Everyone knows the Doors. They have a few hits that are easily recognisable, and Jim Morrison is well-known as one of music’s great frontmen. What people don’t know, however, is that their discography is filled to the brim with bangers.
I’ve narrowed down my top twenty Doors songs based on personal preference, but if you asked me tomorrow I’d probably rearrange the entire list!
Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:
20 – Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
Some Doors songs focus more on creating a memorable atmosphere than anything else, and “Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)” is a prime example.
I can vividly imagine sitting in a raucous American bar while a charismatic band plays on stage.
19 – Love Street
“Love Street” is more mellow than a lot of Doors songs, but I like the smooth melodies and instrumentals.
18 – When the Music’s Over
Every Doors album ends with a banger, and “Strange Days” is no exception.
The only thing holding “When the Music’s Over” back is its length, as well as the electric organ sounding too familiar to other Doors songs.
17 – Five to One
That bass tone!
It’s a really rough song, which is why I dig it.
16 – The Crystal Ship
The Doors’ debut album is chalked full of incredible songs, and one of the most slept-on tracks is “The Crystal Ship”.
It builds and builds until the amazing climax blows your socks off.
15 – Strange Days
One of the stranger Doors songs. No surprises there.
I love the ethereal vocals, and the production is so out-there and circus-like.
14 – Touch Me
“The Soft Parade” is easily the least remarkable Doors album, but at least it gave us “Touch Me”.
The woodwind is what sells it.
13 – Love Me Two Times
That classic Doors sound. The ending is so good I had to play it two times.
12 – Soul Kitchen
“Soul Kitchen” is an incredible bop, and yet it’s not in the top three of the album. Their debut was strong as hell!
The verses are slick and smooth, but it’s the bombastic choruses that I keep coming back to.
11 – Peace Frog
Strange title, hard-hitting lyrics.
This is one of those Doors songs that is majorly slept-on.
10 – People Are Strange
The Doors could make some hard-hitting Rock bangers, but they also knew how to take their time with it.
“People Are Strange” is extremely atmospheric and jaunty, and the songwriting always keeps you on edge.
9 – The Changeling
I don’t know about you, but I find the opening song on “L.A. Woman” to be one of the most energetic openers I’ve ever heard.
“The Changeling” weaves a great lyrical story, and Jim Morrison’s vocals are electric.
8 – Light My Fire
It’s nothing but classics from this point onwards.
“Light My Fire” is a fan-favourite track from their debut album, and I love it too. It can get a little long-winded at points, but otherwise it’s really memorable.
7 – Roadhouse Blues
It doesn’t get Bluesy-er than “Roadhouse Blues”.
The verses are tight as hell, but the “Let it roll” refrains are a highlight of the Doors’ whole discography.
6 – L.A. Woman
On the surface “L.A. Woman” is a seven-minute, gruelling track that doesn’t have much variation, but it’s so much more than that.
You get sucked in immediately – if there’s a Doors songs I tend to headbang to, it’s this one.
5 – Hello, I Love You
Doors songs sound really well produced for their time, and my favourite production in a vacuum has to be “Hello, I Love You”.
Those synths still sound incredible, and Morrison’s vocals are as seductive as ever.
4 – Love Her Madly
If there was ever a song to encapsulate the Doors’ signature sound, it would be “Love Her Madly”.
The sultry vocals and lyrics, the prominent guitar and bass, the honky-tonk piano that morphs into an electric organ for the bridges … this song has it all.
3 – The End
It takes a lot of balls to end your debut album with an eleven minute, nightmare-inducing trance.
“The End” showed the fearlessness of the band, as well as the creative depths they were willing to go to.
2 – Break on Through (To the Other Side)
Doors songs can be sorted in one of two categories – atmospheric artwork or bluesy bop. “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” is the best of the latter batch.
It’s an amazing opener to an amazing album, and I love how the instruments build towards the chorus.
1 – Riders on the Storm
From a bop of an opener to one of the best atmospheric closers you’ll ever hear, “Riders on the Storm” couldn’t have ended “L.A. Woman” on a better note.
I can vividly imagine myself in a seedy American bar every single time, and the production never fails to give me goosebumps.
Aaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below:
2019: The Year In Music
2019 – Hong Kong protests China’s undemocratic rulings, Algerians protest their president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Sudanese protest their president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Chileans protest inequality, Iraq protests its government, Iran protests fuel subsidies, and elsewhere Bolivia, India, Nicaragua and Russia all partake in “The Year of Protests”. The first picture of a black hole is taken.…
God Of War: Ragnarok – All Nine Realms Ranked
We couldn’t have asked for much more from 2018’s “God Of War” reboot. It had everything – tight combat, an amazing story with fleshed-out characters, an expansive journey through the realms … well, not all the realms. One of my biggest dreams for the sequel, “Ragnarok”, was to be able to explore all nine realms…
“Rick And Morty” Season 8 – Every Episode Ranked
“Rick and Morty” Season 8 is finally on Netflix, which means it’s time for me to rank some more episodes! As I’ve done with previous seasons, I’ll give each episode a graded score to mark their quality. It was a mixed bag this season, so the grades should help to set the episodes apart. Before…
Matt Has An Opinion 