Top Ten Best Joe Satriani Songs

Surfing with the Alien was the one song that changed my whole view of what guitar playing is. Until then, I thought strumming a couple of chords and playing an eight-bar melody was good enough.
My parents handed me a Greatest of Joe Satriani CD, and this was the first song I heard. It inspired me to create my own solos, and he became my role model. In short, fantastic song!
This is the tune that opened my world to Joe's incredible talent. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Nobody had ever done what he does before.
I am continually impressed with what he puts out.

My friend said that there are no good songs without singing in them. I showed him this, and now he's hooked on Satch forever, and he doesn't even play guitar.
This is one of my favorite songs ever, and in my opinion, the greatest instrumental ever written. It's so full of soul and emotion. Satch is my biggest inspiration for my playing and my songs. If only I could write something like this.
This song has so much emotion in it. The guitar actually speaks to you. It proves that you don't need many tricks to make a solo awesome.
Satriani had not used any of his special whammy tricks or even wah effects. Just the classic finger-frets relationship is what makes this song great.

Great high-energy song perfectly captures the excitement of summer. Great guitar/bass exchanges too in the bridge, not common in Joe's music.
If only he would play Speed of Light publicly...
It's really a good song from "The Extremist" album. That entire album is good! But this one has to be my favorite from him. Nice intro and riff, then solo... Just awesome!
After a number of surgeries, this song gets me moving, no matter how much pain I am in! They should play this over the whole rehab area!

It's just amazing how Joe combines country riffs and goes from amazing riffs to blazing fast guitar play with a whammy bar dance.
This guy really knows how to treat that whammy.
Kind of cool, even though I kind of hate this guy. It's really fun to play on Guitar Hero.
I think that this should be on top, tied with Surfing With the Alien.

As a guitarist and a listener, this has to be the best song to improvise to. In my opinion, this beautiful song doesn't sound a lot like Viva La Vida.
I love Joe Satriani's music, and I'm absolutely no fan of Coldplay, but I'm afraid I slightly disagree with Joe's accusations.
I think this is one of those songs that only Joe could have imagined and played. I don't think anyone else would have ever thought of this melody. It is of "awesomeness" quality.
It's wonderful to hear any time and is a song that all guitarists in the world should hear.

The song just touches your heart. The intro keeps buzzing in your head. You literally feel like crying after you listen to this great piece by the maestro Satriani.
This is one of the best and most emotional pieces by Satriani. Can't believe it's not in the top ten.
People think this is a love song, but from what I've heard, Satch made this piece for his father.

Relatively new, but what a cracker of a song! Definitely a top 10!

That unending intensity that just flies all over the fretboard from 1:54 to 3:50 is just Joe "going off" at his best. Sheer joy, energy, passion, and a wicked flow of notes just pour out in a creative, melodic, hypnotic fashion.
#1 for me, even above "SWTA" and "Satch Boogie."
In my opinion, the coolest of all of his songs. Very fast-paced, it gets my vote because it should be way higher.
This should have been close to number one along with Circles and Echo! Best guitar player ever!

Joe's unique note choice and gift for melody shine like a supernova on this track.
This is one of my favorite compositions. It is so rich with the Joe Satriani flow and charm. Very good guitar licks. Brilliant song.
The whole album is brilliant, but this track really rocks!

Should be top 5 easily with Surfing, Circles, Crying, and Always with Me. Replay value is one of the highest of any song I've ever heard. Improvisation potential is extremely high.
Possibly my all-time favorite. This song is incredibly amazing with some of the most intricate scaling and progressions I've ever heard, right up there with some of Steve Vai's best.
Love this track.
I was listening to Indian classical music for years, and this appeared somewhat like a rock rendition of Raag Shri. Whatever it is, it's a great piece of music, and that's what we want.
The Newcomers

The melody of this "song" is what makes it a top 20 Satriani creation. I can't get enough of what I call the "chorus" of it, which magically appears at 0:40 and 1:40 into the song and partially reappears in the last minute. I just wish it would linger on.

I find it hard to believe how someone could write a song like this and still be human. Joe is not of this Earth.

I thought picking one from Satch's collection would be difficult, but really, nothing matches the intensity and range of this one. Listening to it from beginning to end is an emotional rollercoaster.
A true masterpiece.
Is there anything that comes close to the intensity of this song? I have been hooked for more than 10 years, and I keep playing this song. Mesmerizing.
The best Satriani song that is far ahead of the rest. Unlike the rest of Satriani's works, this song is for all tastes.

My fave, this is the kind of song I wish I wrote. I am never proud of anything I do, but if I were to have written this song, I would be content that I left a good mark of myself in this world.
And so much fun to listen to! The song honors its name!

It's a good song! My first Satch song, so it will always be special to me!

This and The Extremist are probably his best. Today at least. That'll probably change tomorrow.
Amazing track, especially towards the end where he is jamming with himself.
Ice 9 is the best. It has killer riffs, and the solo is amazing.

This song, written by Satriani, in which all instruments are played by Satriani, shows the true flair he can really display as a musician.
Great song, constructive.
This song is more than just an audio experience for me.

There may be songs with better melodies and hooks, but this one features his best playing from a technical standpoint.
Definitely my favorite Satch tune.
So beautiful! This song has everything: rhythm, chords, solo, and a melody that surpasses anything you can hear! His live performances of it are just huge!
Too many of his casual fan favorites. Songs like Crowd Chant and I Just Wanna Rock don't compare to this classic.
A song Satch admits is one of his technically most difficult.


Oh man, I love this song. Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with this list in terms of popular opinion. But Circles gets my vote, mainly because it should go higher than 10.
It's so catchy, you gotta love it!

Probably one of the most relaxing and yet technical songs Joe Satriani has ever done. Listen to it at least once a day.

This song rocks like no other song I have ever heard in my entire existence. There are other songs of Satch's (my personal favorite guitarist ever) like Made of Tears or Always with Me, Always with You that are amazing, but this song rocks so freakin' hard.
I used to listen to this at least 10 times a day when I was like 7 or 8. Love it!
This song just takes you to another world. It's that good!

I think I've listened to this tune pretty much every day since I first heard it in 1990. The superbly simple and repetitive bass riff, the shuffling background guitar, the haunting harmonics, the moody guitar intro, and the excellent saxophone-sounding lead all make it unforgettable.
It's not a shred-fest. It's emotion embodied in five or so minutes of superb music. This is my number one Satch piece and one of my favorite tunes of all time.

What a riff, man! It will blow your hair away! I'm now a permanent fan of Joe Satriani thanks to this song!
This is an awesome song and should be in the top 10 for sure.
The Extremist at number 17? Are you kidding me? This should be up there.

Not entirely sure how this tune wasn't in the top 5. He's seriously way ahead of his time.

As the riff starts, you'll know a great song is about to kick in. This is one of the greatest riffs I've heard from him. The solo jams through the song, and you'll not be able to stop yourself from jamming with it.
My favorite from him. Joe is really a legendary guitarist.

This song is absolutely amazing. Starting with the acoustic guitar in the beginning with a slower tempo, then a couple of minutes in, shredding the electric guitar.
By far my personal favorite song by Satch.
My personal favorite. The Spanish acoustic guitar coupled with breathtaking electric guitar gives you a high that even weed cannot.
One of the two songs he composed when thinking about Asik Veysel. The flamenco parts and the metal keep is really cool.