Top 10 Heart Songs

Photo: United States Military Concert [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Heart Songs list looks at a band that emerged in the mid-1970s and became one of the most loved rock bands ever. If you were a teenage rock fan in the nineteen seventies, the odds were that you loved bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones. Those bands were huge and completely dominated the airwaves and concert halls. However, those bands also debuted in the nineteen sixties and had already developed a classic catalog of albums by the mid-nineteen seventies. In 1976, the band Heart released their debut album, Dreamboat Annie. With the release of their first single, “Magic Man,” the band became an instant commercial success.

If historians wish to list the classic rock bands that were born in the heart (no pun intended) of the nineteen seventies, Heart should be ranked close to the top. So many of the bands ranked high on the all-time classic rock band list have their roots in the nineteen sixties. Heart was a genuine 1970s band. Their legacy spans four decades and includes drastic lineup changes, radical musical stylistic variations, and multiple record labels. However, in the end, it has always been about the work of Ann and Nancy Wilson. The two musicians have significantly contributed to pop culture. This list attempts to define some of the best Heart Songs of the band’s illustrious career.

# 10 – How Can I Refuse

Starting the top 10 list of the best Heart Songs is an excellent piece of music released on the 1983 Passion Works Album. Heart’s “How Can I Refuse” was the first single released from the Passion Works LP. The Passion Works album featured a new rhythm section featuring bassist Mark Andes and former Sammy Hagar band drummer Danny Camassi. The new section delivered a more complex and darker sound to the band and fueled the potent edge that resonated throughout the record. Although the song “How Can I Refuse” only reached No. 44 on the Billboard pop charts, it did reach No.1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts.

# 9 – Raised on You

Heart’s “Raised on You,” is possibly the least known Heart composition on the top 10 best Heart Songs list. The song was released on the 1980 Bebe le Strange LP. The song “Raised on You” featured the very soulful vocals of Nancy Wilson. It is the first of two songs on the top 10 list that feature Nancy Wilson’s lead vocals. Standing alongside her sister Ann, who is easily the most outstanding female rock vocalist of all time, is no easy task. However, Nancy herself was also an excellent rock singer. Nancy’s phrasing in her vocal performances delivered earnest emotional nuances that resonated with Heart fans and were so warmly received. One cannot help but believe every word she sings when listening to Nancy.

# 8 – City’s Burning

The song “City’s Burning” was released on the Heart album entitled Private Audition. The album was initially released in June 1982. Throughout the 1990s, the album Private Audition became the rarest Heart album to be found on CD. It was out of print for a very long time and often sold for over $100 on auction sites. The song “City’s Burning” was the opening track on the LP. The song also became one of the earliest Heart Songs to receive heavy rotation on MTV.

# 7 – Dog and Butterfly

Any Heart fan would easily agree that the sounds of Led Zeppelin heavily influenced the band. Ann and Nancy would eventually confirm Led Zeppelin’s inspiration in interviews. More noticeable was the band’s choice to record their cover versions of Led Zeppelin classics like “Rock and Roll, The Battle of Evermore, and Misty Mountain Hop.” Both bands delivered soaring, riff-oriented heavy rock and roll.

Those songs would always be matched on albums with acoustic, tender love songs delivered with first-hand guitar work, beautiful melodic lines, profound lyrical ideas, and incredibly passionate vocals. Heart’s “Dog and Butterfly” is one of Heart’s most beautiful, tender acoustic ballads that defined the late 1970s Heart sound and is an easy choice to be represented in the top 10 Best Heart Songs list.

# 6 – Even it Up

The song “Even It Up” was the first and last Heart record to feature the legendary Tower of Power horn section. The album was commercially successful, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Album charts in 1980. The album stayed on the charts for over six months in the early 1980s. Heart’s “Even It Up” should be defined as one of the most enjoyable Heart songs ever released. The songs’ groove-infused rhythm, matched by Ann and Nancy’s delightful harmonies, made for a killer track that became one of the band’s best recordings.

# 5 – Alone

Heart’s song “Alone” was released on the Heart album Bad Animals. The song is easily the most commercial-sounding of all the Heart songs on our top 10 Heart Songs list. However, Ann’s vocals on the track are mesmerizing and rank among the best of her career. As much as Heart’s reputation was based on killer songs and hooks, they would have never attained the success they achieved without Ann’s killer vocal chops. The album Bad Animals delivered a nice collection of songs that featured Ann’s incredible vocal talent. The song “Alone” quickly stood as the best track on the Bad Animals LP.

# 4 – These Dreams

When Heart changed record companies in the mid-1980s and signed with Capitol Records, their look and sound changed dramatically. One of the main reasons their sound was altered entirely was that Capitol Records utilized outside songwriters to supply the band with material to record. Many older Heart fans were turned off by the material, which was written by industry songwriters who were pretty much sanctioned to write “pop hits.” The old Heart sound was gone, replaced by slick, top-40-oriented rock and pop songs. One of the best songs that came out of that time period was recorded with Nancy Wilson on the lead vocal.

Released on the 1986 Heart album, the song “These Dreams” has become an all-time favorite among Heart fans of all eras. The song was written by Martin Page and Elton John’s longtime lyricist, the legendary Bernie Taupin. It is simply astonishing to watch the video for “These Dreams” and see how dramatically different the band looked in 1987 compared to 1977. Watch the video for “These Dreams,” and then take a look at the video for “Barracuda.” However dramatic the change of look and sound was, it was undeniably commercially successful. Heart’s “These Dreams” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts in 1986.

# 3 – Magic Man

Heart’s “Magic Man” was the song that introduced the world to Heart. The song was released in 1976 as a single off their debut album Dreamboat Annie. As a sixteen-year-old at the time, I remember hearing the song on the radio, which stood out as incredibly fresh and original. It was the sound of those opening guitar notes that made you drop anything you were doing at the time. Once Ann began to sing, all time and space disappeared for the next three minutes. It was simply a stunning debut that has never grown old or tired. It may not be their most popular song, but it is their most essential because it was the song that broke the band on an international level.

# 2 – Crazy On You

The fabulous Heart song “Crazy on You” was released on Heart’s debut album Dreamboat Annie in 1976. No other song better defined Heart’s signature sound of the blending of acoustic and electric styles like Heart’s song, “Crazy on You.” Nancy’s excellent acoustic guitar opening leads into a dynamic electric guitar riff followed by a sweeping acoustic strum. Ann’s killer vocal delivered one of rock and roll’s most endearing song lyrics. Like other Heart songs, such as “Magic Man” and “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You” has become ingrained in popular culture and stands as one of the band’s most essential songs.

# 1- Barracuda

Heart scored a significant hit with the single “Magic Man” from their debut album. So, there was great anticipation for their follow-up LP. The band did not disappoint their fans. In 1977, Heart released their second LP entitled Little Queen. The album featured the song chosen as the No. 1 song on the Top 10 Best Heart Songs list. Heart’s “Barracuda” defined the Heart sound with one of the most iconic guitar riffs in rock and roll history. This song has spanned generations and is probably their most well-known composition. It has been used in many films and television shows, ranging from The Sopranos to NBC’s Chuck. Younger generations of fans learned the song through its use in countless video games, including the once-very-popular Rock Star game.

The song became the center of controversy during the 2006 Presidential campaign when Ann Wilson objected to Sarah Palin’s use of the song” Barracuda” to represent Palin’s personality, which had been defined in many circles as a Barracuda.

Regardless of political controversies, film and television placements, and video game use, the song has been chosen to top the list simply because it’s their best work and one of the greatest songs written and performed during the classic rock era.