go wrong?
Hey, little rich girl where did you go wrong?"


View Musicians Who Died in 2011

Watch Amy Winehouse's "you Know I'm No Good" Video

Amy Winehouse's First Performance, in Spinner's Studios

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