Photo: Heinrich Klaffs [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Beatles were not the only supergroup in classic rock history that Billy Preston performed with. The Rolling Stones used Billy Preston on most of their 1970s albums, from Exile On Main Street to Black and Blue. Billy Preston opened for The Rolling Stones in 1973. In 1973 and 1974, Billy Preston found his greatest success as a solo artist with two number-one songs: “Nothing from Nothing” and “Will It Go Round in Circles.”
Our list of the top 10 Billy Preston songs showcases some of the best material that Billy Preston released in his solo albums.
# 10 – I’ve Got The Spirit
There is no better way to open up our top 10 Billy Preston songs list than with a track that just bleeds soulfulness. The arrangement, the singing, the keyboard playing, the groove, it’s all there! The song was released on the self-titled album Billy Preston in 1976. The song opens with the Tower of Power section, setting it up for Billy Preston’s silky, soulful vocals. The Tower of Power Horn Section was comprised of Greg Adams on flugelhorn and trumpet, Emilio Castillo on tenor saxophone, Mic Gillette playing flugelhorn, trumpet, and piccolo, Steve Kupka on baritone saxophone, and Lenny Pickett also on tenor saxophone.
# 9 – Do It While You Can
The excellent track “Do It While You Can” was released on the album It’s My Pleasure
. The album was released in 1975. The album featured some rock and roll legends backing up Billy Preston on some tracks, including an appearance by George Harrison billed as “Hari Georgeson.” Stevie Wonder played harmonica on two tracks, including the one featured here.
# 8 – Bad Case of Ego
Listening back to all these classic Billy Preston albums, it became apparent that composing a list of the top 10 Billy Preston songs would be a monumental task. This track, “Bad Case of Ego,” also featured the legendary Jeff Beck playing a sweet guitar lick towards the song’s end. The song “Bad Case of Ego” opened up side two of the classic Billy Preston
album released in 1976.
Read More: Top 10 Jeff Beck Songs
# 7 – Pressin’ On
“Pressin’ On” is another soul-infused grooving track taken from the album Pressin’ On, released in 1982. Pressin’ On would be Billy Preston’s final album he recorded for Motown Records. It’s one of those forgotten gems that never received much airplay or notoriety. Yet it’s a killer track that never even made it to CD. Benny Medina, Billy Preston, and Kerry Ashby composed the song.
# 6 – Space Race
The killer instrumental “Space Race” was released on the 1973 album Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music. The song hit number four on the U.S. Billboard Pop Charts and number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts. It was used on the television show American Bandstand. “Space Race” was the sequel to his earlier number one record, “Outa-Space.”
# 5 – With You I’m Born Again
While many hardcore Billy Preston fans may not have been happy with the commercialization of the song “With You I’m Born Again,” there’s no denying the song’s mass-cultural popularity from the United States to the United Kingdom when it was first released. The song was released on the soundtrack to the motion picture film Fast Break
in 1979. The movie featured Gabe Kaplan, who we all loved as Mr. Kotter from the television show Welcome Back, Kotter
.
# 4 – Outa-Space
This great jamming piece was released on the album I Wrote a Simple Song
. The album was released in 1971. The song was initially released as a B-side to the song “I Wrote A Simple Song.” However, it was one of those cases in which the B-side became more popular than the A-side. Furthermore, the popularity of “Outa-Space” earned Billy Preston the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1973 Grammy Awards.
# 3 – Will It Go Round in Circles
These last three songs are such classic tunes in popular music history that it’s tough to write anything about them that has not already been said. “Will It Go Round in Circles” was released on the album Music Is My Life, which was released in 1972. The Billy Preston song “Will It Go Round in Circles” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, which was Billy Preston’s first number one song of his career.
# 2 – You Are So Beautiful
Most people associate this wonderful song with Joe Cocker. The Mad Englishman had a huge hit with it. However, many fans do not realize that Billy Preston wrote the song with Bruce Fisher. Supposedly, Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys lent a hand to the composition but was never given any writing credit. Both Joe Cocker and Billy Preston released their recordings of the song in 1974.
# 1 – Nothing from Nothing
As we complete our top 10 Billy Preston songs list, we turn to perhaps his most memorable song outside of “You Are So Beautiful.” If you were alive in 1974, you wouldn’t go a day without hearing this great track on AM or FM radio. The song hit number one in 1974 and stayed on the charts for four months. What is also fascinating about “Nothing from Nothing” is that it was the first song ever performed live by a musical artist (Billy Preston) on Saturday Night Live
. It’s one of those songs with such a great groove and memorable melody that you can’t stop singing it.
The song “Nothing from Nothing” had an almost jingle-like quality. In fact, General Motors used it in 2002 for some of their car commercials. Nonetheless, Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” was an easy choice for our number one spot on this top 10 Billy Preston songs list.
Updated August 17, 2026.
Top 10 Billy Preston Songs article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
Interesting background information of the songs on this list – Thank you for publishing.
I have a very (very) early Billy Preston LP in my vinyl collection, titled “Organ Transplant”, which states “Arranged by Sly Stone” on the cover (Interesting cover art, by the way), which is primarily instrumental, but nonetheless a very good album.
Just wondering if CRH or other readers have heard of it, or also own it, and if it is considered rare.