Photo: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our top 10 Bryan Ferry Songs list looks at the Bryan Ferry songs released during the solo career of the former leader of the legendary band Roxy Music. Born in 1945, Bryan Ferry is an elegant pop-rock figure from Durham, England, known for his amazing talent not only in England but globally. The songwriter and musician has been active in the music industry since 1967. Bryan Ferry’s prominence in the music industry came when he was the lead artist and songwriter of Roxy Music, a reputable art-rock band. He would later commence his journey in a solo career while still a Roxy Music member in 1973.
# 10 – The Right Stuff
Released as the first single on his seventh album Bete Noire, the song “The Right Stuff” introduces us to the excellent musical skills of the music icon Bryan Ferry. Charming and classic, the song allows Bryan Ferry to offer his fans a hypnotizing vibe that not many artists can do. Thanks to Johnny Marr for his tremendous input to the song’s lyrics being featured as a songwriter in this incredible jam. From the instrumentals to the calming vocals of Bryan Ferry, everything about this song is classy, inviting pop-rock fans to seek out more of what the artist has to offer the world.
# 9 – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
What happens when a great artist gets to do a cover of a great song? Well, the answer is defined by what Bryan Ferry did with the song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” While there have been great covers of the song, Bryan Ferry’s vocals take this song to another arena of pleasure on this one. And more to that, the instrumental performances are so elegant making the overall performance phenomenal.
# 8 – Johnny And Mary
In the number eight spot on our top 10 Bryan Ferry songs list we turn to Bryan Ferry’s legendary cover version of Robert Palmer’s great song “Johnny and Mary,” which was originally released in 1980. This is a radically different interpretation of the song. It was done in collaboration with producer Todd Terje. The recording was released in 2014 on the Todd Terje album entitled It’s About Time.
# 7 – Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was originally recorded by The Shirelles. Featured on Bryan Ferry’s eighth album Taxi, this recording is an absolutely mesmerizing rendition of a classic musical gem. Syncing his emotions to the song’s lyrics, you can almost feel the pain in his vocals which spills nothing but love and hurt emotions. While many artists have done covers of this song, Bryan Ferry’s recording remains one of the best.
# 6 – I Put a Spell on You
Most of Bryan Ferry’s songs in his solo career were mostly inspired by what other artists had done years ago. And you might love his touch to anything adding glamour in the most unexpected ways. Featured on his 1993 album Taxi, the song “I Put a Spell on You” is featured in the top 10 Bryan Ferry songs for his legendary performance on the song. Bryan Ferry ushers in a provocative version of this song making it the best cover of this ballad. Probably, his superb vocals have already put a spell on his fans for they will never get enough of Bryan Ferry!
# 5 – Kiss and Tell
Fitting every great song from Bryan Ferry on this top 10 Bryan Ferry songs list would not be a job done without tagging along with “Kiss and Tell.” Featured on his seventh album Bete Noire, the song “Kiss and Tell” feels to most of his fans as a response to Jerry Hall’s tell-all book about their relationship. To ensure that the song gathered quite some attention, a promotional video featuring model Denice Lewis, musicians Guy Pratt, and Chester Kamen, and Christine Keeler was made. The song broke into both the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard 100. The song was also featured in the film Bright Lights, Big City starring Michael J Fox.
#4 – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
It is with no doubt that Bryan Ferry’s solo jams were personal favorites inspired by legendary artists including Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, and The Rolling Stones. Featured on his 1973 album These Foolish Things, the song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is a Bob Dylan cover from the 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Notably, the lyrical structure of the ballad is modeled after the question-and-answer form of traditional hit songs, just like the original jam. You ought to love Bryan Ferry’s tonal variation and the amazing instrumental for the song.
# 3 – Let’s Stick Together
Ushering us to the top three songs by Bryan Ferry is the ballad “Let’s Stick Together”. The suave song brings quite some emotional vibe something that Bryan Ferry will never disappoint. And if you love the saxophone in a song, then this is the song to listen to. While rock and roll might have been born in the US, Bryan Ferry proves with this song why the UK was the best place where it was nurtured, at least from a British point of view.
# 2 – Don’t Stop the Dance
Featured on his 1985 six-album Boys and Girls, the song “Don’t Stop the Dance” is without a doubt a top song from Bryan Ferry that we can barely forget. This great recording was a huge hit on the eastern side of the Atlantic. It was a top 25 single on the UK Music Charts. The groove on this one stands as one of the best rhythmic tracks Bryan Ferry has ever released.
# 1 – Slave to Love
We close out our top 10 Bryan Ferry songs list with his classic recording entitled “Slave to Love.” The song was released on his album Boys and Girls. Released back in 1985, the ballad spent nine straight weeks on the UK Singles charts, peaking at number ten. You ought to love the great work done by Keith Scott and Neil Hubbard on the lead guitar, Tony Levin on the bass guitar, Fletcher on the keyboard, and Omar Hakim on the drums. Crowing the ballad with his touch is Bryan Ferry’s magical voice that brings back romance wrapped in emotional singing.
Updated March 18, 2024