Bush was one of the most successful Rock acts of the 1990s, selling over 20 million records worldwide, 10 million in the US alone. If you didn’t know any better, you would swear they must have emerged from the Seattle Grunge scene. However, they hail from the UK. But, for some reason, they found far more success in the US.
Undoubtedly influenced by grunge greats Nirvana, Bush has a back catalog of great songs that pushed the genre forward after the death of Kurt Cobain. So much so that we thought it high time to put together this list of the top 50 Bush songs of all time, presented to you in chronological order.
Let’s get started with the classic…
Top 50 Bush Songs of All Time
1 Everything Zen (1995)
What better place to kick things off than with Bush’s first single, “Everything Zen”? And what a cracker it is. Taken from their debut album, Sixteen Stone, heavy-distorted guitars open the action, getting the blood pumping from the get-go. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale’s vocal chops are on full display too. He powers his way through this instant grunge classic.
The song performed well, reaching #5 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Despite hailing from the UK, the band has never been appreciated that much in their homeland. As a result, “Everything Zen” failed to climb higher than #84 in the UK singles chart. That said, this song remains one of the most popular Bush songs of all time.
2 Comedown (1995)
It’s quite incredible how many great songs emerged from Sixteen Stone. Not many albums yield five successful singles, but that’s what Bush managed with their debut.
“Comedown” was the third single from Sixteen Stone. Rossdale wrote it about an ex-girlfriend and the feelings he had when they split up. He says it’s an objective look at their relationship, half regretful and half celebratory.
It became one of Bush’s biggest songs. And it was the first to crack the Top 40 in the US. “Comedown” reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
3 Glycerine (1995)
“Glycerine” is probably Bush’s most well-known song. It’s without question their most commercially successful single. It topped the Modern Rock chart and reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s also their most streamed/downloaded song by quite a significant margin.
And, for good reason. It’s just Rossdale singing and playing a repetitive distorted guitar riff along with a violinist chipping in, but it’s incredibly effective. You’re forced to focus on the raw delivery of his vocals above anything else.
The song is about the complexities of a relationship Rossdale had, which ended before the band blew up. It’s sung from the heart with words and emotions that have deep meaning for him. Fans connect with this emotional honesty which helps to explain the song’s enduring success.
4 Machinehead (1996)
The final single from their debut album grabs you by the throat from the opening bars and doesn’t let go. It’s a full frontal assault on your eardrums that doesn’t ease up until the last note is played. A wonderful symphony of powerfully harnessed noise.
“Machinehead,” like all the singles from Sixteen Stone, did well in the charts. It peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It’s also gone on to be one of their most enduring tracks, placing second on a list of Bush’s most downloaded and streamed songs.
5 Swallowed (1996)
“Swallowed” was the lead single from the band’s second album, Razorblade Suitcase. Hot on the heels of their multi-platinum-selling first album, the song was a response to the dazzling success of that record. It describes a feeling of being overwhelmed by the achievement and having to ride the tidal wave of fame without knowing how to.
Slow-tempo verses with just Rossdale singing accompanied by a single guitar, explode into life in the raucous chorus. The song was the band’s biggest hit in the UK, climbing as high as #7 in the UK singles chart.
It was equally successful across the pond, where it spent seven consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Therefore, it ranks among the most successful Bush songs.
6 Greedy Fly (1997)
Another song from Bush’s second album. And another song that ruminates on the destabilizing feeling caused by the band’s sudden success. As well as that sudden disconnect from life as it was before fame came along.
Musically, it’s one of the most rip-roaring dirty grunge songs that the post-Nirvana era produced. It’s as catchy as it is relentlessly noisy. Everything builds in intensity until it breaks into an orgy of choppy feedback. Rossdale’s vocals also ratchet up as the tension builds, losing all the containment it had at the start of the song.
“Greedy Fly” is my favorite Bush song. Although, the buying public wasn’t quite as enamored with it as I was. It was still a successful release, hitting #5 on both the Billboard Alternative Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. Also, it was their second-highest song in their homeland, making it to #22 in the UK singles chart.
7 The Chemicals Between Us (1999)
Over the ears, as the band developed, so did their sound. Their third studio album, The Science of Things, features several tracks that experiment with different styles, moving away from the exclusive grunge sound of their earlier releases.
“The Chemicals Between Us” is one of those tracks. Here, the band incorporates some electronic sounds into the mix to great effect. It’s always risky when a guitar-based band starts playing around with electronic tech. But Bush managed to pull it off without compromising their integrity.
The dancey percussion was unlike anything the band had produced before…
However, there was still a rocking guitar riff holding everything together, firmly identifying it as a Bush song. The song was their last major hit before the band temporarily broke up in 2002. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #67 on the Hot 100.
8 Letting the Cables Sleep (2000)
Taken from their third studio album, “Letting the Cables Sleep” is a slow-paced examination of the need for communication in our lives. Rossdale wrote the song after a close friend revealed he had contracted HIV and kept quiet about it for six months. Rossdale felt compelled to write a song about silence and the need to share our problems with those closest to us.
It’s far from your typical Bush song. There are no thrashing guitars or screamed vocals. Just a poignant reflection on the damage silence can do if you are suffering.
The song wasn’t their biggest hit, peaking at #26 on the Mainstream Rock chart. But, it serves as a reminder that Bush is capable of a lot more than noisy grunge when they set their minds to it. For that reason, it ranks among the Top 50 Bush songs of all time.
9 The Sound of Winter (2011)
After a ten-year hiatus, Bush reformed and released their fifth album, The Sea of Memories. It wasn’t the most critically acclaimed album they produced, but there are a couple of gems hidden away. “The Sound of Winter” is one of them. The song is about ridding your life of negative people and influences and focusing on the good things and people around you.
Musically, you can hear a development towards a more mainstream sound whilst still incorporating some of the elements that made the band so popular in the first place. A tough balancing act, but one they managed to pull off successfully. “The Sound of Winter” hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart; that’s no mean achievement after such a long break.
10 Bullet Holes (2019)
Finally, we’ll finish with a more recent track that proves Bush can still raise the roof with powerful guitar riffs when they feel like it. By this point, Rossdale was the only original member of the band left, but the newer line-up really let rip on this one.
It’s not the typical Grunge sound of their early days. If anything, it leans towards more of a Metal sound. Either way, if you are playing this on a loud system when that chorus guitar riff kicks in, prepare to be blown away.
The song gained further exposure by featuring on the soundtrack of John Wick 3 – Parabellum. It wasn’t a massive hit for the band but deserves its place on this list. This song proves the band can still blow your socks off a full 25 years after their debut.
11Alien (1997) by Bush
12Insect Kin (1997) by Bush
13Swim (1994) by Bush
14Little Things (1994) by Bush
15Bomb (1994) by Bush
16The Disease of the Dancing Cats (1999) by Bush
17Warm Machine (1999) by Bush
18Prizefighter (2001) by Bush
19The People That We Love (2001) by Bush
20Solutions (2002) by Bush
21Land of the Living (2002) by Bush
22Headful of Ghosts (2011) by Bush
23All My Life (2011) by Bush
24Stand Up (2011) by Bush
25Baby Come Home (2014) by Bush
26The Only Way Out (2014) by Bush
27The Gift (2017) by Bush
28Black and White Rainbows (2017) by Bush
29Man on the Run (2017) by Bush
30Lost in You (2017) by Bush
31Sky Turns Day Glo (2017) by Bush
32This House Is on Fire (2017) by Bush
33Live Again (2017) by Bush
34Water (2017) by Bush
35Picture Frame (2017) by Bush
36People At War (2017) by Bush
37Red Light (2017) by Bush
38Golden State (2017) by Bush
39Forever May You Run (2017) by Bush
40When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer (2017) by Bush
41Speed Kills (2017) by Bush
42House on Fire (2017) by Bush
43Broken in Paradise (2017) by Bush
44She’s a Stallion (2017) by Bush
45The Only Zen I Know (2017) by Bush
46Brain Body (2017) by Bush
47Never Believed (2017) by Bush
48Whiskey Woman (2017) by Bush
4942 Stitches (2017) by Bush
50American Eyes (2017) by Bush
Want More Great Music From the 90s?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best 90s Grunge Songs, the Best Grunge Bands of the 90s, the Best 90s Rock Songs, the Best 90s Rock Bands, and the Best 90s Songs for more great song selections for a defining era of music.
Final Thoughts on the Top 50 Bush Songs of All Time
As you can hopefully see, Bush has created a legacy of great songs built up over a staggering 28-year period. For a British band to have such an impact on a very American genre of music is an impressive achievement.
Bush fans, what do you think of our selection? Let us know in the comments which songs you would include on your list, and thanks for reading.
Until next time, happy listening.
You really can’t have a Bush Top 10 songs list without including “Warm Machine” and if I were making this list I’d include “Monkey”, “Alien” (Live) and last but not least “Creatures of the Fire” off of the New Album