Top 10 Jeff Beck Songs

Photo: Craig ONeal [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of classic rock history’s most extraordinary, innovative, and exciting guitar players of all time is none other than Mr. Jeff Beck. When selecting the greatest guitar players of the classic rock era, historians choose Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and Jeff Beck. Many of these greats spent time in legendary bands, in addition to their work as solo artists. Jimmy Page with The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton with Cream and Derek and the Dominos, David Gilmour with Pink Floyd, and of course Jeff Beck with The Yardbirds. Only Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan were rock guitar Gods whose legends mainly grew from their work as just solo artists, also due to their lives ending much too soon.

In 1965, Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton in the legendary band The Yardbirds. Jimmy Page joined The Yardbirds during Beck’s tenure in 1966. Jeff Beck toured with the band and appeared on many Yardbirds recordings, including the full studio album Roger the Engineer, before being fired from the group later that year. After leaving The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck went on to form the Jeff Beck Group. Over the years, in the 1960s and early 1970s, Jeff Beck worked with various famous musicians in different formations, such as Beck, Bogert & Appice.

It was in 1975, when Jeff Beck released his solo album, Blow by Blow, that Jeff Beck’s fame went beyond the die-hard rock fan. Blow by Blow was a platinum-selling album that hit number 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It was a fantastic feat for an instrumental rock album. The record was also produced by the renowned George Martin, who became legendary for his work with The Beatles.

Jeff Beck died on January 10, 2023, at the age of seventy-eight after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis.

Our Top 10 Jeff Beck songs list attempts to define some of the best material that Jeff Beck recorded throughout his career. We excluded any Yardbirds material to leave room for some great Jeff Beck tracks. This is only a small sampling of some extraordinary guitar-based instrumentals that sound like no other artist but Mr. Jeff Beck.

# 10 – What Mama Said

We open our Top 10 Jeff Beck Songs list with Beck’s foray into electronic music for at least one album. While some hardcore Jeff Beck fans may have been a bit taken aback, the album is another showcase of Beck’s extraordinary guitar work and a creative exploration of multiple genres. It was released on the Who Else! album in 1999.

The song “What Mama Said” was the album’s opening track. Jennifer Batten, Jeff Beck, and Tony Hymas composed the song. Jeff Beck and Tony Hymas produced the album. Musicians on the album included Jennifer Batten on guitar and guitar synthesizer, Mark John on guitar, Tony Hymas on keyboards, Jeff Beck’s old friend and Miami Vice composer and legendary keyboardist Jan Hammer on keys, Simon Wallace on synthesizer, Steve Alexander and Manu Katché on drums, Randy Hope-Taylor and Pino Palladino, who has also toured extensively with The Who, on bass, Bob Loveday on violin and Clive Bell on flute.

# 9 – Superstition

Jeff Beck joined Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice to record one kicking album. Jeff Beck’s interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s iconic keyboard riff is to die for. The album, Beck, Bogert & Appice, was released in 1973. It is the group’s only studio album that they released together as a power trio. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” has been covered by many artists, including Stevie Ray Vaughan’s killer version released in 1987.

# 8 – Led Boots

The title might suggest Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin, but composer Max Middleton later said “Led Boots” had nothing to do with Led Zeppelin. The song was released on Jeff Beck’s Wired album in 1976. “Led Boots” was the album’s opening track. Wired was the follow-up to his groundbreaking Blow by Blow album, released one year earlier. The famed Beatles producer George Martin produced the album. Critics and fans loved this album. We wish we could put this entire album on this list, but there are so many more great Jeff Beck songs to get to.

# 7 – Beck’s Bolero

Speaking of Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck’s former bandmate composed the wonderful song “Beck’s Bolero,” first released as the B-side to “Hi Ho Silver Lining” in 1967 and later included on Jeff Beck’s first solo album, Truth. The album was released in 1968. The track also featured The Who’s Keith Moon on drums. How could you not love that? The Truth album also featured other legendary rock and roll musicians such as John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Nicky Hopkins, Aynsley Dunbar and Jimmy Page.

# 6 – Scatterbrain

In the number six position on our Jeff Beck songs list, we turn to his classic 1970s album entitled Blow by Blow. The song “Scatterbrain” was the closing track on side one. The song would become an instant favorite among Jeff Beck fans. This track was fueled by the best of 1970s jazz and rock. Great guitar solos, killer arrangement and production, lavish jazz chords, killer riffs, and everything else we loved about the Steely Dan jazz fusion meets the blues-rock era that crossed so many genres. Jeff Beck was in the middle of it with his two spectacular albums Blow by Blow and Wired.

# 5 – Pull It

We simply loved the Loud Hailer album. The dynamic record was released in 2016. The album also featured the United Kingdom’s Carmen Vandenberg & Rosie Bones. Carmen and Rosie’s youthful spirit brought an artistic edge to the album that made for a wonderful Jeff Beck record that sounded both modern and vintage.

# 4 – Guitar Shop

Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas

Our favorite Jeff Beck album cover has always been the cover that graced Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop album. The smoking record was released in 1989. The album featured Jeff Beck on guitar, Terry Bozzio on drums, and Tony Hymas on keyboards. “Guitar Shop” was the album’s opening track. Many of the brilliant guitar players that we have interviewed, especially in our “10 Albums That Changed My Life” series, have picked this album as one of their ten most influential records.

# 3 – Freeway Jam (Live with Jan Hammer Group)

Jeff Beck with The Jan Hammer Group Live

This great track was released on two key albums in Jeff Beck’s catalog. The studio version appeared on the Blow by Blow album. The live version appeared on Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live. Take a listen to both versions and see if you disagree with our choice. The live album features Jan Hammer on keyboards, Tony “Thunder” Smith on drums, Fernando Saunders on bass, and, of course, Jeff Beck on guitar. This is a stunning rock-and-roll live album that should not be missed.

# 2 – Blue Wind

“Blue Wind” was the opening track on side two of Jeff Beck’s 1976 album Wired. Jan Hammer wrote the song. This great track starts with a hi-hat riff met by Jeff Beck’s iconic guitar lick. It just keeps getting better as we get deeper into the track. This was the sound of Jeff Beck in the mid-1970s. It’s strange to think that this was still relatively early in Jeff Beck’s solo career.

# 1 – Nessun Dorma

This breathtaking aria was released on Jeff Beck’s 2010 album Emotion & Commotion. Jeff Beck’s guitar work on the track defined an artist who understood the meaning of choice. The album was simply stunning in its scope of performances and song selections. The guest performances, including Joss Stone, Imelda May, and Olivia Safe, made for an album for the ages. The “Nessun Dorma” track won Jeff Beck a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Steve Lipson and Trevor Horn produced the Emotion & Commotion album. The song “Nessun Dorma” was composed by the legendary Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. The piece of music was originally part of the opera Turandot. Luciano Pavarotti famously performed the aria during the 1990 World Cup era.