Neil Young: His 79 Best Songs Ranked – Buffalo Springfield, CSNY + Solo
Neil Young has created a massive amount of music over the past five decades — ear-splitting rock with Crazy Horse, gentle solo acoustic music, psychedelic West coast rock with Buffalo…
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Musician Neil Young performs onstage at the 25th anniversary MusiCares 2015 Person Of The Year Gala honoring Bob Dylan at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 6, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. The annual benefit raises critical funds for MusiCares’ Emergency Financial Assistance and Addiction Recovery programs. For more information visit musicares.org.
Neil Young has created a massive amount of music over the past five decades -- ear-splitting rock with Crazy Horse, gentle solo acoustic music, psychedelic West coast rock with Buffalo Springfield and folk rock with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, not to mention some wild genre experiments in the ‘80s. Not everything he tries works, and not every album is a classic. But, with the release of his new album, BARN, we took a deep dive into his entire catalog. If you’re looking for his most famous songs, scroll ahead to #25, but if you’re not a die-hard fan, you might find some stuff you’ll really like here.
79. "Philadelphia" from the 'Philadelphia' soundtrack (1993)
Epic78. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Slip Away (live)” from ‘Year Of The Horse’ (1997)
Reprise77. Neil Young - “The Old Laughing Lady (live)” from ‘Unplugged’ (1993)
Reprise76. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Love and Only Love” from ‘Ragged Glory’ (1990)
Reprise75. Neil Young - “No More” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise74. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “F*!#in’ Up” from ‘Ragged Glory’ (1990)
Reprise73. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Big Time” from ‘Broken Arrow’ (1996)
Reprise72. Neil Young - “Don’t Cry” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise71. Neil Young & the Bluenotes - “Life In The City” from ‘This Note’s For You’ (1988)
Reprise70. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Welfare Mothers” from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ (1979)
Reprise69. Neil Young - “Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero, Part 1)” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise68. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “The Loner” from ‘Live Rust’ (1979)
Reprise67. Neil Young - “Human Highway” from ‘Comes A Time’ (1978)
Reprise66. Neil Young - “Thrasher” from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ (1979)
Reprise65. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Look Out For My Love” from ‘Comes A Time’ (1978)
Reprise64. Neil Young - “Transformer Man” from ‘Unplugged’ (1993)
Reprise63. Neil Young - “World On A String” from ‘Tonight’s The Night’ (1975)
Reprise62. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Oh Susannah” from ‘Americana’ (2012)
Reprise61. Neil Young - “Beautiful Bluebird” from ‘Chrome Dreams II’ (2007)
Reprise60. Neil Young - “No Wonder” from ‘Prairie Wind’ (2005)
Reprise59. Neil Young - “Families” from ‘Living With War - In The Beginning’ (2006)
Reprise58. Neil Young - “Buffalo Springfield Again” from ‘Silver and Gold’ (2000)
Reprise57. Neil Young & Pearl Jam - “Scenery” from ‘Mirror Ball’ (1995)
Reprise56. Neil Young - “Walk With Me” from ‘Le Noise’ (2010)
Reprise55. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Twisted Road” from ‘Psychedelic Pill’ (2012)
Reprise54. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Change Your Mind” from ‘Sleeps With Angels’ (1994)
Reprise53. Neil Young - “Walk On” from ‘On The Beach’ (1974)
Reprise52. Neil Young - “Old King (live)” from ‘Dreamin’ Man Live ‘92’ (recorded in 1992, released in 2009)
Reprise51. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Days That Used To Be” from ‘Ragged Glory’ (1990)
Reprise50. Neil Young & the Bluenotes - “Don’t Take Your Love Away From Me (live)” from ‘Bluenote Cafe’ (recorded in 1987, released in 2015)
Reprise49. Neil Young and the International Harvesters - “Are You Ready For The Country?” from ‘A Treasure’ (recorded in 1984, released in 2011)
Reprise48. Neil Young with Willie Nelson - “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?” from ‘Old Ways’ (1985)
Universal Music47. Neil Young - “Winterlong” from ‘Decade’ (recorded in 1973, released in 1977)
Reprise46. Neil Young - “From Hank To Hendrix” from ‘Harvest Moon’ (1992)
Reprise45. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Barstool Blues” from ‘Zuma’ (1975)
Reprise44. Neil Young - “Time Fades Away” from ‘Time Fades Away’ (1973)
Reprise43. Neil Young & the Shocking Pinks - “Wonderin’” from ‘Everybody’s Rockin’’ (1983)
Universal Music42. The Stills-Young Band - “Long May You Run” from ‘Long May You Run’ (1976)
Warner Records41. Neil Young - “Wrecking Ball” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise40. Neil Young - “Comes A Time” from ‘Comes A Time’ (1978)
Reprise39. Buffalo Springfield - “Out Of My Mind” from ‘Buffalo Springfield’ (1966)
Atlantic38. Neil Young - “For The Turnstiles” from ‘On The Beach’ (1974)
Reprise37. Neil Young - “Unknown Legend” from ‘Harvest Moon’ (1992)
Reprise36. Neil Young - “I’ve Been Waiting For You” from ‘Neil Young’ (1968)
Reprise35. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “The Losing End (When You’re On)” from ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ (1969)
Reprise34. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Homegrown” from ‘American Stars ‘N’ Bars’ (1977)
Reprise33. Buffalo Springfield - “On The Way Home” from ‘Last Time Around’ (1968)
Atlantic32. Neil Young - “I Believe In You” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1970)
Reprise31.. Neil Young with Booker T. and the MG’s - “All Along The Watchtower (live)” from ‘Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration” (1993)
Sony30. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Cortez The Killer” from ‘Zuma’ (1975)
Reprise29. Neil Young and The Bluenotes - “This Note’s For You (live)” from ‘Bluenote Cafe’ (recorded in 1988, released in 2015)
Warner Bros.28. Neil Young and Crazy Horse - “Like A Hurricane” from ‘American Stars ‘N’ Bars’ (1977)
Reprise27. Neil Young - “Too Far Gone” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise26. Neil Young - “Roger and Out” from ‘Living With War’ (2006)
Reprise25. "Harvest Moon" from 'Harvest Moon' (1992)
Reprise24. Neil Young - “When You Dance I Can Really Love” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1970)
Reprise23. Neil Young - “Out On The Weekend” from ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Reprise22. Neil Young - “I Am A Child (live)” from ‘Live Rust’ (1979)
Reprise21. Neil Young - “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1970)
Reprise20. Neil Young - “Heart of Gold” from ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Reprise19. Neil Young - “Rockin’ In The Free World” from ‘Freedom’ (1989)
Reprise18. Neil Young - “Old Man” from ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Reprise17. Neil Young - “Tell Me Why” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1970)
Reprise16. Neil Young - “Pochahontas” from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ (1979)
Reprise15. Neil Young - “Tonight’s The Night” from ‘Tonight’s The Night’ (1977)
Reprise14. Neil Young - “The Needle And The Damage Done” from ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Reprise13. Neil Young - “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1971)
Reprise12. Buffalo Springfield - “Mr. Soul” from ‘Buffalo Springfield Again’ (1967)
Atlantic11. Neil Young - “Harvest” from ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Reprise10. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)” from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ (1979)
Reprise9. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - “Helpless” from ‘Deja Vu’ (1970)
Atlantic8. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Cowgirl In The Sand” from ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ (1969)
Reprise7. Neil Young - “Sugar Mountain (live)” from ‘Sugar Mountain - Live At The Canterbury House 1968’ (recorded in 1968, released in 2008)
Reprise6. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - “Ohio” (single only release, 1970)
Atlantic5. Neil Young - “Southern Man” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1971)
Reprise4. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Down By The River” from ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ (1969)
Reprise3. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Powderfinger” from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ (1979)
Reprise2. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Cinnamon Girl” from ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ (1969)
Reprise1. Neil Young - “After The Gold Rush” from ‘After The Gold Rush’ (1970)
RepriseBrian has been working in pop culture and media for about three decades: he’s worked at MTV, VH1, SiriusXM, CBS and Loudwire. Besides working as a writer and an editor-in-chief, he’s also appeared on air as a pundit, guested on radio shows and hosted podcasts. Over the years, he’s interviewed the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, the members of U2, Beyonce, Pink, Usher, Stevie Nicks, Lorde… and is grateful to have had the chance to interview Joe Strummer of the Clash and Tom Petty.
