Little Earthquakes (1991) was the solo debut album of singer Tori Amos, featuring the singles "Winter", "China", "Silent All These Years" and "Crucify". It set the groundwork for the success of other female singer/songwriters in the 1990s. A heavily journalistic work, it is often considered the most accessible of her musical catalogue.

In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Little Earthquakes the 66th greatest album of all time.

Track listing

1. "Crucify" (4:58) SAMPLE (147K)
2. "Girl" (4:06)
3. "Silent All These Years" (4:10)
4. "Precious Things" (4:26)
5. "Winter" (5:40)
6. "Happy Phantom" (3:12)
7. "China" (4:58)
8. "Leather" (3:12)
9. "Mother" (6:59)
10. "Tear in Your Hand" (4:38)
11. "Me and a Gun" (3:44)
12. "Little Earthquakes" (6:51)

After Amos' failed debut "Y Kant Tori Read" her record label relocated her to London, England where they thought she would have an easier time of breaking into success due to that locale's more accepting attitudes of esoteric performers.

The song "Me and a Gun" was released in the UK as the first single with a b-side of "Silent All These Years". "Me and a Gun" is an a capella song about rape. It was inspired by a rape that occurred in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and was raped at knifepoint. Fortunately, she escaped before being killed. Years later, Amos was inspired to write a song about the experience after watching the movie Thelma and Louise. She wrote it in her head on the way to a concert. It has since become a fixture of her live concerts.

"Me and a Gun", likely due to its nature, was not a commercial success, though critically it was praised for its bravery. However radio stations did pick up "Silent All These Years" and put it into heavy rotation, making it Amos' first hit single and what many consider her signature song. It was even re-released in 1997 where it once again became a radio hit.

"Me and a Gun" brought Amos a lot of response from fans with similar experiences, many of whom came to her for guidance and help. As Amos is not a trained counselor, she felt encouraged to look into avenues for more directly helping survivors. Ultimately, Amos helped found the first US national sexual assault hotline, RAINN.

Albums by Tori Amos

Y Kant Tori Read | Little Earthquakes | Under the Pink | Boys for Pele | From the Choirgirl Hotel | To Venus and Back | Strange Little Girls | Scarlet's Walk | Tales of a Librarian | The Beekeeper