Our Dave Matthews Band Albums Ranked list looks back at the career of one of the most loved bands of the past thirty years. Taking a page out of the Grateful Dead playbook, the Dave Matthews Band created a loyal following from constant touring and creating a concert atmosphere that merged the spirit of the 1960s with a 90s attitude that was perfect for music fans looking for something other than grunge. Interestingly, they attracted a young audience looking for their own bands to celebrate while also piquing the interest of older rock fans that loved the band’s musicianship and sound that seemed very much inspired by bands like The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. While the Grateful Dead and other 60s and 70s jazz rock groups like Return To Forever and The Mahavishnu Orchestra were the godfathers of extended jams, the Dave Matthews Band are often referred to as the group that really inspired the 90s jam band movement.
We first saw the Dave Matthews Band back in 1994 opening the Horde Festival at Jones Beach Amphitheater in New York. The festival featured the Allman Brothers Band as the headliners along with Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and The Monsters. The Dave Matthews Band were the first band on at 3:30 in the afternoon, Still relatively unknown, they completely captivated the audience. It was real easy to see that the band was special. It wasn’t long before there debut album also released in 1994 would break big time.
There are not many groups in classic rock history that can generate a loyal fan base like the Dave Matthews Band. Equally interesting is that there fans base is made u of both male and female fans. At the band’s height of newfound popularity that fan base was also fueled by mostly college aged kids. An age in which these type of kids are most definitely looking for the concert experiences of unity and fun among themselves. A Dave Matthews Band concert has always been a communal experience in similar fashion to many of the Grateful Dead concerts of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Dave Matthews Band have released nine studio albums so far since their debut album entitled Under the Table and Dreaming was released in 1994. The band’s most recent studio album entitled Come Tomorrow was released in 2018. Since the Dave Matthews Band is such a communal band, everyone has their favorite Dave Matthews Band album. It’s not as easy to rank albums from a band like Dave Matthews Band because each record is equally as important as the next. Yet we rank them just for fun as if we had no choice but to choose which Dave Matthews Band album would be the one would we keep if we had to just pick just one. And then down the line it goes as we are allowed to add more to our desert island collection. Can you dig it?
# 9 – Come Tomorrow
We open up top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List with the band’s most recent album entitled Come Tomorrow. Recent is a relative term as the album was released over three years ago as of this writing in 2021. Still, it’s the band’s most recent release and the Dave Matthews Band album that we have spent the least amount of time with and it just makes sense to open up the list with this album. It’s amazing that after twenty five years the band was still releasing albums that would hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. Come Tomorrow would be the band’s seventh number one album release in a row that started with Before These Crowded Streets in 1998. Standout tracks from this great album included “Can’t Stop,” “Virginia in the Rain,” and “That Girl Is You.”
Come Tomorrow Album Track Listing
Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)
Can’t Stop
Here on Out
That Girl Is You
She
Idea Of You
Virginia in the Rain
Again and Again
bkdkdkdd
Black and Blue Bird
Come on Come On
Do You Remember
Come Tomorrow
When I’m Weary
# 8 – Stand Up
In the number eight spot on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List we present the grooving album entitled Stand Up. The band changed directions a bit on this one adding a little bit of soul and funk to their groove with the addition of new producer Mark Batson. The album was released in 2005. Like so many of the band’s album releases the Stand Up album hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. There was a mixed reaction by fans over this album as some liked the groups change in feel while others longed for the return of producer Steve Lillywhite.
Stand Up Album Track Listing
Dreamgirl
Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)
Stand Up (For It)
American Baby Intro
American Baby
Smooth Rider
Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives)
Out of My Hands
Hello Again
Louisiana Bayou
Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd
You Might Die Trying
Hunger for the Great Light
# 7 – Busted Stuff
In the number seven position on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List is the brilliant album entitled Busted Stuff. The album was released in 2002. Busted Stuff was an album that had its origins in what was called the The Lillywhite Sessions. The album hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. It was another successful release by the band as it sold over two million copies. It was the first time the band released an album where they has no guest musicians play on the album. Some of the standout tracks on this amazing record were “Grey Street””Where Are You Going,” and the spectacular title track “Busted Stuff.”
Busted Stuff Album Track Listing
Busted Stuff
Grey Street
Where Are You Going
You Never Know
Captain
Raven
Grace Is Gone
Kit Kat Jam
Digging a Ditch
Big Eyed Fish
Bartender
# 6 – Away from the World
Landing in the number six spot on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums we present the album entitled Away from the World. We wonder what makes a band release and album cover like the group did with this one. We get the point, but at least in our opinion it’s just one of the covers that is not enjoyable to look at while your listening to the music. Nonetheless, the album itself and the music contained on the record was simply outstanding as the band just continued to release legendary rock and roll records.
The Away from the World album was released in 2012. It featured the return of the band 1990s producer Steve Lillywhite who most definitely had an effect on the sound of the record. The band had grown by this time as the record feature musicians Dave Matthews on guitar and vocals, Stefan Lessard on bass, Tim Reynolds on guitar, Carter Beauford on drums, Jeff Coffin on saxophone and flute, Boyd Tinsley on electric violin and Rashawn Ross on trumpet.
The Away from the World album hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. It was the Dave Matthews Band sixth straight number one album on the Billboard Top 200.
Away from the World Album Track Listing
Broken Things
Belly Belly Nice
Mercy
Gaucho
Sweet
The Riff
Belly Full
If Only
Rooftop
Snow Outside
Drunken Soldier
# 5 – Everyday
At the halfway point on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List is the album entitled Everyday. The band’s fourth album featured all the songs on the record written by Dave Matthews and Glen Ballard who had gained incredible fame for his work as co-writer of all the Alanis Morissette songs on the great Alanis Morissette debut album. The Dave Matthews band album Everyday was the band’s fourth album release. The album was released in 2001. The album hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. Everyday featured a guest appearance by Carlos Santana on the track “Mother Father.” Other standout tracks on the album included “I Did It” “When the World Ends” and “The Space Between.”
Everyday Album Track Listing
I Did It
When the World Ends
The Space Between
Dreams of Our Fathers
So Right
If I Had It All
What You Are
Angel
Fool to Think
Sleep to Dream Her
Mother Father
Everyday
# 4 -Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
At the number four spot on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List we present the tremendous album entitled Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Talk about some spectacular songs on a Dave Matthews Band album. This one had some of the best tracks the group ever recorded like “Funny the Way It Is” “Lying in the Hands of God” and “Why I Am.” The Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King album was released in 2009. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King would become the fourth straight Dave Matthews album to hit number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King Album Track Listing
Grux
Shake Me Like a Monkey
Funny the Way It Is
Lying in the Hands of God
Why I Am
Dive In
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Squirm
Alligator Pie
Seven
Time Bomb
Baby Blue
You & Me
# 3 – Before These Crowded Streets
There are a lot of fans that would choose the Dave Matthews Band album Before These Crowded Streets as their favourite Dave Matthews Band album. It’s hard to argue against them. It’s one of our favorites too. It’s just an amazing record and it stands as one of the best albums of the 1990s with songs such as “Don’t Drink the Water,” “Crush,” and “Stay (Wasting Time)” But so does the next two albums on our Dave Matthews Band albums lists in our opinion. The Before These Crowded Streets album was released in 1998. Before These Crowded Streets would become the first Dave Matthews Band album to hit number one the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.
The band on the album featured Dave Matthews on vocals and guitar, Stefan Lessard on bass guitar, Carter Beauford on drums, LeRoi Moore on saxophone and Boyd Tinsley on acoustic violin. There were many great guest appearances on the album including Béla Fleck, the Kronos Quartet and two guest appearances by Alanis Morissette who at the time was probably the biggest female rock star in the world.
Before These Crowded Streets Album Track Listing
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
The Last Stop
Spoon
Don’t Drink The Water
Stay (Wasting Time)
Pig
Halloween
The Stone
Crush
The Dreaming Tree
# 2 – Crash
Just of the number one spot on our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List we showcase the marvelous album entitled Crash. Oh baby was this a great one. It was really tough to chooses between Crash and Under the Table and Dreaming. We picked the latter because it edged this one in sentiment but as far as songs go, they are pretty much equal. The album was released in 1996. You have to hand it to the band as they had made it really big with their debut album selling six million copies and peaking at number 11 on US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts, they seemed very much determined to make sure the success of their debut album was not a fluke or at least viewed as a fluke. This was a serious band and baby did they release a serious follow up album filled with mesmerizing songs.
From a commercial and charting standpoint, Crash was even more successful than their debut album. The Dave Matthews Band’s second album Crash sold 7 million copies making it their most successful album of all time based on sales. It’s sold 1 million more copies than their debut album. The album also just missed the number one spot on the Billboard top 200 album charts as it hit number two in 1996. There would be many more classic Dave Matthews Band songs that would become part of Dave Matthews Band concert Laura that respond from this album like “Tripping Billies,” and Two-Step. One of the all time greatest sophomore albums ever released.
Crash Album Track Listing
So Much to Say
Two Step
Crash into Me
Too Much
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Say Goodbye
Drive In, Drive Out
Let You Down
Lie in Our Graves
Cry Freedom
Tripping Billies
Proudest Monkey
# 1 – Under the Table and Dreaming
We wrap up our top 10 Dave Matthews Band Albums List with the phenomenal, album entitled Under the Table and Dreaming. This is a legendary album for many reasons. First and foremost in the the world of the Dave Matthews Band it stands as the group’s debut album. The Under the Table and Dreaming album was released in 1994. Secondly, it is by far the first album most original Dave Matthews Band fans purchased who got into the band early on. There’s a sentimentality to it and in music that matters a great deal. We listen to music with memories attached and you just can’t discount that. Of course that all comes from a subjective point of view.
From an objective perspective it’s a really great rock and roll record. It’s filled with brilliant songwriting, spectacular performances and songs that had such an original flair to them. Many of the tracks on the album like “What Would You Say,” “Ants Marching,” and “Satellite” would become concert staples for years and line the soundtracks of the lives of so many who grew up and came of age in the 1990s.
The bands dent albums featured the Dave Matthews band as Dave Matthews on vocals and guitar, Stefan Lessard on bass guitar, Carter Beauford on drums, LeRoi Moore on saxophones and flute and Boyd Tinsley on acoustic violin. While everyone seems aware that John Popper of Blues Traveler also performed in the album, few realize that The Doobie Brothers Michael McDonald also sang backing vocals on a few album tracks.
Under the Table and Dreaming Album Track Listing
The Best of What’s Around
What Would You Say
Satellite
Rhyme & Reason
Typical Situation
Dancing Nancies
Ants Marching
Lover Lay Down
Jimi Thing
Warehouse
Pay for What You Get
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All Album covers are Amazon Links where readers can purchase the albums.
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