Top 35 Southern Rock Songs

Like a lot rock ‘n’ roll from the earliest and most youth, Southern rock took somewhat bit from right here and somewhat bit from there.

To not be confused with its lighter-touched nation rock cousin, Southern rock mixes blues, soul and nation and spins it by heavy rock’s affinity for loud guitars and improvisational spirit for a style really distinct in tone and elegance.

Within the under checklist of the Prime 35 Southern Rock Songs, as chosen by the UCR employees, the dual pillars of the music – the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd – are well-represented, checking in, in a single kind or one other, with greater than a 3rd of the entries. However Southern rock would not finish with them, even when the story begins there. Information from the ’70s by the ’00s all discover a place. Because the late Ronnie Van Zant famously as soon as requested, “What track is it you wanna hear?”

35. The Allman Brothers Band, “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No Extra” (From Eat a Peach, 1972)

Two months after Duane Allman died in a 1971 motorbike accident, his brother Gregg and bandmates laid down this tribute to the late guitarist. Gregg Allman had already written the music for “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No Extra” earlier than his sibling died (the group had began recording its third album, Eat a Peach, too); he then penned new lyrics for an anthem about residing each day to the fullest and shifting on amid tragedy.

34. The Allman Brothers Band, “Jessica” (From Brothers and Sisters, 1973)

Rebounding from the deaths of guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley, the Allman Brothers Band streamlined on their fourth album. The end result paid off with their solely No. 1. Written by guitarist Dickey Betts for his toddler daughter, the instrumental  “Jessica” (shortened by practically half of its album size when launched because the follow-up single to “Ramblin’ Man”) turned a live performance showcase for Betts and the Allmans.

33. 38 Particular, “Caught Up in You” (From Particular Forces, 1982)

Greater than every other Southern rock band, Jacksonville, Florida’s 38 Particular benefited from MTV’s introduction in 1981. Their pop hooks went a protracted method to getting the band’s movies in heavy rotation on the nascent music video community. “Caught Up in You,” the lead single from their fifth LP, was their first Prime 10 hit and like a lot of the group’s different chart songs it is sung by Don Barnes, who cowrote the track with members of Survivor.

32. Blackfoot, “Prepare, Prepare” (From Strikes, 1979)

Fashioned by Rickey Medlocke, an early after which later Lynyrd Skynyrd member, Blackfoot not often reached the business highs of lots of their Southern rock friends. They hit their peak on 1979’s Strikes, which incorporates their solely Prime 40 single, “Freeway Track.” For the follow-up, they selected a track written and first recorded by Medlocke’s grandfather, Shorty. “Prepare, Prepare” powers alongside a rhythm as previous because the South.

31. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Tuesday’s Gone” (From [Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd], 1973)

Southern rock attracts as a lot from the area’s classic soul music because it does from the boogie-laced guitars that may be traced to rock ‘n’ roll’s blues connection. Three key tracks from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s genre-defining debut are rooted in ’60s soul, beginning with “Tuesday’s Gone,” the slow-burning second track on (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Pores and skin-‘nérd) that contains adorning strings equipped by producer Al Kooper’s Mellotron.

READ MORE: 12 Rock + Nation Artist Collaborations That Go Onerous

30. Hank Williams Jr., “All My Rowdy Associates Are Coming Over Tonight” (From Main Strikes, 1984)

Hank Williams Jr. has at all times performed a more durable type of nation music than his friends and trailblazing father. However his 1984 hit “All My Rowdy Associates Are Coming Over Tonight” grazes the sides of Southern rock with its blazing guitars and raucous topic. The track took on a lifetime of its personal later within the decade when it was tapped because the opening theme track to Monday Night time Soccer, a place it held for the following twenty years.

29. 38 Particular, “Maintain On Loosely” (From Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, 1981)

38 Particular was extra pop-oriented than lots of their Southern rock brethren, unafraid to go for the massive hook when wanted. Impressed by an equal mixture of the Automobiles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the group’s first Prime 40 single was one in every of three songs on their fourth LP, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, not sung by Donnie Van Zant, the youthful brother of late Skynyrd singer Ronnie. Vocal duties right here fall to “Maintain On Loosely”‘s cowriter Don Barnes.

28. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “That Odor” (From Avenue Survivors, 1977)

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fifth album was lined in a darkish cloud. As band members’ drug and alcohol abuses elevated, singer Ronnie Van Zant stood again and assessed the scenario in a track that warned of the risks of their extra. “That Odor” even references an incident the place guitarist Gary Rossington wrecked his automotive. Three days after Avenue Survivors‘ launch, a airplane crash claimed the lives of Van Zant and others.

27. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “What’s Your Identify” (From Avenue Survivors, 1977)

Utilizing their fifth album to dip into the Southern soul music round them, Lynyrd Skynyrd infused Avenue Survivors songs with horns and backing vocals, recorded components of it at Muscle Shoals and enlisted Tom Dowd to supply. The opening observe and first single “What’s Your Identify” is a life-on-the-road story punctuated with an R&B base that crosses the road from the band’s typical Southern rock. A brand new period lower brief (see above entry).

26. Georgia Satellites, “Hold Your Palms to Your self” (From Georgia Satellites, 1986)

The Dan Baird-led Georgia Satellites got here out of the South within the mid-’90s with a sound equally knowledgeable by faculty radio because the Southern rock of the ’70s. Structured as a primary 12-bar blues, “Hold Your Palms to Your self” (the band’s debut single) appeared like an anomaly in 1986: a throwback rock ‘n’ roll track with greasy Southern rock grit and even greasier intentions. That it made it to No. 2 is an achievement in itself.

25. ZZ Prime, “I am Dangerous, I am Nationwide” (From Deguello, 1979)

When ZZ Prime arrived at their sixth LP, Deguello, in 1979, they had been coming back from a two-year break that marked a world of distinction for the Texas trio. Now not chained to the Southern boogie of their first 5 information, the band, notably Billy Gibbons, found new inspiration within the punk and new wave sounds they had been listening to, in addition to growing expertise. “I am Dangerous, I am Nationwide” hyperlinks their previous and new types.

24. The Black Crowes, “Onerous to Deal with” (From Shake Your Cash Maker, 1990)

By no means shying away from their heritage, Atlanta’s Black Crowes gave Otis Redding’s posthumous 1968 track “Onerous to Deal with” a Southern rock makeover on their 1990 debut, Shake Your Cash Maker. The band so effortlessly slid into their position that the observe is barely distinguishable from their originals. After a few tries, the Crowes’ model peaked at No. 26, their highest rating ever on the essential singles chart.

23. Little Feat, “Fats Man within the Bathtub” (From Dixie Rooster, 1973)

With two new members (together with ace guitarist Paul Barrere) added in 1973, Little Feat arrived on the basic lineup that was collectively till the demise of chief Lowell George in 1979. Their first album as a sextet additionally set them on a course for a thicker mixture of R&B and Southern rock, exemplified by lots of their dwell performances from the period. George’s “Fats Man within the Bathtub,” a spotlight of Dixie Rooster, turned a dwell staple.

22. Kings of Leon, “Notion” (From Solely by the Night time, 2009)

Kings of Leon’s fourth album, Solely by the Night time, is finest identified for holding the hits “Intercourse on Fireplace” and “Use Someone” that helped drive the Tennesseeans into the Prime 10 for the primary time. The report’s closest tie to the group’s Southern heritage seems later: At a compact three minutes, “Notion” would not appear to share a lot with the band’s Southern rock forebearers, however the woozy guitar and chugging rhythm are pure South.

21. Elvin Bishop, “Fooled Round and Fell in Love” (From Struttin’ My Stuff, 1976)

As a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin Bishop had earned his standing amongst trendy American blues guitarists a decade earlier. As a solo artist, he’d been mixing blues, soul and Southern rock on albums for the reason that late ’60s. Future Jefferson Starship singer Mickey Thomas was a backing vocalist in Bishop’s band on the time and was given the mic on “Fooled Round and Fell in Love,” a No. 3 hit in 1976.

NEXT: Lynyrd Skynyrd Albums Ranked

20. ZZ Prime, “Heard It on the X” (From Fandango!, 1975)

As ZZ Prime entered into the planning levels for his or her fourth album, and first following the breakthrough of 1973’s Tres Hombres, they had been torn between the compulsory dwell launch and their subsequent studio report. So that they compromised and made a aspect consisting of every. The studio half, Facet Two, contains their first Prime 40 hit, “Tush,” in addition to “Heard It on the X,” a fan favourite about influential border radio station X-Rock 80.

19. Outlaws, “Inexperienced Grass and Excessive Tides” (From Outlaws, 1975)

At practically 10 minutes, the closing track on Outlaws’ debut album comes on like a shaggy sibling of each the Allmans and Skynyrd. Named after a Rolling Stones compilation and impressed by late rock ‘n’ roll artists, “Inexperienced Grass and Excessive Tides” rapidly turned a showpiece in Outlaws’ barnstorming live shows, usually stretching previous the 20-minute marker. The dual guitar solos owe a debt to Southern rock friends, particularly Skynyrd.

18. The Allman Brothers Band “In Reminiscence of Elizabeth Reed” (From At Fillmore East, 1971)

“In Reminiscence of Elizabeth Reed” – named after a gravestone noticed within the Allmans’ hometown of Macon, Georgia – first appeared on the band’s second LP in 1970, Idlewild South. A yr later the group included an expanded model on their breakthrough dwell album, At Fillmore East, the place the instrumental takes on really epic proportions as guitarists Duane Allman and Dickey Betts weave out and in of one another’s notes.

17. The Black Crowes, “She Talks to Angels” (From Shake Your Cash Maker, 1990)

The Black Crowes got here on like a mixture of the Stones and Faces ran by a Southern rock filter on their debut album in 1990. Their first Prime 40 single, nonetheless, brings the stew to a simmer with a semi-acoustic ballad about heroin abuse. “She Talks to Angels” matches in with custom, although, going again to the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s penchant for ballads and acoustic songs about deeper and darker topics.

16. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Saturday Night time Particular” (From Nuthin’ Fancy, 1975)

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s third album is commonly neglected when judged in opposition to their different LPs. Nonetheless, Nuthin’ Fancy was their first to make the Prime 10. “Saturday Night time Particular,” the report’s solely single, takes a staunch anti-gun stance that also managed to climb into the Prime 30 in 1975. “Handguns are made for killin’ / They ain’t no good for nothin’ else,” Ronnie Van Zant matter-of-factly sings over powerful, chugging rock ‘n’ roll guitars.

15. Drive-By Truckers, “Outfit” (From Ornament Day, 2003)

When Drive-By Truckers added Jason Isbell to their lineup on their fourth LP, they acquired greater than a 3rd guitarist in their Skynyrd-like assault. Additionally they acquired a singer-songwriter whose phrases belied his 24 years. “Do not name what you are carrying an outfit, do not ever say your automotive is broke / Do not sing with a pretend British accent, do not act like your loved ones’s a joke,” he sings in “Outfit,” recommendation handed down from one technology to the following.

14. ZZ Prime, “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” (From Tres Hombres, 1973)

After a considerably rocky begin on their first two albums, neither of which captured the dynamic vitality of the in-sync trio, ZZ Prime zeroed in on their collective strengths for his or her third album, the breakthrough Tres Hombres. After the opening one-two punch of “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Simply Left Chicago,” Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard tear into “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” prefer it’s a brand new assertion of function.

13. Ram Jam, “Black Betty” (From Ram Jam, 1977)

Utilizing Lead Stomach’s Thirties recording of an previous folks track as its foundation, “Black Betty” wasn’t even connected to a gaggle when it was recorded by ex-Lemon Piper Invoice Bartlett in 1975. Two years later, producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz constructed a band for Bartlett as a car for the track. Ram Jam launched two albums; solely their debut charted. “Black Betty” was their solely hit single, making the Prime 20 earlier than the group broke up.

12. Molly Hatchet, “Flirtin’ With Catastrophe” (From Flirtin’ With Catastrophe, 1979)

Jacksonville, Florida’s Molly Hatchet got here on heavier and tougher than most of their Southern rock contemporaries, peaking on their second album, Flirtin’ With Catastrophe from 1979. The title track sealed their legacy. Trimmed 60 seconds from its five-minute album size, the one stopped wanting the Prime 40, robbing the band of its solely huge hit. Irrespective of, the track is a rock radio favourite that stored Molly Hatchet busy into the ’80s.

11. The Black Crowes, “Treatment” (From The Southern Concord and Musical Companion, 1992)

The Black Crowes collected a number of Faces and Rolling Stones comparisons with their debut album; they did not cease with the follow-up, although the band aligned extra carefully with its Southern roots, particularly on “Treatment,” The Southern Concord and Musical Companion‘s first single. With a hip-shaking rhythm and snaky swagger, the track is ’90s-style Southern rock – a boiling pot of influences that is greater than mere tribute.

10. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Easy Man” (From [Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd], 1973)

Greater than every other Southern rock band of the period, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed up the Southerness of their roots – from the barroom honky-tonk politics of “Gimme Three Steps” to the bottle-tipping “Poison Whiskey,” each from their debut album, a cornerstone of the style. “Easy Man,” nonetheless, could possibly be probably the most Southern observe on the LP, an recommendation track handed on from mom to son about not forgetting these roots.

9. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Gimme Three Steps” (From [Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd], 1973)

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut performs like a greatest-hits report, from live performance staples akin to “Free Chook” to sleeper fan favourite “I Ain’t the One” discovered amongst its eight songs. Their debut single “Gimme Three Steps” acquired a lift with a rousing model discovered on the band’s 1976 dwell album, One Extra From the Street, however there’s an all-too-real sense of shock to the studio take, complementary to the track’s out-of-his-depth narrator.

8. The Marshall Tucker Band, “Cannot You See” (From The Marshall Tucker Band, 1973)

The centerpiece of South Carolina’s Marshall Tucker Band’s self-titled debut, “Cannot You See” begins with an instrumental passage that includes the flute, not precisely the instrument of alternative for Southern rock bands. The track was the group’s first single and stalled exterior the Prime 100; 4 years later a dwell model hit No. 75. It is since turn into a favourite to cowl, with Waylon Jennings and Zac Brown Band amongst its followers.

7. Little Feat, “Dixie Rooster” (From Dixie Rooster, 1973)

Little Feat’s second album, Sailin’ Sneakers from 1972, helped set the template for the band’s simple groove going ahead, however it’s their third report the place they lastly put all of it collectively, mixing funk, soul, nation and Southern rock with an assured grace that additionally translated effortlessly to the stage. Dixie Rooster‘s title observe rapidly turned the band’s signature track, a distillation of their warm-to-hot attract in 4 sweat-escalating minutes.

6. ZZ Prime, “La Grange” (From Tres Hombres, 1973)

Borrowing a rhythm base and vocal strains from John Lee Hooker’s basic blues “Boogie Chillen,” ZZ Prime turbo-charge “La Grange” into one thing else by the tip of the track. The spotlight of their breakthrough third album, Tres Hombres,” “La Grange” is a component blues, half boogie and half Southern rock, gliding alongside a scuzzy guitar line rivaled by Billy Gibbons’ scratchy haw-haw-haw-haw vocal. A nod and a bridge from the previous.

READ MORE: Allman Brothers Albums Ranked

5. The Allman Brothers Band, “Ramblin’ Man” (From Brothers and Sisters, 1973)

After Duane Allman died in 1971, the Allmans’ different guitarist, Dickey Betts, stepped as much as be taught his late bandmate’s slide components and, in flip, progressed into one of many group’s most relied-upon gamers. Borrowing its title and nation basis from a Hank Williams track, “Ramblin’ Man” was demoed two years earlier than its look on 1973’s Brothers and Sisters. It hit No. 2, the band’s solely Prime 10 hit in a decades-long profession.

4. Gregg Allman, “Midnight Rider” (From Laid Again, 1973)

The Allman Brothers Band had already recorded, in what many could say is the definitive model, “Midnight Rider” on their second album, Idlewild South. When the track’s essential author Gregg Allman was placing collectively his first solo album in 1973, he rerecorded it as a moodier replace that emphasised the darkish nature inherent in the track’s groove. The brand new model went Prime 20, surpassing the business peak of the sooner observe.

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Candy Residence Alabama” (From Second Serving to, 1974)

Written as a response to Neil Younger’s South-baiting “Southern Man,” “Candy Residence Alabama” rapidly grew past its answer-song origins. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut was a modest hit, denting the Prime 30, although it positioned no songs within the Prime 10. That modified with “Candy Residence Alabama,” which made the Prime 10 (the band’s solely single to take action) and supplied the band with the steam to assert the Southern rock crown by mid-decade.

2. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Chook” (From [Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd], 1973)

Lynyrd Skynyrd knew what they’d with “Free Chook.” Because the epic closing track on their debut album, it was designed as a showstopper and centerpiece of each their report and dwell exhibits. Not so surprisingly, “Free Chook” grew much more epic onstage, the place it was expanded to 15-plus minutes, with dueling guitars performing because the cathartic second when the wistful ballad turns into jam-band normal. A Southern rock milestone.

1. The Allman Brothers Band, “Whipping Put up” (From At Fillmore East, 1971)

The Allman Brothers band made “Whipping Put up” the closing anchor track of their self-titled debut album in 1969, however it did not turn into a Southern rock basic till it appeared on their 1971 breakthrough dwell LP At Fillmore East. In studio kind, the track was one in every of Gregg Allman’s first compositions with the brand new household band shaped with brother Duane. Riffing on previous blues themes, and dealing alongside a reasonably normal musical scale of the style, “Whipping Put up” took on one other life on the stage. Because the centerpiece of the band’s exhibits, the track was usually pushed to the half-hour mark, permitting ample room for Duane’s mesmerizing guitar to weave itself out and in of the music. The 22-minute model discovered on At Fillmore East is actually an epic expertise: a superb track made masterpiece by Southern rock royalty working on the peak of their powers.