These are the songs that stretch the boundaries of the three minute song. These are the songs that are best heard live (and possibly under the influence.)

 

These are the best jams.

 

 

10. Widespread Panic - "Barstools and Dreamers"

 

John Bell's gritty voice on this number combined with the down and dirty tempo are exemplary of Panic's style.

 



 

9. Dogs - "Pink Floyd"

 

David Gilmour's guitar solo on this tune is epic. Too bad the Floyd wasn't around long enough to play this song from Animals live too many times.

 

Part 1


 

Part 2

(These videos are a bit odd -- somebody laid "Dogs" over Hallmark Entertainment's version of Animal Farm, but, hey, dude's a Floyd fan. What did you expect?)

 

 

8. Phish - "You Enjoy Myself"

 

Trey Anastasio wrote this jam a long time ago (the clip below is twenty years old), but the band managed to make this jazz-heavy tune sound fresh for their entire career.

 

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

 

7. Grateful Dead - "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain"

 

These two Dead songs were almost always strung together and set a precedent for jamming one song into another.

 

Part 1

 

Part 2



 

6. Santana - "Soul Sacrifice"

 

Their performance of this song live at Woodstock made it an instant classic. See below:

 

 

 

5. Phish - "Split Open and Melt"

 

It would be impossible to get any Phan to agree on the best Phish jam, but "Melt" has one the most recognizable rising progressions in their repertoire. (The jam is even tacked onto the end of one of their best studio discs, Hoist.)

 

 

 

4. Jimi Hendrix - "Voodoo Child" > "Stepping Stone" > "Star Spangled Banner" > "Purple Haze"

 

Whereas all the other examples on this list are songs and not specific examples of performances, Jimi's take on The National Anthem at Woodstock still wields the power that it did then. Hard to believe that almost nobody stuck around to see it.

 

 

 

3. John Coltrane - "My Favorite Things"

 

Coltrane basically invented musical improvisation with his interpretation of this song. That about covers it...

 

 


 

 

 

2. The Allman Brothers Band - "Whipping Post"

 

The definitive version of this song took place in 1971, during their recording of At Fillmore East, before guitarist Duane Allman died. This song is looooong, but it never really gets old -- the Allmans always make it interesting. Here they are in 1970:

 



 

1. Grateful Dead - "Dark Star"

 

The original jam from the original jamband. All others bow before it.

 

Part 1

 

Part 2