Top 10 Foghat Songs

Photo By Carl Lender [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Foghat Songs article presents the music of one of the most overlooked classic rock bands of the 1970s and beyond. We were delighted to see how many people responded to our Top 10 Foghat Albums article. It is easily one of the most viewed articles on ClassicRockHistory.com. Foghat has always been one of our staff’s favorite bands. Anyone who had seen the band during the 1970s and 1980s would understand that they were one of the most authentic and hard-working blues rock bands of the classic rock era. Foghat songs merged the authenticity of the blues with powerful rock and roll rhythms that defined the best of 1970s classic rock. In their heyday, the band was as popular in some regions of the United States as Led Zeppelin, Rush, and the Rolling Stones. In the late 1970s, they were one of the most popular rock bands in New York, especially in the suburbs of Long Island.

Even with the passing of original founding members Dave Peverett and Rod Price, the band continues to perform and release new music in the year 2016. We won’t go deep into the history of the band in this article like we did in our Top 10 Foghat Albums article, we will just talk about some of the great iconic songs that have become standard repertoire in the Foghat arsenal. It’s a shame that most young fans only know the band through the inclusion of “Slow Ride,” on the guitar hero video games. Foghat was a powerhouse. This article is intended to introduce those who do not know the band to some of the best Foghat Songs of the band’s career.

# 10 – Honey Hush

Starting our Top 10 Foghat Songs list is the live version of “Honey Hush.” The song initially appeared on their 1974 album Energized. We love the version released on Foghat’s greatest album Foghat Live in 1977. The live version is performed at breakneck speed and presents listeners with two separate ferocious guitar solos. Listen to Dave scat with the guitars at the end…unbelievable!

There is much confusion over the similarities between the song “Honey Hush” and “Train Kept A Rollin'” because the riffs are almost identical. Both songs were written by separate artists a few years apart. “Train Kept A Rollin'” came first. The song was written in 1951 by Tiny Bradshaw, Howard Kay, and Lois Mann. “Honey Hush” was written a couple of years later in 1953 by Big Joe Turner. The connection is the Johnny Burnette Trio’s recording of both songs in an almost identical arrangement and released as a double single in 1956. “Train Kept A Rollin'” became a classic rock staple in the 1960s and 70s because of the great cover versions recorded by The Yardbirds and Aerosmith.

# 9 – Burning the Midnight Oil

Coming in at No. 9 on our Top 10 Foghat Songs is one of the lesser-known Foghat Songs, “Burning the Midnight Oil.” That is unless you were a big Foghat fan back in 1976. The great track “Burning the Midnight Oil” was released on their phenomenal record Night Shift. One of the best opening riffs in their catalog. Dave’s vocal on this one is all killer. It’s one of the best vocals he ever laid down on tape. We miss you Dave!

# 8 – Third Time Lucky

The outlier on our Top 10 Foghat Songs list is their mid-tempo hit from 1979, “Third Time Lucky.” The release of “Third Time Lucky” demonstrated a departure for the band from their hard-driving blues rock sound. The song was written by Dave Peverett and released on their 1979 album Boogie Motel.

# 7 – Stone Blue

Foghat’s Stone Blue album closed out their successful 1970s run of hard-driving, crowd-pleasing material that helped the band develop a true Stone Blue loyal following. Our favorite track from the LP was the album’s title cut, “Stone Blue.” The album was Foghat’s seventh release. Eddie Kramer, who had previously worked as an engineer with Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, produced the album.

# 6 – Night Shift

Foghat’s Night Shift album was the follow-up record to their breakout Fool For The City record. It was an album that did not disappoint fans. Three of the top 10 Foghat Songs on this list stem from the great Night Shift album. Our choice here at No. 6 is the album’s title track “Night Shift.” The album was the first Foghat record to feature Craig MacGregor on bass. The album was produced by Dan Hartman who at one time was a member of the Edgar Winter Band.

# 5 – Chateau Lafitte 59

The killer track “Chateau Lafitte 59” has long been a favorite of die-hard Foghat fans. The song was the closing number on their 1974 Rock and Roll Outlaws album. It’s incredible that in three years, Foghat released five albums. In the 1970s, it was common that many bands had contracts that forced the artists to release an album every six months. With that in mind, it’s incredible that artists like Foghat could constantly tour and release albums of great substance at such a quick rate of release.

Read More: Top 10 Foghat Albums

# 4 – I Just Want To Make Love To You (Live)

Like so many Foghat classics, there are live and studio versions that the band released at various times during their career. We have sometimes chosen the studio versions to appear on our Top 10 Foghat Songs list. However, in this case, there is no doubt that the live version of “I Just Want To Make Love To You” is our choice. It’s another great release from the phenomenal Foghat Live album of 1977.

Read More: Top 10 Foghat Album Covers

# 3 – Fool For The City

While we love the live version of this song, the studio version of “Fool For The City” is simply perfect. “Fool for the City” was the opening track of their breakout 1975 album Fool For the City. Lead singer Dave Peverett wrote the song. It was the second single released from the album after the massive success of the record’s first single, “Slow Ride.” Throughout their tours in the mid-seventies, Foghat would open most shows with “Fool For The City.” The Fool for the City album would be the band’s first platinum-selling album.

# 2 – Driving Wheel

Fans could not have asked for a stronger follow-up to “Slow Ride” than what they received with “Driving Wheel.” Foghat’s signature dual guitar licks hit you like a 100 mph Chapman fastball. This is the definition of a power riff. Killer vocals, solos, and production make this one stand out. The song “Driving Wheel” has been heavily featured in multiple video games, including Grand Theft Auto and various NASCAR games. The song “Driving Wheel” was written by Lonesome Dave Peverett and Rod Price. It was the opening song on the band’s 1977 album Night Shift. The album featured the lineup of Dave Peverett on lead vocals and guitar, Rod Price on guitars, Roger Earl on drums, and Craig MacGregor on bass.

# 1 – Slow Ride

Fool For The City (180 Gram Emerald Green Audiophile Vinyl/Limited Anniversary Edition)

Our choice for the number one song on our top 10 Foghat Songs list is their all-time classic rock hit “Slow Ride.” The sound of Roger Earl’s kick drum starts this legendary piece in a rock and roll moment for the ages. That Rod Pirce guitar riff is soon met by Nick Jamerson’s sliding bass fill that explodes in glorious fashion as Dave Peverestt shouts out those words “Slow Ride.” It’s just all so beautiful.

The song closed out one of rock music’s all-time great album sides that also featured “Fool for the City,” “My Babe,” and “Slow Ride,” which stands easily as their most famous song. We would have loved to have chosen an alternate and been different from all other lists, but we couldn’t do it. The Fool For The City album featured Dave Peverett on lead vocals and guitar, Rod Price on guitars, Roger Earl on drums, and Nick Jameson on bass. “Slow Ride” was composed by Dave Peverett.