Neil Diamond Songs Ranked

Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 single on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts: “Cracklin’ Rosie”, “Song Sung Blue”, “Longfellow Serenade”, “I’ve Been This Way Before”, “If You Know What I Mean”, “Desirée”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, “America”, “Yesterday’s Songs”, and “Heartlight”. 38 songs by Diamond have featured in the Top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 2011, he was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here are all Neil Diamond songs ranked.

Don’t miss out the music of Neil Diamond. Reminisce his beautiful songs by clicking the link below

20. Cherry, Cherry (The Feel of Neil Diamond, 1966)

“”Cherry Cherry” perhaps isn’t quite as good melodically as those but does benefit from a more adult lyric. I’m guessing it’s another Brill Building Greenwich/Barry production which would explain the well-placed backing vocals, ditto handclaps and that intrusive piano.”

19. Beautiful Noise (Beautiful Noise, 1976)

“Beautiful Noise is one of Diamond’s best albums-the songwriting,arrangements and Diamond’s vocal power are at the peak here.Diamond’s music that time was called “Urban Rock” and that label pretty much describes it.”

18. Stones (Stones, 1971)

“This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written… Think Forrest Gump’s ode to Jenny if Forrest had the eloquence to express himself… Love his lyrics!”

17. Heartlight (Heartlight, 1982)

“Regardless of the jokes and put-downs-i consider this a tremendous album, with no poor songs.”Heartlight” is simply gorgeous to my ears, and gives me goosebumps as it transitions to the chorus.”

See more: Neil Diamond Albums Ranked

16. I’m a Believer (Shrek, 2001)

“I’m a Believer by the man who wrote it-and the flip side is one of his very best tunes in my view.Be prepared to relive an old heartache in a sweet remembrance.Enjoy!”

15. If You Know What I Mean (Beautiful Noise, 1976)

“Grand, indeed grandiose nostalgic ballad featuring a memorable barrel-house piano motif which perfectly evokes childhood. Builds to its big chorus perfectly and naturally before Robbie Robertson musters the orchestra for the pretty finish. The lyrics lacks the sometime sentiment-heavy quotient of other Diamond songs and is of course the better for it.”

14. Longfellow Serenade (Serenade, 1974)

“A confident, strong tune from the man, it as a big chorus and a rich production but is let down a little by some pretty obvious rhymes, “kiss/this” ‘made/serenade”, rather unforgivable for a song with the great poet’s name in the title.”

13. Forever In Blue Jeans (You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, 1978)

“I love this song so much. I’m not going to say my age, but let’s just say I’m an older millennial. Everyone these days is listening to rap and pop songs (though I still like those kinds of songs), this is what I’d prefer to listen to. It always brings me into a good mood, even at the worst of times”

12. September Morn (September Morn, 1979)

“This is not a great album. Actually, I got pretty bored with it. It’s not a disaster and “September Morn” is a decent song. Anyway, I will never be one of those guys from that movie where Jack Black acts and they are totally nuts about Neil Diamond. Seeing that movie was fun, listening to this album wasn’t much fun.”

11. Shilo (Just for You, 1967)

“Another super-catchy Diamond single before he donned the shiny shirt and became more performer than songwriter, this is a fine story-in-a-song, the evocation of childhood memories being one of his particular strengths.”

10. Play Me (Love Songs, 1972)

“It can’t just be me who recoils at that jarring forced rhyme of “songs she brang to me”, surely. Otherwise, a typically pretty if slightly sickly string-laden piece of middle-of-the-road balladry.”

9. Song Sung Blue (Moods, 1972)

“A modern-day nursery rhyme in terms of melody, lyric and production, especially when the kids’ chorus comes in. This is the sort of thing McCartney or Cat Stevens can turn out with ease.”

8. I Am…I Said (Stones, 1971)

“The lyrics don’t quite have the intended Dylanesque effect, but no one (not even the chair) can deny their power, along with the music. When I first heard this song as a kid, it gave me chills. All these years later, it still does. Just a beautiful ode to the one-hand-clapping realities of life.”

See more: Waylon Jennings Albums Ranked

7. Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show (Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show, 1969)

“I’m glad to see some revisionism bring applied to Neil Diamond’s work these days, especially to his earlier material. Yes there’s undoubted variation in quality but there’s no question he covered a lot of ground and was if not consistent, certainly prolific. This meant that only every second or third single were keepers and the albums a minefield in terms of sorting out the wheat from the chaff but on this upbeat evangelistic number where he name-checks his most famous live album he demonstrates his better attributes”

6. Solitary Man (The Feel of Neil Diamond, 1966)

“One of the best softer songs from Neil Diamond. So good because the muted beat of the instrumentation is sort of melancholy and, as a result, compliments the resigned-to-single-life lyrics perfectly. Moody, but really nice.”

5. America (The Jazz Singer, 1980)

“I feel that the song “America” should have been rated higher because it really is a song of freedom and has an incredible outburst of Neil Diamonds striking singing skills.”

4. Holly Holy (Touching You, Touching Me, 1969)

“Massive, overblown slow-burner of a song, obviously born in the wake of contemporary epics like “Hey Jude”, “MacArthur Park” and “Oh Happy Day”, it builds and builds to that epic chorus and for me anyway gets mighty close to the quality of its antecedents.”

3. Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon (Just for You, 1967)

“The string section mixed with the baroque keyboards/piano/whatever that is during the last two choruses is so beautiful, can’t get over it. That portion alone makes this version far superior to Urge Overkill’s which is also great”

2. Cracklin’ Rosie (Tap Root Manuscript, 1970)

“Cracklin’ Rosie was my favorite. I’m not sure why, but maybe because of the lyrics, plus it was happy and his voice got so low! Really nice song! A classic”

1. Sweet Caroline (Sweet Caroline (Classic Diamonds), 1969)

“I agree about the singing, but few came up to the magic of the lyrics in his songs. Very good song, I am, I said, and Play Me are right there for great songs. His singing was ok, but his songs will live forever”