The Doors is one of the most beloved bands to ever come out of the United States. Comprised of keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Krieger, and front man extraordinaire, Jim Morrison, The Doors was one of the most talented and controversial rock bands in the world. It has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide. It was widely known for Morrison’s cryptic lyrics and racy stage antics. Despite that, The Doors is still one of the greatest bands in the world, still selling a million records a year even though the group is disbanded. Here are the Top 10 Ten Songs by The Doors.
1.) “Light My Fire” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
Released in January of 1967, the song went to the top of the charts becoming their first number one hit on Billboard’s Pop Chart. The track appears on The Doors’ self-titled first album. The first verse was actually written by Robby Krieger, with Jim Morrison writing the second. The song exemplifies psychedelic rock with its long instrumental solos and weird lyrics. It appears at #35 on Rolling Stones magazines Greatest 500 songs of all time. The song caused a lot of controversy because of the line, “If I was to say to you Girl, we couldn’t get much higher”. People thought the band was talking about illegal drug activity. The band was even banned from the Ed Sullivan Show for not changing up the lyric. There are also three versions. The longest one registering in at just over 7 minutes is a personal favorite among true fans.
2.) “Hello, I love You” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
The song appeared on The Doors third album, 1968’s “Waiting for the Sun”. It also shot up to the top of the charts, becoming their second #1 single on Billboard’s Pop Chart. This song was more in the vain of true rock, suggesting to many that the band had sold out of their own unique sound. The premise of the song is talking about meeting a woman for the first and being so infatuated by her beauty, that you have instantly falling in love. This song also caused controversy as it was said that the song stole a similar arraignment and riff from Ray Davies’ hit for the Kinks, “All Day and All of the Night”.
3.) ” Touch Me” written by the Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song was a great hit for the Doors. It was released in 1968 from The Doors “Soft Parade” album. It went to #3 on the Billboard Pop Charts. It features a lot of brass and string instruments on the track to compliment Morrison’s vocals. It also has a nice saxophone solo performed by Curtis Amy. It is one of their most popular songs.
4.) “Love Her Madly” written by The Doors, produced by Bruce Botnick
This song from the Doors was about a girlfriend who constantly threatens to leave the relationship. It was a great song in the sense you could feel the emotions of the song. It was released in 1971 from The Doors “L.A. Woman” album. It reached #11 on the Billboard Pop Charts. It is a very popular song.
5.) “People are Strange” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song is about people who feel alienated and that they are outsiders in the world. The song was released in 1967 on The Doors “Strange Days” album. This song is a favorite because a lot of people feel that they are outsiders and this songs perfectly captures that feeling. It went to #12 on the Billboard Pop Charts.
6.) “The Riders of the Storm” written by The Doors, produced by Bruce Botnick
This song is one of The Doors coolest songs. It incorporates elements of thunder and rain. It was released in 1971 of The Doors “L.A. Woman” album. It reached #14 on the Billboard Pop Chart. It has a special meaning to the band as it is the last song they all recorded together.
7.) “Love Me Two Times” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song was a very popular song. It tells about a sailor about to ship out and spending his days home with his girlfriend. This song was the second single of The Doors “Strange Days” album. It was released in 1967. It made it to #25 on the Billboard Pop Charts.
8.) “The Unknown Soldier(song)” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song is one of the best Doors’ songs. It was the war in Vietnam and how it was being portrayed in the home of average Americans. It was the first single of The Doors “Waiting on the Sun” album. It was released in 1968. It actually peaked at #38 on the Billboard Pop Charts though being a controversial song at the time. The best part of the song is the mock execution sounds in the middle of the song.
9.) “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” written by Jim Morrison, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song was the first song released off of The Doors self-titled album. It was released in 1967. From their very first released song, The Doors caused controversy. The song had to be edited by record executives thought it was a reference to illegal drug use. The song only peaked at #106 on the Billboard Pop Chart. It is still one of their best songs.
10.) “Roadhouse Blues” written by The Doors, produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This song was released in 1970 on the Doors “Morrison Hotel” album. The song was a fan favorite and a staple at most of The Doors concerts. It peaked at #50 on the Billboard Pop Charts. Make sure to check out the live version of this song. You hear Jim Morrison talking to the audience and making jokes as well. It has been called the best live version of any song.
The Doors would disband some time after Jim Morrison death on July 3, 1971. The fact that The Doors still sell about a million albums a year to this day says a lot about this group. They were pioneers in saying what you feel and pushing the status quo. There have been a lot of covers of most of The Doors songs so it must be true that imitation is the highest form of flattery. This is a list of the 10 Best Songs by The Doors.
