Well, the one that caught mainstream attention in the 80’s was Touch of Gray (or is it Grey?), so maybe people would recognize that.
While my favorite Dead ‘quickie’ is Jack Straw, I’d ask the person I’m trying to convert what they like. I’m sure I could find a Dead song they can relate to.
My personal conversion came about from side 1 of Anthem of The Sun.
Ah…the Dead. I never gave them a second thought until I met my college boyfriend. I guess I like most of the songs on the album American Beauty . That would include Ripple and Box of Rain which were mentioned.
I also like Friend of the Devil because it mentions Reno. 
Maybe not the best of theirs, but I love Mexicali Blues.
I love Me and My Uncle, but since it wasn’t written by the Dead, it’s hard for me to call it the best Grateful Dead song. That standard would rule out Know You Rider and Morning Dew as well.
Inasmuch as “Workingman’s Dead” and “American Beauty” are my favorite Dead albums, I’d go with Uncle John’s Band from the former and Sugar Magnolia from the latter.
I have to admit that **Hell In A Bucket ** is one of my favorites, but **Sugar Magnolia ** is my ringtone. (The only one I’ve ever bought.)
Because all the media outlets that bother to make ‘best of’ round-up lists tend to be dominated by punk rock snobs who insist that the Velvet Underground were the apex of creative brilliance in western music. (feh!)
Anyway, my personal favs:
long rock & roll jam medley- “Not Fade Away / Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad”
early bluesy jam - “Smokestack Lightning” (Ron “Pigpen” McKernan - most under-rated, unsung classic rock god of them all)
tight under-5 minute song - “Jack Straw”
dance song - “Bertha”
psychedelic song - “China Cat Sunflower”
Unbroken Chain deserves a mention
Artie…thought you were an Importer/exporer :smack: guessn’ i was wrong… :eek:
Anyway…nice list! Close to mine *but *my FAVORITE was always the song i was seing LIVE… I only had 85 Dead shows with jerry but was lucky enough to catch the LAST 6…Dang did the Fatman rock at the June show in Pittsburg 1995…damn shame about the fence crashing @ Deer Creek :dubious:
My List:
long rock & roll jam medley-TIE …Help/Slip/Franklin or Scarlet fire with “Not Fade Away / Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” coming in a close third
early bluesy jam - “Smokestack Lightning” As ArtV said Ron “Pigpen” McKernan - most under-rated, unsung classic rock god of them all"…Add Love Light to this list!
tight under-5 minute song - Jack Straw
dance song - Aiko,Aiko/Women are Smarter
psychedelic song - DarkStar (although it is not on my favorite list)
I’ll add a catagory…
Bathroom Break song…Row Jimmy Row
Go figure a “DeadThread” would be my first post … 
Go figure, my second post would be correcting my spelling error…uhhh I meant Importer/Exporter 
A-fuckin’-men. They’d start “Row” and I’d head for the exit. Got to beat the mad rush.
Favorite Show Opener: Help/Slip/Frank
I guess I’d better go with Wharf Rat because of my s/n, but my favorite Dead tune changes every week or so.
Right now it’s a toss-up between Black Muddy River and Pigpen singing Hurts Me Too
Throwing Stones, hands down.
That and the singing.
Punk-rock snob checking in. I was a hippie-type back in the late '80s, until I realized I don’t believe in all that free love and pacifism; I just liked dope and braless hippie chicks.
Anyway, I’d pick “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “One More Saturday Night.” Is that what that one’s called? About seeing the great fiery sign in the heavens saying there’s a party on Saturday? Love that one. “Ripple” is great too.
Oh, and “The Monkey and the Engineer.” But I don’t think they wrote that one.
Aw, man. I remember many really really nice 2nd set “Row Jimmies” from the late '80s where they interjected a devilish boogie/reggae rhythm stop shuffle into the jam. I loved those “Row Jimmies.”
“Stella Blue,” on the other hand, made me cut and run for the crappers.
I always looked forward to a 1st set “Cold Rain and Snow” and an encore “Quinn the Eskimo,” although they didn’t write either of those. For originals, I’ll have to go with either “They Love Each Other” or “Althea.”
This really brings me back. Fun times, great friends.
I’m going to go with Sugar Mag which is kind of a boring pick. There are quite a few that are better songs but Sugar Magnolia epitomizes the Dead for me for some reason.
I didn’t really mind either, though neither are personal favs or anything. It was during the last few years when every encore was either US Blues (which I like, on occassion) or I fought the Law that I started skipping out early.
Getting back to the OP, I have so many favorites that this is nearly impossible.
First song I reach for when grabbing the acoustic: Eyes of the World
Best Set (and album) Opener: Help>Slip>Frank
(Actually, I’m just realizing that I have a “fav something” for nearly every track on Blues for Allah)
Best jump-outta-your-seat-and-dance song: The Music Never Stopped
Best beautiful instrumental: Sage and Spirit
Best rockin’ instrumental jam in an odd meter: King Solomon’s Marbles or The Eleven
And a special nod to Crazy Fingers which I love but can’t find a best_____ for.
Best studio masterpiece: Terrapin Station (with a special nod to Sunrise).
Also, side one of Anthem… is a favorite <something> though I’m not quite sure what. It was really the first thing I’d heard by the Dead (aside from the few tracks that make it onto the classic rock radio stations) and something about it sounds other-worldly. I think it’s one of the most interesting studio recordings.
I gotta go work, but man I can ramble on forever about the Dead.
Another vote for “Box of Rain” and “Brokedown Palace”. I also have always liked “Dire Wolf” a lot and “Workingman’s Blues”. Haven’t really been a Dead fan since the '70s.
That should be “Cumberland Blues”, Melinda… from Workingman’s Dead
“Casey Jones” for me.