Neil Young Songs: His Best Ever And Why

Without a doubt, Neil Young is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. As a solo singer-songwriter, and contributing member of some of the greatest bands ever, he has written some of the most honest, sincere, real music ever. His influence on popular music is undeniable. Personally, I am a huge fan of his music and when a pal posed the question recently "What are the best Neil Young songs of all time?" I had to really think it over.

Drum roll please...

1. Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold is his only number 1 song so far. It was written after a bad back injury that kept him from standing up to play the electric guitar. Lucky for us that resulted in him penning this gorgeous acoustic guitar-driven gem. He really has a gift of plain-spoken poetry and Heart of Gold nails it: "I want to live, I want to give. I've been a miner for a heart of gold." And... that harmonica solo is so distinctly Neil Young.

2. Southern Man

Southern Man is an example of his most vivid descriptive storytelling. In it he tells the story of a southern man (really, a symbol of the entire American south) and his mistreatment of his slaves. He gives an earnest, gritty performance. In the song he pleads "I saw cotton and I saw black, tall white mansions and little shacks. Southern Man, when will you pay them back?" It also prompted Lynyrd Skynyrd to write their response "Sweet Home Alabama." Funny... Neil Young often covers that song in his concerts.

3. Helpless

One of his most simple and direct songs written to date. But its the simplicity of it that I love. Its repetition in the chord changes and melody is lulling and his vocals are as sweet as ever. He's performed this with tons of folks. Perhaps the most famous is with The Band and Joni Mitchell on their 'Last Waltz.'

Whether you agree with my choices for the best Neil Young songs of all time or not, there's not disputing how great he is.

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