Top 10 Jason Bonham Band Songs

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Our Top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs list presents ten of the best songs released by a band founded by the remarkable drummer Jason Bonham. Notably, Jason is the son of the late John Bonham, one of the founding members and drummer of the band Led Zeppelin. Mentored by his father at a tender age, Jason Bonham exhibited pure talent skillfully playing the drums (albeit on a scaled-down kit) at age five.

Jason Bonham honed his skills over the years joining his first band Airrace during his teenage years where he recorded one studio album in 1984. Airrace went ahead to open for big names in the rock scene including Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Queen, and Meat Loaf. Jason would later join Virginia Wolf featuring on the band’s two studio albums Virginia Wolf and Push, issued in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

In 1988, drummer Jason was featured in a televised Led Zeppelin reunion taking the slot of his late dad. Members of Led Zeppelin featured on the reunion included Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Robert Plant. Jason Bonham also featured on Jimmy Page’s 1988 solo studio album Outrider. In the same year, Jason Bonham formed a hard rock/heavy metal band, naming it Bonham. Like his father, Jason Bonham’s skills on the drum laid a rock-solid foundation for his band’s success.

From Bonham then Motherland to The Jason Bonham Band

In 1989, Jason’s band Bonham went ahead to issue its debut studio album The Disregard of Timekeeping. The album was issued by the band’s classic lineup consisting of drummer Jason Bonham, bassist/keyboardist John Smithson, guitarist Ian Hatton, and Canadian vocalist Daniel MacMaster. Other musicians featured on the album include bassist Trevor Rabin (formerly of Yes and Rabbitt), backing vocalist Duncan Faure, and harmonicist Jimmy Zavala (played with Rod Stewart, Etta James, Bon Jovi, and Tom Petty).

The Disregard of Timekeeping was produced by Bob Ezrin, a Canadian record producer known for his work with Kiss, Deep Purple, The Jayhawks, and Aerosmith. Bonham ushered in success with its debut album rising to the thirty-eighth spot on the Billboard 200. “Wait for You,” “Guilty,” “Bringing Me Down,” “Holding on Forever,” and “Just Another Day” are some of the best Bonham songs from the band’s debut studio album.

The band returned with its classic lineup in 1992 issuing its sophomore studio album Mad Hatter. Among technical personnel tasked with making Mad Hatter a success include record producer Ron Saint Germain (who worked with U2, Bad Brains, Jimi Hendrix, and Sonic Youth) and sound engineer Tony Platt (who worked with Foreigner, AC/DC, Motorhead, and Cheap Trick). However, Mad Hatter wasn’t as successful as the band’s debut studio album with only one song, “Change of a Season,” making it to the mainstream charts.

Mad Hatter was the last album released by the band under the moniker Bonham. The band went on a hiatus only to return in 1994 under the moniker Motherland. Motherland’s lineup was pretty much the same, with the only missing piece being vocalist Daniel MacMaster. Daniel’s spot on the lead vocals was taken up by Marti Frederiksen, a songwriter, musician, and record producer known for his work with Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Daughtry, The Struts, and Mick Jagger.

As Motherland, the band issued one studio album entitled Peace 4 Me. This 1994 album featured musical gems such as “Sunshine Inside,” “Peace 4 Me,” “Last Words,” and “Rumor.” Unfortunately, the band went on a hiatus returning to the music scene a short while after as The Jason Bonham Band. Jason teamed up with his longtime bassist/keyboardist John Smithson in the new project, recruiting guitarist Tony Catania and lead vocalist Chas West into the band.

The Jason Bonham Band went ahead to issue a studio album entitled When You See the Sun in 1997. Despite his departure from the band, Marti Frederiksen was featured in the album’s production work. The album also featured backing vocals of Jason’s aunt Deborah Bonham on the hit “Turning Back the Time.” Other impressive picks from the album include “Drown in Me” and “Rain.”

Unfortunately, The Jason Bonham Band has not made any other major release since the 1997 album When You See the Sun. However, Jason Bonham has continued his musical pursuits as a drummer playing with reputable artists/bands including UFO, California Breed, Black Country Communion, Little Steven, Foreigner, and Joe Bonamassa. Let’s now take a look at the top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs of all time.

#10 – Hold On

Opening our top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs list is the ravishing hit “Hold On.” The song is one of the most sought-after tracks off Bonham’s 1992 sophomore studio album Mad Hatter. One of the greatest takeaways from the song “Hold On” is Daniel MacMaster’s Robert Plant-styled vocal delivery. The overall delivery of this hit also hints at the band’s attempt at recapturing Led Zeppelin’s glory in the rock scene—the attempt was quite fair!

#9 – Rumor

After evolving to Motherland, the band had quite a tough time trying to keep up with the Led Zeppelin-Esque rock sound. Times were changing after all and alternative rock/grunge proved too irresistible for rock devotees. As a result, the 1994 album Peace 4 Me saw the band inflect slightly towards alternative rock while trying to stay true to its hard rock influences.

While the album received mixed reviews, songs like “Rumor” proved to be quite appealing for the band’s fans. Before Marti Frederiksen started working with reputable artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, and Foreigner, he had a short stint as the lead vocalist of Bonham’s band Motherland. His vocal delivery on the song “Rumor” tells of his exquisite skills as a singer!

#8- Just Another Day

“Just Another Day” is a perfect introduction to the several tracks from The Disregard of Timekeeping featured on our top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs list. From the song’s intro, it is quite clear that the song is an absolute power ballad! The song also serves the band’s fans with a shattering rhythm that adds to its appeal. “Just Another Day” never made it to the mainstream charts—however, it remains one of the most memorable songs off The Disregard of Timekeeping.

#7 – Turning Back the Time

The Jason Bonham Band issued quite a phenomenal album in 1997 which featured a number of remarkable songs including “Drown in Me” and “Rain.” Unfortunately, the latter doesn’t get to feature on our top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs list. Instead, we made a bold move towards featuring the hit “Turning Back the Time.”

The move to feature the hit “Turning Back the Time” on this list was motivated by Jason Bonham’s attempt at proving to be more than just a drummer! In this song, Jason takes on the lead vocals backed by his talented aunt Deborah Bonham, sister to Led Zeppelin’s drummer John Bonham. The vocal harmonies by the Bonham kins add some alluring feel to this impressive track!

#6 – Holding on Forever

At the sixth spot on our top 10 Jason Bonham Band songs list is the tremendous hit “Holding on Forever.” The song is yet another impressive hit off the band’s debut studio album The Disregard of Timekeeping. “Holding on Forever” features the striking tenor vocals of Daniel MacMaster. It is the ‘80s-Esque anthemic chorus that makes this song a must-have track for Jason Bonham Band fans. Sadly, the song never made it to the US mainstream charts.

#5 – Drown in Me

Our fifth pick, “Drown in Me,” is one of the most impressive tracks off the band’s 1997 album When You See the Sun. The song saw the Jason Bonham Band go back to its staple hard rock influences. “Drown in Me” is a lyrically and musically touching track delivered on a slow tempo. Chas West’s caterwauling vocals in this track are purely remarkable! His impressive vocal delivery saw him later featured on a number of tribute albums to legendary bands such as Styx and Journey.

#4- Bringing Me Down

“Bringing Me Down” is a pulsating hard rock ballad from the band’s debut studio album The Disregard of Timekeeping. The band invested quite heavily in this track featuring former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin on the bass. “Bringing Me Down” also features the contribution of harmonicist Jimmy Zavala—his harmonica tunes in this song adds an exquisite feel to the song’s rhythm. The song graced the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart peaking at number forty-seven.

#3 – Change of a Season

While the band’s sophomore studio album Mad Hatter never made it big in the mainstream, one song, “Change of a Season,” defied all odds to become one of the best Bonham songs of all time. The song even rivals some of the most sought-after tracks on the band’s most successful album The Disregard of Timekeeping. As a result, “Change of a Season” remains the perfect emblem of the band’s musicianship on Mad Hatter.

The song features some captivating vocal harmonies and killer drum strums from Jason Bonham. “Change of a Season” gets a tad bit melodic showcasing the band’s ability to churn anthemic melodic hard rock ballads! The song was the band’s last track to make it to the mainstream charts peaking at number thirty-two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. “Change of a Season” is among the few songs by the band to feature an accompanying music video.

#2 – Guilty

“Guilty” is one of the most sought-after songs off the band’s 1989 debut studio album The Disregard of Timekeeping. The song was issued as the second single to the band’s first studio album. “Guilty” is among the few songs on The Disregard of Timekeeping to have featured songwriting contributions of producer Bob Ezrin.

Producer Ezrin has also made notable contribution to the careers of legendary artists such as Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Deep Purple. In this song, Jason gives us a taste of his impressive drumming skills evocative of his father’s classic drum licks. “Guilty” was the band’s second most successful song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart peaking at number twenty-nine.

#1- Wait for You

Undisputedly, “Wait for You” remains the signature song of the Bonham bands’ musical pursuits. The song was issued as the first single of the album The Disregard of Timekeeping. “Wait for You” is yet another song co-written by Bob Ezrin, whom the band tasked with producing its first album.

“Wait for You” is a catchy and sensual hard rock ballad whose rhythm section hooks its listeners from the start. The imposing guitar and keyboard riff patterns are something to dig for in this track. “Wait for You” made it to the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart peaking at number nine. The song is the band’s only track to grace the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number fifty-five.