Top 6 Rod Stewart Songs

Rod Stewart,  Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart wore many faces in his long recording career. As lead singer of The Faces, or the first incarnation of The Jeff Beck Group, and as a solo artist, Rod the Mod hit super-stardom through his rock and roll classics and simple pop tunes.

Jeff Beck Group

Performing with the iconic Jeff Beck and that group that bared his name, they explored British rock and dabbled in the Blues. The first album produced the classic instrumental Beck's Bolero and Shapes of Things.

Together with Ronnie Wood, Stewart left the JBG and joined The Faces. The Faces five albums each come across as lengthy rockin' blues jam sessions. While Wood went off to join the Rolling Stones in 1975, Stewart continued to pursue a solo career. He continued to perform and tour with The Faces while performing and promoting his solo work.

Rod Stewart

The late 70s saw Stewart delve into the disco scene, becoming one of the first main stream rockers to succeed on the disco charts. Based on record sales many people were turned on to Stewart's music with the dance tinged Do You Think I'm Sexy. Many others believe he became a disco sellout in the 70s and later a pop sellout in the 80s and into the new century with his American Songbook reproductions.

With his raspy voice, in his youth Rod had the range to sing the blues, rock-and-roll or a tender ballad. In his elder days, Stewart would be envious of the vocal range of a Leonard Cohen.

Incredibly talented and a great performer to this very day here are the Top Six songs of Rod Stewart's musical career.

Plynth (Water Down the Drain)  Jeff Beck Group, 1969 "Beck-Ola"
Gasoline Alley Rod Stewart 1970 "Gasoline Alley"
Around The Plynth The Faces 1970 "First Step"
Maggie May Rod Stewart 1971 "Every Picture Tells A story"
You Wear It Well Rod Stewart 1972 "Never A Dull Moment"
Tonight's The Night Rod Stewart 1976 "A Night On the Town"

Due to the usual copyright restrictions, these were the only songs I could load here.

Rod Stewart with the Faces, Around The Plynth from 1970s First Step.



Rod Stewart solo Maggie May from the 1971 release Every Picture Tells A story

Break Up Songs Part II

Continued from Break Up Songs (They Don't Write Em) Part 1. I split this in two parts. It was a little clunky to load. More upbeat breakup songs. There are a lot of those slow, sad love ballads and breakup songs. But how many upbeat breakup songs are there? Did I miss any?


So She's Leaving - The Trews
This first song was a late addition. The Trews, hailing from Nova Scotia have released four studio albums and two EPs. From their 2005 release Den of Thieves here is The Trews with So She's Leaving.



Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
Sing along to the Looking Glass' number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 from 1972. It features Elliot Lurie’s rich vocals.





Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
Kiki and Elton’s clowning around make this the most fun video of the entire lot of breakup videos. No vayas a romperme mi corazon.





Here is Cake responding on behalf of all men in their cover of I Will Survive. While in Gaynor’s version she is shouting out to the world, here John McCrea’s take is less of anthem and more of a self reassurance.







Maggie May - Rod Stewart.
I love early Rod Stewart when he was still Rod the Mod and was rocking the Blues. That was before he became Rod the Disco sell-out and before he became Rod the Pop sell-out. Maggie May is in my Top 5 favorite Rod Stewart songs.





96 Tears - ? & The Mysterians
One of the most distinctive keyboard sounds of any song.


Blue Moon – Marcels The up-tempo version the song.

There’s Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes
Burt Bacharach wrote this in the early 1960s. The Naked Eyes version is synthed out and set to 80s electric drum beats in this New Wave hit.


Jealous Man - Hoyt Axton
Not quite a break up song, Axton refers to it as a love song. But it could just as easily be the jealous ex-boyfriend singing. Axton is one of America’s greatest storytellers, the big man with the guitar, you’ve got to believe every word he says. Or else.
(Also try if you can to find his haunting (and hard to find) cover of House of the Rising Sun. It is beautiful)

(don’t know why this is set to video from Taxi Driver aside from the fact that it kind of fits)
And if you are in the U.S. via Hulu you can stream the episode of WKRP in Cincinnati where Axton performs the song.


Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page. Plant howls about the road a callin’ and overpowering his want to stay.



Gone, Gone, Gone - Bad Company 70s super group. The first to sign to Led Zeppelin created record label Swan Song.
“Well, I been havin’ a little trouble lord
But I'm keepin’ it together yeah
My baby just walked out the doors
She said this time forever...”

Listen for the wicked good chorus.






You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrisette
This song that sparked Morrisette’s comeback and re-branding.





(I Hate) Everything About You - Ugly Kid Joe.
I forgot about these guys. And probably will again. But it’s a fun song.



Click here for the Top Ten
11 - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass
12 - Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
13 - I Will Survive by Cake
14 - Maggie May by Rod Stewart
15 - 96 Tears by ? & The Mysterians
16 - Blue Moon by The Marcels
17 - There’s Always Something There to Remind Me by Naked Eyes
18 - Jealous Man by Hoyt Axton
19 - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You by Led Zeppelin
20 - Gone, Gone, Gone by Bad Company
21 - You Oughta Know by Alanis Morrisette
22 - (I Hate) Everything About You by Ugly Kid Joe

There are fewer 90s songs that could be considered classics. I also had trouble finding songs from the 00s and 10s that fit the bill. There are plenty of ballads or slow songs but not many upbeat tunes. I had the urge to throw in Fiona Apple’s Shadowboxer but the song was too somber so I just threw the CD into the player and had a beer. Once my lover now my friend… Can you think of any? What else did I miss? Here's the link to Part 1 of Upbeat break up songs  Break Up Songs (They Don't Write Em) .