10 best Stevie Ray Vaughan songs

Steven Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 - August 27, 1990) was an American musician best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues-rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Despite the fact that his main career lasted only 7 years, he is considered one of the most influential artists in the history of blues music and one of the best guitarists of all time.

Singer's Room writes, "Born and raised in Dallas, he began playing guitar at age 7, inspired by his older brother Jimmy Vaughan. In 1972, Steve dropped out of high school and moved to Austin, where he performed in local clubs."

In 1978, Vaughan teamed up with bassist Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, who played drums. The band Double Trouble was formed, and soon became one of the most popular bands in Texas.

In 1982, Vaughan was noticed by the major label Epic Records, which eventually signed a contract with the band.

Within a few months, Double Trouble achieved mainstream success with their critically acclaimed debut album Texas Flood. After a series of successful network television appearances and lengthy concert tours, Vaughan became a leading figure in the 1980s blues revival.

On August 27, 1990, Vaughan and his four fellow travelers were killed in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin, after a performance at the Alpine Valley Music Theater.

Vaughan's music continued to be a commercial success. Several posthumous releases were made. In particular, more than 15 million albums have been sold in the United States alone.

Rolling Stone magazine included the musician in the list of the twenty greatest guitarists of all time twice. Vaughan was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 along with his Double Trouble bandmates Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, and Reese Wynans.

"Pride and Joy"

"Pride and Joy" (1983, Epic Records) is an original composition by Vaughan, which appeared on his debut studio album Texas Flood (1983). "Pride and Joy" was released as his debut single and became one of his most popular compositions.

"Texas Flood"

"Texas Flood" ("Stormin' in Texas" or "Flood Down in Texas") is a blues song recorded by Larry Davis in 1958. It is considered a blues standard and has been recorded by several artists, including Stevie Vaughan, who included it on his self-titled studio album Texas Flood (1983).

"Lenny"

"Lenny" is the tenth and final song on Double Trouble's album Texas Flood. The song is performed very slowly and freely as Vaughan alternates jazz chords with solo parts.

Lenny's performance style was influenced by Jimi Hendrix's ballad "The Wind Cries Mary". The song was written and named in honor of Vaughan's then-wife, Lenora, and was often performed at concerts.

"Mary Had a Little Lamb"

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and released as a non-album single by the British-American rock band Wings in March 1972. It is based on the traditional nursery rhyme of the same name.

The cover version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was included by Stevie on his debut album Texas Flood.

"Little Wing"

"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967.

It is one of the most popular songs of the musician, which exists in many interpretations and styles. "Little Wing" is ranked 188th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded an instrumental version of the song in 1984 but it was not released until 1991, on his posthumous album The Sky Is Crying. This version won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

"Wall of Denial"

The rock ballad "Wall of Denial" was released in 1989 as part of the album In Step. The composition begins with a catchy guitar riff and is considered one of the most popular in the musician's discography.

"Rude Mood"

"Rude Mood" is the sixth song from the band's debut album Texas Flood. It's a bluesy instrumental shuffle performed at 264 beats per minute.

The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1984 but lost to Sting's "Brimstone and Treacle".

"Tightrope"

Tightrope is the 3rd song from Stevie Vaughan and Double Trouble's fourth studio album In Step, released in 1989.

The title In Step can be seen as a reference to Vaughan's newfound sobriety, which came after years of drug and alcohol use that led him to rehab. It was Vaughan's last album with Double Trouble and the last album released during his lifetime.

"Cold Shot"

"Cold Shot" is the first song (side 2) of Double Trouble's second studio album Couldn't Stand the Weather. It was released on May 15, 1984 via Epic Records as a follow-up to the critically and commercially successful Texas Flood.

"Couldn't Stand the Weather"

Couldn't Stand the Weather is the second song from the eponymous studio album Double Trouble (1984, Epic Records). The recording sessions took place in January 1984 at the Power Station club in New York.

Stevie Ray Vaughan personally wrote half of the songs on Couldn't Stand the Weather. The album reached number 31 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the music video for "Couldn't Stand the Weather" was regularly played on MTV