Best Train Songs

I was beat when I got home tonight after giving seminars for several hours and I had a hankerin' to hear Randy Newman's version of "Gone Dead Train," a tune that always perks me up. It's the rockingest song he ever recorded, at least as far as I know.

Foolishly, I plugged the word "train" instead of "Randy Newman" into the search bar of my iTunes player. More than 300 songs popped up. Yowza.

I started looking through the list and decided that almost all of them were good; many were great. Moreover, the songs cut through an amazing cross-section of musical genres. So, I decided to share a list of 100 of my favorite songs about trains.

I tried to limit the list to one song per artist and one version of a tune. I also included only songs with the word "train" in the title, which, I know, leaves out hundreds of spectacular tunes. Still, there was no shortage of great songs to pick from.

All aboard:

1) Duke Ellington: "Take the A Train"


2) Muddy Waters: "Southbound Train"

Southbound Train - Muddy Water...

3) James Brown: "Night Train"

Night Train - James Brown

4) John Coltrane: "Blue Train"

Blue Train - John Coltrane

5) The Clash: "Train in Vain (Stand By Me)"

Train In Vain - The Clash

6) Al Green: "Back Up Train"

Back Up Train (Digitally Remas...

7) Randy Newman: "Gone Dead Train"

Gone Dead Train - Randy Newman

8) Elvis Presley: "Mystery Train"

Mystery Train - Elvis Presley

9) Big Joe Turner: "Midnight Special Train"

Midnight Special Train - Joe T...

10) The Ethiopeans: "Train to Skaville"

Train To Skaville - The Ethiop...

11) Guy Clark: Desperadoes Waiting for a Train"

12) Jerry Lee Lewis: "Night Train to Memphis"

13) Elmore James: "Sunnyland Train"

14) Mississippi Fred McDowell: "The Train I Ride"

15) Johnny Cash: "Train of Love"

16) Sister Rosetta Tharpe: "This Train"

17) Lionel Hampton: "Cool Train"

18) Billy Joe Shaver: "Georgia on a Fast Train"

19) Meade Lux Lewis: "Honky Tonk Train Blues"

20) Gladys Knight and the Pipps: "Friendship Train"

21) Rickie Lee Jones: "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking"

22) Hank Williams: "Log Train"

23) Levon Helm: "Move Along Train"

24) Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee: "Train Whistle Blues"

25) Julie Miller: "Orphan Train"

26) Louisiana Red: "Alabama Train"

27) Otis Rush: "So Many Roads, So Many Trains"

28) Willis Jackson: "Soul Train"

29) Jerry Lee Lewis: "Night Train to Memphis"

30) Bob Marley: "Zion Train"

31) The Damnations, TX: "Unholy Train"

32) Allman Brothers: "All Night Train"

33) Charles Mingus: "GG Train"

34) Junior Murvin: "Roots Train"

35) Bukka White: "Black Train Blues"

36) Solomon Burke: "Fast Train"

37) Merle Haggard: "Here Comes the Freedom Train"

38) Buck Owens: "Let Jesse Rob the Train"

39) Rufus Thomas: "Memphis Train"

40) Lightnin' Hopkins: "Load the Train"

41) Rosanne Cash: "My Baby Thinks He's a Train"

42) The Delmore Brothers: "Dis Train"

43) Jimmie Rodgers: "Waiting for a Train"

44) John Prine: "Morning Train"

45) Bob Dylan: Slow Train"

46) Jimmy Martin: "Train 45"

47) Jimmy Smith: "G'won Train"

48) Snooky Pryor: "Stop the Train Conductor"

49) Jessie Mae Hemphill: "Streamline Train"

50) Bishop Dready Manning: "Gospel Train"

51) Jimmy McGriff: "The Blues Train to Georgia"

52) Professor Longhair: "How Long Has That Train Been Gone"

53) Dave Alvin: "Jubilee Train"

54) Bruce Springsteen: "Leavin' Train"

55) Johnny Shines: "Two Trains Running"

56) Merle Travis: "Freight Train"

57) Flatt and Scruggs: "Big Black Train"

58) Iris Dement: "I Miss a Lot of Trains"

59) Joe Louis Hill: "Train Ticket"

60) Cat Stevens: "Peace Train"

61) Marah: "Angels on a Passing Train"

62) King Curtis: "Take the Last Train Home"

63) R.L. Burnside "My Baby Caught the Train (Who's Been Talking)"

64) Tennessee Ernie Ford: "Mule Train"

65) Woody Guthrie: "Train Blues"

66) Mike Watt: "Big Train"

67) Tom Waits: "Downtown Train"

68) Allen Toussaint: "Last Train"

69) Rising Sons: "2:10 Train"

70) Bill Frissell: "Train"

71) Michelle Shocked: "If Love Was a Train"

72) Flora Purim: "Mountain Train"

73) Beck: "Broken Train"

74) James Carr: "Freedom Train"

75) Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Graveyard Train"

76) Tampa Red: "Through Train Blues"

77) Robert Wilkins: "Long Train Blues"

78) Texas Alexander: "Frisco Train Blues"

79) John Hammond: "Mean Ol' Lonesome Train"

80) Mary Gauthier: "Jackie's Train"

81) The Pogues: "Boat Train"

82) Eddie Bond: "Here Comes the Train"

83) Tony Joe White: "Take the Midnight Train"

84) Dennis Brown: "Westbound Train"

85) The O'Jays: "Love Train"

86) Little Willie Littlefield: "Train Whistle Blues"

87) Rolling Stones: "Silver Train"

88) Neko Case: "The Train From Kansas City"

89) Otis Taylor: "505 Train"

90) Buddy Rich: "Little Train"

91) Steve Earle: "Mystery Train Part II"

92) Brooklyn Funk Essentials: "Take That Train (To Brooklyn)"

93) Uncle Tupelo: "Train"

94) Toots Hibbert: "Freedom Train"

95) Wynton Marsalis: "Bullet Train"

96) Ray Davies: "The Getaway (Lonesome Train)"

97) True Believers: "Train Around the Bend"

98) Jazz Gillum: "Longest Train Blues"

99) Trixie Smith: "Freight Train Blues"

100) Terry Allen: "New Delhi Freight Train"