Top 10 Songs From The Animals

Photo: Heinrich Klaffs [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Our Top 10 Songs from The Animals looks back at a band that influenced so many rock artists in classic rock history. Like so many great classic rock bands that emerged in the 1960s, such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, The Animals’ early records were full of cover songs. The Animals’ first album was released in 1964, simply titled The Animals. Their first album featured Eric Burdon on vocals, Alan Price on keyboards, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Chas Chandler on bass, and John Steel on drums. The same lineup was featured on the band’s next American release, entitled The Animals on Tour.

The album was released in 1965. Although the album mentioned touring, it was not a live album.

The Animals released the album Animal Tracks in 1965. Once again, the album mixed cover songs with originals by Eric Burdon and Alan Price, including Eric Burdon’s “For Miss Caulker.” The album Animalization was released in 1966. On the album, keyboardist Dave Rowberry replaced Alan Price. Like their previous album, it mixed covers with Eric Burdon originals, including songs co-written with Rowberry. By this time, the original lineup had already begun to change, with Barry Jenkins replacing John Steel on drums during 1966. The Animals disbanded in September 1966. A new band, Eric Burdon and The Animals, would form with Eric Burdon.

While the new band was forming, Eric Burdon released an album entitled Eric Is Here. The album featured only Eric Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins from the Animals lineup. It also featured the Horace Ott and Benny Golson Orchestras. The Eric Is Here album credited Eric Burdon and The Animals as the artists, even though it was clearly not the same band that had just released the previous albums together.

In 1967, Eric Burdon and The Animals released the album Winds Of Change. They could not have come up with a better title, since it was an entirely new band. The group was also headed in a completely different musical direction. This group was no longer releasing albums full of blues and rock covers. It was now a group writing most of their material and diving into the new world of psychedelic music. The band featured Eric Burdon on vocals, Vic Briggs on guitar, John Weider on guitar and violin, Danny McCulloch on bass, and Barry Jenkins on drums.

In 1968, the band Eric Burdon and The Animals released the album The Twain Shall Meet. Later that year, the band released the album Every One Of Us. In 1968, the band released the double album Love Is. The album also featured Andy Summers on guitar. In 1977, Andy Summers joined The Police with Sting and Stewart Copeland. Nonetheless, in 1968, Eric Burdon and The Animals released three albums. The Animals broke up again after releasing their third album in 1968. Fans of the original lineup were greatly rewarded when the five original members of the band, Eric Burdon, Alan Price, Hilton Valentine, Chas Chandler, and John Steel, reunited in 1977 to release a new album. The record was amusingly titled Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted.

In 1983, the five original members of The Animals, who had reunited in 1977, released one more album entitled Ark. After a tour, that reunion ended. Eric Burdon would continue releasing solo albums. Eric Burdon had also released albums with the band War throughout his career. His most recent solo studio album remains the critically acclaimed 2013 release ‘Til Your River Runs Dry.

Both versions of The Animals released so many great songs. The one commonality was always Eric Burdon. Here are 10 Animal songs we think anyone who has never heard of the band needs to hear.

# 10 – Talkin’ About You

We open our Top 10 Animals songs list with a track from the band’s first album. The great song “Talkin’ About You” was written by Ray Charles and placed as the last song on side one. The album, The Animals, was released in 1964. The band at the time featured Eric Burdon on vocals, Alan Price on keyboards and backing vocals, Hilton Valentine on guitar and backing vocals, Chas Chandler on bass and also backing vocals, and John Steel on drums.

Released in late summer 1964, the album showcased the band’s gritty, soulful R&B sound, which quickly captivated American audiences. The album features several R&B classics from iconic musicians such as Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and John Lee Hooker. It also includes the band’s number one hit, “House of the Rising Sun,” which initially appeared in a shortened radio-friendly version.

A month after its U.S. release, the British version of the album, also titled The Animals, debuted with a significantly different track list. This was the group’s first album released in their home country.

# 9 – I’m Crying

The Animals’ second album, The Animals On Tour, was released in 1965. With the exception of this one, every track on the album was a cover song. On “I’m Crying,” Eric Burdon and Alan Price were credited as the songwriters.

The Animals on Tour is The Animals’ second American studio album. It followed the band’s American debut and preceded Animal Tracks. The album includes a mix of material featuring two previously released singles, “I’m Crying” and “Boom Boom.” The rest of the album consists primarily of tracks left off the American version of their British debut album and unreleased tracks originally intended for the British version of Animal Tracks.

The band lineup on this album features Eric Burdon on vocals, Alan Price on keyboards, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Chas Chandler on bass, and John Steel on drums. Recorded between January 22 and November 16, 1964, the album spans 34:14 minutes and was produced by Mickie Most.

In terms of singles from The Animals on Tour, “I’m Crying” was released in September 1964, followed by “Boom Boom” in November 1964. This album is part of The Animals’ early U.S. discography, sandwiched between their self-titled debut album in 1964 and Animal Tracks later in 1965.

# 8 – White Houses

This song was released on the 1968 Eric Burdon and The Animals album Every One of Us. “White Houses” was the album’s opening track. It was also released as a single. The song was written by Eric Burdon. One of the album’s exciting additions was new member Zoot Money on Hammond organ and piano.

# 7 – Riverside Country

The very cool, slick blues tune was released on The Animals’ comeback album, Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, in 1977. It was an album filled with many cover songs, just like the band had started out doing. However, this slow, grooving track was an original Animals song written by Eric Burdon, Alan Price, Hilton Valentine, Chas Chandler, and John Steel. If we cover the entire history of the band, this is an important track that should not go unnoticed.

# 6 – Sky Pilot

If you were an artist releasing music of substance in the late 1960s, chances are you would not have ignored the Vietnam War. Every major artist of the 1960s, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and especially Creedence Clearwater, and Bob Dylan, was writing protest songs in one form or another. The song was released on the Eric Burdon and the Animals album entitled The Twain Shall Meet. The album was released in 1968. “Sky Pilot” became one of the most essential anti-Vietnam War protest songs of the 1960s. What happened to today’s artists? Everyone seems too scared to write anything of protest.

# 5 – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

While the first five songs on this list may have only been known by hardcore Animals fans, the following five songs became ingrained in pop culture. It starts with the classic Animals song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” The song was released on the album Animal Tracks in 1965. The formal songwriting credits are Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, and Sol Marcus, with Horace Ott credited as arranger. It was initially written for Nina Simone. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” has been covered by many artists. Nonetheless, in our opinion, the definitive version belongs to The Animals.

# 4 – Don’t Bring Me Down

The Animals’ classic track, “Don’t Bring Me Down,” was released on the Animalization album in 1966. The song was released as a single and hit number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was written by the legendary songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

# 3 – It’s My Life

The following three classic rock songs are almost interchangeable in their order of importance. These songs defined a rock-and-roll era we will never have again. The Animals’ song “It’s My Life” was released as a single in 1965. Roger Atkins and Carl D’Errico wrote the song. It was not a massive hit then, although it reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, over time, it has come to symbolize the meaning of classic in classic rock! What a bass line!

# 2 – House Of The Rising Sun

Most top 10 lists featuring The Animals’ songs will always have this one at number one. It was the band’s biggest hit and the most popular song they ever released. It’s an iconic cover of an old folk song, so old that no one knows who wrote it. The song went to number one in the United Kingdom and the United States. “House of the Rising Sun” has been covered by many artists, but no one has hit it as much as The Animals did.

# 1 – We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Rock and roll has always been about rebellion. Without rebellion, there would be no rock and roll. The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” is the ultimate testament to rebellion. It is why we have chosen this song over “House of the Rising Sun” as the number one choice on our top 10 Animals songs list. Undoubtedly, this song was influential on the careers of many rock and roll stars that emerged in the 1970s. It was not The Animals’ biggest hit, but in the end, it was the most essential recording they ever released.