Molly Hatchet was formed in Florida in 1971 and became one of the original leading lights of what is known as Southern Rock. They have had their share of misfortune and plenty of line-up changes over the years. However, they still produced enough material to be able to create a list of the 10 essential Molly Hatchet songs.
Through the 70s, they had a firm fan base, but they started to venture away from their original style. So, by the early 80s, they had become more of a Hard Rock band. Much of that was due to personnel changes.
They had been inspired, as all southern bands probably were, by Lynyrd Skynyrd. And although they never achieved their level, they still produced some memorable songs. They weren’t what you would call a “singles band,” but released eight over the years. Yet, only one reached the Top 50 in America. They also released 14 studio albums, although the eight after 1989 failed to make a chart position.
And The Name?
They named themselves after a prostitute during the American Civil War who mutilated her clients. All apocryphal, of course, and a bit of an old wives’ tale. It was allegedly created by Union soldiers’ wives to frighten the men to stay away from women when they went off to fight. But let’s get away from the myth and take a listen to my picks for the Top 10 Molly Hatchet songs.
41 Essential Molly Hatchet Songs
1 Bloody Reunion
A track taken from their 1981 album, Take No Prisoners. This was their fourth album and one of their most successful, reaching #36 on the American Album chart. The single, however, failed to make the American Singles chart.
The band was relieved at the success of the album because they had just lost their frontman. Danny Joe Brown had been diagnosed with diabetes, along with a few other problems, and decided to quit. He did return two years later amid a whirl of new personnel, and especially, singer changes.
Many thought such an important member would sound like the death knell for the band, but this album changed opinions. They were still capable of their brand of raucous Southern Rock, as we can hear on this track. Nothing much in the way of subtlety; it highlights what they were very good at and is, therefore, a good place to start this list of the best Molly Hatchet songs.
2 Satisfied Man
This track was released in 1984 from the album The Deed Is Done. It was the last album of theirs to make the charts peaking at #120 in America. The single was the same, and the last chart entry the band achieved.
The line-up had changed again with the return of Danny Joe Brown. Many might have assumed it meant a return to their pure Southern Rock style. But that wasn’t the case. Instead of sticking to the formula that had gained them plenty of diehard fans, they started to migrate towards a more mainstream sound.
This didn’t go down well in some circles…
The track starts with plenty of synthesizers and could be a prelude to something by Evanescence. Then, it breaks into the main element of the song, and despite the guitar riff, it still has plenty of keyboards. This is more Pop-Rock than what we are used to from them. It was written by two non-members of the band, Tom Jans and Tom DeLuca.
3 Beatin’ The Odds
With the release of this album in 1980, many thought that the departure of Danny Joe Brown from the vocals would be detrimental. It is fair to say that they did miss a little of his attack in style, but replacement Jim Farrar does a decent enough job. This wasn’t released as a single but was the lead track on the album of the same name and, undoubtedly, one of its highlights.
There will be those that point to the title and the lyrics and say this song is potentially autobiographical. They had to try and make some form of a comeback after losing their singer. And it is this track that helped to do that.
4 Whiskey Man
It is not an uncommon theme amongst Southern Rock bands to raise their love of bourbon. “Whiskey Rock-A-Roller” by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a good example. “Whiskey Man” is a track taken from the popular album Flirtin’ with Disaster.
It wasn’t released as a single, but the album saw some success and was their best-performing album commercially. In America, it reached #19 on the album chart and also made #54 on the Canadian chart.
No Praise Here
You won’t find Molly Hatchet singing the praises of the powerful drink, though. This is a song that comes with a warning. It is sung by someone who’d been there, done it, got the T-shirt, and suffered the misery. The meaning of the lyrics is very clear to see. If you need whiskey to “make you tall,” then you are “not tall at all.” Quite right.
5 Dreams I’ll Never See
Let’s go right back to the beginning and their first album, Molly Hatchet, from 1978. The album reached #64 on the American chart. “Dreams I’ll Never See” is a song not released as a single. It is a cover of a song by The Allman Brothers that was called “Dreams” and was written by Greg Allman.
The Allman Brothers version is a little slower with a bluesy feel to it. Molly Hatchet, though moved up a gear and made it far more of a Rock song. At seven minutes long, it was the longest track on the album. At the time, it was one of the most popular Molly Hatchet songs in their stage set. And it was still included in recent years despite the personnel changes.
6 Fall Of The Peacemakers
This is a track taken from the 1983 album, No Guts…No Glory. The album reached #59 on the American album chart, but the song wasn’t released as a single.
This is a song with a political statement. It talks about knowing how to judge people and references John Lennon. The man who cried, “Give peace a chance.” They sing that he’s free now and he “paid the price.” Lennon’s song, “Imagine,” is also mentioned in the context of him being a dreamer.
There are also references to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the song asks, “How many more?” Written by Dave Hlubeck, the song reminds me in some ways of the band ‘Mountain.’ Especially the lengthy guitar parts at the end. This was a song that was made to be played on stage.
7 Gator Country
Back once again to that first album, Molly Hatchet, from 1978. This is a song that moves into dangerous territory. It can backfire on you when you start dissing other people’s places of birth or residence. But that is what they do here.
Consider the musical “war” that erupted when Neil Young released “Southern Man.” In that song, Young refers to white slave owners and their treatment of black people. Asking, “When are you going to pay them back?” That was answered by Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
And, a musical “discussion” commenced…
Here though, you have one southern band praising their Florida home and dismissing the home of another, Alabama. The song says that Skynyrd called it “sweet,” but there is “nothing to see.” And, it “ain’t nothing to me.”
Given that Lynyrd Skynyrd was considered the star of Southern Rock, that might be a dangerous stance to take. However, they seemed to get away with it.
8 Boogie No More
If you ever meet anyone who asks, “What is Southern Rock?” and you want to play them something different, play them this song. “Boogie No More” is a track that takes us back to what some say was Molly Hatchet’s best album, Flirtin’ with Disaster, released in 1979.
This is how many of their ardent followers like to hear them. Powerful guitars and thundering drums with some rather gruff Danny Joe Brown vocals over the top. This is pure unadulterated Boogie-Rock in a Southern style. Easily worth its place among 10 essential Molly Hatchet songs, despite it never being released as a single.
9 Bounty Hunter
A song that, once again, was not released as a single. It was taken from their first album, Molly Hatchet, released in 1978. This was the lead song on the album, and it was used for many years as the opening song from their live shows. In my opinion, that is a good way to listen to it.
It is a band creation written by Dave Hlubeck, Steve Holland, and Danny Joe Brown. It thunders along at a tremendous pace, hardly taking the time to catch a breath.
10 Flirtin’ With Disaster
Returning to their second album to finish, this was undoubtedly one of Molly Hatchet’s top songs. It was released as a single in 1980 and reached #42 on the American chart.
You could argue that it doesn’t do anything special, unlike some of the other songs that we have looked at. But, this song, and indeed this album, capture the essence of what the band was all about.
Driving along at a powerful pace with some nice guitar work throughout. It’s what you might call the “rougher” end of Southern Rock. It doesn’t carry a lot of finesse, but it doesn’t need to. The sound just says, “We are Molly Hatchet.”
11The Creeper
12Flirtin’ with Disaster
13Shake the House Down
14Dead and Gone
15Stone in Your Heart
16Heartless Land
17Silent Reign of Heroes
18Respect Me in the Morning
19I’m Gonna Live ’til I Die
20Long Tall Sally
21Crossroad Blues
22Rainbow Bridge
23Good Smoke and Whiskey
24Let the Good Times Roll
25Devil’s Canyon
26Tumbling Dice
27Trust Your Old Friend
28Penthouse Pauper
29Just Remember (You’re the Only One)
30Son of the South
31Straight Shooter
32Come Hell or High Water
33Turn My Back on Yesterday
34Dreams I’ll Never See
35Beatin’ the Odds
36One Last Ride
37Jukin’ City
38No Room on the Crew
39Drivin’ Sideways
40It’s All Over Now
41Few and Far Between
Want More Incredible Rock Songs?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best 80s Rock Songs, the Best 70s Rock Songs, the Best Classic Rock Songs, the Best 60s Rock Bands, and the Best 70s Rock Bands for more awesome Rock song selections.
10 Essential Molly Hatchet Songs – Final Thoughts
You could say that they spent much of their time living in the shadow of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Alabama boys were the top Southern Rock band for a while, after all. And their untimely end only added to the mystique.
Molly Hatchet was similar but just different. In many ways, a lot harder around the edges, which appealed to some people more. They might not have achieved the acclaim of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but they made a big contribution to the genre.
Losing Their Way?
Yes, you could say they did during the 80s as they tried to maintain some form of commercial success. Keyboards became prominent in their music which didn’t endear them to many. But they weren’t the only ones. Blackfoot, another popular band, got caught up in the same cycle of trying to impress mainstream radio producers to get airplay.
Then, there were the band members. There were too many personnel changes to cope with. Stability can be a very good thing musically, and chopping and changing doesn’t help.
All the original members are gone now. Steve Holland, the last of the original legendary lineup, left us in 2020. But, they have left us with plenty of their unique style of music. You can hear some more of the best songs by Molly Hatchet in the album Greatest Hits.
Happy listening!
