The Doors, like so many other legendary 1960s bands, were indeed a sum of their parts. They came dangerously near to being shadowed by the presence of Jim Morrison, one of rock’s original rock gods, more than any of their contemporaries. He drew significant attention thanks to his onstage stunts, which frequently included drunken encounters with fans, cops, and girls. However, the band’s music is what makes them relevant 40 years after their debut album was released. Before Morrison’s untimely death at the age of 27, they released six mostly excellent albums. All of these are included in this Top 5 Doors Songs list.
The Doors’ fifth album’s opening single leaned on their blues roots while also shocking the genre with an explosive performance by the full band. Despite the fact that it wasn’t a significant hit (it reached No. 50 as the B-side of “You Make Me Real”), “Roadhouse Blues” became one of the band’s most popular songs, thanks in no little part to Morrison’s unrestrained lifestyle. I’m not going to suggest that this is one of the greatest songs of all time. Actually, it’s another of Jim Morrison’s rather juvenile “I’m wild, and cooler than you are” anthems. However, it truly ROCKS. It’s one of those tunes that just makes me reach for the volume knob every single time, and there aren’t too many of those. For that reason, this is truly a classic.
The Doors’ last No. 1 album yielded their second and last No. 1 hit. It’s essentially a love ballad constructed around a riff played by keyboardist Ray Manzarek and complimented by buzzing stabs from guitarist Robby Krieger. It’s one of the band’s most straightforward tracks, clocking in at little over two minutes and ready for radio play.
Strange Days, The Doors’ second album, is musically deeper than their self-titled debut. The carnival vibe that runs through the songs is a late-’60s mix of hippie optimism and pre-war nostalgia. Even though its lead song, “People Are Strange,” just missed the Top 10, the album is best consumed in its whole.
If “Hello, I Love You” is a love song (see No. 9 on our Top 10 Doors Songs list), “Touch Me” is all about sex. When the band issued their fourth album in 1969, Morrison was bursting with sexual fire and roaring confidence. The Soft Parade, with its strings and horns, is the Doors’ most problematic and distressing album. The swinging “Touch Me,” on the other hand, really kicks things up a notch.
Strange Days is defined by this 11-minute showpiece, which not only finishes the album but also defines it. “When the Music’s Over” feels like one lengthy, final apocalyptic warning before the band’s exit, similar to “The End” from the debut LP. It’s terrifying, and terrifyingly good, with one of the band’s best performances ever.
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