The Doors: Top 20 Songs

The Doors Top 20 Songs

Rock group formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. The group was comprised of Jim Morrison (vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboards), Robby Krieger (guitar), and John Densmore (drums). They got their name from Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception, which was a reference to a William Blake quotation. The band released six studio albums in five years. They were the first American band to have eight consecutive gold albums. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide. In 1971, Morrison died at age 27 from uncertain cirmstances, although it is generally speculated that it was drug/alcohol related. The other members continued as a trio until 1973. “Light My Fire” is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. The band’s self-titled debut album is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time. Both are available on Amazon. Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for The Doors Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists”

Awards:

Top 20 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 1%: 1. Light My Fire (1967) DMDB Top 2%: 2. Riders on the Storm (1971) 3. The End (1967) DMDB Top 5%: 4. Hello I Love You (1968) 5. Break on Through (1967) 6. People Are Strange (1967) 7. Roadhouse Blues (1970) 8. L.A. Woman (1971) 9. Touch Me (1968) 10. Love Her Madly (1971) DMDB Top 10%: 11. Love Me Two Times (1967) 12. When the Music’s Over (1967) DMDB Top 20%: 13. Strange Days (1967) 14. The Crystal Ship (1967) 15. The Unknown Soldier (1968) 16. Gloria (live, 1969) 17. Runnin’ Blue (1969) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 18. Waiting for the Sun (1970) 19. Wishful Sinful (1969) 20. Tell All the People (1969) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for The Doors Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 12/6/2023.

 

Marc Myers Anatomy of a Song

Marc Myers: Anatomy of a Song: Top 100 Songs

In 2016, writer and music historian Marc Myers published Anatomy of a Song, a book analyzing 45 songs from the 1950s to the 1990s. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. In 2022, he published a second volume, Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Combined the two volumes covered 100 songs, which are listed here chronologically. Dates refer to the song’s earliest release, be it as a single or an album cut. Songs are noted with a 1 if featured in the first book and 2 if in the second book. Lloyd Price “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” (5/17/1952) 1 Little Willie Littlefield “K.C. Lovin’” (8/12/1952) / Wilbert Harrison “Kansas City” (4/3/1959) 1 The Isley Brothers “Shout (Parts 1 and 2)” (9/7/1959) 1 The Marvelettes “Please Mr. Postman” (8/21/1961) 1 Dion “Runaround Sue” (9/15/1961) 1 The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (4/16/1964) 1 Dionne Warwick “Walk on By” (4/16/1964) 2 Martha Reeves & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (7/31/1964) 2 The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (8/4/1964) 1 The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (12/11/1964) 1 The Temptations “My Girl” (12/21/1964) 1 Donovan “Sunshine Superman” (7/29/1966) 2 Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (8/18/1966) 1 The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (10/10/1966) 2 The Doors “Light My Fire” (1/4/1967) 1 The Lovin’ Spoonful “Darling Be Home Soon” (2/11/1967) 1 Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” (2/28/1967) 1 The Youngbloods “Get Together” (3/25/1967) 2 The Young Rascals “Groovin’” (4/21/1967) 1 The 5th Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (6/3/1967) 2 Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys “Different Drum” (6/30/1967) 1 Otis Redding “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” (1/8/1968) 1 Loretta Lynn “Fist City” (2/24/1968) 1 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown “Fire” (6/26/1968) 2 The Band “The Weight” (8/8/1968) 2 The Rolling Stones “Street Fighting Man” (8/31/1968) 1 Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (9/20/1968) 1 Steppenwolf “Magic Carpet Ride” (10/5/1968) 1 Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1/18/1969) 1 Tommy James & the Shondells “Crystal Blue Persuasion” (2/1/1969) 2 The Edwin Hawkins Singers with Dorothy Combs Morrison “Oh Happy Day” (4/26/1969) 1 Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (5/2/1969) 2 Elvis Presley “Suspicious Minds” (8/26/1969) 1 Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (10/22/1969) 1 Diana Ross “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (6/19/1970) 2 Black Sabbath “Paranoid” (8/7/1970) 2 The Grateful Dead “Truckin’” (11/1/1970) 2 Janis Joplin “Mercedes Benz” (1/30/1971) 1 Alice Cooper “I’m Eighteen” (2/20/1971) 2 The Rolling Stones “Moonlight Mile” (4/23/1971) 1 Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (5/31/1971) 1 Joni Mitchell “Carey” (6/22/1971) 1 T-Rex “Get It On (Bang a Gong)” (7/2/1971) 2 The Staple Singers “Respect Yourself” (10/2/1971) 1 The Hollies “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” (10/8/1971) 2 Yes “Roundabout” (11/30/1971) 2 Jackson Browne “Doctor My Eyes” (1/31/1972) 2 Todd Rundgren “Hello It’s Me” (2/28/1972) 2 Deep Purple “Smoke on the Water” (March 1972) 2 Elton John “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Gonna Be a Long Time)” (4/14/1972) 2 The Temptations “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (7/27/1972) 2 Jimmy Cliff “The Harder They Come” (July 1972) 1 The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” (8/19/1972) 2 Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1/19/1973) 2 The Allman Brothers Band “Ramblin’ Man” (8/17/1973) 1 Gladys Knight & the Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia” (8/25/1973) 1 Daryl Hall & John Oates “She’s Gone” (11/3/1973) 2 Redbone “Come and Get Your Love” (1/5/1974) 2 Gordon Lightfoot “Sundown” (2/2/1974) 2 The Hues Corporation “Rock the Boat” (5/4/1974) 1 10cc “I’m Not in Love” (4/19/1975) 2 Aerosmith “Walk This Way” (4/30/1975) 1 Roxy Music “Love Is the Drug” (9/30/1975) 2 Thin Lizzy “The Boys Are Back in Town” (4/17/1976) 2 Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle” (5/26/1976) 2 Stevie Wonder “Love’s in Need of Love Today” (9/28/1976) 1 Al Stewart “Year of the Cat” (10/9/1976) 2 Heart “Barracuda” (5/14/1977) 2 Carly Simon “Nobody Does It Better” (7/15/1977) 2 Elvis Costello “The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes” (7/22/1977) 1 Steely Dan “Deacon Blues” (10/15/1977) 1 Steely Dan “Peg” (10/15/1977) 2 The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl” (6/6/1978) 2 Blondie “Heart of Glass” (9/16/1978) 1 Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (10/28/1978) 2 Earth, Wind & Fire “September” (11/17/1978) 2 The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (12/23/1978) 2 Elvis Costello “Accidents Will Happen” (1/5/1979) 2 Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (4/1/1979) 2 Chic “Good Times” (6/4/1979) 2 AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (7/27/1979) 2 Gary Numan “Cars” (8/21/1979) 2 Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (11/23/1979) 1 The Clash “London Calling” (12/7/1979) 1 Donna Summer “On the Radio” (1/4/1980) 2 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “Bad Reputation” (5/17/1980) 2 Blondie “Rapture” (11/30/1980) 2 The Neville Brothers “Brother John/Iko Iko” (April 1981) 1 Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (7/31/1981) 2 Merle Haggard “Big City” (10/31/1981) 1 Joe Jackson “Steppin’ Out” (7/17/1982) 2 Talking Heads “Burning Down the House” (6/1/1983) 2 Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (10/14/1983) 1 Huey Lewis & the News “The Power of Love” (6/28/1985) 2 John (Cougar) Mellencamp “Small Town” (8/5/1985) 2 Keith Richards “Take It So Hard’ (10/3/1988) 2 Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” (3/21/1989) 1 Pet Shop Boys “Being Boring” (10/22/1990) 2 R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (2/19/1991) 1 Sheryl Crow “If It Makes You Happy” (8/31/1996) 2 Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations Marc Myers (November 2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press: New York, NY. Marc Myers (12/6/2022). Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Grove Press: New York, NY. First posted 8/6/2023.

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Song Inductees (October 2020)

Originally posted 10/22/2020. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog on January 22, 2019, Dave’s Music Database launched its own Hall of Fame. This is the eighth set of song inductees. They come from the DMDB list of the top 100 classic rock songs of all time. The top 30 songs on that list were ranked based on overall DMDB points and the resulting top ten from that sort are being inducted. Excluded are previous inductees: The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968), Eagles “Hotel California” (1976), John Lennon “Imagine” (1971), Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975), and The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965).

Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1970) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

One of the great classic rock songs was inspired by Nizami, a twelfth-century Persian poet, who told the story of a love affair gone wrong in The Story of Layla and Majnun. HL In Eric Clapton’s version of the tale, the source of unrequited love was Patti Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison. Clapton never again sounded as tortured as he does here. Oh, and Nizami’s version missed a key ingredient of its musical counterpart — “the most recognizable guitar riff in history.” BBC Read more.

The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

The song that “positively dripped with sexual desire” CR was a fitting launch for the Doors and helped establish their frontman, Jim Morrison, as one of rock’s most legendary sex symbols. The song had more than just sex. Its blatant reference to drug use with the line “We couldn’t get much higher” got the band in trouble with the Ed Sullivan Show. The band had promised to replace the word “higher” when performing the song on a live television broadcast, but sang it anyway, getting them permanently banned from the show. AMG Read more.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Purple Haze” (1967) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

Rolling Stone credited “Purple Haze” with launching two musical revolutions – “late-Sixties psychedelia and the unprecedented genius of Jimi Hendrix.” RS500 It is “a three-minute blaze of overdubbed guitar sorcery” RS500 which sports “one of the unforgettable opening riffs in rock.” RS500 Q magazine rated it the top guitar song of all time. WK Read more.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (1968) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

Jimi Hendrix is largely credited with reinventing the electric guitar and his prowess is never more apparent than on his take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” “Raging and climactic where Dylan’s had been soft-paced and relaxed,” AMG Hendrix’s version pulls off the rare feat of giving the world a cover that outdoes its original source. After hearing Hendrix tackle it, “you can’t imagine it...any other way.” BBC Dylan admitted that in his subsequent performances of the song, he strove to emulate Hendrix’s version. RS500 Read more.

Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (1969) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

“Whole Lotta Love” can be traced back to Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love,” a song he wrote in 1962 for Muddy Waters. British rock band The Small Faces covered the song on their debut album. Future Led Zep members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant saw them perform it WK and eventually added it their own repertoire. In 2014, a BBC radio listeners’ poll rated “Whole Lotta Love” as having the greatest guitar riff of all time. WK The song was also rated in the top 5 on similar lists from Q magazine and VH1. WK Read more.

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

“Dazed and Confused” was the centerpiece of Led Zeppelin’s early live performances SJ but when they tired of it, the group set about creating another anthem. Little did they know that they would birth the song against which “all epic anthems must measure themselves.” RS500 The song consistently tops classic rock radio best-of lists, has received more airplay than any other song in the history of FM radio, KN and sold over a million copies of sheet music. WK For all its accomplishments, “Heaven” was never released as a single. Atlantic Records pushed for one, but the band refused to edit the song down from its eight-minute running time. WK Read more.

Lynyrd Skynyrd “Sweet Home Alabama” (1974) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

This ode to the state of Alabama was written by three non-natives. Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington both hailed from Jacksonville, Florida, while Ed King was born in Glendale, California. According to Rossington, they came up with the tune while waiting for the rest of the band to get to rehearsal. WK It was written as an ode to Southern pride in response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” songs implying that American Southerners were “racist and stuck in the past.” SF Read more.

Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (1979) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

In Pink Floyd’s early years, they released some successful singles in the UK, but gradually became much better known as an album act. With their 1979 album, The Wall, Pink Floyd undertook their most ambitious endeavor yet, crafting a double album built around the concept of alienation. To everyone’s surprise, the band opted to promote the album with their first single in eleven years. TB Singer/songwriter and bassist Roger Waters’ “vicious attack on teachers…inspired by the cruelty of his own schoolmasters” RS500 went on to shock everyone even more by going all the way to #1. Read more.

Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” (1975) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

Springsteen took six months to write TB and 3 ½ to record RS500 his bonafide classic. The song underwent fifty pages of fine-tuning in his notebook TB as he crafted his tale of the ficticious Wendy KN and the “young lovers on the highways of New Jersey.” RS500 It became The Boss’ signature song – an anthem to rebellion and an ode to the musical giants who shaped him. Read more.

Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild” (1968) Inducted October 2020 as “Top Classic Rock Song.”

Dennis Edmonton, who was a former member of Sparrow and the brother of Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton wrote the song under the pseudonym Mars Bonfire. AMG Inspired by a motorcycle poster with the slogan “Born to Ride,” he crafted this classic with the phrase “heavy metal” describing the roar of a motorcycle. TB The song achieved iconic status when Dennis Hopper used it for the film Easy Rider. RS500 It perfectly captured the movie’s “spirit of rebelliousness and freedom.” CR Read more.

Today in Music (1967): The Doors hit #1 with “Light My Fire”

Light My Fire The Doors

Writer(s): John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison (see lyrics here) Released: April 1967 First Charted: May 27, 1967 Peak: 13 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 1 CL, 7 UK, 2 CN, 16 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, -- UK, 1.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 71.65 video, 305.65 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The song that “positively dripped with sexual desire” TC was a fitting launch for the Doors and, with “Jim Morrison’s beauty, akin to that of Michelangelo’s David,” TB established the band’s frontman as one of rock’s most legendary sex symbols. Morrison was the band’s chief songwriter, but “Light My Fire” emerged after he challenged the rest of the band to come up with material. SS According to keyboardist Ray Manzarek, Jim said at a band rehearsal, “Everyone go home this weekend and write at least one song.” MM Guitarist Robby Krieger responded with the first song he ever wrote. He said the melody was inspired by “Hey Joe” by the Leaves and the idea of writing about fire came from the Rolling Stones’ “Play with Fire.” MM Krieger also got help from the band in writing the song. He explained, “Ray had the idea for the opening part, which was the real hook. Jim helped me out on some of the lyrics...and the beat was John [Densmore]’s idea.” FB The song had more than just sex. Its blatant reference to drug use with the line “We couldn’t get much higher” got the band in trouble with the Ed Sullivan Show. The band had promised to replace the word “higher” when performing the song on a live television broadcast, but sang it anyway, getting them permanently banned from the show. AMG The group wasn’t thinking of the song as a single when they created the version that runs near seven minutes on LP. FB The Doors knew how to “extend songs to satisfy LSD-fueled crowds on the dance floor.” MM It is “the only one a sane person would play.” RC However, it was whittled down to less than three minutes for radio consumption – a move which meant stripping it of “all of the instrumental breaks which are the heart of the song.” RC “Manzarek’s manic organ runs particularly prominent” TB and Larry Knechtel, who played the opening chords on the legendary “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Byrds, played bass. SS After the song hit #1, though, many radio stations opted for the longer version, which today remains mainstay of album rock radio. FB Proving its power beyond the psychedelic and sexual revolutions of the sixties with which the song became synonymous, AMG the song also garnered José Feliciano a Grammy in 1969 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance of his flamenco version of the song. More than two decades later, when Oliver Stone’s 1991 film biopic The Doors WK rekindled interest in the band, the song trounced its original #49 peak on the UK charts by landing all the way up at #7. The UK also gave Amii Stewart a #5 hit with the song in 1979 and Will Young took it to #1 in 2002. Resources: AMG All Music Guide review by Lindsay Planer FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 227. RC Rod Couch (2015). The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015. Page 32. TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 848. MM Marc Myers (2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press: New York, NY. Pages 81-5. RS500 Rolling Stone (4/7/2011). “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 484-5. TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 90. WK Wikipedia Related Links: Last updated 4/28/2024.