I don't know if there has been a better American rock band over the past two decades. Back in my old neighborhood, in the 1990s, I found myself completely absorbed by the Alt-Country genre or, if you prefer, Cow Punk. I listened to Steve Earle, Social Distortion, the Jayhawks, Whiskeytown, Alejandro Escovedo, Lucinda Williams and the Old 97s. I read No Depression magazine. I discovered the seminal alt-country band, Uncle Tupelo just as they were dissolving. But rather than take sides in the divorce between Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, I rejoiced in the fact that there would be two new bands to embrace, Son Volt and Wilco.
Son Volt was stronger out of the gate but I had no complaints. I loved both debuts, Son Volt's Trace and Wilco's A.M.. And on a summer night in New York City in 1995, I crowded into Tramps on West 21st Street and saw Wilco play their raucous, aching heartland rock 'n' roll well past 1:00 am. I loved it. But it was the following year, when Wilco released the ambitious double-CD, Being There, it became clear that this band was taking their game to another level. From the sonic chaos that opens the album to the soulful ballads to the revved-up rockers, listening to Wilco was like taking a journey across America and the landscape of your own heart. And the journey continued with the lush Brian Wilson inspired pop of Summerteeth, the post 9/11 discordant beauty of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the noise rock of A Ghost is Born and onward.
My list draws only lightly from the newer albums. Not necessarily because they're weaker albums but because Wilco's best songs take on deeper meaning over time, as you listen and live with them for a while. Wilco is a band with very diverse musical styles and different elements will appeal to different fans. Ask any another Wilco fan to pick their own top 50 songs-- half might be different songs entirely and you might see a completely different top 10. I love that about Wilco.
Anyway, here are mine:
50. Casino Queen (A.M.)
Raunchy rocker from the Wilco’s debut album. Needs more cowbell.
49. One By One (Mermaid Avenue)
Jeff Tweedy gives voice to some of Woody Guthrie’s most heartbreaking lyrics.
48. Someone
to Lose (Schmilco)
The standout track on
Wilco’s latest album, a solid, understated effort that gets better with
repeated listens.
47. Pot
Kettle Black (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
A catchy rhythmic
number with the late Jay Bennett on steel guitar.
46. Red Eyed and Blue (Being There)
Few writers or singers capture a world-weary and lonesome feel the way that Jeff Tweedy can.
45. She’s a Jar (Summerteeth)
Wilco’s lush baroque pop and abstract lyricism are combined on this almost unbearably sad song.
44. You Are My Face (Sky Blue Sky)
Layers of musical and emotional depth in Neels Cline’s guitar work.
43. You and I (Wilco (The Album))
Lovely duet with Canadian Indy darling, Feist.
42. Theologians (A Ghost is Born)
I still have no frickin’ idea what a cherry ghost is. Does it matter?
41. Art of Almost (The Whole Love)
No song better illustrates Wilco's journey from alt-country Uncle Tupelo origins to art rock and electronic noise. This one’s a wild ride.
40. Reservations (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Beautiful ballad is the perfect closer for Wilco's most adventurous and complicated album.
39. I Can’t Stand it (Summerteeth)
On the opening track of Summerteeth, Wilco offers up a shimmering pop melody and soulful groove.
38. Either Way (Sky Blue Sky)
The opener for Sky Blue Sky is a beautifully contemplative number.
37. Far Far Away (Being There)
My God. Even Hank Williams wasn’t this lonesome.
36. Muzzle of Bees (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco’s quiet layered guitars build to a rich atmospheric finish.
35. Hate it Here (Sky Blue Sky)
On an album full of metaphors and abstract lyrics, Tweedy keeps it real, (“I do the dishes, I mow the lawn”) but still can’t escape the loneliness
34. Radio Cure (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Have we mentioned Jeff Tweedy’s knack for writing beautiful but unbearably sad songs? ("distance has no way of making love understandable").
33. A Magazine Called Sunset (More Like the Moon, EP)
A gorgeous melody, filled with color and longing. Somehow this track got left off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
32. I Got You (at the End of the Century) (Being There)
Wilco’s second album, Being There, contains elements of everything that Wilco was or would become. “I Got You” is pure power pop but check out the bluegrass version used by Judd Apatow for This is 40.
31. Company in My Back (A Ghost is Born)
An understated track that chugs along and builds into a kaleidoscope chorus. Great use of dulcimer.
30. I’m Always in Love (Summerteeth)
A joyful burst of a pop song.
29. Monday (Being There)
Dirty, loose and loud, Monday sounds like something off Exile on Main Street.
28. I’m the Man Who Loves You (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
While Neels Cline does the guitar shredding on the more recent albums, here it’s Jeff Tweedy bringing the noise like Neil Young.
27. You Never Know (Wilco (the Album))
A cheerful nod to George Harrison. Tweedy wisely observes, Every generation thinks it’s the end of the world.
26. Hotel Arizona (Being There)
A pulsing, moody and ambitious track showing us that Wilco was not just following some alt-country formula.
25. Hummingbird (A Ghost is Born)
Catchy hummable number with rich orchestration.
24. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Probably Wilco’s most daring and influential song. Just ask the band, American Aquarium.
23. Via Chicago (Summerteeth)
You're instantly grabbed by that disturbing opening line: I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me.
22. I Must Be High (A.M.)
First album, first track. Here is Wilco at their alt-country best, wistful, shimmering guitars and sing-along-chorus. (“bye, bye bye…”)
21. Remember the Mountain Bed (Mermaid Avenue, Vol. II)
One of the best Woody Guthrie song recordings.
20. At Least That’s What You Said (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco kicked off their most eclectic album with a strong musical statement – a quiet contemplative reflection that explodes into a Crazy Horse style jam.
19. Nothinsevergonnastandinmywayagain (Summerteeth)
An infectious pop gem.
18. One Wing (Wilco (The Album))
A moody song with terrific-sounding guitar.
17. The Late Greats (A Ghost is Born)
The best songs will never get sung
The best life never leaves your lungs
So good you won't ever know
You'll never hear it on the radio
16. Poor Places (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Wilco’s beautiful lament about lack of connection is made more vivid bookended by atmospheric drones and electronic noise
15. Outasite (Outta mind) (Being There)
An irresistible rocker and radio/MTV-friendly track off of Being There.
14. Passenger Side (A.M.)
Tweedy’s wry country-rock ballad about a suspended driver’s license and broken heart.
13. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco’s hypnotic Krautrock never feels cold to me. The energy really comes through in live versions.
12. Sunken Treasure (Being There)
A hint of what was to come: a lonesome voice, discordant beauty and unforgettable lyrics. I was maimed by rock ‘n roll.
11. Born Alone (The Whole Love)
A catchy tune, a biting guitar hook and a descent into sonic chaos that sounds like "A Day in the Life" played backwards.
10. Box Full of Letters (A.M)
A terrific burst of rock-pop, still with an alt-country flavor, on Wilco's debut.
9. Handshake Drugs (A Ghost is Born)
Simple melodies explode into guitar chaos. This is a great one live.
8. Heavy Metal Drummer (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
In the movie, Almost Famous, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, playing rock critic, Lester Bangs, declares, “the day [rock] ceases to be dumb is the day it ceases to be real.” I'm reminded of this song - a celebration of rock music's glorious dumbness.
7. How to Fight The Loneliness (Summerteeth)
The answer, as you know, is: smile all the time.
6. Jesus, etc. (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
A transcendent pop song: You were right about the stars. Each one is a setting sun.
5. California Stars (Mermaid Avenue)
Speaking of stars, here's the highlight of the great Woody Guthrie recordings. The melody and Tweedy’s lazy delivery washes over you. You can feel the evening breeze. It feels like hope.
4. Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky)
Yeah, it’s the guitar. Everything floats along nicely enough but when Neels Cline gets going, you’re transported to someplace wonderful.
3. A Shot in the Arm (Summerteeth)
It’s hard to imagine a better opening lyric (The ashtray said, you were up all night) or a better example of how a song so dark can be so damn catchy.
2. Ashes of American Flags (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Everything that is great about Wilco is here in this song. Melody and chaos. Alienation and beauty.
1. Misunderstood (Being There)
I’ll never forget the first time I heard this. I tore off the plastic of my new double-CD, Being There, (purchased at a single-CD price), popped in disc one (the cream-colored one) and was blown away. When the sonic anarchy of the intro fades, Tweedy's lonesome voice unburdens his small-town punk-dreamer-every-man's soul. And then a flight into something primal and magnificent. It’s like experiencing all of rock and roll’s dreams and nightmares in six minutes.
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46. Red Eyed and Blue (Being There)
Few writers or singers capture a world-weary and lonesome feel the way that Jeff Tweedy can.
45. She’s a Jar (Summerteeth)
Wilco’s lush baroque pop and abstract lyricism are combined on this almost unbearably sad song.
44. You Are My Face (Sky Blue Sky)
Layers of musical and emotional depth in Neels Cline’s guitar work.
43. You and I (Wilco (The Album))
Lovely duet with Canadian Indy darling, Feist.
42. Theologians (A Ghost is Born)
I still have no frickin’ idea what a cherry ghost is. Does it matter?
41. Art of Almost (The Whole Love)
No song better illustrates Wilco's journey from alt-country Uncle Tupelo origins to art rock and electronic noise. This one’s a wild ride.
40. Reservations (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Beautiful ballad is the perfect closer for Wilco's most adventurous and complicated album.
39. I Can’t Stand it (Summerteeth)
On the opening track of Summerteeth, Wilco offers up a shimmering pop melody and soulful groove.
38. Either Way (Sky Blue Sky)
The opener for Sky Blue Sky is a beautifully contemplative number.
37. Far Far Away (Being There)
My God. Even Hank Williams wasn’t this lonesome.
36. Muzzle of Bees (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco’s quiet layered guitars build to a rich atmospheric finish.
35. Hate it Here (Sky Blue Sky)
On an album full of metaphors and abstract lyrics, Tweedy keeps it real, (“I do the dishes, I mow the lawn”) but still can’t escape the loneliness
34. Radio Cure (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Have we mentioned Jeff Tweedy’s knack for writing beautiful but unbearably sad songs? ("distance has no way of making love understandable").
33. A Magazine Called Sunset (More Like the Moon, EP)
A gorgeous melody, filled with color and longing. Somehow this track got left off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
32. I Got You (at the End of the Century) (Being There)
Wilco’s second album, Being There, contains elements of everything that Wilco was or would become. “I Got You” is pure power pop but check out the bluegrass version used by Judd Apatow for This is 40.
31. Company in My Back (A Ghost is Born)
An understated track that chugs along and builds into a kaleidoscope chorus. Great use of dulcimer.
30. I’m Always in Love (Summerteeth)
A joyful burst of a pop song.
29. Monday (Being There)
Dirty, loose and loud, Monday sounds like something off Exile on Main Street.
28. I’m the Man Who Loves You (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
While Neels Cline does the guitar shredding on the more recent albums, here it’s Jeff Tweedy bringing the noise like Neil Young.
27. You Never Know (Wilco (the Album))
A cheerful nod to George Harrison. Tweedy wisely observes, Every generation thinks it’s the end of the world.
26. Hotel Arizona (Being There)
A pulsing, moody and ambitious track showing us that Wilco was not just following some alt-country formula.
25. Hummingbird (A Ghost is Born)
Catchy hummable number with rich orchestration.
24. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Probably Wilco’s most daring and influential song. Just ask the band, American Aquarium.
23. Via Chicago (Summerteeth)
You're instantly grabbed by that disturbing opening line: I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me.
22. I Must Be High (A.M.)
First album, first track. Here is Wilco at their alt-country best, wistful, shimmering guitars and sing-along-chorus. (“bye, bye bye…”)
21. Remember the Mountain Bed (Mermaid Avenue, Vol. II)
One of the best Woody Guthrie song recordings.
20. At Least That’s What You Said (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco kicked off their most eclectic album with a strong musical statement – a quiet contemplative reflection that explodes into a Crazy Horse style jam.
19. Nothinsevergonnastandinmywayagain (Summerteeth)
An infectious pop gem.
18. One Wing (Wilco (The Album))
A moody song with terrific-sounding guitar.
17. The Late Greats (A Ghost is Born)
The best songs will never get sung
The best life never leaves your lungs
So good you won't ever know
You'll never hear it on the radio
16. Poor Places (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Wilco’s beautiful lament about lack of connection is made more vivid bookended by atmospheric drones and electronic noise
15. Outasite (Outta mind) (Being There)
An irresistible rocker and radio/MTV-friendly track off of Being There.
14. Passenger Side (A.M.)
Tweedy’s wry country-rock ballad about a suspended driver’s license and broken heart.
13. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (A Ghost is Born)
Wilco’s hypnotic Krautrock never feels cold to me. The energy really comes through in live versions.
12. Sunken Treasure (Being There)
A hint of what was to come: a lonesome voice, discordant beauty and unforgettable lyrics. I was maimed by rock ‘n roll.
11. Born Alone (The Whole Love)
A catchy tune, a biting guitar hook and a descent into sonic chaos that sounds like "A Day in the Life" played backwards.
10. Box Full of Letters (A.M)
A terrific burst of rock-pop, still with an alt-country flavor, on Wilco's debut.
9. Handshake Drugs (A Ghost is Born)
Simple melodies explode into guitar chaos. This is a great one live.
8. Heavy Metal Drummer (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
In the movie, Almost Famous, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, playing rock critic, Lester Bangs, declares, “the day [rock] ceases to be dumb is the day it ceases to be real.” I'm reminded of this song - a celebration of rock music's glorious dumbness.
7. How to Fight The Loneliness (Summerteeth)
The answer, as you know, is: smile all the time.
6. Jesus, etc. (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
A transcendent pop song: You were right about the stars. Each one is a setting sun.
5. California Stars (Mermaid Avenue)
Speaking of stars, here's the highlight of the great Woody Guthrie recordings. The melody and Tweedy’s lazy delivery washes over you. You can feel the evening breeze. It feels like hope.
4. Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky)
Yeah, it’s the guitar. Everything floats along nicely enough but when Neels Cline gets going, you’re transported to someplace wonderful.
3. A Shot in the Arm (Summerteeth)
It’s hard to imagine a better opening lyric (The ashtray said, you were up all night) or a better example of how a song so dark can be so damn catchy.
2. Ashes of American Flags (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Everything that is great about Wilco is here in this song. Melody and chaos. Alienation and beauty.
1. Misunderstood (Being There)
I’ll never forget the first time I heard this. I tore off the plastic of my new double-CD, Being There, (purchased at a single-CD price), popped in disc one (the cream-colored one) and was blown away. When the sonic anarchy of the intro fades, Tweedy's lonesome voice unburdens his small-town punk-dreamer-every-man's soul. And then a flight into something primal and magnificent. It’s like experiencing all of rock and roll’s dreams and nightmares in six minutes.
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