Top 10 Beth Hart Songs
Beth Hart is a phenomenal performer that has recorded over a dozen albums during the course of her three-decade career that periodically intertwined musically with Joe Bonamassa. Her voice is amazing whether it’s gently lilting or balls to the wall screaming. She made her debut on Ed McMahon’s Star Search in 1993 when she won five weeks in a row. Hart is also a multi-instrumentalist and a riveting pianist along with a talented songwriter. Most of the compositions that appear on her albums were either written or co-written by her except for the obvious covers.
Here are 10 of Beth Hart’s best songs to date.
10. “Can’t Get Enough”
“Can’t Get Enough” is the first song we have a record of Beth Hart singing. It doesn’t appear on an album and is a self written composition that she sang on Star Search in 1993 when she won first place five weeks in a row.
9. “I’d Rather Go Blind”
“I’d Rather Go Blind” was on 2011’s Don’t Explain with Joe Bonamassa. It’s a classic blues cover co-written and sung originally by Etta James who recorded it in 1967. Hart’s voice reaches into the soul as Bonamassa’s guitar echoes her emotion with his six string.
8. “Love Is a Lie”
“Love Is a Lie” comes from Hart’s 2016 studio album Fire On the Floor. It’s a broken hearted rant where she passionately sings that “Love is a lie sucking you dry” and to make the point more poignantly painful, lead guitarist Jon Nichols performs an emotionally escalating guitar solo.
7. “Caught Out In the Rain”
“Caught Out In the Rain” from 2012’s Bang Bang Boom Boom is performed by Beth Hart and her band in 2018 at Royal Albert Hall in London. Some compare Hart to Janis Joplin in the way that she stretches her voice to the screaming limit and this is a good example.
6. “Leave The Light On”
This is a delicate sounding acoustic song with Hart playing piano as she sings the title song of her 2003 release Leave The Light On. The lyrics reflects the fear and uncertainty of a woman recollecting her childhood and coming of age trauma and expressing it through the anguish in her voice.
5. “Mama This One’s For You”
Better Than Home produced “Mama This One’s For You” which Hart regularly performs in concert. She has the ability to capture not only your attention but your emotions as she becomes a siren that entices listeners to listen with the same abandoned rapture that the doomed sailors did when they joyously sailed into the rocks of Scylla.
4. “Bad Woman Blues”
In 2019, Hart released War On My Mind which contained “Bad Woman Blues” a piano driven rant that has her singing in multi-octaves “Good girls always lose, I got the bad woman blues.”
3. “Bottle Of Jesus”
Leave the Light On was released in 2003 and “Bottle Of Jesus” was a humorous romp around the serious subject of addiction on both the temporal and spiritual levels. The lyrics vacillate along with the melody and rhythm as she sings “I don’t listen to rules or Gospel they’re just trying to shut me up…Oh Lord. Gonna set me free.”
2. “One Eyed Chicken”
“One Eyed Chicken appeared on 37 Days in 2007 and is a throw out all the stops ass kicking blues rocker that features screaming vocals and raging interplay between piano and guitar.
1. “Through the Window Of My Mind”
“Through the Window Of My Mind” appeared on Bang Bang Boom Boom in 2012 and is a beautiful haunting melody with a throbbing piano driven cadence singing “open the window” repeatedly as a euphemism for the sky is the limit in life.
Always difficult listing an artiste’s “Top 10 Songs”, but I’m afraid you aren’t anywhere close with this list…
A good list, but, how can you NOT include “Tell Her You Belong To Me”? I know she has SO much to choose from but, that one has to be there! I always loved the song… even more so after she explained what the song really means, when I saw her in concert.
I can’t believe there’s nothing from “Screamin’ For My Supper”. “Get Your Shit Together” and “L.A. Song (Out Of This Town)” are masterpieces.
Oh and her version of “Nutbush City Limits” with her and Bonamassa should DEFINITELY have made this list!!!
I also think this list is a less than impressive one of Hart’s better songs. As for ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, watch Etta James perform this live at Montreaux (it’s on youtube) and the Bonamassa/Hart performance really doesn’t come close to reaching your soul.
That said Ms Hart is a wonderful artist who has plenty of her own songs where she does the business and in the future artists who might try to cover her will not be able to find the emotion and power to come close what she can deliver.
Not easy to define top 10 songs!
But i would only use Beth’s own songs for that and definitely include “L.A. Song (Out Of This Town)” and “Tell Her You Belong To Me” as a replacement for 10. “Can’t Get Enough” and 9. “I’d Rather Go Blind”.
I recently created a playlist with 42 favorites, that was hard enough 😉
Think there are a few more songs that shows more emotion from her… Am I the One from her debut album immortal should be at the top of the list… That was the song that got me wanting more of her, got the pleasure of seeing her perform live a few years back. All I got to say is It was worth driving 4hrs just to see her….. She is an amazing performer and just so down to earth, she makes you feel the music she puts out.
Beth Hart is an amazing vocalist, musician, songwriter and performer in her own right. Choosing a Top 10 for her would be difficult to say the least!!!I should think Etta James would be proud to have such an accomplished artist singing “I’d Rather Go Blind”. She does the song justice, to be sure. ” Bad Woman Blues” is another badass example of her talent. The world is a better place with her in it in my opinion. Keep on keeping on lady….that’s what I say!!!
I love her music..I think bang bang bang boom boom boom and take it easy on me close to my fire should of made it. just saying…
Not much in common with my own list of 5 top Beth Hart songs, except for “Bad Woman Blues”. My favorites are “Addicted”, “Spanish Lullabies”, “Damn Your Eyes”, and “Sugar Shack”.
I could never list Beth’s TEN best songs, how could I possibly choose, it’s almost like asking which one of your kids do you love the most! Every song, every album (live & studio) are just pure excellence. I just wish I could get to see one of her live concerts here in the UK. Now with Covid, there’s not even any new stuff to look forward to!
Simply not possible to put a list together with just 10 songs.
To much to choose from and all master peaces.
Every song is on my spotify so i am not missing out!
My personal opinion:
I’d rather go blind and Nut bush are way better than the originals.
But again: that’s a personal opinion.
She can touch me in a way no artist can.
So much emotion in her voice and Bonamassa in his guitar.
Together the are the absolute best!!!!