Patti Smith

Horses is frequently cited as one of the best debut records ever made. Released in 1975, the cover is almost as famous as the tracks. The iconic photo taken by Robert Mapplethorpe famously shows Patti Smith leaning nonchalantly against a wall, jacket casually thrown over a shoulder representing a new type of female emancipation. But life as a musician came as an afterthought to her ambitions as an artist and a writer, though she has since experienced success in all those artistic outlets. Her biography Just Kids, which tells of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and her burgeoning presence on the New York scene, won the US National Book Award last year. She has said all she ever wanted to do since she was a girl was do something wonderful. It’s safe to say that she’s achieved that 10 times over.