Top 10 Joe Satriani Songs

Photo: Hreinn Gudlaugsson / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Our Top 10 Joe Satriani Songs list takes a look at the work of one of classic rock’s greatest guitarists. This was a really tough list to put together because Joe Satriani has released such a magnificent body of work. Joe Satriani is really in a category of his own. Most of us first heard of Joe Satriani back in the 80s when he released his first LP and the record company and others heavily promoted the fact that he was Steve Vai’s guitar teacher. That would soon no longer matter as Joe Satriani instantly become a well known and legendary rock artist in his own right.

Joe Satriani released his first album in 1986 entitled Not of This Earth. It was a great record that first introduced the world to the talents of Joe Satriani. However, it was his follow up album Surfing With The Alien that really began to turn heads. From that point on, Joe Satriani has consistently released great guitar records that really stand in league all of their own. Additionally, Joe Satriani has collaborated with many artists in multiple side projects. One of his most successful side projects was his involvement with the band Chickenfoot as the group’s guitarist along with Michael Anthony on bass, Sammy Hagar on vocals and Chad Smith on drums. This was a supergroup that many rocks fans are dying to hear more music from. Satriani has also been involved in recordings with Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Stuart Hamm and many others. He has been a apart of the legendary G3 tours and live releases.

Picking only 10 Joe Satriani songs was no easy feat. Here are 10 of our favorites.

# 10 – Echo

We open up our Top 10 Joe Satriani Songs list with the great song “Echo.” The song was released on his epic album Surfing With The Alien. The album was released in 1987. Every Joe Satriani song paints a cinematic landscape that sets a scene in you mind. For me, this one sets a scene driving late at night, its cold, it’s dark, its snowing and I’m searching for a……….

# 9 – Nineteen Eighty

The most recent Joe Satriani release to be listed on this top 10 Joe Satriani songs list was issued on Joe’s seventeenth album entitled Shapeshifting. The album was just recently released during the Spring of 2020 when we were all hiding from Covid. Presented here is the album’s lead single titled “Nineteen Eighty.” As always, Joe rips like no one else on this scorching track……

# 8 – Shockwave Supernova

This is heavy Joe Satriani. We love heavy Joe. “Shockwave Supernova,” was the title track to Joe Satriani’s fifteenth studio album entitled Shockwave Supernova. The album was released in 2015. The record featured musicians Joe Satriani on guitar, bass and keyboards Mike Keneally on keys, Marco Minnemann and the legendary Vinnie Colaiuta on, drums and Bryan Beller, Bobby Vega and Chris Chaney on bass and Tony Menjivar and John Cuniberti on percussion. These guys rocked hard on this amazing album. Don’t miss this one.

# 7 – Wind In The Trees

Continuing with our Top 10 Joe Satriani songs list we turn to the very cool mid-temp tune “Wind In The Trees.” This one seemed to be inspired by Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter,” in feel and sound. This is Joe Satriani defining the art of taste and talent along the “less is more,” concept. A brilliant expose into the mind of a musical genius. The track “Wind In The Trees,” was released on the album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards.The album was released in 2010. The musicians on the album included Joe Satriani on guitar, keys and bass, Mike Keneally also on keyboards, Allen Whitman on bass and Jeff Campitelli on drums.

# 6 – Surfing with the Alien

Joe Satriani channeled both his student and his master on this one. Sounding somewhere between Jeff Beck and Steve Vai, “Surfing With The Alien,” became an instant classic upon release. This fun, happy, exciting, virtuoso piece of music stood as the title track to Joe Satriani’s second album released in 1987. The song was also released as the record’s lead single.

# 5 – Flying In A Blue Dream

Staring of with a little feedback and a somewhat sense of tranquility, the mood is then not changed, but rather met by a driving force of bass and drums that set the picture for a song so perfectly titled. As Joe Satriani’s soaring guitar line enters the scene, the listener is carried away to a place hidden somewhere in the depths of their imagination ….This is art, this is life.

# 4 – Cool #9

This song is just so perfectly titled. Excuse the simplicity in our description, but oh man what a cool grove, and it just gets better with every second that ticks away in this amazing piece of music. Joe Satriani’s song “Cool #9,” was released on his self titled album Joe Satriani. The album was released in 1995. The track featured some pretty serious musicians including Nathan East on bass, Manu Katché on drums, Eric Valentine on keyboards and Andy Fairweather Low on guitar.

# 3 – If I Could Fly

The chorus on this great track “If I Could Fly,” is so addicting and memorable that you might think some band may want to steal it and write a pop song with is. Oh wait! some band did steal it. Yes, Coldplay was sued by Joe Satriani in 2009 claiming that Coldplay’s song “Viva La Vida,” stole his chorus for their chorus. And if you listen to both songs, it’s pretty obvious they did.

# 2 – Always With Me, Always With You

Hands down, this is Joe Satriani’s most popular song. It contains one of his most memorable melody lines. The song “Always With Me, Always With You,” was released on Joe Satriani’s second album entitled Surfing With The Alien, The album was released in 1987.

# 1 – Crystal Planet

We close out our Top 10 Joe Satriani songs list with the smoking killer cut “Crystal Planet.” Everything we love about Joe Satriani is defined in this amazing piece of music. The epic cinematic quality, the heaviness, the soaring melody lines, the to die for solo and the brilliant musicianship that only few attain is all on clear display on the title track to Joe Satriani’s glorious album Crystal Planet