Back in December 2002, MOJO magazine compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Drug Songs Ever. Six years ago today, GLONO published an Open Letter to the Music Director of Mojo Magazine's Mix CDs, essentially thanking them for the CD included with that issue, Feed Your Head: 16 Mind-Blowing Classics, which contained tracks by the Small Faces, Funkadelic, Chris Bell, Sebadoh, et al.
After the jump, you'll find the complete list as well as the tracklist of the CD. The question for you is: What are the best drug songs released since 2002? I nominate MGMT's "Time to Pretend."
MOJO's 100 Greatest Drug Songs Ever
Thanks to ilxor for typing out the list back in 2002.
100. Afroman: "Because I Got High" (Universal, 2001)
99. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: "The L.S. Bumble Bee" (Decca, 1967)
98. Brewer & Shipley: "One Toke Over the Line" (Kama Sutra, 1971)
97. Wink: "Higher State of Consciousness" (Strictly Rhythm, 1995)
96. Syd Barrett: "If It's in You" (Harvest, 1970)
95. Cab Calloway: "Reefer Man" (Brunswick, 1932)
94. King Hannibal: "The Truth Shall Make You Free" (Aware, 1972)
93. Fred Neil: "Sweet Cocaine" (Capitol, 1967)
92. The Doors: "The Crystal Ship" (ELektra, 1967)
91. James Brown: "King Heroin" (Polydor, 1972)
90. Husker Du: "Pink Turns to Blue" (SST, 1984)
89. Townes Van Zandt: "Waitin' Around to Die" (Poppy, 1968)
88. Fingers Inc.: "Mystery of Love" (Alleviated, 1985)
87. The Creation: "How Does It Feel to Feel" (Polydor, 1968)
86. Donovan: "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (Pye, 1968)
85. The Chemical Brothers: "The Private Psychedelic Reel" (Virgin, 1997)
84. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: "Ah Feel Like Ahcid" (Blue Thumb, 1968)
83. Steppenwolf: "The Pusher" (Stateside, 1968)
82. Bob Dylan: "Desolation Row (Live)" (Sheffield, May 1966) [from Genuine 1966 Live bootleg]
81. The Count Five: "Psychotic Reaction" (Double Shot, 1966)
80. Queens of the Stone Age: "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" (Interscope, 2000)
79. The Beach Boys: "Good Vibrations" (Capitol, 1966)
78. The Other Half: "Mr. Pharmacist" (GNP Crescendo, 1968)
77. The Stranglers: "Golden Brown" (Liberty, 1981)
76. Underworld: "Born Slippy" (Junior Boys Own, 1995)
75. Billy Boy Arnold: "Whiskey, Beer & Reefer" and "Sunday Morning Blues" (Alligator, 1993 and 1995) and
74. The Temptations: "Psychedelic Shack" (Tamla, 1970)
73. The Dramatics: "The Devil is Dope" (Stax, 1973)
72. Spacemen 3: "Walkin' with Jesus" (Glass, 1986)
71. Pulp: "Sorted for E's & Wizz" (Island, 1995)
70. The Rolling Stones: "Mother's Little Helper" (Decca, 1966)
69. The Flamin' Groovies: "Slow Death" (United Artists, 1972)
68. Pink Floyd: "Astronomy Domine" (Columbia, 1967)
67. Eric Burdon & the Animals: "A Girl Named Sandoz" (MGM, 1967)
66. Etta James: "I'd Rather Go Blind" (Chess, 1967)
65. The Orb: "Little Fluffy Clouds" (Big Life, 1990)
64. Traffic: "Hole in My Shoe" (Island, 1967)
63. Empirion: "Narcotic Influence" (Wanted/XL, 1994)
62. The Holy Modal Rounders: "If You Want to Be a Bird a.k.a. Bird Song" (Elektra, 1968)
61. Primal Scream: "Loaded" (Creation, 1991)
60. Bomb the Bass: "Bug Powder Dust" (Stoned Heights/Island, 1995)
59. KRS-One: "I Can't Wake Up" (Jive, 1993)
58. Bert Jansch: "Needle of Death" (Transatlantic, 1965)
57. The Fall: "Totally Wired" (Rough Trade, 1980)
56. Roland Stone: "Junco Partner/Preachers Daughter" (Ace, 1961)
55. The Allman Brothers Band: "Whipping Post" (Capricorn, 1969)
54. The Only Ones: "Another Girl, Another Planet" (CBS, 1978)
53. Rick James: "Mary Jane" (Motown, 1978)
52. Louis Armstrong: "Muggles" (OKeh, 1929)
51. Kenny Rogers & the First Edition: "Just Stopped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (Reprise, 1967)
50. Flowered Up: "Weekender" (Heavenly, 1991)
49. The Third Bardo: "Lose Your Mind" (Sundazed, 1967) [EP]
48. Ella Fitzgerald w/Chick Webb & His Orchestra: "Wacky Dust" (Decca, 1938)
47. MC5: "Rocket Reducer no. 62" (Elektra, 1969)
46. Phil Phillips "Sea of Love" and "The Evil Dope" (Khoury's/Mercury, 1959 and Lanor, 1972) and
45. Country Joe & the Fish: "Bass Strings" (Vanguard, 1967)
44. Funkadelic: "Maggot Brain" (Westbound, 1971)
43. My Bloody Valentine: Glider EP (Creation, 1990)
42. 13th Floor Elevators: "Roller Coaster" (International Artists, 1966)
41. Black Sabbath: "Sweet Leaf" (Vertigo, 1971)
40. Happy Mondays: "Do It Better" (Factory, 1988)
39. Tim Hardin: "Red Balloon" (Verve-Forecast, 1967)
38. David Essex: "Rock on" (CBS, 1973)
37. Arlo Guthrie: "Coming into Los Angeles" (Reprise, 1969)
36. Oasis: "Morning Glory" (Creation, 1995)
35. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Purple Haze" (Track, 1967)
34. Rodriguez: "Sugarman" (Sussex, 1970)
33. David Peel & the Lower East Side: "I Like Marijuana" (Elektra, 1968)
32. The Heartbreakers: "Chinese Rocks" (Track, 1977)
31. The Beatles: "Rain" (Parlophone, 1966)
30. Lemonheads: "My Drug Buddy" (Atlantic, 1992)
29. The Temptations: "Cloud Nine" (Motown, 1968)
28. The Byrds: "Artificial Energy" (CBS, 1968)
27. The Velvet Underground: "I'm Waiting for the Man" (Verve, 1967)
26. John Prine: "Sam Stone" (Atlantic, 1971)
25. The Grateful Dead: "Dark Star" (Warner Bros., 1969) [Live/Dead version]
24. The Beatles: "Got to Get You Into My Life" (Parlophone, 1966)
23. Country Joe & the Fish: "Section 43" (Rag Baby, 1966) [EP]
22. The Charlatans: "Codine Blues" (Big Beat, rec. 1966/rel. 1996)
21. Electric Prunes: "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" (Reprise, 1966)
20. The Smoke: "My Friend Jack" (Columbia, 1967)
19. Curtis Mayfield: "Pusherman" (Curtom, 1972)
18. The Amboy Dukes: "Journey to the Center of the Mind" (Mainstream, 1968)
17. Ramones: "Carbona Not Glue" (Sire, 1977)
16. Ry Cooder/Buffy Sainte-Marie: "The Hashishin" (Warner Bros., 1970)
15. Bob Dylan: "Rainy Day Women no. 12 & 35" (CBS, 1966)
14. Fats Waller: "The Reefer Song" (V-Disc, 1943)
13. The Byrds: "Eight Miles High" (CBS, 1966)
12. Harry "the Hipster" Gibson: "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?" (Musicraft, 1944)
11. Neil Young: "The Needle and the Damage Done" (Reprise, 1972)
10. Plastic Ono Band: "Cold Turkey" (Apple, 1969)
9. Primal Scream: "Higher Than the Sun" (Creation, 1991)
8. Love: "Signed D.C." (Elektra, 1966)
7. Dillinger: "Cokane in My Brain" (Channel One, 1976)
6. Grandmaster & Melle Mel: "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (Sugarhill, 1983)
5. The Small Faces: "Here Comes the Nice" (Immediate, 1967)
4. Rolling Stones: "Sister Morphine" (Rolling Stones, 1971)
3. The Velvet Underground: "Heroin" (Verve, 1967)
2. The Beatles: "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Parlophone, 1966)
1. Jefferson Airplane: "White Rabbit" (RCA, 1967)
Feed Your Head: 16 Mind-Blowing Classics
1. The Dramatics: "The Devil is Dope"
2. The Sonics: "Strychnine"
3. Nat Adderley: "Quit It"
4. The Small Faces: "Here Comes the Nice"
5. Dillinger: "Cocaine in My Brain"
6. Donovan: "Sunny Goodge Street"
7. Country Joe & the Fish: "Bass Strings"
8. The Pretty Things: "Defecting Grey"
9. The Flaming Groovies: "Slow Death"
10. Chris Bell: "I am the Cosmos"
11. Grandmaster Flash: "White Lines"
12. Sebadoh: "Too Pure"
13. The Mighty Hannibal: "The Truth Shall Make You Free"
14. James Booker: "Junco Partner"
15. Funkadelic: "Maggot Brain"
16. Harry the Hipster Gibson: "Who Put the Benzadrine"
MP3: Spacemen 3 - "Walking With Jesus" (single version) (courtesy of the Finest Kiss)
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Comments
The Velvet's "Heroin" pretty much set the bar for drugs songs (i.e., songs that offer a "virtual" high). Too many songs on the list seem like anti-drug songs ("Needle and the Damage Done")--when there are plenty of other Neil songs that offer a glimpse of the high (from "Sugar Mountain" to "C'mon Baby Let's Go Downtown"). And "Desolation Row" is a bad trip compared to "Mr Tambourine Man." I'd glad to see Chris Bell but what about Big Star? A number of songs from the first three albums can go drug-for-drug with "I am the Cosmos." And Syd Barrett's "Octopus" or one of the early Pink Floyd songs like "Astronomy Domine" or even "The Gnome" get at the psychedelic dissociation better than anything the all too obvious Doors or Jefferson Airplane had to offer. As for Beatles: "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields" is the epitome of drug consciousness in song. I'd also place "Dead Flowers" above "Sister Morphine"--not to mention pretty much every other song on Exile on Main St. "Mother's Little Helper" is a wimpish choice at best. Who made these selections? Nancy Reagan? And is my brain addled, but does David Peel make the list and not Bob Marley? You better hope a Duppy Conqueror won't be coming after you. What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?
What's the first song on Kid A? That one always makes me feel freaky...
Post '02:
L'il Wayne-"Me And My Drank"
Clipse-"Keys Open Doors"
Deerhunter-"Wash Off"
Black Lips-"I Saw A Ghost (Lean)"
This list is a joke, RIGHT!?!?! Only ONE Syd Barrett song when he was w/ Floyd!?! One solo song. Why isn't "See Emily Play" on here?!?! Anyone ever hear of the MOVE??? I'll send you all a quarter so you can buy a freaking clue...DEPLORABLE!!!
You are wrong in one GIANT omission.
The Beatles may claim otherwise but HEY JUDE( ah-jud) is ARABIC for heroin!!
So please 'let it in and begin to make it better."
Now will you get the list right by adding hey Jude?
Metallica's Master of Puppets?
Clapton's Cocaine?
THis list sucks