What are The Doors' biggest songs?

3 July 2024, 12:44 | Updated: 3 July 2024, 12:52

Jim Morrison died on 3rd July 1971. Since then his words and music have reached new generations and new audiences. How does the LA rock band's back catalogue fare in the digital era?

By Radio X

@RadioX

• Formed: Los Angeles, California, USA, 1965
• Members: Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Kreiger
• First Single: Break On Through (To The Other Side) (January 1967)
• Album Discography: The Doors (January 1967); Strange Days (September 1967); Waiting For The Sun (July 1968); The Soft Parade (July 1969); Morrison Hotel (February 1970); LA Woman (April 1971); Other Voices (October 1971); Full Circle (August 1972); An American Prayer (November 1978).

1. The Doors - Riders On The Storm: release date 20th August 1971 (UK)

   This dark tale was apparently the final song Jim Morrison recorded before his death, and it was the last track on the last Doors album to feature the singer, L.A. Woman. By the time Riders On The Storm was released as a single in the UK, Morrison had been dead a month, having been found in his bath at a Paris hotel, aged just 27. In the 21st Century, the song remains The Doors' most popular song, having been streamed on Spotify over 410 million times and on YouTube over 51 million times.

   

   Riders on the Storm

2. The Doors - People Are Strange: release date 29th September 1967 (UK)

   Jim Morrison's hymn to outsider life is taken from the band's second album Strange Days. Later memorably covered by Echo & The Bunnymen for the Lost Boys soundtrack, the song made Number 12 in the UK charts. In the digital age, the track has had over 360 million streams on Spotify and over 13 million views on YouTube.

   

   The Doors - People Are Strange (Official Audio)

3. The Doors - Break On Through (To The Other Side): release date 3rd March 1967 (UK)

   The band's debut single didn't chart until 1991, thanks to Oliver Stone's controversial biopic, but has since racked up over 328 million streams and over 26 million views.

   

   Break on Through (To the Other Side)

4. The Doors - Light My Fire: release date 7th July 1967 (UK)

   The first UK chart hit for The Doors, peaking at Number 7 in the summer of '67. It reached the same position in 1991 after the appearance of the Oliver Stone film and has since enjoyed over 312 million streams and over 35 million views.

   

   The Doors - Light My Fire

5. The Doors - Roadhouse Blues: release date 19th June 1970 (UK)

   This raucous track from the Morrison Hotel album was originally issued as the B-side to You Make Me Real in America in March 1970. It didn't break the Top 40, but it remains a popular Doors tune in the 21st Century, with over 281 million streams and over 13 million YouTube views.

   

   The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (Official Video)

6. The Doors - L.A. Woman: release date 19th April 1971

   The title track to the final album to feature singer Jim Morrisonl the album incredibly only made it to Number 28 on first release in the UK. Nevertheless, the song itself has racked up over 152 million streams and over 67 million views.

   

   L.A. Woman

7. The Doors - Love Her Madly: release date 30th April 1971 (UK)

   The first single to be taken from the L.A. Woman album incredibly failed to chart in the UK - something even more surprising, given the band's high profile in this country, as they'd performed at the Isle Of Wight festival the previous summer. In the US, the track made Number 11, and since then it's had over 169 million Spotofy streams and over 12 million YouTube views.

   

   Love Her Madly (New Stereo Mix)

8. The Doors - Love Me Two Times: released December 1967 (UK)

   This passionate blues was the second single to be taken from the Strange Days album and made Number 25 in the States. Love Me Two Times has enhoyed over 115 million streams and over 30 million video views.

   

   Love Me Two Times

9. The Doors - Touch Me: release date 24th January 1969 (UK)

   The lead single from the controversial album The Soft Parade was the band's last Top 10 hit in their native America, making Number 3. It failed to chart in this country, but the track has had over 122 million Spotify streams and over 14 million YouTube views.

   

   The Doors - Touch Me (Live)

10. The Doors - The End: release date 4th January 1967

    The phenomenal closing track from The Doors' debut, self-titled album remains one of their most popular songs, even though it lasts 11 minutes and 41 seconds. It's been streamed over 101 million times on Spotify and the audio has been played over 19 million times on YouTube.

    

    The End

Read more

• What are The Beatles' biggest songs?
• What are The Who's biggest songs?
• What are The Rolling Stones' biggest songs?
• What are Led Zeppelin's biggest songs?