Wilco's Top 10 Songs » 2022

What are Wilco's Top 10 tracks? That's a tough one!
In this video, I'll give you my "definitive and authoritative" list.
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[@troutbreath]

Good list. I am not sure I could get down to 10. But, among my favs, "Art of Almost," "Spiders," "Poor Places," "You and I," "One Wing," and "Bull Black Nova." Wilco can capture so many musical textures, but when they get weird, I get happy.

[@beardsofkentucky]

All fantastic!

[@jackielangley5154]

The Art of Almost certainty grows on you!

[@andrewehritz674]

Respectable choices. I agree it’s hard to condense down to 10 tracks, and I agree with many of your picks, but you overlooked “Theologians” and “Hummingbird” from A Ghost is Born, an underrated album. “His goal in life was to be an echo. The kind of sound that floats around and then back down like a feather.”

[@beardsofkentucky]

Theologians just doesn’t hit me the way many other Wilco tracks do. Hummingbird is great, have you heard the YHF versions? Very interesting twist…

[@andrewehritz674]

@@beardsofkentucky yes. I enjoy that version. I read an interview with Tweedy. ‘Hummingbird’ was his father’s favorite song. He said he’s always trying to write more songs like that one.

[@boopbloop10]

Nice list - as the writer of Wilcopedia, I highly approve of your choices.

[@beardsofkentucky]

Thanks! Cool book by the way, I'll have to pick up a copy!

[@lombardodendaal9698]

Great list , few i might add ...Handshake Drugs. Spiders and Sky Blue Sky .

[@beardsofkentucky]

Love all of those! I prefer the Handshake Drugs kt live version and the original More Like The Moon EP version to the AGIB version though...

[@zmac7777]

No one ever mentions Pot Kettle Black. They never play it live much anymore. I’ve never found a song of theirs that resonates quite like this one. A newer one I can’t stop listening to is Hearts Hard to Find.

[@beardsofkentucky]

I like it, but it's not a top 10 for me...

[@brianmccabe3929]

Spiders (Kidsmoke) is my Wilco #1 and among my all-time favorite songs. Many Worlds, off Cruel Country, is giving it a run for its money.

[@beardsofkentucky]

I have to revisit Cruel Country. Love S/K.

[@beentheredonethat3624]

Fairly good commentary by an obviously big fan. I would have to say that the VERY MOST AWESOME-IST song Wilco does is 'Via Chicago" especially when they play it live, where several times during the gentle, sweet song, over the top they break into the sound of The Loop going overhead or nearby. If you've ever spent ANY time in downtown Chicago or outer-lying areas, you've heard the sound of the screeching/grinding/doppler-evident Loop going by. I thing it's their love song to Chicago, with all its complexities!

[@beardsofkentucky]

Interesting!

[@TheirFinestHour]

I’d argue for Spiders, Side With the Seeds, One Wing, How to Fight Loneliness

[@beardsofkentucky]

All great!

[@adamsasso1]

Great list. One that would have to be on mine would be You Are My Face. Love the changes, each part is so memorable.

[@beardsofkentucky]

You Are My Face is fantastic. They opened with it when I saw them in Bloomington, Indiana years ago, and I saw it in a whole new light.

[@adamsasso1]

@@beardsofkentucky Oh yeah? What Light? 🤣

[@roguescoop]

Agree. It is highly underrated... It would make my Top 10 for sure. Great pick adamsasso..

[@BradCarlMusic]

MONDAY!!!!

[@beardsofkentucky]

So good!

[@PatrickMcCarthy68]

Solid list. You Are My Face and Ashes OAFs would be on mine, and one Sunday Morning would be top three for me. You should just do the top 50!

[@beardsofkentucky]

Haha - Top 50 would be insane, but maybe one of these days I'll do a Top 25...

[@bettymarie1]

Great content, thanks!! 10. "You and I" - Wilco - (2009). Would have been higher had the damn lap-steel been mixed up and panned. 9. “Impossible Germany” - Sky Blue Sky (2007) Guitar work is superb, correct! 8. "Kamera" - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001) Lyrically dense - Beautifully recorded, double tweedy vocals. Great to take on road trips. 1 of 3 from YHFT. 7. "Far, far away". - Being There (1996) Imagery and love song sentiment right up there with the best of Neil Young! A.M radio = A-okay with me! ;) 6. "Misunderstood" - Being There (1996) 2nd in a row from Being There. No need to comment, You said it best!! 5. "Via Chicago" - Summerteeth (1999) Surrealist, borderline experimental piece of art! Bass and drums sound outstanding as well as the screeching gutter-ball lead guitar while Tweedy's voice has never sounding better. What's not to like? 4. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001) Sheryl Crow said something to the affect that the whole band were pissing in the wind when they recorded this one. On top of that, their record label famously hated it and demoted them. That's good enough for me!! 3. "Sunken Treasure" - Being There (1996) Okay, I have a soft spot for broken hearted f'd up discordant, tense, metaphorically over the top, poetical lyrics. Did Jay bennett have his paws all over this? Doesn't matter, love the "A day in the life" esque cacophony! 2. “A Shot in the Arm” Summerteeth (1999) Unmercifully brilliant from beginning to end and although I have never seen Wilco live, this perhaps would be the one # that would almost give me the courage to rush the stage? : / Synths are great on this, just levitating. Arrangement is original. Guitars also unique, all encompassing. Vocals = powerful, refreshingly energetic. . . #1. And easily one of my favorite songs of all-time "Jesus etc." - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. (2001) Transcendental! For me at least, ( every great masterpiece should be personal ) In short, this song brought me back to life! There was a girl, you see! I had a 1966 Plymouth satellite, metallic silver/blue and drove her up and down the coast of Northern California listening to all of YFTH one immortal Spring and Summer of 2002. This song just takes me there. It's beautifully composed. It's mysteriously perfect in my book. The instrumentation and lyrics are like nothing else. Thank you Wilco for making this song!

[@beardsofkentucky]

Great list! We have a lot of overlap. I do really love "You and I", beautiful melody and Feist's voice takes any track up several notches. "Kamera" is also phenomenal.

[@krautathaus]

Very good list that i can relate to. The only song i would kick out is "one sunday morning" 'cause it's musically i bit repetitive. "Far far Away" was and is still my fave song from my fave and first Wilco Album. Saw them 1997 in Munich and than got a die hard fan, collecting liveshows and saw them in 1999 two times, and in the actual formation 3 times. A song that is maybe a bit underaprreciated is "summerteeth" itself. This chordprogression flows effortless and the melodie is so refreshing...a perfect summer song. "Jesus ect." may be their most covered song. Cheers from Bavaria

[@beardsofkentucky]

"Summerteeth" is a FANTASTIC song, for sure. Def worthy of an honorable mention on a list such as mine. I'm a sucker for the long jams, so I don't mind the length and repetitive nature of songs like "One Sunday Morning", esp when the melody and playing are so beautiful.

[@brianbard3846]

Summertheeth is very much in the A.M. vein. Probably some of the same sessions.

[@nzstjohnthebaptist]

I just made my own compilation from my own Wilco collection and came to check out your choices. Basically, no overlap. 1. 1. Heavy Metal Drummer 2. Can’t Stand it 3. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart 4. Kamera 5. A Shot in the Arm 6. I’m Always in Love 7. You Satellite 8. Nothing’severgonnastand 9. Company in My Back 10. Pot Kettle Black (and one more) 11. ELT.

[@beardsofkentucky]

You really like Summerteeth! We overlap on 2…

[@CBCDs]

Handshake Drugs is probably my number one. I think “That’s Not the Issue” would make it too. Agree with you on One Sunday Morning - perfect song perfectly sung

[@beardsofkentucky]

Which version of "Handshake Drugs" do you prefer? AM is massively underappreciated. kzbin.info2X2Rbo34F98

[@CBCDs]

@@beardsofkentucky Nice one minute review! I like the studio version of Handshake Drugs on A Ghost is Born, but I know they have a lot of great live versions on KZbin. I don't have their live album - Kicking Television - it's probably on there. Any version is good to me. Love the bass line intro, the piano accents and the long fade out.

[@brianmccabe3929]

@@beardsofkentucky the version on Kicking Television melts my face. The guitars in the outro jam....insane. So good!!!

[@ClumsySandbocks]

Before watching the video my impromptu list from 1-10: Jesus Etc, Impossible Germany, A Shot in the Arm, Misunderstood, Love is Everywhere (Beware), Via Chicago, One Sunday Morning, Theologians, Hotel Arizona, Passenger Side

[@ClumsySandbocks]

I did not include "War on War", "Far, Far Away", " I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" or "California Stars". I probably would not include "Far, Far Away" or "California Stars", but I should have included more Yankee. To justify my choices - Love is Everywhere is Wilco's second best guitar riff after Impossible Germany. Passenger Side is just great and direct early Wilco storytelling with a strong chorus. Hotel Arizona has my favourite outro from Wilco's catalogue and showcases Bennett's (and Bach's) interesting timbral choices on keys. Theologians is probably the most "Tweedy" lyric (Cherry Ghost?), with She's a Jar being the runner-up.

[@beardsofkentucky]

I think we had 7 in common!

[@jackielangley5154]

Getting to 10 is hard, I never thought of it but here goes: Jesus etc, Shoot in the Arm, California Stars (though I'm sick of it), How to Fight Loneliness, Heavy Metal Drummer, You & I, Summer Teeth, Passenger's Side, Magazine Called Sunset, and (the buried headline) What Light! The Late Greats would have been number 11. (Think Spinal Tap)There, the definitive list.

[@beardsofkentucky]

Good list!

[@Plotinus75]

I like your list, although it's a bit YHF heavy. I am not going to debate anything, but I find myself especially drawn to the following four songs: "I Thought I Held You," "Say You Miss Me," "Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway," "Kamera". RIP, Jay Bennett

[@beardsofkentucky]

all great tunes - also guilty if I’m yhf heavy love that rekkid

[@bryanbahantka6969]

Poor Places is their best

[@beardsofkentucky]

LUV Poor Places

[@MemskiBobSki]

10. Casino Queen 9. Hotel Arizona 8. Art of Almost 7. Camera (out take version) 6. Random Name Generator 5. Candyfloss 4. Bull Black Nova 3. Heavy Metal Drummer 2. impossible Germany 1. Reservations

[@beardsofkentucky]

Reservations a surprising #1!

[@HarryJoiner]

Side with seeds

[@beardsofkentucky]

Not a top 10 for me, but I dig it nonetheless.

[@tommymyles6776]

Incredible list, I’m a big fan of Handshake drugs, anyone else?

[@beardsofkentucky]

yep - more like the moon version for me, live version from kt great as well

[@wf8058]

Where's the music???

[@beardsofkentucky]

ask youtube

[@ernistbailey6607]

Jesus etc is the undisputed #1, don't @me

[@beardsofkentucky]

Hey - that's hard to argue with...

[@matthewzimmer8960]

Appreciate the list. California Stars may be the worst Wilco song ever (Sorry), huge disagreement there. Shot in the Arm, Jesus Etc are the songs non Wilco fans love, maybe why I like them less. One Sunday Morning, great choice. My faves are Poor Places, Theologians, and At Least Thats What You Said.

[@beardsofkentucky]

Wow - trashing Cali Stars??? I can't even fathom...