Columbia Records released Jeff Buckley’s only solo album on August 23rd, 1994, in the U.S.A.
By: Anex Estrada
Jeffery Scott Buckley was an American musician who died a tragic death in the Wolf River in Memphis, TN. Buckley was born on November 17th, 1966, in Anaheim, California, and died on May 29th, 1997.
Grace was the only album Buckley was able to release himself. Before his death, he was planning on releasing another album by the name of ‘Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk’ that Columbia Records released on May 26, 1998, a year after his death.
According to Google users, 99% of listeners like this album. This album was liked by many who listened to his music and tend to enjoy it because of the type of pieces he tends to write.
As of February 10th, 2025, the Grace album has 65,791,203 streams on Spotify.
According to Buckley, the story behind Grace is inspired by his saying goodbye to his girlfriend at the airport as he was going to New York. In his words, “It’s about not feeling so bad about your own mortality when you have true love.”
Sarah Buckley, ’28, says, “I like this album because it’s very 90s rock, and I love 90s rock, and I love Jeff Buckley as a person, and we have the same last name.”
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The album’s genre explores alternative rock, folk rock, and jazz-rock. Grace has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and is considered one of the greatest albums ever. This album was more successful in Australia since it reached #9 on the ARIA charts.
“Grace is what matters in anything – especially life, especially growth, tragedy, pain, love, death,” says Jeff Buckley in an interview before his death.
When asked if people should listen to this album, Buckley says, “Yes, 100% because in an interview with Jeff Buckley, he said that he wants his music to be remembered and not just him. So it’s really important to keep his music alive because he’s a very talented musician.”
Buckley challenged genre and gender conventions throughout his music, the lyrics, and the format in which he sings are symbolic.
Buckley once said, “The best art comes from artists who have an unending, life-or-death urgency to speak their heart,” he also said, “ And as those artists grow older, there’s a real serenity to the art, a great relaxation, and ease that’s beautiful to watch. That’s what I want. That’s what I call Grace.”
Grace is a beautiful piece of art, cherished by those who enjoy his music. His popularity started in the early 1990s performing in Manhattan’s East Village. Recently, his music has been getting the recognition it deserves throughout social media platforms.
On Google reviews, the album has an outstanding rating of 5 stars. This album was very unique and powerful, it’s the kind of music that can teach a person how to love, even when our days are filled with trauma and grief.
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“Forget Her” is a song that is on Grace, but originally wasn’t supposed to be on there. On all of the CDs and vinyls made of Grace, not one of them includes “Forget Her” because Buckley did not want the song to be on the album.
This is because the song does not fit with the flow of the album and because he also considered it “too personal.” The track was later added after his death as a bonus.
Matthew Garcia, ’26, says, “The instrumentation and the emotions that he just put into this element is magical. Every single song has its own story, every song has something unique and something profound in it. The lyrics themselves are very symbolic. Its autonomy lyrics, nothing literal. It’s all figurative.”
Anexahi Estrada
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