Top 10 Best Jazz Songs
Jazz is one of those rare musical styles that can be both deeply complex and effortlessly cool at the same time. It's the sound of smoky clubs, late-night improvisations, and musicians who can turn a single note into something unforgettable. From the playful rhythms of swing to the deep emotional pull of blues-infused ballads, jazz has a way of sticking with you long after the last note fades.But what makes a jazz song truly great? Is it the hypnotic groove of a walking bass line? The way a saxophonist bends a note just enough to make it feel like it's speaking directly to your soul? Or maybe it's that moment when a piano solo takes a turn you never saw coming, but somehow feels exactly right. Jazz thrives on spontaneity, but the songs that stand the test of time also have a sense of purpose, whether carefully composed or completely improvised.
This list is shaped by votes from jazz lovers like you. It includes pieces that have defined generations, broken musical boundaries, and set the standard for what jazz can be. Some are playful, some are profound, and all have earned their place as essential listening. So, if you think a certain song deserves to be at the top, cast your vote and help decide which ones truly stand out.
This was a defining song. It was the first time a white person had created a successful jazz song. It introduced the style of modern jazz. Paul Desmond's solo is a catchy but skillful masterpiece in a 5/4 format.
Not to mention the cheekiness of Dave outweighs everything.
The most important jazz composition of all time, technically and for content. A blessing.
All has been said, but personally, I just get lost in the solo, wishing it would never end.
This is a beautiful, really, really beautiful song. Just listening to it makes me so happy. If you search the video on YouTube, Louis Armstrong also sings it so beautifully, smiling the whole time.
Beautiful lyrics, great, soulful singer.
This is just great, with an amazing message: "They're really saying/I love you" "What a Wonderful World." Armstrong is a wonderful singer and musician. My grandfather saw him perform this live.
Though for the beginning of my life, I was sure he was the space guy...
It is really a nice song. I have just begun to listen to jazz and came across this. It is soothing to the ears and sounds like a vintage classic.
This has got to be one of the best songs ever recorded. It's just so beautiful and expressive. Trane was so beautiful.
Just the best one. What a Wonderful World is beautiful, but it is not jazz, it is pop.
Came to see this one in the top 3. I was not disappointed.
It is impossible to hear this song without wanting to get up and dance. The thump of the drums, the edge of the brass, and the melodic sound of the saxophones come together beautifully in this instantly recognizable piece.
Name one bad thing about this piece. Got nothing?
Well, get up and dance, darn it.
So much energy. This piece really stands out.
Such a good song! I wish I could play it (I don't have the chart). It starts with a great hook and makes you stop switching through your music to listen to it. Plus, it's played by one of the best trumpeters ever, the original scream trumpet.
Yes, Arturo Sandoval came after him, but even then, Maynard was a beast. This song is one of, if not his best song ever. It has such a good melody over a great chord progression. Again, I wish I could play it. It's so good.
This song has a great bass riff, excellent solos on multiple instruments, and a very memorable chorus. It's an enjoyable listen, and Ferguson's outstanding trumpet playing makes it all the more so.
One of the best voices forgotten today. Real diva of blues and jazz when the word "diva" meant something.
The Newcomers
A great jazz song by a metal band.
I can say that this is a great jazz song. Although it is more of a sad type, it is easily relatable, especially if you have experienced a painful heartbreak.
It is also very meaningful, especially the line, "You took the best, so why not take the rest?"
For me, every time I hear the song, it creates an image of me dancing with an imaginary partner at a distance, alone on a planet with no lights except a streetlamp and a wooden bench. I always remember how much I longed for someone. I want them to come back and fetch me after they left me alone and lonely.
It feels like I am stuck on a dark planet with nowhere to go but that bench and the streetlamp while dancing endlessly, hopelessly committed to waiting for that someone who will never and cannot come back.
A classic from a classic album. This song is new every time I listen to it. It is not the only song from 'Kind of Blue' that should be on the list, but it is my favorite.
This song, and the album it is on, influenced multiple jazz, pop, and rock musicians.
After you listen to this song, you can't help but be more knowledgeable about music.
As a trumpeter, there's no argument here. It's Miles.
This song is very rhythmic and also has a great melody. Gets my vote.
Very smooth, very sexy, very soulful, and VERY Nina Simone.
Bass rock, psychedelic, and jazz if you ask me. Yes, not jazz only, but as a whole, it builds up with jazz music and a jazzy feel. Both the calm kind and the more stressful kind.
Another jazz tune by them is Life In A Glass House. Pyramid Song (Egyptian Song) is inspired by the works of none other than Charles Mingus and his song Freedom.
What can I say about the most innovative and creative songwriter, Thom Yorke? A genius, and this tune proves it.
I was going to vote for Haitian Fight Song, but this counts apparently, and it is one of my favorite songs from my favorite band. Sorry, Mingus.
Nice and short, with a great trumpet solo and piano introduction!
