10 Essential Richard Marx Songs

Richard Marx Songs

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

Our Top 10 Richard Marx songs list looks at a veteran songwriter who wrote many hits for various artists and then celebrated a successful solo career. With one of the most successful debut albums in history, Richard Marx arrived on the music scene in 1987 with three consecutive top-10 singles and a number-one record. He would become an incredibly successful solo artist with a string of hit albums. In eight years between 1987 and 1995, he would score fourteen top 20 hits and three number one hit singles. Richard Marx was also so much more than a hit songwriter. The man is a super-talented multi-instrumentalist and superior vocalist. He has appeared on hundreds of recordings and has collaborated with many legendary musical artists, including Ringo Starr, Luther Vandross, Fee Waybill and The Tubes, Barbra Streisand, Chicago, Kenny Loggins, and so many more. The mark of Richard Marx is all over pop music of the past forty years. Here are 10 of our favorite Richard Marx Songs.

# 10 – Front Row Seat

You don’t have to go back to the 1980s because Richard Marx is still releasing great music in 2020. We open our top 10 Richard Marx songs list with a great new song from Richard Marxx’s most recent and spectacular album, Limitless“Front Row Seat” was the fourth single released from the album. So many great songs are on the record, but we liked this one the most. Limitless was Richard Marx’s first studio album in six years.

# 9 – Satisfied

There are two sides to Richard Marx. There is the beautiful melodic slow ballad side. And of course, there is the Eagles style upbeat melodic rocker side. We tried to mix up this Richard Marx songs list with the best of both of those words. The song “Satisfied” defines the rocking side of Richard Marx. And it’s a great one. “Satisfied” was also a massive hit for Richard Marx. “Satisfied” was a number one record.

The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It was the second of three number one singles Richard Marx would celebrate during his spectacular solo recording career. The song was the first single from his 1989 sophomore album Repeat Offender.

# 8 – Hazard

Somewhere in between the rockers and the ballads were the mid-tempo gems. The song “Hazard” falls into that category. Richard Marx has always been a top-tier songwriter for other artists. The song “Hazard” defines the art of pop songwriting in so many ways. “Hazard” was released in 1992 on the album entitled Rush Street. The song was issued as the first single from the record. Once again, Richard Marx had a top 10 hit on his hands as the song hit number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the third album of four straight albums in a row to deliver top 10 hits. That’s impressive.

# 7 – Angelia

Continuing with our top 10 Richard Marx songs list, we become a fan favorite. This great mid-tempo classic was released on Richard Marx’s Repeat Offender record. The song was released as the third single from the album. It was the third single from the record to break the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number four.

# 6 – Hold On To The Nights

The Richard Marx song “Hold Onto The Nights” would become the singer-songwriter’s first number-one record. The song was released on Richard Marx’s debut album entitled Richard Marx. It was the fourth single released from the record. This was a ballad that drove the girls crazy. While he had fans of all genders, the female audience became his most loyal followers.

# 5 – Now & Forever

As we venture into the top half of our top 10 Richard Marx songs list we turn to the classic Richard Marx song “Now & Forever.” The 80s unleashed a new set of songs that would replace many standards used for years in weddings. Songs by Joe Cocker, Carole King, The Bangles and so many more would become first dance classics. Richard Marx added to that mix with the song “Now & Forever.” Richard Marx stated it was a love song written for his wife, actress Cynthia Rhodes.

# 4 – Endless Summer Nights

“Endless Summer Nights” was the third single released from Richard Marx’s debut album. It was also the song Richard Marx used as a demo to get a record deal. An experience in which he was turned down multiple times. I would have loved to see the faces of those record executives as they watched Richard Marx’s debut album eventually go triple platinum and become one of the most successful and biggest-selling albums of all time.

# 3 – Should’ve Known Better

It’s amazing how many top 10 singles Richard Marx has released throughout his career. We wanted to remind everyone of how many he had by including many of them on this top 10 Richard Marx songs list. However, his albums are also filled with brilliantly well-written songs that should not be ignored. We highly recommend that you check out the rest of his catalog.

At number three on this top 10 Richard Marx songs list, we present the great song “Should’ve Known Better.” The song was released on his self-titled debut album in 1987. It served as the follow-up single to “Don’t Mean Nothing.” The song “Should’ve Known Better, was just as successful as his debut single, as both songs peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

# 2 – Right Here Waiting

If there’s one memorable piano riff from the 80s that you can’t forget, it would be Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting.” Along with Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is” and Don Henley’s “End Of The Innocence”(also played by Hornsby), “Right Here Waiting” defined the adult contemporary sound of the 80s that crossed over big time onto the pop charts.

# 1 – Don’t Mean Nothing

We close out our Top 10 Richard Marx Songs list with the songwriter’s first big hit, “Don’t Mean Nothing.” With Joe Walsh’s brilliant guitar playing on the song, and with a killer hook, the song was destined to be a big hit. And it was! Richard Marx’s debut single, which turned him instantly into a household name, went straight up the Billboard charts, peaking at number three.

You may also like….

Complete List Of Richard Marx Albums And Discography

10 Essential Richard Marx Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023

Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain Creative Commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are thumbnails for review purposes only utilized according to US Copyright Fair Use Laws. Any Amazon Affiliate links are the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.

DMCA.com Protection Status

Updated November 17, 2023

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Be the first to know when a new article is published

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

10 Best Songs With The Word 'Blue' In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Blue’ In The Title
10 Best Songs With Sports Themes In The Title
10 Best Songs With Sports Themes In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word 'Mother' In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Mother’ In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word 'Kiss' In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Kiss’ In The Title
James Taylor Albums
Top 10 James Taylor Albums
10 Best Sounding Albums Of All Time
10 Best Sounding Albums Of All Time
116 Albums With Identical Titles By Different Artists
116 Albums With Identical Titles By Different Artists
10 Essential Live Rock Albums Composed Of 4 Or More Vinyl LPs
2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
Paul McCartney and Wings Songs
Wings at the Speed of Sound Soared to No. 1—49 Years Ago Today
Black Flag Roars Back:
Black Flag Roars Back: Punk Icons Announce Reunion with New Lineup
New Faces Album
Stewart, Wood & Jones Working On New “Faces” Album
Gary Green of Gentle Giant Interview
Gary Green of Gentle Giant: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Jan Akkerman of Focus: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Mark Kendall of Great White Interview: My Career in 5 Songs
Mark Kendall of Great White Interview: My Career in 5 Songs
Mark Farner Interview
Mark Farner Of Grand Funk: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Aerosmith Band
Why Aerosmith Is The Greatest American Rock Band Of All Time
Human Beinz Albums
Complete List Of The Human Beinz Albums And Songs
25 Most Famous Female British Singers Now!
25 Most Famous Female British Singers Now!
Khruangbin Albums
Complete List Of Khruangbin Albums And Songs
11 Classic Bands Who Returned With New Music After A Long Gap
11 Classic Bands Who Returned With New Music After A Long Gap
Complete List Of All Super Bowl Halftime Performers Since 1967
Complete List Of All Super Bowl Halftime Performers Since 1967
10 Gifts Not To Buy An Old-School Music Fan
10 Gifts Not To Buy An Old-School Music Fan
20 Worst Moments In Rock Music History
20 Worst Moments In Rock Music History
Three Dog Night 1968 Debut Album Review
Review Of Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Reissue
Review Of Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Reissue
10 Best Breakup Songs For Shattered Hearts
10 Best Breakup Songs For Shattered Hearts
Billy Idol Rebel Yell 40th Anniversary Vinyl Review