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Jimmy Buffett is the perfect example of American island life, hanging out on a beach, or sailing a boat, but most definitely sipping on an ice-cold beverage. This man lived this lifestyle for the longest time and his songwriting is reflecting on how he enjoyed every day. While some of the listeners might reduce Buffett’s songwriting abilities to just showing everyone a good time, the songwriter has written some of the most celebrated, and great tracks as well. The public has so far enjoyed the sensitive side of Buffett as well as the drunken side.
As the legendary singer-songwriter passed away at the age of 76, on Friday, September 2nd, let’s remember the top 10 tracks that will forever be known as one of the greatest.
10/10
‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ – from ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’, 1978
The track has a proud, yet funny and ridiculous title, which he released with his album ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’ in 1987. The track is also literally about eating a cheeseburger with some really funny and goofy verses. The track can be heard in crowds shouting out in a concert, but this is also precisely why audiences love it, a stress-free and fun track that you can just sing along. The track also showcases that not every song needs to have an emotional depth to be enjoyed.
9/10
‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’ – from ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’, 1977
This is probably the most ‘Jimmy Buffett’ song that Jimmy Buffett ever published. As classic Buffett as it can get, the song revolves around a storyline of running from all of your problems, running away to the islands with a bottle of booze in hand, which makes it one of the most well-known tracks in his entire discography. This is not just about the beach and islands, but in the track, Buffett also mentions drinking red wine in Paris and traveling to other places which brought him pleasure and joy. A perfect de-stressing track, ideally goes hand in hand with the summertime.
8/10
‘Peanut Butter Conspiracy’ – from ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’, 1973
This track serves as a single from his 1973 album ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’ that runs with a western and country saga. The story follows the life of Jimmy Buffett who spends his early years as a composer and a performer struggling to keep up with the fast rhythm. The songwriting includes witty storytelling which compliments the bending country composition, a soon-to-be trend.
7/10
‘Son of a Son of Sailor’ – from ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’, 1978
Similar to his other hit, ‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’, this track also benefits from that same middle-aged melancholy. In this track, Buffett recounts some dreams that he has not seen firsthand but learned secondhand or by reading books as he admits that he was not an active participant in any adventure. This unapologetic and truthful acceptance makes ‘Son of a Son of Sailor’ a bit bruised, but really iconic.
6/10
‘Margaritaville’ from ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’, 1977
This is undoubtedly the single most popular Jimmy Buffett song from his discography. This song also helped the singer build an entire empire where pop culture focuses on “wastin’ away again in Margaritaville”. Celebrating his beach lifestyle once again, the singer appears to be utterly relaxed with a drink in hand as he spends time on a tropical beach. peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, this track also created a “multi-million dollar franchising business”. The vibe on this track is extremely mellow, along with a vague Caribbean breeze that appears to be blown through the song making it so tropical, so airy.
5/10
‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’ – from ‘A-1-A’, 1974
This track, a part of his fifth studio album ‘A-1-A’ is yet another ode to his undying love for the sea and island lifestyle. The track ‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’ is considered one of the best sailing songs in music history which is written and composed from the perspective of a sailor who is slowing down as he aged. The character in this song does not shy away from the fact that he is aging, so gladly focuses on chasing younger women, fishing, and drinking, perfectly reflecting the middle-aged melancholy. The song also showcases that Jimmy Buffet truly shines in these kinds of mariner songs that are highly sentimental.
4/10
‘He Went to Paris’ – from ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’, 1973
This unique track is from his 1973 release ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’ and signifies the unique ability of Jimmy Buffett where he creates characters through his storytelling. The character sketch was highly inspired by a Spanish Civil War veteran whom Buffett met. The track also showcases that Buffett is not scared away from showing his sentimental side but it also shows that he does not overplay it either.
3/10
‘Tin Cup Chalice’ – from ‘A-1-A’, 1974
This track is from the singer’s fifth studio album, ‘A-1-A’ which was released in December of 1974. The songwriting and the composition on this track also resemble a combination of Buffett’s love for island life and his knack for being sentimental and emotional. The slow tempo and the soothing vibe make the listeners want to go back to the island beaches themselves.
2/10
‘Death of an Unpopular Poet’ – from ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’, 1973
The legendary Bob Dylan listed Jimmy Buffett as one of his most favorite songwriters and this track ‘Death of an Unpopular Poet’ is one of those reasons why. This song has some kind of ties to his other single ‘He Went to Paris’ which focuses on a subject that was a survivor and the poet died before his work could be even celebrated. The track is from his 1973 album ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean’. Buffett’s song talks about the afterlife of the poet and in that time everyone discovers his genius. The theme might be bittersweet, but this is how Buffett saw life.
1/10
‘Come Monday’ – from ‘Living and Dying in 3/4 Time’, 1974
Jimmy Buffett’s first big hit is arguably the best track on discography. ‘Come Monday’ is from his album ‘Living and Dying in 3/4 Time’ which was released in 1974 and charted on the Billboard 200 album for the first time. This pop hit is about missing someone you love while you are living the life of a rockstar, touring every night and performing on stage. This pop track also shows the heartfelt and sensitive side of the popular singer-songwriter in a way that is extremely catchy. The composition of the track makes it one of the favorites of the fans as well as a permanent record on his concert setlists. The singer wrote this track for his future wife while being on tour.
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