Essential Butch Walker Songs (Solo Career)

I'm a Butch Walker newb but his songs have instantly struck a chord with me. I wish I had heard this man sooner, yet I probably wouldn't have appreciated the heartache felt in the lyrics at an earlier time in my life. So here's to Butch and what I feel are among his best work.

10. "My Way" (Left Of Self-Centered)
This is a rebellious, self-empowerment anthem that reminds me of the Marvelous 3 smash hit, "Freak Of The Week." Which actually makes sense because this was on his first solo album following the demise of that band.

9.  "Best Thing You Never Had" (Letters)
I guess "Mixtape" is the song most frequently mentioned from Letters but this one was a true highlight for me. It can be summed up with this creative lyric- "while my heart got shattered like romantic roadkill." Sing it, Butch!

8. "Ponce De Leon Ave."(Sycamore Meadows)
I just really dig the percussion in this song. It's really jazzy, too. I guess the lyrics are about a one-night stand and I'm sure everyone's been there.

7. "Bed On Fire" (Afraid Of Ghosts)
From his latest album which is far removed from his usual pop-rock sound. It was produced by Ryan Adams and sounds more in that self-reflective, folky, song-writing style that Ryan is known for. It's a bit uneven with Butch adopting that sound but this song is a stand-out and ranks among the best songs I've heard this year.

6. "Maybe Its Just Me" (Letters)
When I first popped in Letters, this song instantly felt like "my" song. There was a point in time where this song summed up my exact feelings on a relationship I had, like my own theme song written by Butch. The lyrics were spot-on, then on top of that Butch layered on keys and acoustic guitar to completely put this song over the top.

5. "Vessels "(Sycamore Meadows)
Much like "Ponce De Leon Ave", it embraces more than just your basic guitars and drums by incorporating bells and piano. It's layered thick and shows off Butch's talent in the studio as a producer.

4. "Synthesizers" (The Spade)
This has the distinction of being the first solo Butch song that I can recall hearing, which was around the time of this album's release. I just wasn't ready for the brilliance of Butch at that time in 2011. Instead I was on the verge of diving head-first into classic rock bands such as KISS and Fleetwood Mac, taking the leap to becoming a radio dj, and forever altering my future.

3. "Sweethearts" (The Spade)
This song sounds like Butch trying to capture the vibe of the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" or one of their many classic tracks. It's actually made me more interested in giving that band a chance since I've never went beyond the two dozen or so radio staples that the band has. It's funny how music works like that, one band leads to another.

2. "I've Been Waiting For This" (Peachtree Battle)
When I acquired most of Butch's albums this spring from my friend Chris, this was an EP that I actually overlooked until I decided to create a list of Butch songs. I recall my buddies talking about Peachtree Battle one night when we were drinking around the time of it's release, but I wasn't yet familiar with Butch for it to appear on my musical radar. I'm glad I did give this EP a listen because the opening track, "I've Been Waiting For This", is an excellently crafted song about nostalgia.


1. "Summer Of 89" (The Spade)
Man, what an undeniably catchy rock song. Butch has a lot of these songs about trying to escape your past or just reflecting on it, with this one having the most humorous lyrics about Bryan Adams, housewives with 3 or 4 kids, and football jocks trying to please their pops.