Top 10 Peter Wolf Songs

Photo: Unknown photographer (ANEFO), CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Peter Wolf Songs list presents the great songs Peter Wolf recorded throughout his remarkable solo career. These top 10 Peter Wolf songs will not include any material Peter Wolf recorded with the J. Geils Band. Our published Top 10 J. Geils Band songs article includes those songs. Peter Wolf served as the lead vocalist for the J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983. The band’s album Freeze Frame, released in the early 1980s, was a massive hit featuring the J.Geils band in constant rotation on MTV. However, Peter Wolf and the band couldn’t agree on the group’s direction from that point on, so Wolf left the band to embark on a solo career.

Peter Wolf released his first solo album in 1984 entitled Light’s Out. He followed up that album three years later with the fantastic record Come as You Are. Peter Wolf would release six more albums, with his latest being entitled A Cure for Loneliness, released in 2016. He has had two top 20 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist and a number one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. Our top 10 Peter Wolf songs list presents ten of our favorite Peter Wolf songs released on his solo albums. There’s some pretty good stuff here……..

# 10 – I Need You Tonight

We open up our top 10 Peter Wolf songs with a track from the album Lights Out. This fantastic album featured an all-star cast of musicians and legendary music artists, including the Rolling Stones legendary lead singer and one of the greatest musical artists of all time, Sir Mick Jagger. Peter Wolf employed some of rock’s most gifted guitar players, including King Crimson’s Adrian Belew, The Car’s Elliot Easton, the brilliant Will Lee, Hall & Oates ex-guitarist and Saturday Night Live band leader G.E. Smith, and many more talented musicians. The song “I Need You Tonight” defines the sound of the early 1980s in the video below.

# 9 – Nothing But The Wheel

We continue our top 10 Peter Wolf songs list with the great song “Nothing But The Wheel.” This Peter Wolf song was released on the album Sleepless. The album was released in 2002. The song “Nothin’ but the Wheel” was written by John Scott Sherrill. Make sure you take a listen to this one. It’s just so genuine.

# 8 – Anything At All

This excellent ballad, “Anything At All,” was released on the epic Fools Parade album. The album was released in 1998. It is easily one of the strongest albums of Peter Wolf’s solo career. Peter Wolf sometimes sounds like Mick Jagger in his phrasings and vocal resonance. “Anything At All” is a truly magnificent Peter Wolf song catalog piece.

# 7 – Long Line

At number seven on our top 10 Peter Wolf songs list is the tremendous track “Long Line.” The song also served as the title track to Peter Wolf’s Long Line album, released in 1996. The song “Long Line” was placed as the album’s opening song. It was also released as the first single from the album.

# 6 – Pretty Lady

This is just one of those great songs that makes you feel good. That’s what Peter Wolf’s brand is all about. Featuring Mick Jagger also on vocals, this was one of the standout tracks on Peter Wolf’s debut album Lights Out.

# 5 – Tragedy

At halfway on our list of top 10 Peter Wolf songs, we turn to the excellent track “Tragedy.” The song was recorded with the outstanding female vocalist and artist Shelby Lynne. The song was released on the album Midnight Souvenirs. The album was issued in 2010. The song “Tragedy” was written by Peter Wolf and Angelo Petraglia.

# 4 -Turnin’ Pages

Just listen to that groove. This is one of our favorite Peter Wolf songs. It sounds like some of the excellent material Peter Wolf recorded with the J. Geils Band. The song “Turnin’ Pages” was released on the album Fools Parade. The album was released in 1998. Peter Wolf and Taylor Rhodes wrote the song. Turnin’ Pages” was released as the album’s first and only single.

# 3 – When Women Are Lonely

At number three on our top 10 Peter Wolf songs list is the killer track “When Women Are Lonely.” The song was taken from the album Up To No Good. The album was released in 1990. It would be Peter Wolf’s last solo album for the next six years. The song “When Women Are Lonely” was written by Peter Wolf, Taylor Rhodes, and Robert White Johnson.

# 2 – Lights Out

As we wind down our list of top 10 Peter Wolf songs, we present the title track to Peter Wolf’s debut album, Lights Out. The album was released in 1984. “Light’s Out” became Peter Wolf’s highest charting single of his solo career when it hit number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. There was a lot of competition in 1984 for the top 10, with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, The Cars, Prince, and many others all celebrating massive success with career-defining albums. So it was pretty impressive how Peter Wolf stacked up against the competition.

# 1 – Come As You Are

We close out our top 10 Peter Wolf songs with the great song “Come As You Are.” The song was released on Peter Wolf’s second solo album, Come As You Are. We could easily argue this was Peter Wolf’s most successful solo song as far as chart success goes. Even though it did not rank as high as “Light’s Out” did on the Billboard Hot 100, it still became a top 20 hit, peaking at number 15. However, the song exploded on the Billboard Mainstream rock tracks, hitting number one in 1987.