Photo: By Karl af Geijerstam (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
I first discovered the wonder of Maria McKee when I heard her singing in a band called Lone Justice. After hearing just a few songs, one being Tom Petty’s “Ways To Be Wicked,” I fell in love with the band—or, I should say, the voice and persona of Maria McKee. The first Lone Justice album was released in 1985. This band crossed so many musical genres, from country to rock to punk to who knows what. However, none of that seemed to be intentional; it was a group that seemed to be just doing what came naturally to the musicians.
At the time, Lone Justice consisted of Maria McKee on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Marvin Etzioni on bass, Ryan Hedgecock on guitar, and Don Heffington on drums. McKee, Etzioni, and Hedgecock all contributed to writing nine out of the ten songs on the album, along with some songwriting contributions by Benmont Tench and Steven Van Zandt. The lone cover was the Tom Petty song. It was, hands down, a brilliant album. For me, it was one of the most played records I purchased in the 1980s.
The second Lone Justice album featured almost a completely new band, with Maria McKee and Ryan Hedgecock being the only members from the first album still along for the ride. One thing was very clear: even though it was a group, this was all about Maria McKee. Her talents as a songwriter, singer, and performer were blowing away anyone who was lucky enough to have seen or heard this band.
The second album, Shelter, sounded significantly different from the debut. It was easy to hear what Steven Van Zandt was attempting to do with the group, especially for those familiar with his musical career. However, what we would also soon discover was that Maria McKee was growing up, and her talents were not to be tamed or molded by anyone. After two albums, Maria McKee would break up the band and begin her magical solo career.
It was easy to write about Lone Justice. Her solo career is so wide in scope that it made writing about her solo path far more challenging than covering her work as a member of Lone Justice. The group had gained a massive cult following, leaving many fans wondering why they never broke through worldwide. Yet, the decision to leave the band made perfect sense to anyone who purchased Maria McKee’s first solo album. In Lone Justice, she had to compete onstage with a loud rock and roll band. As a solo artist, she could place her stunning voice front and center. This was no ordinary voice—her control, resonance, and pitch mesmerized listeners in both the lower and higher registers.
Maria McKee’s first two solo albums were filled with a mix of cover songs and originals, both released on Geffen Records. These were two major label albums, with promotion, videos, and all the hoopla surrounding such releases. Both albums are wonderful; most artists dream of releasing records like these, filled with beautiful songs, stellar production, and incredible performances from her band and, of course, Maria herself. Yet, Maria McKee was no ordinary artist. Anyone who listened closely to what she was doing could hear that she was a once-in-a-lifetime talent. The problem is that the powers in the industry who have the ability to help break artists aren’t always listening for what they should be.
It was on Maria McKee’s third album, Life Is Sweet, that we see the emergence of an artist creating music for the history books. From that point on, through her astonishing albums High Dive, Peddlin’ Dreams, Late December, and La Vita Nuova, Maria McKee ascended to a level of brilliance that few artists ever attain. This brings us back to our original dilemma: how does one write about songs that stand as works of art and make any meaningful contribution to the examination of these works? The answer is simple: it can’t be done. However, what I can do as a fan, journalist, and historian is to introduce some of these songs to an audience who may not be familiar with her material, presenting the story behind them. As I write this, I can’t help but think of the old Wayne’s World skit in which Mike Myers and Dana Carvey drop to their knees, chanting, “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.”
This list will focus only on songs Maria McKee recorded and released as a solo artist. Her work with Lone Justice has already been covered in our Lone Justice songs article.
# 10 – To Miss Someone – Maria McKee
Our Maria McKee songs list opens with the hauntingly beautiful ballad “To Miss Someone.” Released on her 1989 self-titled debut studio album, Maria McKee, the song was written by McKee and produced by Mitchell Froom, and it captures the vulnerability and emotional turmoil she experienced following the breakup of Lone Justice and the end of a relationship. McKee described that period as “an all-time low,” having left behind her band and boyfriend in Los Angeles to start anew in New York City. However, if you were to ask any artist what fuels the creation of beautiful music, they will almost always say, simply, “pain.”
“To Miss Someone” is not just a song about heartbreak and loss; it’s a showcase of McKee’s ability to take a personal tale and weave it into a work of art. The song’s beauty is evident both in the recorded performance and in the evocative video directed by Jesse Dylan. The poise McKee holds throughout the video depicts an artist releasing music not for the sake of record sales and fame, but for the art form itself.
# 9 – Breathe – Maria McKee
What you’ll notice instantly about this one is the deeply cinematic quality that surrounds Maria McKee’s music. The opening guitar sound from Richard Thompson hits you hard, grabbing your attention immediately, while Steve Wickham’s violin and Jerry Marotta’s drums help deepen the haunting atmosphere. Written by McKee and Gregg Sutton and produced by Mitchell Froom, “Breathe” was featured on her 1989 debut album and later released as the follow-up single to “Show Me Heaven” in the UK, where it reached No. 59 in 1991. Up until this point, McKee had been known as a much-loved rock-and-roll cow-punk-style singer with a number-one single in “Show Me Heaven,” an incredible voice, fantastic songwriting skills, and striking looks. But in “Breathe,” the future artist we would soon come to know winks at us, teases us, and leaves us spellbound. Don’t miss the video below—you’ll understand why.
# 8 – I’m Gonna Soothe You – You Gotta Sin to Be Saved
The pop style rooted in Americana, country, rock, and punk still holds steady at times on Maria McKee’s sophomore solo album, You Gotta Sin to Be Saved. That is not a bad thing; in fact, this is a fabulous album that continues to show artistic growth while presenting listeners with some extraordinary songs and performances. Opening the album, “I’m Gonna Soothe You” was written by Maria McKee, Bruce Brody, and Marvin Etzioni and produced by George Drakoulias.
Released as the album’s lead single in 1993, it became a Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 35, while You Gotta Sin to Be Saved reached No. 26 there and became the highest-charting album of McKee’s solo career in the UK. Leaving behind all the statistics, what we have here is a song that does exactly what its title suggests: it makes you feel good. It’s a soulful pop-meets-country blend that is incredibly captivating and addictive, and if you’re in the mood for a sweet-sounding, feel-good tune with a vocal that will make you smile, take a listen to this one.
# 7 – A Good Heart – Late December
Now this is a really interesting one. Maria McKee composed “A Good Heart” in the early 1980s, writing it about her relationship with Benmont Tench, the keyboardist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Former Undertones lead singer Feargal Sharkey released it as the lead single from his self-titled debut album in 1985, and his version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks that November while peaking at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was later covered by Kris McKay for the soundtrack to the 1989 film Road House. The version below, which is just incredibly stunning, was finally released by Maria McKee herself on her 2007 album Late December.
# 6 – Be My Joy – High Dive
When writing about the exhilarating song “Be My Joy,” it is essential to mention that Maria McKee’s half-brother was Bryan MacLean, known for his work as a member of the phenomenal 1960s band Love. Although I did not bring this up in the introduction, as it initially seemed outside the scope of this discussion, I feel it is important to highlight this family connection here. Listening to this song, it becomes apparent that MacLean likely had a profound influence on McKee’s songwriting.
One can easily detect the impact of a band like Love in this piece. Of course, McKee’s writing has a soulful country aspect here, but a 1960s psychedelic echo also weaves through the melody and chord changes, creating a haunting yet captivating effect. Written by McKee and released on her 2003 album High Dive, “Be My Joy” represents the richly arranged, independent period of her solo career that I believe contains some of the most compelling material she has ever released.
# 5 – Show Me Heaven
Just as we were starting to dive deeply into her later work, we bounce back to the most commercially successful song of her career. As an artist with such incredible integrity, it seemed that at first Maria McKee ignored the success she had with this song. She rarely performed it in concert. However, over the years, she seems to have seen the song in a much more favorable light. It’s a beautiful song, and her vocal performance on the track is simply out of this world. “Show Me Heaven” was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1990 Tom Cruise film Days of Thunder, written by Eric Rackin, Jay Rifkin, and Maria McKee after McKee rewrote the original lyrics, and produced by Peter Asher. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks and became the sixth-best-selling single in the UK for 1990, while also reaching number one in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway and securing top-five positions in several other countries.
# 4 – I Should Have Looked Away – La Vita Nuova
There is a reason why we followed the song “Show Me Heaven” with “I Should Have Looked Away” from Maria McKee’s 2020 album La Vita Nuova. Released thirty years after “Show Me Heaven,” the contrast between the two songs underscores McKee’s artistic growth and personal evolution. While “Show Me Heaven” reflects the optimism and emotional openness of a younger artist searching for connection, “I Should Have Looked Away” reveals a seasoned songwriter grappling with obsession, unfulfilled longing, and the inner conflict that arises from being drawn to someone or something that ultimately brings more pain than solace.
McKee’s images of “kinetic architecture,” geometry, movement, beauty, and “unknowableness” turn fascination into something almost physical, while the repeated recognition that she should have looked away gives the song its sense of regret and helplessness. Anyone who has ever picked up a pen, written a lyric, or composed a melody should listen to music like this to truly understand what the term artist can truly mean.
# 3 – Absolutely Barking Stars – Life Is Sweet
In the number three spot on the Maria McKee song list, we step back to 1996 and Life Is Sweet, the album that marked a significant turning point in her musical career. I remember when I first bought this album; I was astonished by how different she sounded. Her voice remained incredibly gorgeous and breathtaking, but the songs themselves had evolved. This was songwriting on an entirely different level from what she had done before, which was already impressive.
We must remember that she started in this business at a very young age and had already become a stunning artist, yet a decade after her debut with Lone Justice we find Maria McKee delivering songs on the level of greats like Tom Waits or Joni Mitchell. “Absolutely Barking Stars” opens with a guitar figure reminiscent of Neil Young’s earlier work, but that comparison ends quickly as McKee approaches the microphone and delivers another stunning vocal. The guitar lines between the chord changes carry traces of early-’90s alternative rock and ’60s musical sentiment. It’s just perfect—Maria McKee growing with the times, musically reflective of the era she’s writing in while also contributing more than she takes.
# 2 – Turn Away – Peddlin’ Dreams
Continuing with our Maria McKee list, we jump ahead into the 2000s, almost ten years after Life Is Sweet was released in 1996. In 2005, Maria McKee released Peddlin’ Dreams, produced by her husband and musical partner Jim Akin. I remember reading reviews of this album when it first came out and shaking my head in disgust, as critics not only seemed unable to grasp what she was doing, but were also unable to recognize just how brilliantly these songs were written. The music, lyrics, production, and musicianship created a collection of songs that became cinematic adventures, much like the way Springsteen crafted his early work. As we started to run out of room on this list, it became increasingly difficult to pick just one song from this magnificent record to represent it. The first three songs on the album are mesmerizing and each one is entirely unique; in the end, we chose the third song, “Turn Away.” For this one, we won’t say anything further—just listen to it, and you will instantly understand why it made our list.
# 1 – Courage – La Vita Nuova
Closing our list of the Top 10 Maria McKee Songs is “Courage,” a poignant and introspective piece from her 2020 album La Vita Nuova, which remains her most recent solo studio album. As we said in the opening, I spent years thinking about this article because of how much Maria McKee’s music means to us here at the site, and when I first heard this song I knew this was the one I would place at the top of the list. The chorus is simply breathtaking.
This is her finest work. I am blown away by it every single time I listen to it. Drawing on Dante’s Beatrice and the idea of a love that cannot easily be spoken, “Courage” confronts the inability to tell someone how we truly feel, using images of attraction, secrecy, emotional paralysis, and a love held among the ruins. McKee’s performance is hauntingly beautiful yet highly devastating because the fear at the center of the song is something so many people can recognize.
Photo: By Cabaret Voltaire [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
10 Maria McKee Songs That Will Leave You Mesmerized article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
