Top 10 Joan Baez Songs

Photo: Scherman, Rowland, U.S. Information Agency. Press and Publications Service. (ca. 1953 – ca. 1978), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Joan Baez songs list features 10 songs that define the spirit and career of a caring folk artist who fought for peace and social justice. Her career has been defined by her brilliant interpretation of songs. Her versions of many of Bob Dylan’s songs stand out as some of the finest recordings of Bob Dylan’s music ever laid down on vinyl. Additionally, she has also celebrated a glorious career as a songwriter. A career that has spanned over six decades. Her debut album was released in 1960. Since then, Joan Baez has released thirty studio albums. Our top 10 Joan Baez songs pick our favorites while making sure to include some of her most important recordings.

# 10 – Where Are You Now, My Son?

We open our Top 10 Joan Baez songs with a dramatic piece of music that is not just a song, but an epic, theatrical, news-worthy primary-source audio document of Joan Baez’s reaction to the Vietnam War. The piece “Where Are You Now, My Son?” closes out the Joan Baez album also entitled Where Are You Now, My Son? The piece documents Joan Baez’s 1972 trip to North Vietnam with human rights attorney Telford Taylor. In between parts of dialogue, Joan Baez sings and plays guitar while all havoc breaks out around her. It was recorded during a U.S. bombing of Hanoi in North Vietnam. The recording also showcases the voices of Barry Romo and Michael Allen. This is an important piece in understanding Joan Baez’s role in folk music’s response to the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement and sentiment in the United States among artists and many others in the 1960s.

# 9 – Stones In The Road

We jump many years ahead in time with this one. The 1990s were a very different time period from the 1960s. Once again, Joan Baez showcases her brilliant interpretive skills with her version of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s great song “Stones In The Road.” Joan Baez released her version as a single in 1992. It was released on the Joan Baez album Play Me Backwards.

# 8 – Blue Sky

Most artists don’t cover Allman Brothers Band songs because the Allman Brothers Band versions were so iconic and played so brilliantly that it almost seems moot to try. Nonetheless, Joan Baez took on the classic Dickey Betts song “Blue Sky” and hit a home run way over those peach trees. Joan Baez’s vocal on the track is simply outstanding, while the band of studio musicians on the record, including the great Larry Carlton, blows the track away. This is a stunning version of a classic, much-loved song.

# 7 – Silver Dagger

Continuing our top 10 Joan Baez songs list, we go all the way back to the legendary artist’s debut album, simply titled Joan Baez. The album was released in 1960. The record was a wonderful collection of traditional folk songs, recorded by Joan Baez with just an acoustic guitar and vocals. The song “Silver Dagger” was placed as the album’s opening track. For many music fans who bought the album in 1960 because of all the talk about her at the time, it would be their first Joan Baez song.

# 6 – O Brother!

At number six on this top 10 Joan Baez songs list, we present a great grooving Joan Baez song entitled “O Brother!” The song “O Brother!” was released on Joan Baez’s 1976 album titled Gulf Wind. The album served as the follow-up to her fabulous album Diamonds & Rust. Most of the songs on the Gulf Wind album were written by Joan Baez. The song “O Brother!” was sort of a reply to Bob Dylan’s famous song “Oh Sister!”

# 5 – We Shall Overcome

At the halfway point on our top 10 Joan Baez songs list, we present a song that defined the protest spirit of Joan Baez in so many ways. The traditional song “We Shall Overcome” will forever be associated with Joan Baez due to her amazing performance of it in the mid-1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement.

# 4 – Farewell, Angelina

One of Joan Baez’s most famous recordings was her single “Farewell Angelina.” The song would become a staple of Joan Baez’s concerts throughout her career. The song “Farewell Angelina” was written by Bob Dylan.

# 3 – There But For Fortune

As we begin to wind down our top 10 Joan Baez Songs list, we turn to her luminous version of Phil Ochs’ song “There But For Fortune.” Joan Baez recorded the song for her album Joan Baez/5. She released the song as a single in 1965. The song became a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. In the U.S., it peaked at number 50 on the Billboard top 100. Ten years later, in 1975, Joan Baez and Phil Ochs performed the song together in Central Park to celebrate the end of the Vietnam War.

# 2 – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

There have been many people who have recorded The Band’s classic song “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” but no one ever captured the spirit of the song like Joan Baez. The great Joan Baez version of Robbie Robertson’s Civil War song “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” was released the album Blessed Are… Joan Baez’s decision to record the classic Band song was a smart one. Her version of the song turned to the most successful recording and single release of her career. The song hit number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 10. It hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary charts making it her only number hit. The song also became her only record to go Gold.

# 1 – Diamonds & Rust

We close out our list of the top 10 Joan Baez songs with her beautiful, sad, poetic piece titled “Diamonds & Rust.” The song was written by Joan Baez about her relationship with Bob Dylan. While some were skeptical at first, Joan Baez has confirmed in many interviews that it was indeed about Bob Dylan. The song was released on the Diamonds & Rust album in 1975. The song was a top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number thirty-five. It performed even better on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary music chart, reaching as high as number five.