For over 15 years and through six studio albums, Blackberry Smoke have helped define modern country music with their roots-inspired rock sound and Southern sensibilities.
Hailing from Atlanta, Ga., the band released their first studio album in 2003 and have since added three Top 5 albums to their repertoire, with 2015’s Holding All the Roses and 2016’s Like an Arrow both reaching No. 1. Their music is just as dance-worthy and it is rock ‘n’ roll, just as much Americana as it is Southern rock — and it’s always an immensely fun listen.
Whether its an acoustic breakup track such as “Let Me Down Easy” or a rollicking anthem like “Up in Smoke,” Blackberry Smoke have released a diverse range of stellar songs that could easily make a “best of” list. But since we had to choose, here are The Boot’s picks for the band’s Top 10.
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10
“Holding All the Roses”
From 2015’s ‘Holding All the Roses’
The title song of Blackberry Smoke’s first No. 1 album, “Holding All the Roses” is a delightfully taunting track about leaving your competitors in the dust and defying expectations. In many ways, it was Blackberry Smoke’s coming-out song … coming out with guns blazing and guitars screaming, that is. One listen to lead singer Charlie Starr’s biting vocals and the band’s perfectly timed roots-rock, and anyone who thought Blackberry Smoke were just another country-rock band is quickly proven wrong. They may be the underdogs, but they’re here to make their mark.
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9
“Leave a Scar”
From 2012’s ‘The Whippoorwill’
No one can make a rock ‘n’ and roll song boogie like Blackberry Smoke, and in “Leave a Scar,” even that banjo-pickin’ riff will make you want to get up and get down. From their 2012 record The Whippoorwill, “Leave a Scar” sees Blackberry Smoke fully embrace their Southern rock roots while still creating a unique sound within the genre. Devil-may-care guitars licks seamlessly lead into rollicking banjo, all while creating a boisterous backbone for Starr’s imaginative lyrics. “When I die, put my bones in the Dixie dirt / Look down on me smilin’ / I don’t want no feelings’hurt,” he sings about the legacy he hopes to leave. “All I leave behind me is a ragged old guitar / I may not change the world, but I’m gonna leave a scar.”
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8
“Ain’t Much Left of Me”
From 2012’s ‘The Whippoorwill’
Declaring victory in the sheer act of survival, “Ain’t Much Left of Me” is all about celebrating life … even after it puts you through the worst. “I been rained on, rode hard and put up wet / Danced with the devil ’til I’m in debt,” bemoans Starr in the chorus, before hinting at the least bit of hope. “Hey, I’m still here, there ain’t much left to see / Well, I’m still holding on, and there ain’t much of left of me.” With its balancing ability to tell the hard truths about life without falling into wallowing despair, “Ain’t Much Left of Me” is an anthem for the survivors — for those who are hanging on by thread, but hanging on nonetheless.
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7
“Flesh and Bone”
From 2018’s ‘Find a Light’
As the opening track on their 2018 release Find a Light, “Flesh and Bone” brought Blackberry Smoke’s music to a whole new level. On an album that stretches the limits and explores new corners of their music, “Flesh and Bone” is everything longtime fans of Blackberry Smoke love about the band. Stomping beats and reverb-fueled guitar riffs create a rocking refrain that also manages to get real about the dangers of temptation, success and always wanting what we can’t have … while making those dangers sound too fun to resist.
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6
“Best Seat in the House”
From 2018’s ‘Find a Light’
Another rhythmic rocker from Find a Light, “Best Seat in the House” also doubles as a satirical look at the modern American perspective. At first listen, lyrics such as “I’m gonna gather unto me what must be mine / I want it all right now, not a little at a time” seem like an uplifting call to action, encouraging listeners to fight for what’s important, but as the song progresses, we see that “Best Seat in the House” also warns of the dangers of never been content with what we have. “That song is sort of a sarcastic complaint,” Starr has said about the song. “We all want what we ain’t got. It’s not enough to get in, people want front row.”
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5
“One Horse Town”
From 2012’s ‘The Whippoorwill’
While Blackberry Smoke are known primarily for rocking hard, “One Horse Town” makes it into the Top 5 precisely because it doesn’t. A provoking lament about feeling stuck in one place while yearning to see and do more, “One Horse Town” fuses country and blues to put a unique spin on the typical country song praising small-town life. Starr says it’s intentionally opposite from other songs that laud the merits of tiny towns, hearkening back to his childhood in Lanett, Ala., and his desire to “go out and see what else I could find.” For Blackberry Smoke, it’s a quiet song, but still one that packs a punch.
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4
“Let Me Down Easy”
From 2018’s ‘Find a Light’
A simple breakup song pleading with one’s lover to spare as much pain as possible in their rejection, “Let Me Down Easy” finds impact in simplicity. The band’s usual heavy electric riffs are traded in for stripped down acoustics, which pair perfectly with Amanda Shires airy vocals and the song’s simple lyrics.
“Someday when we’re older, we’ll look back on this and smile / I thought I had it handled, baby, I missed it by a mile,” sings Starr in the song, admitting to his own naivete about love in the midst of heartache. “Let me down easy if you can / I’m not half as strong as you think I am.” The song is perfect in its lyrics and its delivery, making it an easy choice for a high spot on our list.
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3
“Waiting for the Thunder”
From 2016’s ‘Like an Arrow’
Making a foray into the world of what some might call “protest” songs, Blackberry Smoke put their own rock ‘n’ roll spin on social commentary with “Waiting for the Thunder.” “Maybe them with the power and the glory / Got more than they deserve / Why do we stand by and do nothin’ / While they piss it all away?” Starr asks over reverb-heavy guitars and percussive handclaps before urging listeners to stand up and do something instead of “waiting for the thunder” and letting the “lightnin’ get us all.” It’s clear that Blackberry Smoke are calling for a rowdy revolution — and we’re totally here for it.
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2
“Free on the Wing”
From 2016’s ‘Like an Arrow’
What’s better than Blackberry Smoke singing about making the most this crazy, beautiful life? Blackberry Smoke singling about making the most of this crazy, beautiful life with Gregg Allman. Appearing on their 2016 album Like an Arrow, “Free on the Wing” highlights the less-hard rock, more-rambling jam band side of Blackberry Smoke, with Allman’s guitar and vocals as the perfect complement. “Free on the Wing” and its gentle insistence that the world keeps turning and “we might find what we searched for all along” was made all the more bittersweet when Allman passed away in 2017, making it one of the last songs he recorded before his death.
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1
“Up In Smoke”
From 2009’s ‘Little Piece of Dixie’
An oldie but a goodie (and, we suggest, maybe even the best), “Up in Smoke” appears on Blackberry Smoke’s 2009 release Little Piece of Dixie, and, in many ways, it’s just the type of rock ’n’ roll anthem the boys from Georgia have become known for. “Up in smoke / Down in flames” Starr shouts in the chorus over a rousing beat. “Clap yo hands / Stomp yo feet / Boogie on down to the redneck backbeat / Throw down / It’s a hillbilly hoedown / Fire it up, we can go all night now / Come on, y’all, ain’t no joke / Watch the world go up in smoke.” It’s a uproarious rebellion of a song that makes one thing perfectly clear: Where there’s Blackberry Smoke, there’s sure to be fire.