Judging from the lyrics of these famous pot songs, marijuana has been part of the lifestyle and creative processes for some of rock’s most famous stars for a long time now. It seems pretty clear that artists like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Aerosmith didn’t wait for the recent wave of reefer-friendly legalization in states across America to take effect before drawing inspiration from lighting up. Come to think of it, legalization may ironically wind up diminishing some of the romantic appeal of writing songs about pot, so before that prospect turns into a real downer, why don’t you join us as we celebrate the Top 10 Pot Songs.


10

’Reefer Head Woman’

Aerosmith
 
 
From: ‘Night in the Ruts’ (1979)

The first hit from our list of Top 10 Pot Songs comes courtesy of a band better known for indulging in slightly harder drugs in their day. Certainly that was the case around the time they were recording ‘Reefer Head Woman’ for 1979’s ‘Night in the Ruts’ LP. Of course, the members of Aerosmith would soon go teetotal — giving new meaning to the phrase “binge and purge.”

 
8

‘Going to California’

Led Zeppelin
 
 
From: '(Untitled)’ (1971)

Now, Led Zeppelin were always far more subtle in their musical drug references -- although behind the scenes, they allegedly indulged as much as anyone. The wistful ‘Going to California’ is a perfect example. Here, both the song’s protagonist and the band’s backing melodies seem to waver drastically between chilled out bliss and understandable paranoia — and it all begins with the woman unkind who smoked his stuff and drank all his wine. Damn that woman!

 
6

‘You Don’t Know How it Feels’

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
 
 
From: ‘Wildflowers’ (1994)

Few ‘70s classic rock artists navigated the choppy waters of fast-changing musical trends throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s as competently as Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers. In 1994, with flannel-toting grunge fiends torturing themselves (and listeners) with deep existential conundrums all around him, Petty knocked out another career standard, harking back to rock’s simpler concerns of yesteryear — namely, rolling another joint.

 
4

‘The Joker’

Steve Miller Band
 
 
From: ‘The Joker’ (1973)

The next timeless toke tune our list of pot songs raced all the way to the top of the charts in numerous countries, thus proving certain subjects (love, war, and, err, marijuana) transcend all boundaries, both national and linguistic. Oh, and humor, since Steve Miller's ‘The Joker’ has obviously been launching listeners into uncontrolled bouts of giggling for the past four decades, and will surely continue to do so for many more.

 
2

‘(Roll Another Number) For the Road’

Neil Young
 
 
From: ‘Tonight’s the Night’ (1975)

Our man Neil put in an Oscar-worthy performance as the convincingly stoned protagonist of this chuckle-inducing favorite from the otherwise somber ‘Tonight’s the Night’ album. Yes, the album may have focused primarily on addressing the dispiriting comedown of the ‘70s, following the liberating promises of the ‘60s, but with this song, at least, Young reminded listeners that a little smoke could still offer some means of escape from cold, harsh reality.

 

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