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Every Dave Matthews Band song ranked before Boston Calling 2025
From classics like "Ants Marching" to deep cuts like "#40," here’s a comprehensive ranking of every song in Dave Matthews Band’s catalog.
Dave Matthews Band will headline Sunday’s Boston Calling lineup, joining artists like Sublime and Public Enemy on the final day of the 2025 music festival.
DMB burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, and if you consumed music during that time, it’s likely you first heard the group on a cassette tape or a CD someone else made for you. The band, consisting then of Matthews on guitar and vocals, Carter Beauford on drums, Stefan Lessard on bass, LeRoi Moore on saxophone, and Boyd Tinsley on violin, toured incessantly. Bootleg recordings of those concerts made their way through college campuses, and eventually onto sites like Napster and LimeWire. A true grassroots following was born.
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As a New York Times feature put it a couple of years ago, you either love or hate DMB. I happen to love them. My basement is filled with binders of live shows, now also safely stored on my phone. My show count, while not exact, is in the dozens. I met my wife at a DMB concert in Mansfield, and we still see a show or two together every year.
None of that means I’m uniquely qualified to rank all 177 Dave Matthews Band songs. But it’s an exercise I’ve been undertaking in my head for years. Working for Boston.com, with the band headlining Boston Calling, gives me a reason to put pen to paper.
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Let’s talk logistics. All 177 songs on this list were sourced from the DMB Almanac site and parsed using years of my own knowledge into the original songs that have appeared on an album, or songs which the band actually plays live (allowing for notable rarities). There are no covers on the list, even though DMB plays more of them now than ever. That means leaving out songs like “All Along the Watchtower,” which DMB has very much molded into a classic of its own, but also songs like “Brick House,” which isn’t in any way a band signature. Intros and outros are also not counted as individual songs unless they’re a separate track on an album (hello, “Pantala Naga Pampa”).
Some of these songs sound drastically different on an album vs. live, with the full band vs. just Matthews solo or with guitarist Tim Reynolds. In those instances, I’ll flag the version that most influenced the ranking.
No idea is original, and I’m aware that DMB fan and sports writer Matt Norlander ranked DMB songs back in 2020. In order to make my ranking as authentic as possible, I didn’t look at Matt’s rankings until after writing mine. There’s been a new album, Walk Around the Moon, released since then, and several other songs have jumped into the tour rotation.
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What else should you know about the rankings? They’re subjective, which rankings lists always are, and therefore you will probably disagree with some of them. That, I think, is part of the fun.
Notable songs that didn’t qualify for the list: “Cigarette Lit,” “Dreamed I Killed God,” “Heathcliff’s Haiku Warriors,” “Kind Intentions,” “People People,” “Death on the High Seas,” and “Light Lift Me Up.”
Below is my countdown ranking of Dave Matthews Band songs, from No. 177 down to No. 1.
(Note: Album titles follow in italics, when applicable)
Every Dave Matthews Band song, ranked 2025
177. “Hunger for the Great Light”– Stand Up
176. “Angel”– Everyday
175. “Sleep to Dream Her”– Everyday
174. “Spotlight”– There’s a reason why they stopped playing this song in 1993.
173. “Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives)”– Stand Up
172. “Mother Father”– Everyday
171. “Stand Up (For It)”– Stand Up
170. “Oh”– Some Devil
169. “After Everything”– Walk Around the Moon: The live interplay between keyboardist Buddy Strong and Matthews makes this an enjoyable listen at a show, but the album version is a miss.
168. “Get in Line”– The rare, very old song from the band that was a total whiff.
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167. “Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd”– Stand Up
166. “Bkdkdkdd”– Come Tomorrow
165. “Belly Belly Nice”– Away from the World: Some seriously great horn work from Jeff Coffin and Rashawn Ross is the only redeeming quality here.
164. “An’ Another Thing”– Some Devil: Matthews did not make the Some Devil album with the band, but many of the songs from this side project are now played regularly. (Not this one, thankfully).
163. “Gaucho”– Away from the World
162. “True Reflections”
161. “Up and Away”– Some Devil
160. “Corn Bread”
159. “Help Myself”
158. “Where Are You Going”– Busted Stuff: Matthews has mastered the art of walking right up to the line of cheesy but not crossing it. Because his love songs seem to come from an earnest place, he usually gets the benefit of the doubt. Not here.
157. “Kill the King”
156. “All You Wanted Was Tomorrow”– Walk Around the Moon
155. “Trouble With You”
154. “Dive In”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
153. “Can’t Stop”– Come Tomorrow
152. “Blackjack”
151. “Smooth Rider” – Stand Up
150. “When the World Ends”– Everyday: Just never been a fan of this song.
149. “Write a Song”
148. “Cha Cha”
147. “Joyride”– For a decent stretch (77 plays over 21 years), DMB has been trying to make Joyride happen.
146. “A Dream So Real”
145. “Do You Remember” – Come Tomorrow
144. “Funny the Way It Is”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
143. “Eh Hee”
142. “Too High”– Some Devil
141. “Bismarck”
140. “The Ocean and the Butterfly”– Walk Around the Moon
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139. “That Girl Is You”– Come Tomorrow. Guilty pleasure song.
138. “Crazy Easy”
137. “Black and Blue Bird”– Come Tomorrow
136. “When I’m Weary”– Come Tomorrow
135. “Trouble”– Some Devil
134. “Hello Again”– Stand Up: This song’s been played 101 times since debuting in the summer of 2004.
133. “Come On Come On”– Come Tomorrow: The Come Tomorrow album is full of tunes like this that feel both new and timeless.
132. “Madman’s Eyes”– Walk Around the Moon
131. “If Only”– Away from the World
130. “Deed Is Done”
129. “Kit Kat Jam”– Busted Stuff
128. “Grey Blue Eyes”– Some Devil
127. “Beach Ball”
126 “Rooftop”– Away from the World
125. “Mercy”– Away from the World
124. “Grux”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: Moore died in 2008, before this album, which is partially a tribute to him, was released. Moore’s sax riff to start the album is the right kind of melancholy.
123. “Baby”– Some Devil
122. “She”– Come Tomorrow
121. “Break for It”
120. “Butterfly”
119. “Squirm”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
118. “Snow Outside”– Away from the World
117. “It Could Happen”– Walk Around the Moon
116. “Steady As We Go”– Stand Up
115. “Spaceman”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
114. “Straight Shot”
113. “You & Me”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
112. “Monkey Man”– “The Lillywhite Sessions” were never released as an album, and this song has never been played by the band live.
111. “Shake Me Like a Monkey”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
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110. “The Only Thing”– Walk Around the Moon
109. “Broken Things”– Away from the World
108. “Little Thing”
107. “I Did It”– Everyday: A song that was loathed when it came out but is actually a pretty fun listen now. The whole Everyday album is fun, actually.
106. “Idea of You”– Come Tomorrow: A live staple for years before it finally landed on an album.
105. “Blue Water”
104. “Digging a Ditch”– Busted Stuff
103. “Save Me”– Some Devil
102. “Alligator Pie”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
101. “If I Had It All”– Everyday
Top 100 Dave Matthews Band songs
100. “Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)”– Stand Up: Has gotten a live revival in recent years, and I don’t hate it.
99. “Sugar Will”
98. “Everyday”– Everyday
97. “#27”
95. “American Baby”– Stand Up: This version from July 8, 2006 at Fenway Park is the best version.
94. “Proudest Monkey”– Crash
93. “Pantala Naga Pampa”– Before These Crowded Streets: The intro that tops all intros.
92. “Satellite”– Under the Table and Dreaming: Would rank higher on someone else’s list, but it’s just not a personal favorite.
91. “Belly Full”– Away from the World
90. “Dreams of Our Fathers”– Everyday
89. “The Space Between”– Everyday
88. “Break Free”– Walk Around the Moon
87. “Good Good Time”– A mid 2010’s phenomenon that always played well at concerts.
86. “Dreamgirl”: Stand Up – Dave playing this song solo in recent years changed everything.
85. “Singing From the Windows”– Walk Around the Moon
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84. “Out of My Hands”– Stand Up: Matthews on the piano always feels brave.
83. “Again and Again”– Come Tomorrow
82. “Walk Around the Moon“– Walk Around the Moon
81. “Louisiana Bayou”– Stand Up: Maybe not a favorite, but the version here with Robert Randolph guesting is get-up-out-of-your-seat good.
79. “Dodo”– Some Devil
78. “#34”– Under the Table and Dreaming: An instrumental on the album, it actually has been played with lyrics also.
77. “Loving Wings”
76. “Drunken Soldier”– Away from the World
75. “What You Are”– Everyday
74. “Why I Am”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
73. “Pay for What You Get”– Under the Table and Dreaming: Find the 2.21.94 Birchmere Dave & Tim show, which opens with this, and play it front to back if you’re in the mood to be mellow.
72.“Looking for a Vein”– Walk Around the Moon
71. “Busted Stuff”– Busted Stuff
70. “Gravedigger”– Some Devil
69. “The Riff”– Away from the World
68. “#40”
67. “Jimi Thing”– Under the Table and Dreaming: I just think this one’s overrated. Sorry!
66. “Some Devil”– Some Devil: Iconic Radio City performance.
65. “Captain”– Busted Stuff
64. “JTR”
63. “Baby Blue”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
62. “Come Tomorrow”– Come Tomorrow: Criminally underrated song. The below version from Farm Aid remains one of my favorite Dave performances ever.
61. “Shotgun”
60. “Sweet”: Away from the World. “This is a tiny guitar.”
59. “Fool to Think”– Everyday: The Everyday album was panned by many fans when it came out, but this song and “So Right” have staying power.
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58. Time Bomb – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
57. “So Right”– Everyday
56. “Seven”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: Dave once said this one swings like a metronome.
55. “Too Much”– Crash
54. “Christmas Song”– Remember Two Things
53. “Big Eyed Fish”– Busted Stuff: BEF > Bartender to start a show and no one is unhappy.
52. “Rhyme & Reason”– Under the Table and Dreaming: Making lists is hard. It’s almost criminal a song like this can fall this far.
51. “You Never Know”– Busted Stuff
Top 50 Dave Matthews Band songs
50. “Say Goodbye”– Crash
49. “Stay (Wasting Time)”– Before These Crowded Streets
48. “American Baby Intro”– Stand Up
47. “Let You Down”– Crash
46. “So Damn Lucky”– Some Devil
45. “Lover Lay Down”– Under the Table and Dreaming: Listen to a live version, like this one from Red Rocks, and relish just how wonderfully Carter and Roi play off each other.
44. “Cry Freedom”– Crash
43. “Halloween”– Before These Crowded Streets
42. “Lying in the Hands of God”– Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. This Dave & Tim rendition from Las Vegas is unbelievable.
41. “Virginia in the Rain”– Come Tomorrow
40. “Rapunzel”– Before These Crowded Streets: The perfect set closer. Maybe the most dance-able live jam to end any DMB song.
39. “The Last Stop”– Before These Crowded Streets
38. “#36”– A song cemented into lore by the “Live at Red Rocks” release.
37. “Here On Out”– Come Tomorrow: On an album full of great tunes, this love song features Matthews alternating between his richest full-throated singing and softest falsetto.
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36. “You Might Die Trying”– Stand Up
35. “Stay or Leave”– Some Devil
34. “Crush”– Before These Crowded Streets: The album version is incredible, but I’ve sat through too many live versions that I wish would have ended sooner.
33. “What Would You Say”– Under the Table and Dreaming: The memory of sitting at a picnic table at summer camp and hearing older camp counselors blast this one is tattooed in my brain.
32. “The Dreaming Tree”– Before These Crowded Streets
31. “Pig”– Before These Crowded Streets
30. “Sister”
29. “Something to Tell My Baby”– Walk Around the Moon
28. “Drive In Drive Out”– Crash. “Carter Beauford on the drums!”
27. “Monsters”– Walk Around the Moon
26. “Minarets”– Remember Two Things
25. “So Much to Say“ – Crash
24. “Recently”– Remember Two Things
23. “The Song That Jane Likes”– Remember Two Things: “I got a little sister.”
22. “One Sweet World”– Remember Two Things
21. “I’ll Back You Up”– Remember Two Things: Our wedding song, and probably yours too.
20. “Don’t Drink the Water”– Before These Crowded Streets: Probably deserves to be higher given the importance of theme (Native American genocide) and the sheer weight of the song’s importance to the band’s live presence.
19. “The Stone”– Before These Crowded Streets
18. “Typical Situation”– Under the Table and Dreaming
17. “Dancing Nancies”– Under the Table and Dreaming
16. “Granny”
15. “Grace Is Gone” – Busted Stuff
14. “Raven”– Busted Stuff: The solo version below, from Seattle’s Benaroya Hall on October 24, 2002, is Matthews at the height of his powers.
13. “Crash Into Me”– Crash: Cheesy? Maybe a little. An earnest, beautifully composed look at young love? Definitely.
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12. “Ants Marching”– Under the Table and Dreaming: Not one person’s going to complain, maybe ever, when this one pops onto the setlist.
11. “Seek Up” – Remember Two Things
Top 10 Dave Matthews Band songs
10. “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)” – Come Tomorrow: A newer song about your kids being born and growing up, written and sung by a dad who seems to care a great deal about that stuff.
9. “Spoon” – Before These Crowded Streets: Do yourself a favor and listen to this version from Virginia Beach, Sept. 14, 2003. If Moore’s sax solo doesn’t move you to tears, you’re not listening hard enough. (The album version, with Alanis Morissette and Béla Fleck, is also nearly perfect).
8. “Tripping Billies” – Crash: “Eat, drink, and be merry.”
7. “Lie in Our Graves” – Crash: Pure joy, packaged in a song about being dead.
6. “Bartender” – Busted Stuff: A fan favorite, and one of many of the band’s songs with a Biblical bent.
5. “Warehouse” – Under the Table and Dreaming: This song has taken many forms, but I’m “Passion intro” all the way (and could do without the mid-2000’s “woos” from the crowd). This early hit captures Matthews’s eccentricity as a song writer; later live versions have infused a Latin groove where trumpetist Ross shines.
4. “Two Step” – Crash: At its most powerful during a full band live performance, Two Step’s real strength may be revealed most deeply on Live at Luther College, an intimate 1994 acoustic performance where guitarist Tim Reynolds’ fills perfectly back Matthews’s hopeful lyrics.
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3. “#41” – Crash: The Listener Supported version with Moore’s once-in-a-lifetime sax solo. The Live at Luther College rendition, where it feels like Matthews is letting you in on a little secret. The pitch-perfect Radio City track. No song in the catalog sounds this good in so many different ways.
2. “Grey Street” – Busted Stuff: One of the band’s signature live songs is both brooding and upbeat. Matthews is at his finest here vocally, but Beauford and Lessard’s powerful groove are what drives the tune.
1. “The Best of What’s Around” – Under the Table and Dreaming: Catchy chorus. Timeless saxophone solo. Just a perfect song. If you graduated from high school anytime between 1994 and the early 2000’s, “It’s not where but who you’re with that really matters” was probably your yearbook quote.
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