The 11 Best Songs By Matisyahu

Fun Fact:  Matisyahu dropped out of high school so he could start taking drugs and follow the rock band Phish on tour.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Matisyahu:

1. Youth (Youth)
2. Chop Em Down (Shake Off The Dust...Arise)
3. King Without a Crown (Live At Stubbs)
4. Jerusalem (Youth)
5. So Hi So Lo (Louisville Light Sessions)
6. Tel Aviv'n (Spark Seeker)
7. Got No Water (Shake Off The Dust...Arise)
8. Sunshine (Spark Seeker)
9. Exaltation (Shake Off The Dust...Arise)
10. Message In A Bottle (No Place To Be)
11. Time of Your Song (Youth)

Buy Matisyahu's new album Akeda...now!

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!

The 11 Best Songs By Matisyahu

One of the most coveted musical honors is getting to play the Superbowl halftime show.  This year, we get to be dulled to sleep by the Black Eyed Peas.  Don't they realize the band's last album tanked?  I really hate it when the network tries to go after ratings instead of giving football audiences what they want and like.  You really think a bunch of 13-year-old girls are going to sit around and watch two hours of commercial-heavy football just to see their favorite band lip sync through a distorted-filled audio malaise?  Or are they going to sit in their bedroom and gossip about cute guys and wait for the GLEE halftime show re-invention of Thriller?  I get the geriatric rockers.  It's something for every one.  Most football fans appreciate it.  But going young & hip?  Has that ever worked?  Just be sure to keep Fergie's boobs in a tight dress.

What does this have to do with Matisyahu?  Really nothing.  Just go buy the new live album.  It's back to his stripped down musical basics.  It's the Matisyahu we love...not the overproduced Matisyahu we don't.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Matisyahu:

1. Jerusalem (Youth)
2. King Without A Crown (Live at Stubbs)
3. Youth (Youth)
4. Message in A Bottle (Chop 'Em Down)
5. Chop 'Em Down (Shake Off The Dust)
6. So Hi So Lo (The Louisville Light Sessions)
7. WP (Youth)
8.  Close My Eyes (Shake Off The Dust)
9. I Will Be Light (Light)
10.  Got No Water (Shake Off The Dust)
11.  On Nature (Light)

Buy Matisyahu's new album,  Live at Stubb's 2.

The 11 Best Song By Matisyahu

Let's talk bonus tracks. The new Matisyahu album (Light) on itunes may be one of the better bonus tracks versions of any recent album. Normally, I'm only partial to B-Sides. And lots of them. Sometimes a bonus concert is good, too. But on Matisyahu's album...he takes a radically different approach to his music. It's bigger, more produced, and even bordering on the realm of mainstream hip-pop. The only thing missing are vocals by Fergi. Now the bonus tracks do inclucde a couple B-sides...a track with the Crystal Method (from their album)...but also studio sessions. These studio sessions are gold. For the fans of traditional Matisyahu...his new album may turn you away (even I'm having trouble liking it). But on the studio sessions, he takes the songs from the album...and strips them down to their bare bones melodies...similar to his past albums. One song is an epic 13-minute jam...that kicks ass on just about everything he's ever done. So for the price of admission...you get two albums: ne of the Matisyahu you love...and one of the new Matisyahu. Record companies take note...this is how you do it.

Here are the 11 Best Song By Matisyahu:

1. Jerusalem (Youth)

2. King Without A Crown (Live at Stubbs)

3. Chop 'Em Down (Live at Stubbs)

4. Youth (Youth)

5. Watching The Wheels (Instant Karma)

6. Message in A Bottle (Chop 'Em Down)

7. WP (Youth)

8. Fire Of Heaven/Altar Of Earth (Youth)

9. Exaltation (Live at Stubbs)

10. Close My Eyes (Live at Stubbs)

11. Warrior (Live at Stubbs)

Buy the new Matisyahu album, Light.