10 Best Cake Songs Ranked

Photo: Elizabeth78, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our 10 Best Cake Songs Ranked list takes a listen to 10 of the best Cake songs the band has released during their 30-plus years run. The band was first formed on the West Coast of the United States in Sacramento, California, in 1991. The band first signed with Capricorn Records and later with Columbia Records. Cake has released six studio albums and nineteen singles throughout their career. Our 10 Best Cake songs list takes a listen to what we believe are their 10 best.

# 10 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle

We open our list of Cake songs with the great song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle.” If you never heard of the band before, the first time you hear something like this, you’re thinking, wait a second, these guys sound like Lou Reed. And of course, as you continue to listen, the differences begin to shine through, and the band takes on its own unique sound. The song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle” was the band’s first single release. The song was released in 1993 on the album entitled Motorcade Of Generosity. This was a very limited release, as only 500 copies of the album were printed. But you could hear it right away, there was something original and special about this band.

# 9 – No Phone

Right off the bat, we just fell in love with this song. There’s just something in this groove, in the rhythm, in the sound that is completely captivating. These guys are so good. The song “No Phone” was released in 2004. The song was issued on the album Pressure Chief. This is the band’s fifth studio album. “No Phone” was actually a big hit in the United States on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Charts, peaking at number 13. It was also released as the album’s first single.

# 8 – Carbon Monoxide

Continuing with our Cake songs, we return to the great tune “Carbon Monoxide.” The band sounds like they’re from 1979 on this one. There is a very unique New Wave feel in the song’s groove and vocals. It sounds like we’ve heard this one before somewhere in the 70s, but we just can’t pinpoint it. The song was released as the follow-up single to “No Phone.” The song was taken from the album Pressure Chief. The song was written by John McCrea.

# 7 – Frank Sinatra

It’s pretty daring to write a song entitled “Frank Sinatra.” I’ll tell you this: if you’re going to use Frank Sinatra’s name in a song and, more significantly, in a song title, you better be careful how you use it. However, this song, named after Old Blue Eyes, uses Frank Sinatra’s name in a pretty insignificant way, except for one line that works well. It’s a pretty good song. And of course, by naming a song after Frank Sinatra, they will get a lot of people interested in listening to it. It worked on us!

# 6 – Long Time

In the number six spot on our Cake Songs list, we turn to this great song, “Long Time.” Despite the creepy puppet video(I hate Puppets even when they are animated) this song is completely addictive to listen too. There is a bit of a sort of punk Beatles vibe to it if that makes any sense to you. The song “Long Time” was released on the album Showroom of Compassion. The album was released in 2010. “Long Time” was issued as the second single from the album. The song failed to break into any of the main music charts.

# 5 – Jolene

At the halfway point on our Cake songs list, we go back to the band’s first album, entitled Motorcade Of Generosity. The song was released as the second single from the album in 1995. “Jolene” defines the band’s minimalist approach to song arranging. Electric guitars surround the lead vocal as trumpets dance in and out of the verse. It’s just a fun time. “Jolene” is an original song written by Cake. It has nothing to do with the classic Dolly Parton song. Listen to this one all the way through because it gets really interesting towards the end.

# 4 – Sick Of You

This one starts with a cool Rolling Stones groove that morphs into a Sugar Ray-style song, with a very cool Beatles-like bass and guitar lick between the verses. But it’s those trumpets that really lend a Herb Alpert sound that makes this band somewhat unique. They are pretty much a mix of everything, and that is abundantly clear on this song, “Sick Of You.” Good Stuff!

# 3 – Short Skirt/Long Jacket

When we first heard one of the people in this video who was listening to this song say, “I like this, I’ll take two,” we couldn’t stop laughing. Fans of the NBC show Chuck will recognize this one, as it served as the theme song for that great show, which ran for six seasons. The song “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” was released on the album Comfort Eagle. The album was released in 2001. It was issued as the first single from the album. The song became a top 10 hit on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay charts.

# 2 – The Distance

We love the way this band balances rap with 60s-style surf instrumental music. You just work so perfectly. If you’re listening to the song for the first time and hearing the rap at the beginning, the last thing you expect is that 60s guitar riff. Even though it’s a mix of everything that came before, it’s still rather unique and original. The song “The Distance” became one of the band’s biggest hits. The song “The Distance” was released on the band’s second album, entitled Fashion Nugget.

# 1 – Never There

We close our list of Cake songs with “Never There.” The song “Never There” was the band’s most successful single release. It became Cake’s only number one single. The song reached number one in 1998 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. It’s also the band’s only single release to break into the Billboard Top 100. “Never There” was released on the album Prolonging The Magic. This is a fun one to listen to and a great way to close out our list of Cake songs.

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