Our top 10 Black Stone Cherry songs list presents the music of an American classic rock outfit esteemed for its blend of hard rock, heavy metal, and post-grunge. Established in 2001, Black Stone Cherry attracted the attention of major record labels in 2003 after issuing its self-released demo recording Rock N’ Roll Tape. Thanks to the moving performances that impacted to band’s listeners, Black Stone Cherry earned quite a cult following even before striking a recording contract with any label and/or making a major release.
Eventually, the band secured a recording contract with Roadrunners Records, a label once home to outstanding bands like Kiss, Annihilator, Korn, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Soulfly, and Megadeth. The band went ahead to issue four albums (which are by far its most definitive releases) through Roadrunner Records. Its last three albums, which are a result of the band’s endured influence in the twenty-first-century rock scene, have been issued through Mascot Records.
The quartet lost the services of its bassist, Jon Lawhon, after two decades of playing music together. Steve Jewell is the current bassist of the band having taken over the role in 2021. Over the years, Black Stone Cherry has proved to be a force to reckon with in the hard rock, heavy metal, and post-grunge scene. Like 3 Doors Down, Shinedown, and Saliva, Black Stone Cherry has also heavily incorporated heavily Southern rock influences in its music following in the footsteps of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band’s drummer John Fred Young is the son of Richard Young of The Kentucky Headhunters, a band whose album, Electric Barnyard made it to our 1991’s Best Rock Albums list.
Black Stone Cherry’s Breakthrough and Album Releases
Guided by their sheer passion for rock music and a rich musical background, the quartet started its musical pursuits in 2001 playing music in clubs. Even before Black Stone Cherry solidified its professional musical path and sound, its demo releases earned the band a cult following. Thanks to its growing fame in Kentucky, Black Stone Cherry earned a recording deal from Roadrunner Records where the band issued its eponymous debut studio album in 2006.
Black Stone Cherry was a pretty solid release rising to the ninetieth spot on the Billboard 200. The album achieved mainstream acclaim in the UK earning the band silver certification by BPI. Of course, this impressive recording hasn’t been the band’s best-performing album on the charts. However, its definitive blend of hard rock, heavy metal, and Southern rock sounds awards it a higher status than most of the band’s recordings.
“Lonely Train,” “Hell and High Water,” and “Rain Wizard” have been cited by many as the best Black Stone Cherry songs from the album. However, ardent fans of the band extend this album’s ‘best song’ catalog with extra favorite deep cuts such as “Backwoods Gold” and “Shooting Star.” The album also harbors Black Stone Cherry’s cover of the hit “Shapes of Things” by The Yardbirds.
In August 2008, Black Stone Cherry released its sophomore studio album, Folklore and Superstition. Unlike the band’s eponymous debut studio album, Folklore and Superstition saw Black Stone Cherry tinge its songs with post-grunge elements. In this album, Black Stone Cherry worked with Bob Marlette as the producer. Bob has also worked with other reputable artists including Alice Cooper, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozzy Osbourne, Atreyu, Sebastian Bach, and Seether.
Folklore and Superstition performed better on the mainstream juxtaposed with its predecessor. The album earned a top spot of number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200, rising to number twenty-three on the UK Albums Chart. Like Black Stone Cherry, Folklore and Superstition earned silver certification from BPI, showing Black Stone Cherry’s consistent mainstream and commercial success in the UK. “Blind Man,” “Things My Father Said,” “Please Come In,” and “Soulcreek” are the most popular songs by Black Stone Cherry from the album.
When Florida George Line broke into the country scene in 2012, one of the incredible hits from the duo’s debut album Here’s to the Good Times is “Stay.” This emotive hit is an impressive cut off Black Stone Cherry’s third studio album Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. While it is Florida George Line who reaped big with this Platinum-certified cover hit, “Stay” is just an emblematic representation of the band’s effort to write classic emotive hits that inspired other musicians.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea went ahead to crown 2012 a successful year for Black Stone Cherry, earning the band its first Gold-certified LP in the UK. The album peaked at position twenty-nine on the Billboard 200, rising to the thirteenth spot on the UK Albums Chart. Grammy Award-winning producer Howard Benson is the brains behind the remarkable production of hits on this album. Howard has also worked with other prominent artists including My Chemical Romance, Pretty Boy Floyd, Three Days Grace, Motörhead, and Daughtry.
“White Trash Millionaire,” “In My Blood,” “Blame It on the Boom Boom,” and “Like I Roll” are the best Black Stone Cherry songs from the album. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is also home to Black Stone Cherry’s striking cover of the 1973 hit “Can’t You See” by The Marshall Tucker Band. The album’s hits “Won’t Let Go” and “Such a Shame” featured the guest vocals of Lzzy Hale of Halestorm.
Magic Mountain, issued in 2014, marked Black Stone Cherry’s fourth studio album. Roadrunner Records invested quite some quality on this album with production handled by Evil Joe Barresi. Barresi has an impressive career as a producer working with artists such as Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Judas Priest, and Avenged Sevenfold. While the album performed well on the mainstream, it failed to impress commercially. As a result, the band cut ties with Roadrunner Records. However, hits like “Me and Mary Jane,” “Peace Pipe,” and “Remember Me” stood out, thanks to their striking sound and overall quality.
After signing a recording contract with Mascot Records, the band issued its fifth studio album, Kentucky. Kentucky managed to rise to number forty on the Billboard 200, featuring some of the best Black Stone Cherry songs including “In Our Dreams,” “The Rambler,” “Cheaper to Drink Alone,” and “Soul Machine.” The album was quickly followed by the band’s first EP Black to Blues in 2017. Black to Blues featured Black Stone Cherry’s covers of songs by Freddie King, Willie Dixon, Albert King, and Muddy Waters.
In a struggle to remain relevant in the music scene, Black Stone Cherry issued its sixth studio album, Family Tree. Family Tree went on to become the band’s last album to ever grace the Billboard 200 featuring top musical gems including “Bad Habits,” “Burnin’,” and “Southern Fried Friday Night.” Black Stone Cherry would later issue its second EP, Black to Blues, Vol. 2 in 2019.
As the world struggled with the Covid pandemic in 2020, Black Stone Cherry pieced up its most recent recording The Human Condition. According to John Fred Young, The Human Condition was the perfect way to express the band’s experiences over the years. The album features the cover of the hit “Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra. Its deluxe edition features the band’s cover of Tracy Chapman’s hit “Give Me One.” Other musical gems from The Human Condition include “Again,” “Ringin In My Head,” and “In Love With The Pain.”
Black Stone Cherry’s Legacy
Since its establishment in the early 2000s, Black Stone Cherry remains one of the outstanding hard rock/heavy metal bands. Post-grunge and Southern rock influences on its hard rock/heavy metal sound have seen the band compared to other acts including Shinedown, Theory of a Deadman, and Stone Sour. However, Black Stone Cherry has maintained a unique style in its musical pursuits throughout its two decades in the music scene. Over the years the band has shared the stage with remarkable artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Theory of a Deadman, ZZ Top, Guns N’ Roses, Alter Bridge, Def Leppard, Motörhead, and Nickelback. Here we present the ten best Black Stone Cherry songs of all time.
#10 – Again
Ushering us to the top 10 Black Stone Cherry songs list is the phenomenal hit “Again.” The song is the brightest of all releases made on the band’s seventh and most recent album, The Human Condition. While the pandemic moment saw a number of artists shelve their musical pursuits, Black Stone Cherry chose otherwise. The band went on a mission to issue its most personal album.
“Again” is an emblematic hit reflective of the band’s ‘never-dying’ spirit. Slightly over twenty years since Black Stone Cherry was formed and the band continues to ooze pure talent rekindling the hard rock/heavy metal fire in our hearts with each of its releases. “Again” has its lyrics reference the phoenix, a mythological bird that incessantly rises to life from its ashes.
The song remains the most spiritual yet relevant song by Black Stone Cherry on The Human Condition. Black Stone Cherry’s members revealed that this hit is a reflection of the humans’ spirit to override all odds by rising up again after a blow to keep their dreams alive. “Again” is the band’s highest-charting hit on the Canada Rock Chart, peaking at number thirty-three. The song also made it to the seventeenth spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#9 – Please Come In
Folklore and Superstition was an impressive record, to say the least. However, the album lacked the same hard-hitting vibe felt with the band’s eponymous debut studio album. Its major selling proposition was its wonderfully composed songs finished with a touch of top-notch production from Bob Marlette. “Please Come In” is one of the fan-favorite hits by Black Stone Cherry from Folklore and Superstition. Tinged with a mild melancholic note, “Please Come In” has its lyrics alluding to getting one’s heartbroken but also rising to find a new soulmate.
The song brings the best of the band’s Southern rock sounds. However, Black Stone Cherry manages to feature elements of hard rock in this song bridging partially the sound gap between Folklore and Superstition and the band’s debut LP. “Please Come In” made it to the twenty-fourth spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#8 – In Our Dreams
Pure energy is all that the eighth pick of our ten best Black Stone Cherry songs list “In Our Dreams” delivers. Listening to Chris Robertson sings the opening line of this song you can tell the band is on a mission! After Chris gives a deep vocal delivery of the song’s first line in the first verse, our minds are blown away by an imposing instrumentation led by some killer guitar riffs.
A high-pitched pre-chorus adds glamour to this song’s overall feel. “In Our Dreams” rose on to become Kentucky’s most sought-after hit. While the song’s blistering performance comes second to none on the album, songs like “The Rambler,” “Soul Machine” and the country-tinged hit “Cheaper to Drink Alone” gave it a run for its money! However, “In Our Dreams” proved too powerful becoming the highest-charting hit from Kentucky. The song made it to number twenty-six on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#7 – Backwoods Gold
“Backwoods Gold” is not a new track to true fans of Black Stone Cherry! The song manages to grace the top ten Black Stone Cherry songs list thanks to its remarkable heaviness which is evocative of the band’s pure heavy metal/hard rock sounds. “Backwoods Gold” has its legacy built upon its impressive guitar riff that speaks volumes about the band’s love for hard-hitting songs, especially on its eponymous debut studio album.
The song never made it big on the mainstream charts like some other songs on the album such as “Hell and High Water” and “Lovely Train.” However, its remarkable heaviness helps it rank as one of the Black Stone Cherry’s deep cuts of all time. “Backwoods Gold” is one of the fan-favorite tracks that the band played live in 2011 at Rockpalast. Almost similar to “Backwoods Gold” in terms of heaviness, is the hard-hitting ballad “Shooting Stars” from the same album. It almost feels criminal not to have listed this jam as one of the best Black Stone Cherry songs on our list!
#6 – In My Blood
Number six on our top 10 Black Stone Cherry songs is the exceptional hit “In My Blood.” The song is featured on the band’s third studio album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. “In My Blood” brings to us one of Black Stone Cherry’s best blends of hard rock, post-grunge, and Southern rock sound elements. Drummer John Fred Young revealed that “In My Blood” was the last hit recorded for the album.
Despite being an ‘additional’ song to the album, “In My Blood” became one of the most revered songs off Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Thanks to its emotive and personal feel, this song gained quite a great reception in the mainstream. “In My Blood” alludes to how we all love to follow our dreams and passion but find it hard to walk past the door leaving our loved ones behind. The song made it to the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, peaking at number twenty-four.
#5 – Rain Wizard
We return to the band’s eponymous debut studio album which is home to “Rain Wizard,” the fifth pick of our ten best Black Stone Cherry songs. “Rain Wizard” is a classic rock ballad that brings the best of the band’s pure hard rock sound. The song was issued as the third single by the band with its lyrics alluding to a mysterious man who could ‘make it rain’ during the dry seasons. “Rain Wizard” is yet another song Black Stone Cherry performed in 2011 at Rockpalast. The song rose to a peak position of number twenty-nine on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#4 – Blind Man
“Blind Man” is yet another impressive cut off the band’s sophomore album Folklore and Superstition. The song finds the band exploring a heavier Southern rock sound evocative of influence from bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. “Blind Man” has Black Stone Cherry blending Southern rock sounds with strong hard rock riffs. Chris’ vocals on this hit reach a new high, thanks to his incredible raspy delivery.
“Blind Man” is among the songs that expose Black Stone Cherry’s strong musicianship. A driving tempo and killer guitar riffs are most memorable elements of this hit! The song made it to the nineteenth spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#3 – Me and Mary Jane
The third pick of our ten best Black Stone Cherry songs list is the electrifying “Me and Mary Jane.” “Me and Mary Jane” is the most brilliant release off the band’s fourth studio album Magic Mountain. Lead vocalist Chris cleared the doubt about this song’s meaning citing it to be alluding to ‘the herb’ — marijuana.
In this song’s lyrics, the band references Lynyrd Skynyrd, one of its earliest influences. “Me and Mary Jane” has its accompanying music video directed by Mason Dixon who has worked with other reputable artists including Jason Aldean, Jana Kramer, and Jake Owen. The song managed to rise to a peak position of number sixteen on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
#2 – White Trash Millionaire
“White Trash Millionaires” is the most sought-after hit by Black Stone Cherry from the album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. The band’s drummer Young revealed that the song alluded to a Trans Am that Black Stone Cherry’s lead vocalist Chris possesses. “White Trash Millionaire” features some cocky lyrics which Young cites to be a representation of “the band members being themselves.” The song rose to the eleventh spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. “White Trash Millionaire” also made it to the Billboard Rock Songs Chart, peaking at number forty-nine.
#1 – Lonely Train
Number one on our top 10 Black Stone Cherry songs list is the rip-roaring hit “Lovely Train.” The song was issued as the debut single by the band off its eponymous debut studio album. “Lonely Train” is the first song by the band to showcase the band’s Southern rock influences on its hard rock sound. While the band has issued lots of impressive hits, very few can match the impact made by “Lonely Train,” the band’s signature song.
The song became Black Stone Cherry’s first song to hit the charts, peaking at the fourteenth spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. “Lonely Train” has its lyrics allude to the band members’ friends who served in the military. The song was adopted as the theme song for The Great American Bash PPV in 2006.
Feature Photo: © Markus Felix | PushingPixels (contact me), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Black Stone Cherry Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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