Here are 4 very different lists (as might be expected).
Barney Hoskyns – Author of the great book “Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits“
Published in his book in 2010 (before “Bad As Me” was released). Great book by the way.
- Tom Trauberts Blues (Small Change, 1976)
- Take It With Me (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Goin´Out West (Bone Machine, 1992)
- Broken Bicycles (One From The Heart, 1982)
- Heartattack And Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Kentucky Avenue (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Ol´55 (Closing Time, 1973)
- Burma Shave (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
- Hoist That Rag (Real Gone, 2004)
- Such A Scream (Bone Machine, 1992)
- Muriel (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
- Temptation (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- Potters Field (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
- What Keeps Mankind Alive (Orphans, 2006)
- Lowside Of The Road (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Shore Leave (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- Rubys Arms (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Pony (Mule Variations, 1999)
- (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night (The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1974)
- I Beg Your Pardon (One From The Heart, 1982)
- 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- Cemetery Polka (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- On The Nickel (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Eggs And Sausage (Nighthawks At The Diner, 1975)
- Blue Valentines (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- What´s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Mr. Henry (Bounced Checks, 1981)
- $29.00 (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Hold On (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Blind Love (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- I´m Still Here (Alice, 2002)
- Jitterbug Boy (Small Change, 1976)
- Saving All My Love For You (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Walking Spanish (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- Johnsburg Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- Whistle Down The Wind (Bone Machine, 1992)
- Soldiers Things (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- I Don´t Wanna Grow Up (Bone Machine, 1992)
- Closing Time (Closing Time, 1973)
Live at Rockpalast 1977:
The 15 Best Tom Waits Songs – popmatters.com
By Alexander Heigl – 9 January 2013
- “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- “(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
- “Gun Street Girl” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- “Hang on St. Christopher” (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- “Temptation” (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- “Warm Beer and Cold Women” (Nighthawks at the Diner, 1975)
- “Downtown Train” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- “Hoist That Rag” (Real Gone, 2004)
- “Jockey Full of Bourbon” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- “Step Right Up” (Small Change, 1976)
- “16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six” (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- “Anywhere I Lay My Head” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- “Goin’ Out West” (Bone Machine, 1992)
- “Hell Broke Luce” (Bad As Me, 2011)
- “Just the Right Bullets” (The Black Rider, 1993)
Australian TV 1979 (intro “Silent Night”):
Tom Waits: 10 of the best (The Guardian)
By Jeremy Allen – June 10, 2015
- (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
- Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen) (Small Change, 1976)
- Step Right Up (Small Change, 1976)
- Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Heartattack and Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Johnsburg, Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- Rain Dogs (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- What’s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Hoist That Rag (Real Gone, 2004)
- Hell Broke Luce (Bad As Me, 2011)
Soundstage 1975 Live:
Tom Waits: his 25 best songs (The Telegraph)
By Martin Chilton – May 10, 2017
- Tom Trauberts Blues (Small Change, 1976)
- Ol´55 (Closing Time, 1973)
- Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Hang Down Your Head (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- Martha (Closing Time, 1973)
- What´s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Innocent When You Dream (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- Cold, Cold Ground (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- Johnsburg, Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
- Gun Street Girl (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- Jersey Girl (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Downtown Train (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- Trampled Rose (Real Gone, 2004)
- Clap Hands (Rain Dogs, 1985)
- The Long Way Home (Orphans, 2006)
- Walk Away (Orphans, 2006)
- In The Neighbourhood (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
- Rubys Arms (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Hold On (Mule Variations, 1999)
- Shiver Me Timbers (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
- Heartattack And Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
- Romeo is Bleeding (Blue Valentine, 1978)
- Way Down in The Hole (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
- Fish and Bird (Alice, 2002)
Live 1999:
–
Some statistics:
Albums
Closing Time (1973)
- 4 entries (3 unique)
- Ol´55 (2 times), Closing time & Martha
The Heart of Saturday Night (1974)
- 5 entries (2 unique)
- “(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” (on all 4 lists) & Shiver Me Timbers
Small Change (1976)
- 6 entries (3 unique)
- Tom Trauberts Blues (on 3 lists & twice number uno & one second place), Step Right Up (2 times) & Jitterbug Boy
Foreign Affairs (1977)
- 3 entries (3 unique)
- All entries in Hoskyns list: Burma Shave, Muriel & Potters Field
Blue Valentine (1978)
- 8 entries (5 unique)
- Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (on all 4 lists), Kentucky Avenue, Blue Valentines, $29.00 & Romeo is Bleeding
Heartattack and Vine (1980)
- 8 entreis (5 unique)
- Heartattack And Vine (on 3 lists), Rubys Arms (2 lists), On The Nickel, Saving All My Love For You & Jersey Girl
Swordfishtrombones (1983)
- 8 entries (5 unique)
- Johnsburg Illinois (on 3 lists), 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six (2 lists), Shore Leave, Soldiers Things & In The Neighbourhood
Rain Dogs (1985)
- 12 entries (10 unique)
- Downtown Train (on 2 lists), Gun Street Girl (2 lists), Cemetery Polka, Blind Love, Walking Spanish, Jockey Full of Bourbon, Anywhere I Lay My Head, Rain Dogs, Hang Down Your Head & Clap Hands
Franks Wild Years (1987)
- 6 entries (5 uniques)
- Temptation (on 2 lists), Hang on St. Christopher, Innocent When You Dream, Cold, Cold Ground & Way Down in The Hole
Bone Machine (1992)
- 5 entries (4 uniques)
- Goin´Out West (on 2 lists), Such A Scream, Whistle Down The Wind & I Don´t Wanna Grow Up
- 4 entries on Hoskyns list only one other list chose a “Bone Machine” song.. strange.
The Black Rider (1993)
- Only one entry: Just the Right Bullets
Mule Variations (1999)
- 8 entries (5 unique)
- What´s He Building? (on 3 lists),Hold On (2 lists), Take It With Me, Lowside Of The Road & Pony
Blood Money (2002)
- Nope
Alice (2002)
- 2 unique entries
- Fish and Bird & I´m Still Here
Real Gone (2004)
- 4 entries (2 unique)
- Hoist That Rag (on 3 lists) & Trampled Rose
Bad as Me (2011)
- Hoskyns list was made before this album was released
- 2 entries (1 unique)
- Hell Broke Luce (on 2 lists)
Other:
- Broken Bicycles (One From The Heart, 1982) – Hoskyns
- I Beg Your Pardon (One From The Heart, 1982) – Hoskyns
- Mr. Henry (Bounced Checks, 1981) – Hoskyns
- The Long Way Home (Orphans, 2006) – Chilton
- Walk Away (Orphans, 2006) – Chilton
- What Keeps Mankind Alive (Orphans, 2006) – Hoskyns
–
Summary
- “Rain Dogs” is the album with most songs on the lists, but only 2 songs are on more than one list.
- Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis is on all 4 lists and high up on the lists as well
- (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night is on all 4 lists
- Tom Trauberts Blues is on 3 of the lists and number one on two of them (and number 2 on the last one)
- Heartattack And Vine is on 3 of the lists
- Johnsburg Illinois is on 3 of the lists
- What´s He Building? is on 3 of the lists
- Hoist That Rag is on 3 of the lists
– - and… In my opinion Mr. Hoskyns list the best & Tom Trauberts Blues is Mr. Waits best song
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