Running on Empty Songs Ranked
Running on Empty is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. Featuring songs themed around life on the road, the entire album was recorded on tour, either live on stage, or in locations associated with touring, such as backstage, on tour buses, or in hotel rooms. Released in 1977, the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1978 and stayed on the charts for 65 weeks. The single for the title track, “Running on Empty”, peaked at No. 11 and the follow-up single, “The Load-Out”/”Stay”, reached No. 20 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The album received two Grammy Award nominations in 1979: one for Album of the Year and the other for Pop Male Vocal Performance for the song “Running on Empty” Here are all of Running on Empty songs ranked.
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10. Stay
“The album closes with the medley “The Load Out/Stay” which is probably the pick of the live stuff on “Running On Empty”, “The Load Out” pays homage to the unsung hero of the live show the roadie while “Stay” seems to be Jackson’s way of saying thanks to his audience, again both songs suffer a touch from their bland, occasionally cliched arrangements but the sentiments are expressed perfectly by Browne and “Stay” is a lot of fun and a great, new take on a classic oldie.”
9. Nothing but Time
“Nothing But Time” was recorded by Browne and Company on their tour bus after leaving a show in Portland, Maine, and shows Jackson in very lighthearted mood.”
8. Shaky Town
“Superb. While other artists’ live albums are dull and overindulgent affairs, Jackson Browne turns in a lean and focused effort. With ten new songs, Browne crafts a very effective concept album, about the rock touring experience.”
See more: Jackson Browne Albums Ranked
7. You Love the Thunder
“You Love the Thunder, with Rosemary Butler as a tremendous backup voice, is a good song and Rosie, despite its unique subject matter, is a decent song that gets a lot of airtime still.”
6. The Road
“The Road” is a mournful, late night folk tune part recorded in a hotel room and part recorded on stage, the edit is so good it’s barely noticeable and the melding of the two performances works to perfection on one of the albums standout cuts”
5. The Load-Out
“Browne’s images are extremely evocative, and he is at the peak of his career here. The album ends with the excellent FM classic, “The Load-Out/Stay”, which the author reveals to a live audience he is just performing it for the first time.”
See more: Jackson Browne Songs Ranked
4. Love Needs a Heart
” He is mostly famous for his outstanding songwriting talent, but on this album he only wrote two songs alone (Running On Empty, You Love The Thunder), and just contributed to five others. That really doesn’t matter much because all of the songs here have the same world-weary and lovelorn tone that any Jackson Browne song might have, and they’re a natural fit for him. On Love Needs A Heart, which he wrote with Valerie Carter and Lowell George”
3. Cocaine
“Cocaine” is a classic blues riff that captures a time in the American culture when the white stuff ruined many a musician…this is not the glorified “Cocaine” of Clapton…but a somber blues perspective of the highs and true lows of this little white powder.”
2. Rosie
“Another classic is “Rosie” a song created from a sound technicians/roadie’s perspective….you can’t help feel the feelings of rejection this poor guy goes thru….he get’s this girl great seats to a concert only to lose her to the drummer….but again the sadness is tempered with a little humor….”Rosie you’re all right….you wear MY ring”…great stuff !!”
1. Running on Empty
“This is another excellent album from Browne. One other note, the next time you watch the movie Forrest Gump and hear the song “Running on Empty” while Forrest is dealing with his loss by running from shore to shore, know that it’s not that different than what Browne himself was doing when he wrote it (except Browne used a tour bus).”
