Top 10 Essential Harry Chapin Songs

Photo and design: Brian Kachejian

Some articles are harder to write than others for various reasons. Writing about Harry Chapin is difficult because it felt like we had lost a family member when he passed away. Harry Chapin was incredibly loved not just because of his music but because of his humanity. When we say the world would be different if Harry Chapin had not passed away, we mean it literally.

While I never knew Harry Chapin personally, I knew many people who did. Harry Chapin was always described as relentless in his work and goals. There were two sides to Harry. On one side, he was a poet, songwriter, musician, and entertainer. The other side was the humanitarian. While many artists have donated their time and money to charitable causes, not many have spent as much time helping others as Harry Chapin did. Defeating hunger was his leading cause, and he worked continuously to end the needs of the hungry until the day he died.

The first concert I ever saw was Harry Chapin at Long Island, New York’s Smithtown High School West. It was 1975, and Harry Chapin was at the top of his game. Chapin enjoyed worldwide success with his hit single “Cats in the Cradle.” The song hit number one on the Billboard and Cashbox Hot 100 charts a year earlier. Yet, here he was, playing at a high school unaccompanied by other musicians: his voice, his guitar, and his stories. Stories are told both in his songs and his introductions. Harry Chapin was funny, charming, and one hundred percent genuine. He received standing ovations throughout the night because he was so good.

Harry Chapin defined the art of storytelling in songs. While the early 1970s yielded other great musical storytellers like Jim Croce, Billy Joel, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and of course, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin took storytelling in songs to a level of his own. Every album he released had tales of sorrow, love, heroism, and hope. Our Top 10 Harry Chapin Songs list defines some of the Harry Chapin Songs his fans talked about the most. These are the songs that I remember everyone arguing about, and they were his best. It’s always subjective, but this one is also pretty emotional. Thanks, Harry!

# 10 – What Made America Famous

We start our Top 10 Harry Chapin songs list with the excellent track “What Made America Famous.” The song was released on Harry Chapin’s Verities & Balderdash album. The record was released in 1974 and has been regarded as the most successful album of Harry Chapin’s career from an economic and artistic standpoint. The song “What Made America Famous” is powerful with profound emotional social commentary. I used to cry every time I listened to this song. In one song, Harry Chapin said it all. Take a listen, and you will understand.

# 9 – Sniper

The Harry Chapin song “Sniper” was the opening track on Harry Chapin’s second album entitled Sniper & Other Love Songs. The album was released in 1972. Songs like “Sniper,” which ran close to 10 minutes, established Harry Chapin as a musical storyteller. Many of Harry Chapin’s pieces were based on true stories with some artistic license usually added. Describing the songs’ stories here would detract from the joy of listening to them. We aim to turn people on to the music, not define it. The songs speak for themselves. This is Harry Chapin, the storyteller.

# 8 – The Mayor Of Candor Lied

Harry Chapin’s album On The Road To Kingdom Come was released in 1976. The album featured powerful melodies, great production, and brilliant and entertaining stories. When I first began writing this list, I chose the title track from the album because it’s an exceptionally well-written song with a beautiful melody.

However, the dark, minor chords and haunting chorus of “The Mayor Of Candor Lied” screamed out to be mentioned in this list. When the song reaches the mid-section break, one can’t help but realize that this was a masterpiece. Songs like this need to be played and resurrected.

# 7 – Bummer

Harry Chapin’s Portrait Gallery album was released in 1975. It was the follow-up to his career-changing album Verities & Balderdash, which featured his number one record “Cats In The Cradle.” The track “Cats in the Cradle” was a once-in-a-lifetime song. Having to follow up a single like that for most artists would drive them insane. However, Harry did what he always did best: he released another album of songs full of stories showcasing tales of reality and fiction, all bathed in the concepts of morality and fate. Our favorite track from the album Portrait Gallery was the stunning story of “Bummer.”

# 6 – 30,000 Pounds of Bananas

If there ever was a Harry Chapin concert favorite, it was his legendary song “30,000 Pounds of Bananas.” Whenever someone mentions the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, I always instantly begin singing this song. I can’t hear the words Scranton, Pennsylvania, and not think of this great track. I don’t think I’m the only one. The song was released on the Verities & Balderdash album in 1974.

# 5 – Mr. Tanner (Live Version 1975)

While Harry Chapin performed many shows alone with his guitar, he also performed concerts with outstanding musicians. His band was showcased to the entire world on his stunning 1975 live album Greatest Stories Live. One of the highlights of the fantastic live record was Harry Chapin’s live version of his classic song “Mr Tanner.” Harry Chapin’s bass player, Big John Wallace, was also a vocalist. Wallace’s vocal performance as Mr Tanner throughout the song was worthy of a Grammy Award. It’s a spellbinding moment that defines “Mr. Tanner Live” as one of the best Harry Chapin songs ever released.

# 4 – A Better Place To Be

Many of Harry Chapin’s stories centered on central issues of social change and concepts of morality and mortality. However, many of his greatest moments on record featured songs written about a particular place on a personal level. Harry Chapin’s “A Better Place To Be” is the perfect example of a story depicted in a private setting taking place within one small moment in time. The song was released on Harry Chapin’s Sniper and Other Love Songs album in 1972.

# 3 – WOLD

The last three Harry Chapin songs on this list have always been personal favorites of Harry Chapin fans. The songs were also commercial successes. The song “WOLD” may not have been as successful as “Cats in the Cradle” or even “Taxi,” but it was an incredible fan favorite. The song was released on the Harry Chapin album Short Stories in 1973. It was released as a single and reached the Billboard Top 40, peaking at number 37. It can be argued that without the success of the single “WOLD,” the song “Cats in the Cradle” may not have found the audience it did.

# 2 – Cats In The Cradle

Any man or woman who grew up as a kid in the 1970s and became a father or mother in the 80s or 90s was haunted by this song. None of us wanted to become the father in “Cat’s in the Cradle.” So we all made sure to coach our sons’ or daughters’ sports teams. We became scout leaders. We made sure to turn off the television when our children walked into the room. We made sure to take time off to spend with our kids. Every time we started to ignore the children, we heard Harry’s voice, slapped ourselves in the face, and picked our kids up. Thanks, Harry; this one probably really did save some lives.

# 1 – Taxi

“Taxi” was the Harry Chapin song that everyone loved. The song’s tale of lost love was the ultimate “one that got away” story. It was a sad tale. One could not help but feel sorry for the taxi driver. Like “Cats in the Cradle,” it was a song of warning. Yet, despite the tale of lost love and sorrow, the song had a certain beauty. It’s hard to pinpoint why we all fell so in love with this song. The song’s story was captivating, entertaining, and, in a way, mesmerizing. The music had a dreamlike quality that told us this was just a story, but be careful that it doesn’t happen to you. That, in essence, seemed to be Harry Chapin’s universal message throughout his career.

Harry Chapin’s artistic side echoed his humanitarian side; he wanted to help people, whether starving for food or love. Harry Chapin set out to help the lonely, and in the process, he balanced his work between helping those starving for affection and those who were actually starving.

In 1981, we all lost a great artist, but even more tragically, we lost a great man. This article started out as just a Top 10 Harry Chapin songs list, but while writing it, I could not help but be affected by his legacy and the powerful message in his music and his work. It’s been 39 years since we lost Harry Chapin. It’s up to his fans to continue spreading his music and his message. More to come…….