Top 10 Mac Davis Songs

Photo: U.S. DoD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list takes a look at a talented singer, songwriter and actor. Mac Davis was responsible for creating some popular songs for Elvis Presley. He was a successful crossover artist. He was a country artist, but he managed to have crossover hits. Davis had 30 songs on the charts. He has six top 10 hit songs. Four of his albums made it to the top 10 on the charts. Some of his hits include “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” “Stop and Smell the Roses,” “One Hell of a Woman,” “Hooked on Music,” “Rock N’ Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)” “Burnin’ Thing” and “I Never Made Love (‘Till I Made It With You).” Like most artists, the acting bug bit him. Davis had his own variety show in 1974. He starred in North Dallas Forty (1979), Cheaper to Keep Her (1981), The Sting II (1983), Possums (1998), The Dukes of Hazards: Hazard in Hollywood (2000) and Jackpot (2001). He also appeared on TV shows. He guest-starred on Oswald (2001), 8 Simple Rules (2004) and Rodney (2004). It’s time to get to know Mac Davis better.

Scott Mac Davis was born on January 21, 1942 to September 29, 2020. He got his start as a songwriter working for Nancy Sinatra’s company Boots Enterprises. He worked with the company for several years. He’s featured as a musician on several of her songs. He wrote singles for Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, BJ Thomas as well as others. He left Boots Enterprises in 1970 to start his career as a singer. He signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1970.

He released his debut album Song Painter in 1970. The album peaked at number 35 on the country charts and 182 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles ”In the Ghetto,” “Memories,” “Home,” “Closest I Ever Came” and “You’re Good For Me.” I Believe in Music came out in 1971. The album peaked at 160 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “A Little Less Conversation,” “Watching Scotty Grow,” “Something’s Burning,” “I Believe in Music” and “Yesterday and You.” Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me came out in 1972. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 ,charts and number 27 on the country charts. It features the singles “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” “Naughty Girl,” “Dream Me Home,” “Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife,” “Baby, Spread Your Love on Me” and “The Lonesomest Lonesome.” The album sold over one million copies. He released his self-titled album in 1973. The album peaked at number 19 on the country charts and number 120 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “The Way You Look Today,” “Sunshine,” “Everything a Man Could Ever Need,” “Feel Like Crying,” “Lovin’ You, Lovin’ Me” and “I’ll Paint You a Song.”

Stop and Smell the Roses was released in 1974. The album peaked at number two on the country charts and 13 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Stop and Smell the Roses,” “One Hell of a Woman,” “The Sweetest Song,” “Kiss It and Make It Better” and “Two Plus Two.” The album sold over one million copies worldwide. All The Love in the World also came out in 1974. The album peaked at number six on the country charts and number 21 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “(If You Add) All the Love in the World,” “Rock N’ Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life),” “Every Woman,” “I Still Love You, Still Love Me,” “Fall In Love With Your Wife” and “Emily Suzanne.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. Burnin’ Thing was released in 1975. It peaked at number 9 on the country charts and 64 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Burnin’ Thing,” “The Hits Just Keep on Coming,” “Rufus Was a Redneck,” “The Jimmy Brown Song” and “I Still Love You (You Still Love Me).”

It’s Hard to Be Humble came out in 1980. The album peaked at number three on the country charts and number 69 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “It’s Hard to Be Humble,” “Let’s Keep It That Way,” “I Wana Wake Up with You,” “Greatest Gift of All” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere.” The album went gold. Texas in My Rear View Mirror also came out in 1980. It peaked at number 12 on the country charts and number 67 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “Hooked on Music,” “Me N’ Fat Boy” and “Texas in My Rear View Mirror.” Midnight Crazy was released in 1981. The album peaked at number 19 on the country charts and number 174 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “Midnight Crazy,” “You’re My Bestest Friend,” “Kiss It and Make It Better,” “Comfortable” and “Tell Me Your Fantasies.” He would go on to record several more albums throughout his career.

Mac Davis was a respected songwriter in the music business. He wrote hits for other artists, but managed to hold some hits back for himself. He paved the way for other songwriters to become singers. He managed to enjoy success in country and pop music. He was taken away from the world too soon, but his legacy will remain through his music. This Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list will feature his best songs.

# 10 – Me N’ Fat Boy

The first song on our Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list is “Me N’ Fat Boy from the Texas in My Rear View Mirror album. The song has a country sound to it. The introspective tale is about a friendship. He tells the story in two parts. Davis talks about the good things that happened when he and Fat Boy were friends. The second half is about the two of them having a fallen out and how their friendship ended. The song has an unusual title but it’s something that’s relatable today. People start out as childhood friends and drift apart as they get older. Davis hit the nail on the head with this type of song. He’s probably one of the few artists to touch on this subject. He created a unique story about friendship.

The music is simple. It has a guitar and drumbeat. He whistles throughout the song and it sounds like music. There are sound effects during the musical pause that aren’t needed at all. The sound effects don’t add anything to the song. Other than that, it has a catchy beat. It has a classic sound, but it can still be appreciated today. Davis sings in his normal tone throughout the song. He sings in time with the music. He doesn’t belt or hold any notes in the song, but it wasn’t needed. He sings the song with enough passion to get his point across.

# 9 – Fall in Love With Your Wife

The next song on our Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list is “Fall in Love With Your Wife” from the All the Love in the World album. The song has a country sound. The instructional song is about telling men how to fall in love with their wives. He’s giving advice to men about how to treat the women they love. He describes the things they need to do to please their wives. If they want to be happy, they need to fall in love with their wives. The advice he gives would certainly make women happy. The track has comedic moments if you pay attention to the lyrics. He gives men ways to avoid sticky situations with their wives. Men could use this advice today.

The song is just as useful today as it was in the 70s. If men want to find ways to get out of trouble with their wives, they should listen to this song. The song has a classic country and folk sound. It’s stripped down to just the guitar. He creates a hambone sound when he tries his hand at beat boxing. He was probably one of the first people to try beat boxing in a song. The song was ahead of its time. He sings the song in his normal voice. He sounds like he’s having fun with the lyrics. His baritone vocals work with the stripped down music. The track may be short, but it’s very entertaining.

# 8 – Texas in My Rear View Mirror

The nostalgic song is from the album of the same name. The song has a country beat. The concept song is about him paying tribute to his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. He describes his childhood in Texas and how he wanted to leave for Hollywood. He believed if he stayed home, he wouldn’t be successful. The title leads the listeners to believe he’s ready to leave his hometown behind. If you continue to listen to the lyrics, he appreciates his town. He ends up not being happy when he leaves. Davis is telling a story that all that glitters isn’t gold. This type of song may be popular in country music, but fans of other genres could understand the message too.

You don’t have to be from Texas to understand leaving town thinking that you are headed to a better life. The music is perfect for the song. It has a melancholy beat to go with the theme. The song features the guitar, harmonica and drums. He sounds similar to James Taylor on this track. His voice is tender and vulnerable. He made an excellent choice to sing it that way because you can hear how much his hometown means to him. He shows versatility on the track by performing runs in the song. It’s worth a listen whenever you are feeling homesick.

# 7 – Rock N’ Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)

The somber song is from the All the Love in the World album. The song has a pop and adult contemporary sound. The meaningful song is about love and redemption. The song teaches you that the only things that are important in life are what we learn and the people we meet while we’re learning our lesson. Kevin Johnson originally performed the song. The song is a double entendre. He seems to be singing about giving his best years to rock n’ roll and to a woman.

It’s up to you to decide what this song is about. It gives you something to think about as you listen to the lyrics. He tells the story in different parts. He discusses different years in his life. The song is unique and enjoyable. The music is pleasing to ear. It’s rhythmic and begs you to move around to it. Davis’ version sounds more upbeat than Johnson’s version. The music in Davis’ version has tempo and you can move around to it. Johnson’s version is more subdued. Davis sings the song in the same style as Johnson. Davis sings the song in time with the beat. He commands you to sing the enjoyable hook with him.

# 6 – Burnin’ Thing

The passionate song is from the album of the same name. The song has an adult contemporary sound. The romantic song describes the way he feels about the woman he loves. He talks about how the world doesn’t mean anything to him when the woman he loves isn’t around. This song is guaranteed to make a woman feel special. This is the perfect track for a man to play when he wants his woman to feel special and important to him. It doesn’t sound like a typical country song. It combines soft rock, country and adult contemporary music.

There’s a little something in it for everyone. The music will command your attention. It starts off soft and then bursts into flames. The music explodes towards the end of the track. Davis sings the song the same way. He starts it softly and then he vocally soars. He really lets loose when he gets to the chorus and it’s not a surprise. The chorus is one of the highlights of the song. There’s a female singing in the background that matches him when he starts belting. She was a great touch because she does an excellent job supporting him in the background. She’s just as talented as Davis. This song is an underrated track. It should have been a bigger hit because the song is enjoyable.

# 5 – I Never Made Love (‘Till I Made It With You)

The next song on our Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list is “I Never Made Love (‘Till I Made It With You) from the ‘Till I Made It With You album. It has a country and pop sound. The touching song is about him being with different women, but not knowing what real love was until he found her. He said that the woman changed his life. He had one-night stands with women, but they didn’t mean anything to him. Sex was meaningless until he met the woman he loved. He manages to make the story sound romantic even though he’s talking about being with different women.

Most women wouldn’t want to hear about the other women in their significant others’ lives, but he tells the story in a tender way. The music was the perfect choice for the song. The music mixes country, soft rock and pop nicely. The guitar riffs will impress fans of all three genres. The drums give the song tempo. Everything about the music works. The instrumentation builds up once he hits the chorus. The chorus will stay in your head after it’s done. He sings the song in a deeper pitch. The background singers do an excellent job supporting him in the background. The beautiful song was his last top 10 hit.

# 4 – Hooked on Music

The tribute song is from the Texas in My Rear View Mirror album. It has a country and rock sound. The moving song is about his love of music. He talks about Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis in the song. He also describes his love of the singing. There aren’t too many songs written about the appreciation of music. He describes what happened that made him want to become a singer. He worked with Elvis Presley so it wasn’t a surprise that he included his name in the lyrics. The lyrics may not be relatable to anyone who isn’t a singer, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t still be appreciated.

This song is a typical country song. There is a rockabilly guitar sound that will make you feel like you are in the country. The music is perfect for square dancing. The instrumentation is a little dated, but that doesn’t mean the song isn’t still enjoyable. He sounds similar to Elvis Presley while he’s singing the lyrics. He goes up and down while he sings the song so it was good to hear him show versatility. He held a little note after the bridge. The song is worth a listen. You may want to put it on repeat so you could hear it again. He wants you to get “hooked” on the song and it works.

# 3 – One Hell of a Woman

The lush song is from the Stop and Smell the Roses album. The song has a country and pop sound. The emotional song is about a woman he loves. He talks about the type of woman she is and how he loves her. He talks about the good and bad things about her. She is apparently a woman with different sides to her and he feels lucky to be with her. This loving tribute will make any woman feel special. The melody is similar to The Rolling Stones hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

The guitar riff is similar to The Rolling Stones’ hit. If you listen carefully, you can hear the similarities between the songs. The song doesn’t sound like a country song. It sounds like adult contemporary and rock. The music is melodic and refreshing. The guitar is the standout in the music. It will please fans of rock music. The string section is also fire. The drums give the song tempo so you can move to it. Davis’ vocals are on point on this track. His timing is impeccable. He keeps up with all of the beat changes throughout the song. He nails the chorus and let’s loose vocally. He belts and tries to turn the song into a power ballad.

# 2- Stop and Smell the Roses

The appreciative song is from the album of the same name. It has a pop beat to it. The cautionary tale is self-explanatory. He wants you to take the time to enjoy yourself. He believes that you should take the time to appreciate what you have in life. You have to make time for yourself. This message is relevant today. People do need to remember to appreciate life. You have to take the time to “stop and smell the roses.” People are stressing out over work or their families so they need to do more things to relax. The song is upbeat and positive.

There are so many bad things going on in the world today and this song would be great to listen to in order to feel better. The music is rhythmic and beautiful. The arrangement is beautiful. The string section is the best part of the beat. The song has a classic sound, but it can still be appreciated today. Davis sings the song in his normal tone. He sings the song softly and turns it into a showstopper. Davis and his background singers sing the song with a lot of passion. They take you to church as they build up to the dramatic conclusion of the song. You will not want the song to end because you get carried away listening to it.

# 1 – Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me

The number one song on our Top 10 Mac Davis Songs list is “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me” from the album of the same name. The song has a rock, soft rock and country sound. The dramatic song is about a man warning a woman not to get too attached to him. He believes he’s not the right man for her. He thinks he’ll break her heart. This bold song could have made him come off like a bad person. He’s basically telling the woman that he’s going to have his way with her and leave her. The song was written in the 70s, but it still happens today. Men and women use each other for sex so his song was ahead of its time.

The song doesn’t really sound like a country song. It sounds like a soft rock song from the 70s and not a typical country song. Despite the theme, the song has an upbeat sound. The song has a dramatic string section. The music builds up to a show-stopping finale. The track has an infectious chorus that will stay in your head after it’s done. Davis and his background vocalists do their thing in the chorus. Davis sounds tender and romantic considering the theme of the song. He proves what type of singer and songwriter he is that he can have you questioning whether he’s just being honest or being a jerk. This catchy song deserved to be number one on the charts and number one on our list.