The most underrated James Taylor songs that we love:

Like so many other kids, my music tastes were largely influenced by what my parents listened to. Growing up, James Taylor was always an artist we played around the house and especially during long road trips up to Vermont. So I decided a fun activity would be to curate a list of my favorite, lesser-known James Taylor songs. Before we get into it, please note that James Taylor produced over 19 albums (excluding his 3 live albums), so the list below may leave off some of those hidden gems…. anyways, without further or do, here are my top non-famous James Taylor songs:

  1. Suite for 20 G (Sweet Baby James, 1970)

So if you listen to this song, you’ll hear three distinct tempos and themes. Basically, Taylor had a bunch of lingering lyrics/melodies lying around and he and his producer, Peter Asher, were desperate to wrap up the second album, Sweet Baby James (1970). Why? Because Warner Brothers said they needed one more song if they were to get the album’s $20,000 commission. So Taylor fashioned these scrap melodies into a “suite” of songs to basically get that sweet, sweet 20 grand. Cha-ching. And hence, the title of the song, “Suite for 20 G”.

2. Never Die Young (Never Die Young, 1988)

In a 2015 Rolling Stone article, Taylor explains, “This song is written from the point of view of someone who has given up and is looking at the lives of two young people who aren't caught up in the morass of life as the narrator knows it: "Let other hearts be broken/Let other dreams run dry/Let our golden ones sail onto another land beneath another sky." It's a sad song, but also hopeful and celebratory.”

3. Ananas (Hourglass, 1997)

 

Controversial opinion. Taylor’s later albums from the 90s might be better than his earlier 70s stuff. I don’t care much for his Honky Tonky or Blues tunes, but his soft rock/pop tunes like Ananas are just so great.

4. Native Son (New Moon Shine, 1991)

In terms of albums, New Moon Shine (released in 1991) is one of my favorite albums from James Taylor. Back when the album was released, music critic Laurel Shaper Walters, wrote:

‘AHHHH, another James Taylor album is out and life moves forward as it should.Mr. Taylor's fans can add his 14th album, "New Moon Shine," to their collection with the assurance that this enduring pop/folk musician's voice and style remain unchanged….Although his politics have never been difficult to distinguish, "New Moon Shine" is undoubtedly Taylor's most polemic work ever… Taylor furthers his antiwar sentiments in "Native Son," a song about the lingering memory of the Vietnam War. In an appropriately haunting tone, the song offers support and honor to Vietnam veterans.’

5. Like Everyone She Knows

Another masterpiece, written for all the single people out there who are still waiting to meet the “right” person to come along. As James Taylor sings in the chorus:

“Hold tight to your heart's desire
Never ever let it go
Let nobody fool you into giving it up too soon
Tend your own fire
Lay low and be strong
Wait awhile
Wait it out
Wait it on out
Wait it out
It'll come along”

6. Only a Dream in Rio

This is just a beautiful, soulful song. The song is about Taylor’s experience at the Rock in Rio festival, which drew over 1 million fans in 1985. The 10 day event was life-changing for Taylor who was still struggling at the time with drug-addiction. In 1997, he revealed to his long-time friend, Timothy White, the meaning of the song: “In 1985 I bottomed out and went into recovery, and I was managing to feel I could stand to be in my own skin again. I played at this Rock In Rio Festival in South America, and seeing that 300,000 people in a cultured country knew my stuff, with these great Brazilian players like Airto Moreira giving me validation, really
resurrected me.”

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Songs Named After People (J-Z)