Essential Whitesnake Songs

I was just a wee little Andy when this band was on top of the world and Tawny Kitaen was atop of a car in the "Here I Go Again" video. By the time I was getting into rock and roll, I was drawn more to bands like the Scorpions and Guns N' Roses, and I overlooked Whitesnake. It wasn't until I became friends with a guy named Mark a few years ago that I took a closer look at Whitesnake and realized what I was missing.

10. "Hit An' Run" (Come An' Get It)
While I was getting into the late 80's version of Whitesnake and their hits like "Is This Love", I wasn't aware the band went further back by a decade and was more of a blues-based rock band out of the late 70's. This song is much more in that style, with an emphasis on it's rhythm section, and the lead guitar is mostly featured through that "talk box" guitar effect. "Hit An' Run" is a good foot-tapper.

9. "Give Me All Your Love" (Whitesnake)
This song is the opposite of "Hit An' Run"; it was recorded for Whitesnake's hit self-titled album, which was more in the style of glam rock and features John Sykes on guitar. I'd heard his name mentioned on That Metal Show, so I was aware of him when diving into Whitesnake's discography. I've since listened to Sykes' own band, Blue Murder, and can see exactly why David Coverdale recruited him for Whitesnake when making the transition to a harder rock sound.

8. "Victim Of Love" (Saints & Sinners)
While I was initially turned on to Whitesnake's late 80's albums, I actually prefer this early sound. It's driven by the funky organ and groove of the bass, but still mixes in some slick guitar work. I like that blend of styles.

7. "Love Will Set You Free" (Forevermore)

This is the most recent studio album of original material by Whitesnake (they've since recorded an album of Deep Purple covers), and I think it'd be my favorite if I were to rank the albums instead of songs. Not only does it have hard rock songs, there's a great mix of ballads and bluesy tunes. It initially turned me off because the production suffers from the current trend of mixing everything too loud, but I quickly overlooked that annoyance because the songwriting is just so strong. "Love Will Set You Free" is just like those early Whitesnake songs because of groove of the song makes me want to tap my foot and dance; if only I could dance.

6. "Slide It In" (Slide It In)
Albums of the 1970's seemed to get away with a LOT of risque album covers and Whitesnake was no different with an illustration of a snake between the legs of a naked woman for an album called Lovehunter. Surely Spinal Tap had this band in mind not just for it's album covers but also because the band had a revolving door for it's members; the only constant being David Coverdale. Here the innuendo of the lyrics finally match those album covers. This is one of the few pre-1987 songs that still receives airplay on classic rock radio, and rightfully so, it rocks!

5. "Slow An' Easy" (Slide It In)

While "Slide It In" is a straight-forward rocker, this one takes it's time.

4. "Ready An' Willing" (Ready An' Willing)
I first came across this song when Ultimate Classic Rock had a list of their Top 10 Whitesnake songs, which I saw in 2013, and it's what inspired to me check out the albums before Slide It In. I've noticed that so many of the best Whitesnake songs use "An" in the title, it's almost like it's a sure sign of a good song when you see some type of abbreviation in a song title. This song has such a funky groove!

3. "Forevermore" (Forevermore)
I was hooked by the hard rock of Forevermore that I nearly overlooked this softer gem. As the song progresses, it picks up and rocks a bit harder, much in the style of song that I prefer from other bands too. The album even included a bonus acoustic version too.

2. "Fool For Your Loving" (Ready An' Willing)
John Sykes was the guitar playing for the 1987 break-out album, but was quickly replaced for the follow-up album, Slip Of The Tongue. Coverdale used two guitarists for that album, with one being Steve Vai, who was fresh off a stint with David Coverdale. So "Fool For Your Loving" is naturally an example of blistering, shredding guitar work, but I actually prefer the earlier version from Ready An' Willing. It's funky, just like "Ready An' Willing", turning it into a danceable song more than one to head-bang to.

1. "Still Of The Night" (Whitesnake)
I've always liked this song for it's orchestrated middle section; slowing down the song in middle really makes the solo sizzle. I'll let the song speak for itself....