# Billie Holiday — Strange Fruit

Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit (1939) is No. 5 in our Jazz ranking. The full verdict, and where to hear it.

- **Released:** 1939
- **Label:** Commodore
- **On one list:** Jazz
- **Updated:** 2026-08-30
- **Artist:** [Billie Holiday](https://waxonia.com/artist/billie-holiday/)
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/track/billie-holiday--strange-fruit/

## What we say

### No. 5 in [Jazz](https://waxonia.com/genre/jazz/)

Her own label refused it, so she released it elsewhere. The most uncomfortable three minutes in American popular music, sung with almost no inflection, which is why it works.

## Listen

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Billie%20Holiday%20Strange%20Fruit) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=649wWWkW_1o)

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.