Blue is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on June 22, 1971, by Reprise Records. Entirely written and produced by Mitchell, it was recorded in 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California. The album, created following her breakup with Graham Nash and during an intense relationship with James Taylor, delves into various aspects of relationships, ranging from love in 'A Case of You' to insecurity in 'This Flight Tonight.' The songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar, and Appalachian dulcimer. 'Blue' peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, number 9 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart, and number 15 on the Billboard 200.
 
Retrospectively, 'Blue' has been widely acclaimed by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. Mitchell's cohesive songwriting, compositions, and vocals are frequently praised. In January 2000, The New York Times named 'Blue' one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music." In 2020, 'Blue' was ranked the third greatest album of all time on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," the highest entry by a female artist. It was also voted number 24 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's 'All Time Top 1000 Albums' (2000). In July 2017, NPR declared 'Blue' the greatest album of all time made by a woman.