  Björk (Guðmundsdóttir) was
born on November 21, 1965 in Reykjavik,
Iceland. As a child, Björk attended a music
school where she studied classical piano and
the flute, and at the age of 11, she recorded
her first song, "I Love To Love."
After being contacted by a record label,
Björk released a record of cover tunes
called Björk. The LP was a hit in
Iceland, but never made it beyond her
homeland.
 Björk was a member of a string
of bands including Exodus (in 1979), Tappi
Takarrass (1981), and KUKL (in 1984), before
striking it rich with The Sugarcubes
(in 1986). In the late 80s and early 90s, The
Sugarcubes found marginal success on
alternative radio, especially for their
quirky female lead singer. When the
Sugarcubes disbanded in 1992, Björk moved to
London and launched a solo career. Björk's
musical interests strengthened with the club
sound, and Björk found her niche with
combining the club sound with her alternative
background.
 Björk's first LP, Debut, released continued
her ability to create daring alternative
dance tracks with unique, quirky lyrics. The
LP contained many Björk favorites including
"Human Behavior," "Venus As A
Boy," "Big Time Sensuality,"
and "Violently Happy." With
"Human Behavior," Björk worked
with Nellee Hooper of Soul II Soul.
Björk also gained more exposure
with her videos which were critical favorites
and often post-modern masterpieces. Debut sold well in the U.S.
and around the world, and established Björk
as a solo performer with her own sound and
direction. The LP also won numerous awards in
England where it went platinum and was named
one of the Best Albums of 1993 in Q magazine. Björk also
won a Brit Award for Best International
Female Artist.
 Rolling
Stone: "The 100 Top Music Videos" included "Human
Behavior" at # 96.
 DVD
 Björk topped the Billboard Hot
Dance Music Club Play chart for 2 weeks with
"Big Time Sensuality."
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form ("Human
Behavior").
 The video for "Human
Behavior" was nominated for 6 MTV Video Music
Awards including Best Female Video, Best New Artist, Breakthrough Video, Best Special Effects, Best Editing, and Best Art Direction.
 Björk wrote "Bedtime
Stories" for Madonna's LP.
 Björk released Post and continued her
string of alternative hits, breakthrough
videos, and critical success. The LP contains
such tracks as "Army Of Me,"
"Isabel," "Hyper-Ballad,"
and "It's Oh So Quiet."
Björk won another Brit Award
for Best International Female Artist and a
MTV Europe Award for Best Female Artist.
 The video for "Army Of
Me" was nominated for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Special Effects.
 Björk was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music
Performance (Post) and Best Music Video, Short Form ("It's Oh So
Quiet).
Björk topped the Billboard
Dance Club Play chart for a week with
"Hyper-Ballad."
 Björk's video for "It's Oh
So Quiet" won a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Choreography (Michael Rooney) and
was also nominated for Best Female Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction.
 Björk discovered some of the
negative affects of fame when a 21 year old,
obsessed fan mailed an acid bomb to her home
in London, and then committed suicide. The
bomb, which would emit sulfuric acid upon
opening, was located at a London post office.
The impact of the incident resulted in Björk
leaving England and recording her next LP in
Spain.
 Björk's third LP, Telegram was a remix
compilation of tracks from the Post LP. The LP
demonstrated that Björk's talent for
alternative music was additionally assessable
and welcome to club mixes.
Björk topped the Billboard
Dance Music Club Play chart with "I Miss
You" for a week.
 Björk's next LP, Homogenic, was released.
According to Björk, the LP is braver and
darker, but simpler: "It's going to be
bloody." The first single,
"Bachelorette" displays both the
brazenness and the darkness she describes,
along with a lush, melodic sound. Björk has
produced and mixed most of the tracks
herself.
 Björk had to postpone her
concert appearances until after Christmas due
to a kidney infection. After being admitted
into an Iceland hospital with a high fever,
Björk was told to rest for 3 weeks, and was
not considered to be in any danger from the
infection. Björk was forced to cancel
concert appearances in California, Chicago,
and New York, as well as an appearance on Late
Show With David Letterman.
 Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music
Performance (Homogenic) and told MTV: "I
didn't think that they would even think of
me, to be honest... I'm quite, quite selfish,
you know, and I'm kind of doing stuff I enjoy
doing, and the fact that they sort of noticed
is very flattering."
 Björk announced she would not
be appearing with Radiohead due to a conflict over
each artist's large, technical sets that
would require at least an hour between shows
for setting up and dismantling.
The video for
"Bachelorette" won a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Art Direction (Donovan Davidson)
("Bachelorette").
 Björk continued to attract the
most obsessed fans in the music industry, and
was feeling the need to stop making music
because of a stalker breaking into her mom's
house and leaving threatening messages. A
stalker from Spain reportedly broke into her
mother's house and left threatening messages.
Björk told the newspaper, Expression:
"This is worse than the mailbomb... that
the people I love are subjected to threats
because of me is horrible... and the thought
alone that someone could hurt my son makes me
feel sick... I feel very guilty... maybe I
have to stop releasing my music..."
 Björk won another Brit Award
for Best International Female Artist and was
nominated for a Billboard Video Music Award
for Best Clip (Alternative/Modern Rock) for
"Bachelorette."
Björk told MTV that any reports
of her retiring from music were "media
rubbish."
 Björk spent the beginning of
the year creating the score and recording
music for the soundtrack of Dancer
In The Dark - which she also starred in as
a Czech woman.
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form
("Bachelorette").
Björk could be heard on the
soundtrack for the Mod
Squad with "Alarm Call."
 Ranked # 36 on VH1: 100
Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award nominated
for Best Music Video, Short
Form
("All Is Full Of Love").
 Björk took home the Golden Palm
Award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film
Festival for her first and possibly last
acting role in Dancer
In The Dark - a film she also wrote the
soundtrack for. Björk said at the ceremony:
"I knew when I said yes that this would
be my first and last role. After 3 months of
shooting, I was feeling like a fish out of
water. It was too much in the world of words
and not enough in the world of music. For me,
the only thing that matters is the music. I
have no ambitions on the acting. I wish I
could have cared about the film, but I'm not
an acting person."
 The video "All Is Full Of
Love" won 2 MTV Video Music
Awards for Breakthrough Video and Best Special Effects (Glassworks).
Björk released Selmasongs
(Music From The Motion Picture 'Dancer In The
Dark').
Björk was awarded the
Outstanding Dramatic Performance award by the
National Board of Review Awards for her
performance in Dancer
In The Dark (which also won Best Film).
 Björk was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a
Drama (Dancer
In The Dark) but lost out to Julia Roberts.
"I've Seen It All" was nominated
for Best Original Song.
Björk won the Outstanding
Dramatic Performance award from the National
Board of Review for Dancer
In The Dark.
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental
Performance ("Overture
(Selmasongs)").
Björk was nominated for an
Oscar for Best Song ("I've Seen It
All" from Dancer
In The Dark), but failed to get a Best
Actress nod.
VH1: 100
Greatest Videos includes:
# 50
- "It's Oh So
Quiet."
 Björk's next LP, Vespertine was released and
included the potential singles
"Cocoon," "It's Not Up To
You," and "Hidden Place."
Björk said of the new LP: "It's a
relief for me -after 3 years of doing the
film to be back doing songs that are in my
head: The same thing is happening on the
outside as on the inside... This record is
very much about inventing your own paradise,
but underneath your kitchen table, so it's
very secretive. It's sort of about being on
your own in your house with your laptop and
whispering for a year and just writing a very
peaceful song that tiptoes."
 Debut and Post were certified
platinum and Homogenic was certified gold.
Björk began a tour of opera
houses and theaters with a backup of choir
singers and an orchestra. Björk was
decorated with France's National Order of
Merit.
 Björk topped the Billboard
Internet Sales chart for a week and the
Electronic Albums chart for 3 weeks with Vespertine.
 Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music
Performance (Vespertine).
Björk released a hits
compilation (Greatest
Hits) and a box set of previously
released tracks and rarities (Family
Tree).
Rolling Stone:
50 Essential 'Woman In Rock' Albums includes Post at # 43.
 Björk toured some parts of
North America starting in San Francisco.
Björk released the box set: Live:
1993-2002.
Björk released Gling-Glo - a recording by
Björk originally released in 1990 in
Iceland.
 Rolling Stone:
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: # 373:
Post.
 Björk released 4 live LPs ( Debut
Live, Homogenic
Live, Post
Live, and Vespertine
Live) from the previously released
live box set Live:
1993-2002.
Björk performed
"Oceania" at the opening ceremonies
of the 2004 Olympic Games.
 Björk released her next LP, Medulla.
Björk was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards including Best Female Pop Vocal
Performance ("Oceania") and Best Alternative Music
Performance (Medulla).
 On July 2nd, Björk performed in
Tokyo, Japan as part of the worldwide Live
8 concerts. The mission of the
concerts was to raise awareness of the
on-going poverty in Africa and to pressure
the G8 leaders to take action by doubling
aid, canceling debt, and delivering trade
justice for Africa.
The Drawing
Restraint 9 soundtrack was released.
 Björk released the box set Surround. The set included all
5 of her studio LPs, 2 soundtracks, and 26
videos on 7 discs.
Björk could be heard on the
tribute LP A
Tribute To Joni Mitchell with the
track "The Boho Dance."
 Björk released her next LP Volta.
Björk topped the Billboard Top
Electronic Albums chart with Volta.
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album (Volta).
Entertainment Weekly:
100 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years included Homogenic at # 46.
 Rolling Stone:
'The Greatest Singers' includes Björk at # 60.
Björk released Voltaic - a CD/DVD of extras.
 Rolling Stone:
'100 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)' included Vespertine at # 67.
Björk released Biophilia.
 Björk topped the Billboard
Dance Electronic Albums chart with Biophilia.
Björk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album (Biophilia).
|
Debut
Released: July, 1993
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 61
Rolling Stone
review:  - Entertainment
Weekly: C
Tracks: "Human
Behavior" - "Crying" -
"Venus As A Boy" -
"There's More To Life Than
This" - "Like Someone In
Love" - "Big Time
Sensuality" - "One Day" -
"Aeroplane" - "Come To
Me" - "Violently Happy" -
"The Anchor Song" |
|
Post
 Released: June, 1995
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 32
Rolling Stone
review:  - Entertainment
Weekly: A+
Tracks: "Army Of
Me" - "Hyperballad" -
"The Modern Things" -
"It's Oh So Quiet" -
"Enjoy" - "You've Been
Flirting Again" - "Isobel"
- "Possibly Maybe" - "I
Miss You" - "Cover Me" -
"Headphones" |
|
Telegram
Released: January, 1997
Billboard
peak:
# 68
Rolling Stone
review:  - Entertainment
Weekly: B+
Tracks: "Possibly
Maybe" (Lucy Mix) -
"Hyperballad" (Brodksy Quartet
Version) - "Enjoy" (Further
Over The Edge Mix) - "My Spine"
- "I Miss You" (Dobie Rub Part
One - Sunshine Mix) - "Isobel"
(Deodata Mix) - "You've Been
Flirting Again" (Flirt Is A Promise
Mix) - "Cover Me" (Dillinja
Mix) - "Army Of Me" (Masseymix)
- "Headphones" (O Remix) -
"I Miss You" (Original Mix) |
 |
Homogenic
Released: September, 1997
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 28
Rolling Stone
review: - Entertainment
Weekly: A
Tracks:
"Hunter" - "Joga" -
"Unravel" -
"Bachelorette" - "All Neon
Like" - "5 Years" -
"Immature" - "Alarm
Call" - "Pluto" -
"All Is Full Of Love" |
|
Selmasongs (Music From
The Motion Picture 'Dancer In The Dark')
Released: September, 2000
Billboard
peak:
# 41
Rolling Stone
review: - Entertainment
Weekly: C-
Tracks:
"Overture" - "Cvalda"
- "I've Seen It All" -
"Scatterheart" - "In The
Musicals" - "107 Steps" -
"New World" |
|
Vespertine
Released: August, 2001
Billboard
peak:
# 19
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "Hidden
Place" - "Cocoon" -
"It's Not Up To You" -
"Undo" - "Pagan
Poetry" - "Frosti" -
"Aurora" - "An Echo, A
Stain" - "Sun In My Mouth"
- "Heirloom" - "Harm Of
Will" - "Unison" |
|
Greatest Hits
Released: November, 2002
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "All Is Full
Of Love" - "Hyperballad" -
"Human Behavior" -
"Joga" -
"Bachelorette" - "Army Of
Me" - "Pagan Poetry" -
"Big Time Sensuality" -
"Venus As A Boy" -
"Hunter" - Hidden Place" -
"Isobel" - "Possibly
Maybe" - "Play Dead" -
"It's In Our Hands" |
 |
Family Tree (box set)
Released: November, 2002
Tracks: "Venus As A
Boy" - "Hyperballad" -
"You've Been Flirting Again" -
"Isobel" - "Joga" -
"Unravel" -
"Bachelorette" - "All Is
Full Of Love" -
"Scatterheart" - "I've
Seen It All" - "Pagan
Poetry" - "It's Not Up To
You" - Roots I: "Sidasta
Eg" - "Glora" -
"Fuglar" - "Ammaeli"
- "Mamma" - Roots II:
"Immature" - "Cover
Me" - "Generous
Palmstroke" - "Joga"
(Strings & Vocals Version) - Beats I:
"The Modern Things" -
"Karvel" - "I Go
Humble" - "Nature is
Ancient" - Strings I:
"Unravel" - "Cover
Me" - "Possibly Maybe" -
"Anchor Song" -
"Hunter" - Strings II:
"All Neon Like" - "I've
Seen It All" -
"Bachelorette" - "Play
Dead" |
|
Live: 1993-2002 (box set)
Released: August, 2003
Entertainment
Weekly: A-
released in June, 2004 as
individual live sets:
Debut Live: Tracks: "Human
Behavior" - "One Day" -
"Venus As A Boy" - "Come
To Me" - "Big Time
Sensuality" - "Aeroplane"
- "Like Someone In Love" -
"Crying" - "Anchor
Song" - "Violently Happy"
Homogenic Live: Tracks: "Visur
Vathsenda Rosu" - "Hunter"
- "You've Been Flirting Again"
- "Isobel" - "All Neon
Like" - "Possibly Maybe" -
"5 Years" - "Come To
Me" - "Immature" - "I
Go Humble" -
"Bachelorette" - "Human
Behavior" - "Pluto" -
"Joga" - "So Broken"
- "Anchor Song"
Post Live: Tracks:
"Headphones" - "Army Of
Me" - "One Day" -
"The Modern Things" -
"Isobel" - "Possiby
Maybe" - "Hyperballad" -
"I Go Humble" - "Big Time
Sensuality" - "Enjoy" -
"I Miss You" - "It's Oh So
Quiet" - "Anchor Song"
Vespertine Live: Tracks: "Frost"
- "Overature" - "All Is
Full Of Love" - "Cocoon" -
"Aurora" - "Undo" -
"Unravel" - "I've Seen It
All" - "An Echo, A Slain"
- "Generous Palmstroke" -
"Hidden Place" - "Pagan
Poetry" - "Harm Of Will" -
"It's Not Up To You" -
"Unison" - "It's In Our
Hands" |
 |
Gling-Glo
Released: September, 2003
Tracks:
"Gling-Glo" -
"Luktar-Gvendur" - "Kata
Rokkar" - "Pabbi Minn" -
"Brestir Og Brak" - "Bella
SImamaer" - "Litli
Tonlistarmadurinn" -
"Bilavisur" -
"Tondeleyo" - "Eg Veit El
Hvad Skal Segj" - "I Dansi Med
Per" - "Bornin Vid
Tjornia" - "Ruby Baby" |
|
Medulla
Released: August, 2004
Billboard
peak:
# 14
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: A
Tracks: "Pleasure Is
All Mine" - "Show Me
Forgiveness" - "Where Is The
Line?" - "Vokuro" -
"Oll Birtan" - "Who Is
It" - "Oceania" -
"Submarine" - "Sonnets /
Unrealities XI" - "Desired
Constellation" -
"Ancestors" - "Mouths
Cradle" - "Mivikudags" -
"Triumph Of A Heart" |
 |
Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack
Released: August, 2005
Rolling Stone:
Tracks:
"Gratitude" - "Pearl"
- "Ambergis March" -
"Bath" - "Hunter
Vessel" - "Shimenawa" -
"Vessel Shimenawa" -
"Storm" - "Holographic
Entrypoint" - "Cetacea" -
"Antarctic Return" |
|
Surround (box set)
Released: June, 2006
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: A |
|
Volta
Released: May, 2007
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B-
Tracks: "Earth
Intruders" - "Wanderlust"
- "The Dull Flame Of Desire" -
"Innocence" - "I See Who
You Are" - "Vertebrea By
Vertebrae" - "Pneumonia" -
"Hope" - "Declare
Independence" - "My
Juvenile" |
|
Voltaic
Released: June, 2009
Billboard
peak:
# 118
Entertainment
Weekly: B+ |
Amazon.mp3 |
Biophilia
Released: October, 2011
Tracks: "Moon"
- "Thunderbolt" -
"Crystaline" -
"Cosmogony" - "Dark
Matter" - "Hollow" -
"Virus" - "Sacrifice"
- "Mutual Core" -
"Solstice" |
|
Biophilia Live (2CD/DVD)
Released: November 24, 2014
|
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Vulnicura
Released: January 20, 2015
Grammy Nominee: Best Alternative
Music Album
Tracks:
"Stonemilker" -
"Lionsong" - "History Of
Touches" - "Black Lake" -
"Family" - "Notget" -
"Atom Dance" - "Mouth
Mantra" - "Quicksand" |
 |
Vulnicura Strings
Released: November 27, 2015
Tracks: "Mouth
Mantra' - "Lionsong" -
"Black Lake" - "Atom
Dance" - "Stonemilker" -
"Quicksand" -
"Notget" - "Family" -
"Black Lake" (Viola Organista
Version) |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Utopia
Released: November 24, 2017
Grammy Nominee: Best Alternative
Music Album
Tracks: "Arisen My
Senses" - "Blissing Me" -
"The Gate" - "Utopia"
- "Body Memory" -
"Features Creatures" -
"COurtship" - "Losss"
- "Sue Me" - "Tabula
Rase" - "Claimstaker" -
"Paradisia" - "Saint"
- "Future Forever" |
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Fossora
Released: September 30,
2022
Grammy
Nominee: Best Alternative
Music Album
Tracks:
"Atopos" - "Ovule" -
"Mycelia" - "Sorrowful
Soil" - "Ancestress" -
"Fagurt Er I Fjordum" -
"Victimhood" -
"Allow" - "Fungal
City" - "Trolla-Gabba" -
"Freefall" -
"Fossora" - "Her Mother's
House" |
| |
Human
Behavior
from the LP Debut
Grammy Nominee: Best Music Video,
Short Form
MTV VMA Nominee: Best Female Video, Best New Artist, Breakthrough Video, Best Special
Effects, Best Editing, Best Art Direction
Rolling Stone: '100 Top
Music Videos': # 96 |
** |
** |
1993 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Venus As A
Boy
from the LP Debut |
** |
** |
1993 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Play Dead
from the The Young Americans soundtrack
and Greatest Hits |
** |
** |
1993 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Big Time
Sensuality
from the LP Debut |
** |
** |
1993 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Violently
Happy
from the LP Debut |
** |
** |
1994 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Army Of Me
from the LP Post
MTV VMA Nominee: Best Special
Effects |
** |
** |
1994 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
 Isobel
from the LP Post |
** |
** |
1995 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
 |
| |
It's Oh So Quiet
from the LP Post
Grammy Nominee: Best Music Video,
Short Form
MTV VMA Winner: Best Choreography
MTV VMA Nominee: Best Female Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, Best Art Direction
VH1: '100 Greatest Videos':
# 50 |
** |
** |
1995 |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
| |
Hyper-Ballad
from the LP Post |
** |
** |
1996 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Possibly
Maybe
from the LP Post |
** |
** |
1997 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
I Miss You
from the LP Post |
** |
** |
1997 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Joga
from the LP Homogenic |
** |
** |
1997 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Bachelorette
from the LP Homogenic
Grammy Nominee: Best Music Video,
Short Form
MTV VMA Winner: Best Art Direction |
** |
** |
1997 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Hunter
from the LP Homogenic |
** |
** |
1998 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Alarm Call
from the LP Homogenic |
** |
** |
1998 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
All Is Full
Of Love
from the LP Homogenic
Grammy Nominee: Best Music Video,
Short Form
MTV VMA Winner: Breakthrough Video, Best Special
Effects |
** |
** |
1999 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Hidden
Place
from the LP Vespertine |
** |
** |
2001 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Pagan
Poetry
from the LP Vespertine |
** |
** |
2001 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Cocoon
from the LP Vespertine |
** |
** |
2002 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
It's Not Up To You
from the LP Vespertine |
** |
** |
2002 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
 It's In Our
Hands
from the LP Greatest Hits |
** |
** |
2002 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
 Oceania
from the LP Medulla
Grammy Nominee: Best Female Pop
Vocal Performance |
** |
** |
2004 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Who Is It
from the LP Medulla |
** |
** |
2004 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Triumph Of
A Heart
from the LP Medulla |
** |
** |
2005 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
 Earth
Intruders
from the LP Volta |
** |
** |
2007 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
Innocence
from the LP Volta |
** |
** |
2007 |
[ LISTEN /
BUY ]
[ LYRICS ]
|
| |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com's page for that LP
(often including track listings and sound
samples). |
|
|
