Top Rated Versions of the 50 Most Rated Grateful Dead Songs

Top Rated Versions of the 50 Most Rated Grateful Dead Songs


HeadyVersion (http://headyversion.com/) is a website that allows deadheads to submit and vote on their favorite version of any Grateful dead song. I am not associated or affiliated with HeadyVersion.com in any way.

I collected the highest rated versions of the 50 most often submitted songs. As Headyversion is an active site, the content changes. I compiled this list yesterday, and the rankings are already out of date. This collection is just a snapshot from March 2015.

After reaching 50, I found too many essential songs were still missing. So I went ahead and grabbed the ones I felt I needed in my collection, and thought I might as well share them too. They're in the folder “Another 17”. I make no claim that they are “the” essential songs, they are just essential to me!

I've tried not to make editorial decisions. When different versions were tied for first place, I've had to choose one to include, but that's about it. Sometimes I've disagreed that the highest rated version deserved to be so, but included it anyway, trusting the wisdom the hivemind over my own judgement. If and when you disagree that any of these actually are the “best version” I encourage you to vist the site and submit / vote for the version you think is best.

5 of the highest rated songs in this collection (Scarlet Begonias --> Fire on the Mountain, Morning Dew, Brown Eyed Women, and New Minglewood Blues)come from the the famous May 8 1977 show at Barton Hall, Cornell University. As just about everybody has a copy of this show (if you don't, then go get it!), it is perhaps a little overrepresented in the voting, and I thought some people might prefer a version they might not be so familiar with. So for those 5 songs, I've also included the 2nd highest rated versions. You may or may not want to remove one of the versions from the mix.

The Dead being the Dead, some of the “songs” are actually 2 or 3 songs combined. For numbering purposes, I've considered each of those tracks to be a single song.

Song Title Version

1 - Playin' In The Band Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR
2 - The Other One May 2, 1970 - Harpur College Binghamton, NY
3 - China Cat Sunflower->
I Know You Rider June 26, 1974 - Providence Civic Center Providence, RI
4 - Eyes Of The World Aug. 6, 1974 - Roosevelt Stadium Jersey City, NJ
5 - Dark Star Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR
6 - Scarlet Begonias ->
Fire On The Mountain May 8, 1977 - Barton Hall - Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Alternate: March 22, 1990 - Copps Coliseum Hamilton, ON
7 - Jack Straw Jan. 11, 1979 - Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
8 - Morning Dew May 8, 1977 - Barton Hall - Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Alternate: Sept. 18, 1987 - Madison Square Garden New York, NY
9 - Truckin' May 19, 1974 - Portland Memorial Coliseum Portland, OR
10 - Not Fade Away Sept. 3, 1977 - Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ
11 - Wharf Rat Feb. 18, 1971 - Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY
12 - Estimated Prophet May 25, 1977 - The Mosque Richmond, VA
13 - Terrapin Station Feb. 26, 1977 - Swing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA
14 - Bird Song Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR
15 - Bertha Aug. 6, 1971 - Hollywood Palladium Hollywood, CA
16 - Sugar Magnolia Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR
17 - He's Gone May 6, 1981 - Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
18 - Looks Like Rain Oct. 10, 1982 - Frost Amphitheatre Palo Alto, CA
19 - Sugaree May 22, 1977 - The Sportatorium Pembroke Pines, FL
20 - Drums -> Space April 19, 1982 - Baltimore Civic Center Baltimore, MD
21 - Stella Blue March 21, 1994 - Richfield Coliseum Richfield, OH
22 - Music Never Stopped April 24, 1978 - Horton Field House - Illinois State U, Normal, IL
23 - Goin' Down The Road April 26, 1972 - Frankfurt, Germany
24 - Mississippi Halfstep Sept. 3, 1977 - Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ
25 - Deal July 19, 1989 - Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, WI
26 - Tennessee Jed Oct. 10, 1982 - Frost Amphitheatre Palo Alto, CA
27 - Me and My Uncle April 24, 1978 - Horton Field House - Illinois State U. Normal, IL
28 - Uncle John's Band Dec. 26, 1979 - Oakland Auditorium Oakland, CA
29 - Brown Eyed Women May 8, 1977 - Barton Hall - Cornell University Ithaca, NY
alternate Nov. 4, 1977 - Cotterell Gym - Colgate University Hamilton, NY
30 - Love Light Aug. 6, 1971 - Hollywood Palladium Hollywood, CA
31 - Row Jimmy March 20, 1977 - Winterland Arena San Francisco, CA
32 - Loser March 24, 1990 - Knickerbocker Arena Albany, NY
33 - Shakedown Street June 30, 1985 - Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD
34 - Good Lovin' May 2, 1970 - Harpur College Binghamton, NY
35 - Let it Grow May 1, 1981 - Hampton Coliseum Hampton, VA
36 - Big River May 9, 1977 - War Memorial Buffalo, NY
37 - Black Peter Oct. 29, 1977 - Evans Field House, Northern Illinois U. Dekalb, Il
38 - Cumberland Blues April 8, 1972 - Wembley Empire Pool London,
39 - Cassidy Oct. 10, 1982 - Frost Amphitheatre Palo Alto, CA
40 - Dire Wolf April 16, 1978 - Huntington Civic Center Huntington, WV
41 - St. Stephen Jan. 22, 1978 - McArthur Court, U of Oregon Eugene, OR
42 - Peggy O April 16, 1978 - Huntington Civic Center Huntington, WV
43 - Casey Jones Oct. 2, 1977 - Paramount Theatre Portland, OR
44 - Friend of the Devil Sept. 20, 1970 - Fillmore East New York, NY
45 - Samson and Delilah Feb. 5, 1978 - Uni Dome, U of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
46 - Feel Like A Stranger Oct. 9, 1989 - Hampton Coliseum Hampton, VA
47 - New Minglewood Blues May 8, 1977 - Barton Hall - Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Alternate Feb. 26, 1977 - Swing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA
48 - Help On The Way -->
Slipknot -->
Franklin's Tower Aug. 13, 1975 - Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
49 - Ramble On Rose Nov. 11, 1973 - Winterland Arena San Francisco, CA
50 – Black Throated Wind Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR

Another 17

They Love Each Other Feb. 9, 1973 - Roscoe Maples Pavilion - Stanford U, Palo Alto, CA
Cold Rain and Snow Oct. 12, 1984 - Augusta Civic Center Augusta, ME
Brokedown Palace Oct. 3, 1980 - Warfield Theater San Francisco, CA
Althea March 14, 1981 - Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT
The Wheel Feb. 26, 1977 - Swing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA
Foolish Heart March 19, 1990 - Civic Center Hartford, CT
Promised Land Aug. 27, 1972 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds Veneta, OR
Throwing Stones Oct. 9, 1989 - Hampton Coliseum Hampton, VA
Crazy Fingers Aug. 13, 1975 - Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
Touch of Grey March 27, 1987 - Civic Center Hartford, CT
U.S. Blues April 12, 1978 - Cameron Indoor Stadium Durham, NC
All Along the Watchtower March 24, 1990 - Knickerbocker Arena Albany, NY
Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues June 28, 1985 - Hershey Park Stadium Hershey, PA
Dear Mr. Fantasy July 2, 1989 - Sullivan Stadium Foxboro, MA
Knockin' On Heaven's Door Sept. 18, 1987 - Madison Square Garden New York, NY
Blow Away July 7, 1989 - JFK Stadium Philadelphia, PA 
Believe It Or Not March 22, 1990 - Copps Coliseum Hamilton, ON