The 10 Best Bobby Darin Songs of All-Time

Musical acts come and go. Some musicians are only popular for a few years and others have a popularity that seems to transcend time itself. Such is the case with Bobby Darin. During his heyday, he managed to accomplish things that most musicians only wish they could have achieved. He performed a wide variety of different genres of music and managed to do equally well with almost all of them, even though they range from Rock and Roll to Country and virtually everything in between. In addition, this one-time songwriter who became a well-known musician in his own right was also an actor. Even today, his influence is felt in the music industry. Below are ten of his best songs, complete with YouTube links for each example listed. Go ahead and check out this list, ranked from number 10 to number one and see if you remember any of these songs. If not, you might have just discovered a whole new world of music that’s just waiting for you to listen to it.

10. Plain Jane (1961)

Considering the fact that this song was released in 1961, it’s actually quite progressive. It talks about a person who refuses to put on a facade for anyone else, choosing instead to be true to herself. It’s told from the perspective of a significant other that speaks about her refusing to wear makeup or get dressed up for fancy parties when she doesn’t want to. These days, that might seem fairly commonplace but in the early 1960s, it was anything but. In fact, women were largely expected to do all of these things and more with little regard for what they actually wanted. The fact that a song was released about someone who was willing to go against the grain is enough to spark the interest of most listeners in and of itself.

9. If I Were a Carpenter (1966)

The lyrics in this song talk about love. It might not seem like it at first, but it’s really about wanting to know if someone would continue to love you regardless of the situation at hand. The lyrics are asking a person’s significant other whether or not she would continue to love him if he had a different trade, as men were widely identified by what they did for a living at the time the song was released. At its core, the song is posing a question. Would a person continue to love another person if there were key differences about them such as having a different job or a different socioeconomic status? It’s genuinely a song about the fact that when you really love someone, you love them no matter what the situation might be.

8. Christmas Auld Lang Syne (1960)

It might seem odd that a song about the holidays shows up on this list, but he was able to sing it like few others ever have. As such, the song is often considered to be almost synonymous with Darin himself. Despite the fact that he released the song in 1960, it’s one that is still widely played today.

7. Queen of the Hop (1958)

This is a very cute, upbeat song with lyrics to match. It tells a story about a person who thinks his girlfriend is better than any other option out there. It’s told from the perspective of someone who’s going to a dance. In the lyrics, he’s telling everyone else that it doesn’t matter how well someone else’s girlfriend can dance, his is capable of doing it better than anyone else.

6. La Mer (1958)

This is probably one of the smoothest love songs ever recorded. It talks about having someone that is waiting for their significant other. Even though the two of them can’t be physically together, they’re both well aware that the other is waiting, thereby making it easier for them to bear that time that they have to be physically apart. It’s a truly beautiful song and it’s also one of the most quintessential songs of a genre that’s ever been recorded.

5. Early in the Morning (1958)

The lyrics in this song tell a story of a person who is fed up with the rat race of doing the exact same thing day in and day out. The person in the song speaks of wanting something better and being determined to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, even if it means leaving without saying goodbye in order to start again.

4. Things (1962)

This isn’t exactly a happy-go-lucky song, not by a long shot. In fact, it’s about two people who were once in love and have never broken up. The person telling the story is thinking about all of the things that the two of them used to do together, most of it as he sits alone in his apartment staring out a window and watching other couples do those exact same things.

3. Simple Song Of Freedom (1969)

If you really listen to this song, it’s fairly easy to get the deeper meaning behind the lyrics. It’s not merely a song about being free, but about having the ability to stand up and speak out when something doesn’t seem right. The song itself is about a war that isn’t wanted, speaking of Vietnam. Most importantly, it’s a song about standing up and voicing your concerns about something that doesn’t feel right to you.

2. Dream Lover (1960)

As you might have already guessed by the title, this is a song about falling in love. He’s telling a story in this song, speaking of his desire to find the love of his life, someone that he thinks only exists in his dreams. It’s told in a very cute way so that it sounds a bit cheeky, but it’s actually about the desire that most of us have, to find someone we can fall in love with who will accept us for ourselves, both at our best and our worst.

1. Splish Splash (1958)

This is easily the most popular song he ever recorded. It doesn’t have a deep meaning or even tell a poignant story, but it is a great deal of fun. The song itself talks about taking a bath on a Saturday night and it’s very upbeat with the tempo, making it a good choice when you’re in the mood to simply play something because it’s enjoyable to do so. Play it even when you’re not in such a great mood. Chances are, it will improve your mood a great deal.