Which singer released the 1975 punk-associated debut album Horses?

Patti Smith released the punk-associated debut album Horses in 1975. Issued by Arista Records on November 10, it introduced Smith as a musician who fused rock with poetry, improvisation and avant-garde ideas.

Smith had already built a reputation in New York’s underground scene through performances at venues such as CBGB. Her band’s celebrated 1975 residency there helped attract the attention of Arista executive Clive Davis, who signed her to a seven-album deal. Horses was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York during September 1975.

Former Velvet Underground member John Cale produced the album. The backing band included guitarist Lenny Kaye, drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, bassist Ivan Král and keyboardist Richard Sohl. Songs such as “Gloria,” “Land” and “Free Money” showcased Smith’s mix of spoken-word intensity and raw guitar-driven rock.

Horses is often treated as a landmark of early punk and art punk, although its sound is broader than a simple genre label. Its stark black-and-white cover photograph, taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, also became one of rock’s iconic album images.