Tom Waits Best Songs (4 very different lists)

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.

1. Tom Trauberts Blues (Small Change, 1976)
2. Take It With Me (Mule Variations, 1999)
3. Goin´Out West (Bone Machine, 1992)
4. Broken Bicycles (One From The Heart, 1982)
5. Heartattack And Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
6. Kentucky Avenue (Blue Valentine, 1978)
7. Ol´55 (Closing Time, 1973)
8. Burma Shave (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
9. Hoist That Rag (Real Gone, 2004)
10. Such A Scream (Bone Machine, 1992)
11. Muriel (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
12. Temptation (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
13. Potters Field (Foreign Affairs, 1977)
14. What Keeps Mankind Alive (Orphans, 2006)
15. Lowside Of The Road (Mule Variations, 1999)
16. Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
17. Shore Leave (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
18. Rubys Arms (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
19. Pony (Mule Variations, 1999)
20. (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night (The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1974)
21. I Beg Your Pardon (One From The Heart, 1982)
22. 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
23. Cemetery Polka (Rain Dogs, 1985)
24. On The Nickel (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
25. Eggs And Sausage (Nighthawks At The Diner, 1975)
26. Blue Valentines (Blue Valentine, 1978)
27. What´s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
28. Mr. Henry (Bounced Checks, 1981)
29. $29.00 (Blue Valentine, 1978)
30. Hold On (Mule Variations, 1999)
31. Blind Love (Rain Dogs, 1985)
32. I´m Still Here (Alice, 2002)
33. Jitterbug Boy (Small Change, 1976)
34. Saving All My Love For You (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
35. Walking Spanish (Rain Dogs, 1985)
36. Johnsburg Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
37. Whistle Down The Wind (Bone Machine, 1992)
38. Soldiers Things (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
39. I Don´t Wanna Grow Up (Bone Machine, 1992)
40. Closing Time (Closing Time, 1973)

Live at Rockpalast 1977:

The 15 Best Tom Waits Songs – popmatters.com

By Alexander Heigl – 9 January 2013

1. “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” (Blue Valentine, 1978)
2. “(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
3. “Gun Street Girl” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
4. “Hang on St. Christopher” (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
5. “Temptation” (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
6. “Warm Beer and Cold Women” (Nighthawks at the Diner, 1975)
7. “Downtown Train” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
8. “Hoist That Rag” (Real Gone, 2004)
9. “Jockey Full of Bourbon” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
10. “Step Right Up” (Small Change, 1976)
11. “16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six” (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
12. “Anywhere I Lay My Head” (Rain Dogs, 1985)
13. “Goin’ Out West” (Bone Machine, 1992)
14. “Hell Broke Luce” (Bad As Me, 2011)
15. “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

1. (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
2. Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen) (Small Change, 1976)
3. Step Right Up (Small Change, 1976)
4. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
5. Heartattack and Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
6. Johnsburg, Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
7. Rain Dogs (Rain Dogs, 1985)
8. What’s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
9. Hoist That Rag (Real Gone, 2004)
10. Hell Broke Luce (Bad As Me, 2011)

Soundstage 1975 Live:

Tom Waits: his 25 best songs (The Telegraph)

By Martin Chilton – May 10, 2017

1. Tom Trauberts Blues (Small Change, 1976)
2. Ol´55 (Closing Time, 1973)
3. Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis (Blue Valentine, 1978)
4. Hang Down Your Head (Rain Dogs, 1985)
5. Martha (Closing Time, 1973)
6. What´s He Building? (Mule Variations, 1999)
7. Innocent When You Dream (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
8. Cold, Cold Ground (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
9. Johnsburg, Illinois (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
10. (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
11. Gun Street Girl (Rain Dogs, 1985)
12. Jersey Girl (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
13. Downtown Train (Rain Dogs, 1985)
14. Trampled Rose (Real Gone, 2004)
15. Clap Hands (Rain Dogs, 1985)
16. The Long Way Home (Orphans, 2006)
17. Walk Away (Orphans, 2006)
18. In The Neighbourhood (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
19. Rubys Arms (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
20. Hold On (Mule Variations, 1999)
21. Shiver Me Timbers (The Heart of Saturday Night, 1974)
22. Heartattack And Vine (Heartattack And Vine, 1980)
23. Romeo is Bleeding (Blue Valentine, 1978)
24. Way Down in The Hole (Franks Wild Years, 1987)
25. 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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