The 11 Best Elliott Smith Songs

There are few greater tragedies to our world than losing a voice. While movie-making and story-telling changes as the generations evolve, songs remain eternal. Think of all the nursery songs that we sing our children. Most of them have been around for over a hundred years. It's amazing to think that music being made today may survive long into the next century or even the next millenium. So when we lose a great singer/songwriter before it's their time, we lose their entire catalogue of music that they will never make. Imagine if Bob Dylan died at the age Elliot Smith died. The world would never hear Blood on the Tracks, Desire, not to mention his collasal later work Time Out of Mind and Modern Times. There is no doubt when peopledust off Dylan's work a hundred years from now, songs like "Hurricane," "Idiot Wind," "Tangled Up In Blue," and "Not Dark Yet" will be among the giants. Now close your eyes and imagine that those songs not only no longer exist...they never did. World's seems a little more empty, doesn't it?

After hearing Elliott Smith's fantastic new album, it only saddens you to know what his career might have been capable of had he carried on. Would he become the next Dylan? Probably not. But that is a question that will now remain forever unanswered.

Here are the 11 Best Elliott Smith Songs:

1. Waltz #2 (X/O)
2. Angeles (Either/Or)
3. Happiness (Figure 8)
4. Miss Misery (Good Will Hunting)
5. A Fond Farewell (From A Basement)
6. Pictures of Me (Either/Or)
7. Twilight (From A Basement)
8. Say Yes (Either/Or)
9. Everything Reminds Me of Her (Figure 8)
10. Ballad of Big Nothing (Either/Or)
11. Single File (Elliott Smith)