Your most requested songs playing solo acoustic

I've posted a few different threads pertaining to the solo acoustic subject. Last night, I played an impromptu, roughly ten song set at my wife's company party. It went extremely well, and it's the first time I've really done that. I've done it a few times playing gigs with my band, but that's about it. I really enjoyed not having to worry about band drama, just playin' and havin' fun. I got a lot of requests, some I knew, others I didn't. It got me thinking about being able to play these requests in the future. So here we go.

What are your most requested songs when playing solo acoustic?

I'm not sure who wrote it, but I do get asked to play Far Far Away all the time.

"Free Bird".

Just kidding. I've had requests from every realm and can usually pull off something somehow that's close...if it's not too new of a song!

I used to be able to do about 200-300 songs back when I did almost all solo stuff but it's been awhile. It's funny how songs can leave you if you quite performing them for, in my case, a year or so.

You'll find that even doing a bit--or repeating that bit--of a request can often serve you well.

Last request I had was "Old Man" and I faked my way through the intro and a verse/refrain and finished it off. A kid about 21 years of age requested that one!

Sweet Home Alabama, Sweet Child o' Mine, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, "anything by Nickelback or Nirvana, or Creed."

Sigh.... the only drawback to growing up in South Georgia.

Hallelujah
Vincent
American Pie
Fire & Rain
Tears In Heaven
Diamonds On The Inside

American Pie


This is one that I think is pretty much mandatory. Hippies and the elderly alike all stop when someone is playing this solo acoustic.

mistermullens
I believe that if you (or anybody) wants to go the solo Acoustic route, you have to choose songs you can perform in a key you can sing in.

All kidding aside.
You must come across as a good vocalist.

I don't care how well you play, if you sing bad, that is what people will remember.

Change the key of the song if you have to.
I do it all the time.

As for the songs, old Creedance Clearwater Revival, Eagles, Beatles, Monkee's, Tom Petty, James Taylor, John Denver, Tom Waits, and I'm just scratching the surface.

I get lots of requests for James Taylor stuff.
Believe it or not, his style of playing will make your Tele double stop licks cleaner and more proficient.

I get lots of requests for James Taylor stuff.
Believe it or not, his style of playing will make your Tele double stop licks cleaner and more proficient.

I never get asked for JT material - because by the time someone's thought of what they want to hear, I've played it - along with half of his catalogue. :razz:

Usually I leave Fire & Rain to later in the gig, so that one actually stands a chance as an request.

Here in Perth request for the local heros are frequent - the latter two from USA but massive down here...

Cold Chisel
Powderfinger
Crowded House
Pete Murray
Jack Johnson
Ben Harper

Country Roads by John Denver always gets a good response.

I have been re-discovering some fun acoustic music and the artist that has been inspirational to me lately is the late great Jim Croce.

Go work on "Rapid Roy the Stock car Boy" or "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" or "You Don't Mess Around with Jim". Everyone can remember the words but you rarely hear anyone just ask you to play any Jim Croce. Try it, you will like it, especially Rapid Roy with a good fast beat going. Fun strumming song that you can throw some really cool licks in when playing in the key of E. Plus his voice and my voice seem to have a similar range. (Only his voice is still WAY better than mine! :oops: )

Into the Mystic and/or Brown-Eyed Girl
Margaritaville
Sweet Home Alabama (since we live and play here)
Willin'
The Weight
Wish You Were Here
Poke Salad Annie
Ballad of Curtis Lowe
Wonderful Tonight

seem to be popular requests

Probably "Fly Me to The Moon" or "Summer Wind"

One thing that's pretty cool is that over my years of solo gigging I decided to save every cocktail napkin or scrap of paper that people put song requests on. I've got tons of `em and I always tell myself I'm gonna write down the entire list and learn the most requested ones. Haven't done it yet, but I think that those napkins and scraps are a really cool memento from some good times.

Breathe - Pink Floyd, David Gilmore's solo Acoustic version.

People come up and request Wagon Wheel all the time. It's like a running joke between my friends and I. Sometimes someone will walk up to make a request and we'll just say "Wagon Wheel?" and they say "How did you know?"

lulz

Brown-eyed Girl. The words have lost all meaning. Ugh.

- Jagg

Haven't done that kind of gig in a while, but I remember often being asked for Wildwood Flower. Twice in the '70s I got a request and, when I balked, I was offered a $20 tip. I counted off, "one, two, three" and played the heck out of it. (Imagine what a '70s - $20 bill is worth in today's money.) My artistic integrity is not for sale, but I am not against renting it out.

Babylon - David Gray
Romeo and Juliet - Mark Knopfler
Fields of Gold - Sting

Other:
James Taylor
Beatles
Van Morrison
Bob Marley
Merle Haggard
Neil Young
Taj Mahal
Lightnin' Hopkins has some great blues tunes (like Katie Mae)

Country Roads by John Denver always gets a good response.

Just don't replace WV with MD ;)