# Best Grateful Dead song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124 "2005-12-05T03:41:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/1 "2005-12-05T03:41:29Z")
I admit it…I like the Dead. I’m not saying they are the best band in the world (that honor is reserved for the E Street Band), but they could cook on a good night. If you were to pick one song to try to sell the band to a person who had never heard them, which one would you pick? My personal choice: “Me And My Uncle.” Tight musicianship, a good story and Jerry picking his heart out. It also clocks in at less than 5 minutes. 😃 Any other choices? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/2 "2005-12-05T03:47:28Z")
“Uncle John’s Band” ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/3 "2005-12-05T03:49:04Z")
This is so subjective. For me it’s **It must have been the Roses"** ---
**Author:** ![2centsworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/43a26b/32.png) [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/4 "2005-12-05T03:53:43Z")
My favorite live one was Wharf Rat Impossible to explain what a Dead show was like to people that never saw one. ---
**Author:** ![2centsworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/43a26b/32.png) [@2centsworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2centsworth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/5 "2005-12-05T03:53:03Z")
My favorite live one was Wharf Rat Impossible to explain what a Dead show was like to people that never saw one. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/6 "2005-12-05T03:58:43Z")
Prettiest: _Ripple_ Best dance tune: _Bertha_ ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/7 "2005-12-05T03:59:53Z")
You wanna hear the Dead live? [Here’s 2875 legal to download shows.](http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?collection=etree&cat=Grateful%20Dead) Amazing that a band could do that many shows. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/8 "2005-12-05T04:05:03Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > You wanna hear the Dead live? > > [Here’s 2875 legal to download shows.](http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?collection=etree&cat=Grateful%20Dead) > > Amazing that a band could do that many shows. There are some duplications. I think they did about 2300 shows. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/9 "2005-12-05T04:24:57Z")
I’m tempted to suggest “Box of Rain,” but there are a couple of very good picks in this thread. > [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > There are some duplications. I think they did about 2300 shows. If a t-shirt can be a cite, I once saw a Dead shirt that said they played 2,317 shows (and whatever number of songs, cities, and so on). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/10 "2005-12-05T04:41:33Z")
“It Must Have Been The Roses” and “Ripple” are up there but I think I prefer “Sugar Magnolia.” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/11 "2005-12-05T04:57:06Z")
“Box of Rain” is my favorite, but I think “Ripple” may be their best song. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/12 "2005-12-05T06:02:15Z")
_Ripple_. _Box of Rain_ and _Sugar Magnolia_ tie for #2. So how does _American Beauty_ not rank as one of the top 5 albms of all time? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/13 "2005-12-05T08:23:45Z")
> [@Suburban Plankton](#): > > _Ripple_. > _Box of Rain_ and _Sugar Magnolia_ tie for #2. > > So how does _American Beauty_ not rank as one of the top 5 albms of all time? Sugar Magnolia is my fave. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/14 "2005-12-05T09:27:35Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I admit it…I like the Dead. I’m not saying they are the best band in the world (that honor is reserved for the E Street Band), but they could cook on a good night. If you were to pick one song to try to sell the band to a person who had never heard them, which one would you pick? > Any other choices? For me it was _Terrapin Station_. Before I heard that, any Dead I heard reminded me of all the childhood Sundays I spent outside, in the cold, to avoid having to hear “The Grand Old Opry”. Og, how I hate country!! For other people, it would depend on their tastes, but I’d have a hard time respecting someones opinion if they weren’t moved by Brandford Marsalis sitting in on _Eyes Of The World_. (And not to be disrespectful or anything, but the best band in the world is the Allman Brothers Band.) (Or Santana.) (Or String Cheese Incident). (Or moe.) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/15 "2005-12-05T09:28:55Z")
“Brokedown Palace” for me. Though I almost named “Eyes of the World,” “Ripple,” and “Box of Rain.” And “Truckin’.” I also have a soft spot in my heart for “Mountains of the Moon,” “U.S. Blues,” and “Blues for Allah.” ---
**Author:** ![alaricthegoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/16 "2005-12-05T09:53:46Z")
St Stephen ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/17 "2005-12-05T10:48:46Z")
Box of rain Candyman Franklin’s Tower…depending on my mood. ---
**Author:** ![alaricthegoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/18 "2005-12-05T11:10:57Z")
I’m I the last guy to notice the google ads stalking us? I thought there was something funny, but I wasn’t paying attention. Query: This must mean I’m carrying cookies from google for all my posts, does it not? ---
**Author:** ![alaricthegoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/19 "2005-12-05T11:11:58Z")
I just want to know that Sergey won’t cross reference all my posts for , oh, I don’t know, Satan maybe? ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124/20 "2005-12-05T12:20:45Z")
Another vote for “Sugar Magnolia” - I named one of my cats for that song. “…head’s all empty but I don’t care…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-grateful-dead-song/334124.md?page=2)