With a gigantic catalog of material it can be extremely difficult to choose top songs. Well, King’s X has 15 albums with an average of 12 songs per album. That’s 180 songs to choose from. And all of those 180 songs are strong making this post quite the challenge. At first I was going to do the top 10 King’s X songs. But I realized that 10 may be a little tight for such an amazing discography. So it’s upped to 20 because it’s King’s fucking X! Many of the songs I chose are not the singles that some may know such as ‘It’s Love’, ‘King’, ‘Dogman’… etc. I wanted to cut a pinch deeper than that. Here are my top 20 favorite King’s X songs. Enjoy the “Ear Candy”.
20. Charlie Sheen – Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous
A perfect example of how King’s X simply harmonizes better than any other band. In 2000 the group was aching to do something different, and they delivered. With an album that’s as disturbing as it is beautiful. ‘Bulbous’ breathed new life into King’s X giving them a bit of a comeback. It also got them ready for the new Millennium and the next 17 years.
19. Talk To You – Faith, Hope, Love
A bone crushing intro, swirling guitar work and time changes. It’s classic prog metal with a twist. It’s a concert staple and for good reason. This song will get anyone out of their seat! Unreal trio work.
18. Groove Machine – Tape Head
A classic opening track. Apparently the band thinks so too since they’ve used it to open their sets about 80% of the time since it’s 1998 release. ‘Tape Head’ is King’s X’s first album that wasn’t on a major label. However, Metal Blade did give them a good home and is a prominent independent label. The band made what I consider one of their most pure albums in the sense of what the band stands for. This is King’s X at some of their catchiest.
17. Junior’s Gone Wild – Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey ST
This was the song that put King’s X on my radar. I was super into the Bill and Ted movies and loved the second films soundtrack. Initially I got it for the Faith No More track ‘Perfect Crime’ among others. But when I heard ‘Junior’s Gone Wild’ I flipped. It was heavy, moody and more bad ass than anything on the soundtrack. Couldn’t believe that I never had heard of the band. The song can also be found on rare copies of the self titled album.
16. The Other Side – Manic Moonlight
The band was experimenting with electric percussive sounds that at first may sound like a mistake. But they’re just lead ins to some of the best King’s X work in the bands career. ‘Manic Moonlight’ may seem like a departure in the first few seconds of each song. But they lead into songs that are some of the strongest and most classic in King’s X’s discography. ‘The Other Side’ is an eponymous latter example of the injustice of King’s X’s lack of radio play.
15. Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something – Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
Damn, that’s a mouth full eh? This is King’s X at their absolute funkiest. A song about religious tolerance, the subject matter may have been a little ahead of its time. But time has caught up with it and it’s once again a concert staple. Thank whatever you believe in that it is. Because it’s got one of Dug’s greatest bass lines and one of Ty Tabors defining guitar solos. Always remember, “everybody knows a little bit of something’. Except Donald Trump, he literally knows nothing but lies. Which I suppose is a little bit of something.
14. Goldilox – Out of the Silent Planet
This song is one of the biggest industry mysteries of all time in my opinion. A mystery as to how it didn’t become one of the biggest hit’s of 1988. Or the entire decade for that matter. It’s a perfect ballad for the time period. And then some. Because it’s also inventive with extremely strong, accessible vocal harmonies. And it’s not like the lyrics aren’t palatable for any post WWII generation. The fuck ya’ll, the fuck!!??
13. Julia – Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous
The first song written for the album. After ‘Tape Head’ performed sub par, even in underground sales, the band had a meeting to decide it’s future. Everything was discussed, even breaking up. But at the end of the day they decided to write the most fucked up album they could. The result? Julia. It was beginning of breathing new life into the band. A beautiful ballad with a fucked up heavy ass bridge that twists and swirls in texture. Just perfect!!
12. Believe – Manic Moonlight
A great opening track to a great album. ‘Believe’ is one of the songs that simply sums up what King’s X is about. Heavy funk metal with British invasion vocal harmonies and uplifting lyrics. ‘In yourself believe, it’s alright’ the band sings. It’s a great message that opens the song into a Dug Pinnick sermon when the band performs it live. Good feels and great jams. That’s what the world needs more than ever right now. That’s King’s X!!
11. Summerland – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
This song is right up there with ‘Goldilox’. In terms of both quality and the criminal lack of being a hit. Again, it fits the time period. The lyrics aren’t crazy complicated. The song is accessible. Anytime someone says ‘well, King’s X didn’t blow up because they didn’t really write music that could be commercially accepted,’ I play this song. Alice in Chains and countless others sold millions and they sound similar. In fact some of the Seattle band credit King’s X to pioneering the alternative metal/grunge sound. So what gives?
10. What I Know About Love – King’s X
It took me a little bit to get into this song. But once I did I couldn’t stop listening to it. The slow bass blues groove in the introduction puts sweat beads on the walls. It modulates into some of the most powerful power chords I’ve ever heard. Add Dug’s unbelievable gospel wail with Ty and Jerry’s identical sounding vocal harmonies and you’ve got a delicious cocktail of a heavy metal ballad. Oh, and listen for Ty’s unique finger hammer technique on the jam that plays the song out. This song is fucking fresh.
9. Happy – Tape Head
This song is the epitome of how simple can be outrageously effective. The riff isn’t complicated, but it’s so low and heavy that you feel the song dig into your skin. Plus there’s the typical added melodic layers to go along with it. And it contains one of Dug’s only in studio sermons which then moves into a bad fucking ass breakdown. The message is also as moving as the groove. Sort of an keep your head up point of view to stay happy in a world full of horrible events. Inspiring and needed right now.
8. Looking for Love – Ear Candy
King’s X at their most direct and refined. ‘Ear Candy’ is the album that could have been a defining late 90’s release. Unfortunately King’s X and their peers were suffering set backs of sorts as boy bands and manufactured pop stars became more prominent. It’s a shame because ‘Looking for Love’ had the potential one last time to really make King’s X a common household name. It’s the last record to be released on Atlantic. Who didn’t promote the album like they should have. After ‘Ear Candy’ the band went independent. ‘Looking for Love’ is still a strong part of a King’s X set list.
7. The World Around Me – King’s X
This song was one of the first ‘what the fuck is this heavy brutality contrasting with harmony?’ songs I heard from King’s X. It’s actually a ‘Loony Tunes’ riff. It’s not directly ripped off of course, but it’s heavily inspired by that kind of almost circus sounding music. Slow down the tempo and add extreme guitar distortion and you’ve got one hell of a metal riff. Then layer the typical harmonies on top of it and it’s like a delicious butter frosting on top of a moist chocolate cake of melodic prog metal. Yum!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWLGohHmtWk
6. Dreams – Black Like Sunday
I’m not quite sure, but I think ‘Black Like Sunday’ is an album comprised of re-recorded songs that never made previous King’s X albums. Some of the songs are absolutely up to the King’s X standard. I believe that ‘Dreams’ is a song from the original ‘Out of the Silent Planet’ writing sessions. It sounds like a perfect early track from when the band first discovered it’s true sound. After years of experimenting with others. They settled on funky ass melodic metal. ‘Dreams’ is as heavy and funky as it gets. Contagiously catchy.
5. Don’t Care – Dogman
After a rough run with their former manager in the early 90’s the band decided it was time to move on. And move on they did by releasing their baddest, heaviest, sickest most purely bad ass release ‘Dogman’. I decided not to put the title track on this list because I felt it was too on the nose. In fact every song on this album is great so it was a challenge to choose my two favorite. First one is ‘Don’t Care’. A song that changed the way I looked at heavy music forever. The riffs, the groove, the thickness of the bass and guitar tones and the harmony bridge before the end riff play out. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!
4. Prisoner (Live) – Tales From The Empire: Cleveland ’92
I had to put this one in there. Is the studio version top 20 worthy? It can be debated. But what can’t be debated is that this live version should be in the top five. First off, it is a terrific song. It’s King’s X so there are only degrees of good. But then add the live jam at the end and truly witness how this band is hardest to follow in all of rock. Ty Tabor just lets it go while Dug and Jerry groove like there’s no tomorrow. Guitar players, BOW!! May be the best guitar solo ever.
3. Don’t Believe It (It’s Easier Said Than Done) – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
What is it with King’s X’s second album and super long ass song titles? Seriously though, this song is not only one of the sickest riffs ever created, it’s message is timeless and also very important right now. With everything going on in the world it’s easy to be cynical. All the news stories and coverage in politics and the divisiveness we feel is natural. But sometimes you have to turn it off. Don’t believe the cynicism. Things are dark now, but ‘this not the end of road.’ However, ‘It’s easier said than done.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73aFAy0xKCA
2. Black the Sky – Dogman
When I first heard this riff I was smitten. King’s X was officially my favorite band and I knew that wasn’t going to change. When I heard the breakdown at the end I really didn’t know that rock or metal could be produced to sound that phat. It’s so thick! I’d be great to hear this song make the set list in the near future. It would certainly be a highlight.
1. What is This? – Out of the Silent Planet
This is the baddest fucking guitar riff ever written! There’s just something about it. It’s not very complex. It’s not too crazy. It’s just a basic, drop D riff that’s just fits in a pocket and explodes. And it also started the signature King’s X song subject of struggling with religion. An element often overlooked by the masses. The bridge riff is arguably even more catchy. But to top it off is Dug’s unbelievable gospel/metal wail. His voice just goes to heights unknown on this song. It just digs into your soul. Thank God they put it back in their set. If there’s any song you choose to listen to let it be this one. You’ll probably want to check out more. Sheer bad fucking assery.
