Stephen Stills Songs Ranked
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, “Stephen is a genius.” Stills’ first solo album, Stephen Stills, earned a gold record and is the only album to feature both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Its hit single “Love the One You’re With” became his biggest solo hit, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stills followed this with a string of solo albums, as well as starting a band with Chris Hillman called Manassas in 1972. In summer 1974, Young reunited with CSN after a four-year hiatus for a concert tour that was recorded and released in 2014 as CSNY 1974. It was one of the first stadium tours and the largest tour the band has done to date. CSN reunited in 1977 for their album CSN, which became the trio’s best-selling record. CSN and CSNY continued to have platinum albums through the 1980s. Here are all of Stephen Stills’s songs ranked.
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12. Johnny’s Garden (Manassas, 1972)
“One of the best songs ever!!!!!!! Sometimes I would like to go back just for awhile. Manassas was one of the best albums ever! Long time well liked song from solo Stephen Stills.”
11. You Don’t Have To Cry (Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1969)
“This song reminds me of my dad. He is always so wrapped up in work that sometimes it seems like it is killing him. I think this song is trying to tell you to let loose and take a break from everything that keeps you connected to the stress like telephones, managers, and appointments.”
10. Blackbird (Allies, 1983)
“Like his friend Neil Young, Stephen Stills is undoubtedly a musical genius. For me he is not the songwriting genius that young is but his soulful voice and multi-instrumental talents shaped CSN even if his solo career fell into a morass of overproduced superstar studio sessions.”
9. Helpless (Déjà Vu, 1970)
“Steve Stills was/is sort of an American counterpart to Paul McCartney. That is, a perfectionist who wanted as complete control over the music as possible, even in a band environment where the input of others presumably should matter.”
See more: Stephen Stills Albums Ranked
8. Treetop Flyer (Stills Alone, 1991)
“Stephen Stills is my favorite artist ever so it is hard for me to be critical. I consider him to be one of the most talented if not the most talented musician from the 60’s era. He is a guitar virtuoso, gifted multi instrumentalist and has one of the most unique voices ever and he is one of America’s most gifted song writers. He also is amazing and electrifying to see live in concert.”
7. Love The One You’re With (Stephen Stills, 1970)
“This song reminds me of when I was in the Army. I mentioned it to a couple of women who were missing someone and they said that they hated the song because they thought that it gave bad advice. I tend to agree with it. The song has a nice melody.”
6. Carry On (Déjà Vu, 1970)
“This is an incredibly bittersweet and also existential song, about how to continue living your life in the midst of the grief of loss. It seems to be about your lover breaking up with you, although the first line (“I knew you were gone”) is ambiguous whether she has left or has died, making the song so much more powerful. If she has died, it seems ambiguous to me whether her leaving is an action she has chosen (first verse: “go your way”, last verse: “what was it made you run”), i.e. whether it was suicide.”
5. So Begins The Task (Manassas, 1972)
“If you love 70’s music this is a must have for your collection. Stills had a lot of great hits and this is just one of them.
See more: Crosby Stills Nash Albums Ranked
4. Change Partners (Stephen Stills 2, 1971)
“Stephen Still 2 is an average enough effort that has a couple of memorable tunes but the poorer songs are just that bit poorer. “Change Partners” being the only song with any worthwhile theme and tune. Stills career would never get out of this gear as he would musically regress and spend the next couple of decades of his life, and whatever he might call a career, in some sort of private drinking competition.”
3. Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1969)
“To me, this song is aimed at parents to teach their children about how to live a good life and co-exist with others. But in doing so, they are also asked to instill into their children ways to change their reality, to improve their children’s future, and the world reality, with healthy values..”
2. Our House (Déjà Vu, 1970)
“Those lines – “life used to be so hard, now everything is easy cos of you” – get me. I guess most of us have had a hard life, and the love that can make things easy is very attractive. Funny how different songs really ‘get’ different people.”
1. Suite/Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1969)
“Love this song. Written by Stephen Stills and recorded in 1969 by Crosby, Stills and Nash this is the one song, of many great songs they would record in their long career, that people most associate with CSN. It was Steven’s song to his soon to be ex-girlfriend Judy Collins. It probably has come to be known as one of the greatest break-up songs of all time. And yet this a beautifully done song so such a sad subject.”