Top Ten Songs by the Doors

Their beginnings were humble. UCLA film students at the time, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison decided to start a band. Gathering their friends Robbie Krieger and John Densmore as drummer and guitarists the rest was history. Never adding a bass made the group unusual hit they became known for. They signed their first record deal with Elektra records in 1966 and cut their first album The Doors. In 1967 the gargantuan hit Light My Fire was born. The groups first three albums were such huge successes that they had to scramble to come up with something for the ever demanding crowd of fans by their fourth album. Trying strings and other non-doors sounding instruments led to a small falling out with their fans which they eventually won back over when they returned to their hard bluesy style with L.A. Women.

In the ensuing years The Doors continued to write top rated hits over and over until the death of Jim Morrison by overdose in 1971. He was only 27 years old.

The following is a list of the top ten highest grossing Doors songs of all time.

1. Riders on The Storm
Starting out with a softly falling rain and low rumblings of thunder, this song is still a fan favorite. Like many of the songs on the album it blends blues with classical and eastern melodies to create something new and unheard of then or since.

2. The End
Showcasing Morrison’s deep, sensuous voice and his poetic talents, this song had no choice but to be a longstanding success.

3. Hello, I Love You
This song was an early hit that crowds loved. It was always a requested tune at live performances.

4.Backdoor Man
A sneaky sensation, like the title itself implies, this song was on the charts for weeks before breaking the top 5. Morrison’s rich, somber vocals seem to growl and echo.

5. L.A. Woman
The title song form their 7th album, this song was included with other hits such as Love her madly and Riders on the Storm.

6. Light My Fire
Perhaps the most well known song of the entire band, Morrison is known to have thrown huge fits when asked to sing this song later in his career. He became so tired of it eventually that he refused to sing it.It still endures as one of the most exciting and memorable songs of the entire era.

7.The Alabama Song
From their first album title “The Doors” this was their 4th hit from the album.

8.Love Street
Released on vinyl in July 1968, this ballad was the forth hit from the Waiting For The Sun album. This was their third album. The first two went to the top so quickly and the public demanded more, more more. The Doors were hard pressed to come up with new and uniquely original “doors” type music and lyrics and some felt this album was inferior. There were still top ten hits on it regardless, like Love Street.

9.When the Music’s Over
Released on vinyl October 1967, this song was on their second album, Strange Days.

10. The Crystal Ship
Also from their first album, this song did not reach it’s peak in popularity until the band had cut four more albums.
The band had many more tops 10 hits that didn’t reach the number one spot and even more of their titles reached spots in the top 100 in the United States and over seas as well. Their fifth album, Morrison Hotel had 5 songs that reached hit status.

The band continues to garner a huge fan base and rivals rock and roll heavy weights like the Rolling Stones for radio air play even today. The mystique that follows lead singer, Jim Morrison’s hard-playing life and classic rock and roll death adds to the legend that keeps them alive