Jim Croce is known as one of the greatest folk songwriters of the early 70s. Accompanied by guitarist Maury Muehleisen, Croce rose to popularity in 1972. At the height of his popularity Jim Croce, bandmate Maury Muehleisen, and 5 others tragically passed away in a plane crash. Croce has five studio albums and twelve singles to his name. Let’s dive into his 10 best songs.
10. Age
The first of 3 songs from the album “I Got A Name” on this list. The nostalgic-sounding tune has beautiful lyrics and is a true hidden gem in Jim Croce’s repertoire. It’s also one of the very few Jim Croce songs where guitarist Maury Muehleisen plays an electric guitar
9. Walkin’ Back to Georgia
From the album “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim”. A straightforward song with beautiful storytelling. “Walking Back to Georgia” truly exposes how good of a songwriter Jim Croce was.
8. One Less Set of Footsteps
The first single from “Life and Times”. This easy-listening tune about a failing relationship surely deserves a spot on this list.
7. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim
The title track from Jim’s third studio album. “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” is a folk rock strophic about a ‘pool-shooting-son-of-a-gun’. It once again showcases Croce’s unique storytelling abilities.
6. Photographs and Memories
Coming in at number 6: “Photographs and Memories”. A bittersweet song about remembering an ex-lover through photographs and memories. It appears on “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” and is an essential in Jim’s repertoire.
5. I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song
A pretty love song Jim wrote for his wife Ingrid after they got into a disagreement. The classic Croce-sounding song appears on the album “I Got a Name” and was posthumously released as a single.
4. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Similar to “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim”, but better. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” tells the story of a widely-feared 6’4″ tall man who loses a fight badly after messing with a marriage. He ends up looking “like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone”. The humorous song was the first number 1 hit for Jim Croce.
3. I Got a Name
A beautiful song about being proud of who you are and where you’re going, despite the fact it could lead to nothing. It’s the title song of the posthumously released album “I Got a Name”. Although Jim Croce didn’t write “I Got a Name”, it surely is one of the highlights on the outstanding record. The song appears in the movies The Last American Hero and Django Unchained.
2. Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)
‘Operator, could you help me place this call?’ Although this sentence is near extinct, Jim Croce’s “Operator” remains timeless. It showcases Croce’s and Meuhleisen’s unique compatibility and could have easily been number 1 on this list.
1. Time in a Bottle
“Time in a Bottle” secures the number 1 spot on this list. The atmospheric guitar intro, Croce’s unique voice, and poetic lyrics make Time in a Bottle a worthy number 1. The story behind Time in a Bottle is as magnificent as the song. To keep it short, Jim wrote it for his then soon-to-be-born son A.J Croce after he found out his wife Ingrid was pregnant. After Jim Croce’s passing the song gained attention and received more airplay. Due to increased popularity, it was posthumously released as a single. It was Jim’s second and last song to reach number 1 on the US charts.
So, that wraps up this list! Did I mention your favorite song? Did I blatantly miss a song? Please let me know in the comments down below!
