Here is a man who has led an interesting life. His career has lasted over six decades, and we are going to look at some of the work he has produced during that time. In order to find the top 10 Aaron Neville songs, I am going to look at his solo work and the collaborations he made with others.
Native American Heritage
He was born in New Orleans in 1941, and being born in that city in the 40s meant one thing, music. He was born into a very musical family, and he is part Native American, Choctaw, to be precise.
His uncle, a member of the Mardi Gras Indian tribe, was George “Big Chief Jolly.” They had a singing group called Wild Tchoupitoulas which was well-known in New Orleans and surrounding areas.
Aaron Neville didn’t have a very settled early life…
He spent some time in jail for stealing a car. In later years, he had some issues with drugs, but he overcame all that. Eventually, he joined a singing group with his brothers known as the Neville Brothers.
The Neville Brothers were not just a group that entertained the family. They recorded nine albums and released sixteen singles. There are plenty of compilations of their best work, such as The Very Best Of The Neville Brothers.
Aaron Neville recorded 19 studio albums and twenty-six singles, eight of them collaborating with others. We shall take a look at some of those. He became a sought-after singer during the 80s and 90s, and his work with Linda Ronstadt is legendary. So, let’s take a look at my choices for Aaron Neville’s top 10 songs.
Top 39 Aaron Neville Songs
39 Please Remember Me
38 Betcha by Golly, Wow
37 Angola Bound
36 It Feels Like Rain
35 Louisiana 1927
34 A Change Is Gonna Come
33 Yes I Love You
32 Pledging My Love
31 Stand by Me
30 You Never Can Tell
29 Even If My Heart Would Break
28 Yellow Moon
27 The Grand Tour
26 Don’t Take Away My Heaven
25 Don’t Know Much
24 Just to Be With You
23How Could I Help but Love You
22Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight
21 Ain’t No Sunshine
20 Use Me
19 I Fall to Pieces
18 Somewhere, Somebody
17 All My Life
16 Close Your Eyes
15 Crazy Love
14 I Bid You Goodnight
13 Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song)
12 The Grand Tour
11 Don’t Take Away My Heaven
10 Tell It Like It Is
Let’s go back to the early days to begin, with this track from 1966. It was written by Lee Diamond and George Davis. The song was taken from his album of the same name.
This was the song that gained him his initial recognition. And today, it is still a highly regarded recording. It reached #2 in America and Canada. Neville’s version of the song inspired plenty of covers. Andy Williams did a notable version, but perhaps the most surprising cover of the song was from Heart in 1980.
9 You Never Can Tell
Yes, it is the song written by Chuck Berry while he was in prison and released by him in 1964. Neville’s version is not that different in its style. You wouldn’t expect Aaron Neville to be a bit of a Rock n Roller.
It is almost 50s in the way he sings, even though it was released quite recently in 2013. Fittingly, it has a Chuck Berry-like guitar intro and goes along at a nice pace. The piano solo with the backing saxophone sets it up well. Who would have thought Aaron Neville could produce some good old-fashioned Rock n Roll? It goes to show “you never can tell.”
8 Summertime
A song that doesn’t need much in the way of an introduction. It was composed in 1935 by George Gershwin for his opera Porgy and Bess. Neville included it on his album, Nature Boy: The Standards Album.
If you like to hear different arrangements of “standard songs,” then this might interest you. It is certainly very different from the usual interpretations. You might even call the opening phrase “slow reggae” in its musical influence. It continues at a relaxed pace all the way through, decorated by Neville’s unique vocal interpretation of the song.
7 Crazy Love
This song was written by Van Morrison and was a part of the soundtrack for the film Phenomenon. Both the film and Aaron’s version of the song were released in 1996.
Aaron Neville gives this song a very “Soul Music” interpretation with some excellent backing vocals. The Van Morrison version was also a soulful rendition, but Neville’s has a different feel to it. It was produced by The Band’s Robbie Robertson.
In many ways, a song that is ideal for Aaron Neville’s voice. When presented with a romantic ballad, he doesn’t have a problem delivering a great performance.
6 All My Life (with Linda Ronstadt)
Let’s take a look now at some of the work he did working with others. Aaron Neville had some very good duet collaborations with other singers. Especially his work with Linda Ronstadt. This is one example. It was a track he worked with Ronstadt on her album, Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. In turn, it became one of Aaron Neville’s most popular songs.
“All My Life” is a song written by Karla Bonhoff, which she released on her album, New World, in 1988. The Ronstadt and Neville version came out in 1990 and reached #96 in the UK. It did considerably better in America, reaching #11. The song won several awards for the best duet and is recognized as one of the best Aaron Neville duet songs.
5 I Fall To Pieces (with Trisha Yearwood)
Another fruitful collaboration happened when he teamed up with Trisha Yearwood to record a Country Music classic. It is always a dangerous thing to do when you make a cover of a song that is so well-loved by another artist.
“I Fall To Pieces” was a huge hit for Country Music legend Patsy Cline. The song was written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howards and was released by Cline in 1961. Her version reached #12 on the main American chart and number one on the Country music chart.
The Yearwood/Neville version was released on the album, Rhythm, Country & Blues. The album reached #18 in America on the main chart and topped the Country Music chart. An R&B/Soul singer singing Country Music with a Country singer? You might think it wouldn’t work, but it did and was another outstanding collaboration he made. Easily one of the Top 10 Aaron Neville songs.
4 When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (with Linda Ronstadt)
Back to Linda Ronstadt again for another collaboration on her album, Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, from 1990. Sometimes, two voices just work together so well, and this was a good example of that. This was the first of three major collaborations between the pair. The song was written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
This song was definitely “Neville Country.” Ronstadt, though, shows her versatility to add plenty of soul from her perspective. Together they do an excellent job of a much-covered song.
3 Everybody Plays The Fool
Aaron Neville had been out of the spotlight since the late 70s, and this was the song that returned him to the charts. It was a cover of a song originally released by The Main Ingredient in 1972. Neville’s version in 1991 reached #8 on the American chart and #9 in Canada. It was taken from his album, Warm Your Heart.
The Neville version is Soul-based in its interpretation, but it has that slight Reggae feel he often introduced to the beat of his songs. It was a song that demonstrates he has always had a certain warmth to his vocal style. Something that is not lost on his fans.
2 Ain’t No Sunshine
Once again, Aaron Neville takes a song that had been a huge hit for another artist, this time Bill Withers. As I said earlier, it is never easy to take a song so popular and be able to add something to it. But, once again, he manages it.
Some great electric and acoustic piano add to the atmosphere as he adds his interpretation of a classic song. The piano takes center stage in the middle break and towards the end. Some understated jazz guitar adds to the feel as we reach the fade out.
A great performance of a great song. It was released in 2006 on his album, Bring It On Home… The Soul Classics. The album reached #20 in America.
1 I Don’t Know Much by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
And so, to the final choice. It would have been very hard to find a better song and a better vocal performance than this to close this list. There have been some great ballads between male and female singers. But, in all honesty, nothing beats this. The song was written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Tom Snow. It was a minor hit for Snow when he released it in 1980.
The Ronstadt/Neville version was released in 1989 and was a huge hit reaching #2 in the UK and America. It was another track on the Linda Ronstadt album, Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. And this is widely considered one of the most successful Aaron Neville songs.
The vocals generate just the right amount of emotion in the song without all the histrionics you get from some singers. It didn’t need all that. The song is lyrically good enough, and the performance is as well. It is a track that demonstrates just how good a singer Aaron Neville really is.
Want More Songs from Incredible Singers?
Well, check out our thoughts on the Best Stevie Nicks Songs of All Time, the Best Elle King Songs of All Time, the Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs, the Best Songs By Al Green, and the Best Songs By Celine Dion for more great song selections.
Top 10 Aaron Neville Songs – Final Thoughts
When you listen to these tracks, you can understand why some people considered Aaron Neville one of the best. He has a tone and style that creates a certain mood without the need to overdo his performance. Of course, other great Aaron Neville songs have not been included here. But you can find some of them on The Very Best Of Aaron Neville.
As a solo performer and when singing duets, he has demonstrated his ability to sing to suit the style required. I suppose that is why it all worked so well with Linda Ronstadt because she is a singer that can also sing to suit every style. That is a skill that not many male singers possess. Aaron Neville can sit in the groove no matter what genre he is in, which sets him apart from others of his generation.
Until next time, happy listening.
