10 Most Rocking Peter Frampton Songs

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Peter Frampton is a rock and roll guitar player. That’s what he does and what he’s always done, so writing an article on the 10 most rocking Peter Frampton songs just makes sense—it’s rock and roll 101, just like Peter Frampton. I first discovered him in 1975 when one of my fellow high school students played a track from the Frampton album on the turntables of our school’s radio station, and there was something about that cool, organic sound that really spoke to me. A year later Frampton Comes Alive! turned him from a cult artist into one of the biggest stars in the world, but underneath the massive hits there was always a hard-rocking guitar player. Some of his later albums never received the attention they deserved, especially from fans who lost track of what he was doing in the 1990s and 2000s. Hopefully this list shines a light on some of those records and reminds everybody that Frampton never stopped rocking.

# 10 – Dig What I Say – Breaking All The Rules

“Dig What I Say” opens Peter Frampton’s 1981 album Breaking All the Rules with exactly the kind of hard-rock edge this list is about. Frampton’s official biography describes the album as being recorded almost completely live, and you can hear that energy in the track. John Regan handles the bass, Arthur Stead is on keyboards, and Jeff Porcaro drives the drums while Frampton tears into the guitars and vocal. The song has a tougher, less polished feel than the pop image that had surrounded Frampton a few years earlier. This is Peter Frampton sounding like a rock guitar player again, which is exactly where he belongs.

# 9 – It’s A Plain Shame – Frampton Comes Alive!

One of the challenges with a list like this is deciding whether to use the early studio versions or the live performances from Frampton Comes Alive!. Most of the time the live versions get the nod because that’s what rock and roll is all about—musicians feeding off a crowd and pushing a song harder than they did under the studio lights. “It’s a Plain Shame” first appeared on Frampton’s 1972 solo debut Wind of Change, but the 1976 live version is the one that really explodes. Frampton, Bob Mayo, Stanley Sheldon, and John Siomos take the song into a much hotter place onstage. Turn up the live version and you immediately understand why Frampton Comes Alive! changed everything for him.

# 8 – Cornerstones – Fingerprints

“Cornerstones” is one of the coolest tracks on Peter Frampton’s 2006 instrumental album Fingerprints. The record went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album, but this particular song already had enough history in the rhythm section to make any rock fan stop and listen. Bill Wyman plays bass and Charlie Watts plays drums, giving us a genuine Frampton-meets-the-Rolling-Stones moment. Frampton does not need a vocal here because his guitar says everything that needs to be said. “Cornerstones” is tasteful, tough, and a great reminder of just how expressive a player he is.

# 7 – Lying – Live In Detroit

“Lying” originally appeared on Peter Frampton’s 1986 album Premonition, but once again I am going with the live version. The performance featured on Live in Detroit was recorded at Pine Knob Music Theatre on July 17, 1999, with John Regan on bass, Chad Cromwell on drums, and Bob Mayo on keyboards and guitar. Frampton takes an already strong 1980s rocker and gives it more muscle onstage. The live band sounds tight without ever sounding boxed in, which is exactly what you want from Frampton. As with several songs on this list, the live version gets the nod.

# 6 – Solution – Thank You Mr. Churchill

“Solution” is a heavy-duty rocker that I am pretty sure a lot of old-school Peter Frampton fans never heard. That’s a shame, man, because his 2010 album Thank You Mr. Churchill rocks much harder than many people probably expected. Frampton produced the album with Chris Kimsey, and “Solution” gives him plenty of room to turn the guitars loose while still writing about something bigger than another love song. The track has real weight and urgency, but it never loses the melodic side that has always been part of Frampton’s music. If this one flew under your radar, crank it up and fix that.

# 5 – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Now

Prince got a tremendous amount of love for the solo he played on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and deservedly so, but Peter Frampton’s version is one of the most intense takes on the song I have ever heard. Frampton recorded it for his 2003 album Now, beginning with delicate guitar work before the band comes in and the whole thing takes off. George Harrison wrote one of the Beatles’ most respected songs, and Eric Clapton played the famous lead guitar on the original recording. That means Frampton is stepping into some serious guitar history here, and he does not back down for a second. If you have never heard Frampton play this song, check out the video below and turn it up.

# 4 – Where I Should Be (Monkey’s Song) – Where I Should Be

Oh boy, is this a killer guitar riff. The sound of Frampton’s guitar is so tight and loud in the mix that it will put a smile on your rock and roll face almost immediately. “Where I Should Be (Monkey’s Song)” came from the 1979 album Where I Should Be, which felt like Frampton leaning back toward a tougher rock-centered sound after I’m in You. The track has a great groove, a big guitar tone, and the kind of direct energy that works perfectly for a list like this. This is Frampton reminding everybody that underneath all the fame and pop-star noise, he was still a serious rock guitarist.

# 3 – (I’ll Give You) Money – Frampton Comes Alive!

“(I’ll Give You) Money” was already a strong rocker on Peter Frampton’s 1975 studio album Frampton, but the version on Frampton Comes Alive! takes it somewhere else. Bob Mayo, Stanley Sheldon, and John Siomos give Frampton a band that can follow every twist while he pushes the guitar harder and harder. The live recording turns the song into a fiery hard-rock workout loaded with riffs, solos, and that unmistakable concert energy. This is one of the tracks that proves the blockbuster album was about a lot more than the three giant radio hits. That’s what I’m talking about, baby.

# 2 – Day In The Sun – Frampton Comes Alive! II

“Day in the Sun” opens Frampton Comes Alive! II with Peter Frampton sounding like a man who still has plenty to prove. The song first appeared on his 1994 studio album Peter Frampton and was brought back to the stage when Frampton Comes Alive! II was recorded at the Fillmore in San Francisco on June 15, 1995. Bob Mayo, John Regan, and J.R. Robinson give Frampton a powerful band behind a song that mixes optimism with some serious guitar work. The whole point of the sequel was to spotlight his newer material instead of simply replaying the 1970s hits, and “Day in the Sun” makes that case immediately. Frampton was still writing great songs and still playing the hell out of the guitar.

# 1 – Do You Feel Like We Do – Frampton Comes Alive!

I wonder if Peter Frampton ever expected the 14-minute live version of “Do You Feel Like We Do” to become one of the recordings that defined his entire career. Frampton Comes Alive! transformed him from a cult rock and roll hero into a cultural icon, and this performance is the moment where you can hear exactly why. Frampton’s talk box solo creates that unbelievable connection with the crowd, but the song is much more than a gimmick because the band keeps shifting gears and exploding into one jam after another. Bob Mayo, Stanley Sheldon, and John Siomos help turn the performance into the kind of rock and roll rollercoaster that people went to concerts hoping to experience. You cannot write about the pop-culture history of the 1970s without mentioning this album, and you cannot make a list of Frampton’s most rocking songs without putting “Do You Feel Like We Do” at number one.