The 10 Best Bread Songs of All Time
Bread is a California band that was formed in 1969 by its co-founders David Gates, Jimy Griffin, and Robb Royer. The group added Mike Botts to the group as their drummer, with Larry Knechtel replacing Robb Royer on keyboards in 1971. Most of the songs performed by the group were written by David Gates, Jimmy Griffin, and Robb Royer. The band became popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s with easy listening and romantic songs that were mellow and easy to listen to. Here are the top 10 best Bread songs of all time for your consideration and enjoyment.
10. “Sweet Surrender”
Classic Rock History names “Sweet Surrender as the 10th best song performed by Bread. The song is a melodic breezy tune that was the last Bread song to chart at number one. It was released as a track on the band’s 1972 album “Guitar Man.
9. “Make It With You”
“Make It With You” is an easy listening song that became the first Bread song to make it to the top ten spots on the charges. The song was released on the “On The Waters” album in 1970. It instantly became a hit with the tending vocals of David Gates in a soft rock genre that captured hearts around the world. The song has also been performed by many notable singers including Engelbert Humperdinck and many others.
8. “Baby I’m-a Want You”
“Baby I’m-a Want You” was released as the title track to Bread’s 1972 album which was the fourth in their career. The album contained three songs that went big on the charts including “Everything I Own,” and “Diary.” “Baby I’m-a Want You,” went to the third spot on the Billboard Hot 110 chart for November of 1971. The song was written by David Gates with his vocals taking the lead. The song went on to achieve gold status.
7. “Diary”
“Diary” was a track on the “Baby I’m-a Want You” album released in 1972. It was the third single on the disc and it was so popular that it charted on three of the Easy Listening charts reaching an all-time high of number three. Part of the appeal of this song is that it was a simple production featuring Gates singing the lead vocals with acoustic and electric guitars with a little vibrato effect thrown in. The theme was about a man who committed a taboo by reading the diary of his lover, however, he discovers that the girl isn’t in love with him. There’s someone else who owns her heart.
6. “Lost Without Your Love”
“Lost Without Your Love” was the title track of the 1976 album with the same title. This was the final album that Bread released as a group. The song was written and produced by David Gates. It was also a marker of the end of an era as the last song Bread would see go to the top 10 charts. The group had previously been on a hiatus of three and a half years and this song was an attempt at a comeback.
5. “The Guitar Man”
“The Guitar Man” was the titular track on the band’s “Guitar Man” album, released in 1972. Larry Knechtel had found a niche as a guitar soloist and was beginning to change his playing to a heavier style than audiences were accustomed to hearing. The song charted at the eleventh spot on The Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is about how lonely a rock star can be, regardless of the fans and fame that flank him publicly. Everyday life can be lonely and isolated in between gigs. It’s about the reality of being a famous rock star and how it’s now always glamorous.
4. “It Don’t Matter To Me”
“It Don’t Matter To Me was released on the debut album for Bread, in 1969. The song was released as a re-recorded single from the second album they released with David Gates, writer, and producer, taking the lead vocal. It’s a philosophical song about letting go, but having a connection that remains on an emotional level, and hoping they come back.
3. “Everything I Own”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LD-rY6Hxks
“Everything I Own was a single included on the “Baby I’m-a Want You” album released in 1972. It was one of the most popular songs about broken relationships, but that wasn’t the original intent of writer David Gates. Later Gates shared that he wrote it about his dad. Gates’ father passed away in 1963, “Everything I Own” took on even more meaning for fans. “Everything I Own peaked on The Billboard Hot 100 chart at the fifth spot.
2. “Aubrey”
“Aubrey is currently ranked as the second-best song that Bread ever released. The song came out on the “Guitar Man” album. Later it was released as a single in 1973. It received a lot of air time on the radio and reached the fifteenth spot on the Billboard Chart. It quickly became a classic Bread tune.
1. “If”
The number one song ever released by Bread is “If.” This simple song emerged in 1971. It set the tone for the band through the years they were popular with audiences. It’s one of the most widely used songs at weddings and dances. The romantic tune features the best of David Gates’ smooth and beautiful voice. “If” became number one on Adult Contemporary hearts. Multiple artists have performed it, but none like David Gates. This song came out on the third album of the group titled “Manna.”
