Top 10 Hot Tuna Songs

Photo: Grunt Records [Public domain]

As a teenager growing up in the 1970s, some of the coolest concerts I ever attended were Hot Tuna shows on Long Island. If one wanted to define 1970s culture or at least get a sense of what it was like growing up as a teenager into rock music, all they would have to do is go back in time to attend a Hot Tuna concert. Sure, The Grateful Dead concerts were an experience themselves, but a Hot Tuna concert was a little more unique and much more intimate.

Some of the longest-running concerts I have ever attended were Hot Tuna performances at the Commack Arena in the heart of Long Island, New York. Hot Tuna had a large audience on Long Island in the 1970s. Southern rock and music like The Grateful Dead were huge on Long Island. The Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, and Neil Young were consistently played on car radios and turntables in the Long Island suburbs in the 1970s. Of course, those bands were popular nationwide, but many people do not realize they were also very popular in the suburbs of the Northeastern cities of the United States.

Our top 10 Hot Tuna songs list looks at a band that was too often regarded just as an offshoot of Jefferson Airplane. Yes, they were initially formed as a side band by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, who were members of Jefferson Airplane in the 1960s. They formed into something more potent than just a side band and have now been together for more than 55 years. Hot Tuna was a legend in their own making. Hot Tuna delivered some of the most organic rock music of all time. Listen to these great Hot Tuna songs, and you will understand what we are talking about.

# 10 – Highway Song

“Highway Song” by Hot Tuna marks its place not just as a track on their third album and first studio album, Burgers, but as the opening song on our list of the top 10 Hot Tuna songs. Released in 1972, Burgers represents a critical juncture in Hot Tuna’s evolution from their roots as a side project of Jefferson Airplane members to a standalone name in American blues and rock. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and produced by Jorma Kaukonen, “Highway Song” embodies the band’s blend of blues, folk, and rock elements, driven by Kaukonen’s intricate guitar work and Jack Casady’s deep, melodic bass lines. David Crosby also contributed vocals to the track.

# 9 – I See The Light

“I See The Light” stands out as a pivotal track on Hot Tuna’s 1974 album, The Phosphorescent Rat. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and produced by Mallory Earl, this Jorma Kaukonen composition marks a significant evolution in Hot Tuna’s musical journey, moving from their earlier acoustic sets to a more robust electric sound.

# 8 – Angel Of Darkness

“Angel of Darkness” is the most recent Hot Tuna song to make this top 10 Hot Tuna song list. The song was released as the opening track on the band’s 2011 album Steady As She Goes. It was only the second studio album the band had released since 1976 and the first since 1990’s Pair A Dice Found, a gap of 21 years. Larry Campbell and Jorma Kaukonen co-wrote “Angel of Darkness,” and Campbell produced the album at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Steady As She Goes remains Hot Tuna’s most recent studio album.

# 7 – Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning

“Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” by Hot Tuna is a compelling rendition of a traditional gospel-blues song associated with Reverend Gary Davis that has been a staple in their live performances since the early days of their career. This track, which appears on their 1971 live album First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, showcases the band’s deep roots in American blues and folk music. Recorded live at the Chateau Liberté in Los Gatos, California, the song captures the raw energy and mastery of Jorma Kaukonen’s guitar playing and Jack Casady’s bass performance, underpinned by the spirited drumming of Sammy Piazza.

# 6 – Sunrise Dance with the Devil

“Sunrise Dance with the Devil” is a track from Hot Tuna’s 1975 album Yellow Fever, released in November of that year. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, the album blends blues rock and hard rock and reflects the band’s versatility and depth as it explores heavier musical territory. Yellow Fever was produced by Hot Tuna and Mallory Earl and continued the harder-edged direction the band had established on America’s Choice.

# 5 – Know You Rider

Live At New Orleans House Berkeley, CA 9/69 by Hot Tuna

“Know You Rider,” also known as “I Know You Rider,” is a standout track from Hot Tuna’s Live at New Orleans House: Berkeley, CA 09/69 album. Released in April 2010, this album captures a live performance from September 1969 at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, California. The traditional song showcases the raw acoustic blues prowess of Jorma Kaukonen on guitar and vocals, Jack Casady on bass guitar, and Will Scarlett on harmonica.

# 4 – Hit Single #1

“Hit Single #1,” from Hot Tuna’s fifth album America’s Choice, exemplifies a significant transformation in the band’s musical direction. Recorded between September and October 1974 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and released in May 1975, the album showcases the band’s shift toward a harder rock style, significantly influenced by the addition of drummer Bob Steeler. This move to a power-trio format marked the beginning of what the band referred to as the “Rampage” trilogy, which includes the subsequent albums Yellow Fever and Hoppkorv. Written by Jorma Kaukonen, “Hit Single #1” was produced as part of the album by Hot Tuna and Mallory Earl.

# 3 – True Religion

“True Religion” from Hot Tuna’s 1972 album Burgers captures the band’s acoustic roots intertwined with deep blues influences. This track stands out as an evocative blend of traditional blues and folk themes, driven by Jorma Kaukonen’s intricate fingerstyle guitar playing and soulful vocals. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and produced by Kaukonen, Burgers showcases Hot Tuna’s versatility in transitioning between electric and acoustic arrangements, with “True Religion” being a poignant example of their acoustic prowess.

# 2 – Hesitation Blues

“Hesitation Blues” is one of Hot Tuna’s most emblematic songs, exemplifying their ability to blend traditional blues with their own unique acoustic style. This traditional song appears prominently on their 1970 debut album, Hot Tuna, recorded live at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, California, in September 1969. The performance captures the raw, intimate atmosphere Hot Tuna is known for, particularly in their early years when they primarily focused on acoustic sets featuring Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and harmonica player Will Scarlett.

# 1 – TIE – Death Don’t Have No Mercy / Keep On Truckin’

This haunting song defines the blues aspect of Hot Tuna in its most compelling form. It’s hard to listen to and soothing at the same time. “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” was released on the band’s 1970 debut album entitled Hot Tuna. The song was not an original composition by the band; Reverend Gary Davis, the blind blues and gospel singer born in South Carolina in 1896, wrote it. “Keep On Truckin'” was released on the 1972 Burgers album and was written by Bob Carleton. It’s about as classic Hot Tuna as one can get.

Updated September 6, 2026.

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2 Comments

Pingback: 1976's Best Classic Rock Albums - ClassicRockHistory.com February 2, 2020
J L Trippe June 7, 2023

Thanks for putting this together. Grew up on classic rock in the mid to late 70s and 80s in the Midwest and am going back to read up on and listen to some music that I mostly missed being just a young boy in the 60s, earlier 70s.
- Brian Kachejian June 7, 2023
  
  Thanks for coming to the site my friend.