The 35 Best Saxophone Songs, from Baker Street to Take Five

What is the most famous saxophone song?

"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty and "Careless Whisper" by George Michael have the most famous saxophone riffs in pop music, and Bruce Springsteen's "Jungleland" features one of rock's greatest sax solos, played by Clarence Clemons. In jazz, Dave Brubeck's "Take Five", with Paul Desmond on alto, is the best-known saxophone recording of all time.

The greatest sax solos in rock and pop

1. "Baker Street", Gerry Rafferty, 1978: Raphael Ravenscroft's unforgettable alto riff.
2. "Careless Whisper", George Michael, 1984: the most recognizable sax line of the 80s, played by Steve Gregory.
3. "Jungleland", Bruce Springsteen, 1975: Clarence Clemons' epic, soaring solo.
4. "Urgent", Foreigner, 1981: a funky solo by Motown legend Junior Walker.
5. "Money", Pink Floyd, 1973: Dick Parry's gritty tenor solo in an unusual time signature.
6. "Who Can It Be Now?", Men at Work, 1981: Greg Ham's paranoid, catchy sax hook.
7. "Young Americans", David Bowie, 1975: David Sanborn's bright alto on Bowie's soul album.
8. "The Logical Song", Supertramp, 1979: John Helliwell's playful solos.
9. "Rio", Duran Duran, 1982: Andy Hamilton's glossy 80s solo.
10. "Maneater", Hall and Oates, 1982: a slinky sax over a famous bass line.
11. "Never Tear Us Apart", INXS, 1988: Kirk Pengilly's dramatic solo.
12. "Turn the Page", Bob Seger, 1976: Alto Reed's lonesome opening on the Live Bullet version.
13. "Your Latest Trick", Dire Straits, 1985: a smoky, late-night sax intro.
14. "Midnight City", M83, 2011: the explosive closing solo that brought sax back to indie pop.

Rock and soul sax classics

15. "Born to Run", Bruce Springsteen, 1975: Clarence Clemons drives the song's big moments.
16. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", Bruce Springsteen, 1975: a horn-driven song about the E Street Band itself.
17. "Brown Sugar", the Rolling Stones, 1971: Bobby Keys' raucous solo.
18. "Waiting on a Friend", the Rolling Stones, 1981: jazz giant Sonny Rollins on a rock record.
19. "Moondance", Van Morrison, 1970: a jazzy sax over a swinging groove.
20. "Tequila", the Champs, 1958: a number one built on a honking sax riff.
21. "Pick Up the Pieces", Average White Band, 1974: a funk instrumental that went to number one.

Jazz saxophone classics

22. "Take Five", Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959: Paul Desmond's cool alto in five-four time.
23. "Body and Soul", Coleman Hawkins, 1939: the tenor solo that changed jazz.
24. "St. Thomas", Sonny Rollins, 1956: a joyful calypso from Saxophone Colossus.
25. "My Favorite Things", John Coltrane, 1961: a hypnotic soprano sax take on the show tune.
26. "Giant Steps", John Coltrane, 1960: a famously fast, challenging piece.
27. "So What", Miles Davis, 1959: with Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley on Kind of Blue.
28. "Night Train", Jimmy Forrest, 1952: a bluesy R&B standard.

Smooth jazz and R&B sax songs

29. "Songbird", Kenny G, 1987: the soprano sax hit that made smooth jazz a pop sound.
30. "Just the Two of Us", Grover Washington Jr. with Bill Withers, 1981: a silky top ten love song.
31. "Smooth Operator", Sade, 1984: cool, elegant sax on a sophisticated hit.

Famous sax songs from TV, film and the internet

32. "The Pink Panther Theme", Henry Mancini, 1963: Plas Johnson's sneaky tenor sax.
33. "Yakety Sax", Boots Randolph, 1963: the comic chase music from The Benny Hill Show.
34. "Run Away", SunStroke Project and Olia Tira, 2010: the Eurovision song that made "Epic Sax Guy" a meme.
35. "Mr. Saxobeat", Alexandra Stan, 2011: a sax-driven dance hit across Europe.

Clarence Clemons, the Big Man

No saxophonist is more closely tied to a rock band than Clarence Clemons, who played with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band from the early 70s until his death in 2011. His big, warm tenor sound defined songs like "Jungleland", "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road", and fans still call him the Big Man. Clemons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the E Street Band in 2014.

The saxophone in rock and pop

The saxophone was the lead instrument of early rock and roll and R&B, honking through hits like "Tequila" and "Yakety Yak" before the electric guitar took over in the 60s. It came roaring back in the 70s and 80s, when session players like Raphael Ravenscroft, David Sanborn and Michael Brecker added solos to rock and pop records, and the sax solo became one of the defining sounds of the 80s. In recent years artists from M83 to the Weeknd, who remixed "In Your Eyes" with Kenny G, have brought it back into the spotlight.

Alto, tenor, soprano and baritone

Most of these songs use one of four saxophones. The alto, heard on "Baker Street", "Take Five" and "Young Americans", is bright and agile and is the usual first sax for students. The tenor, lower and huskier, carries "Jungleland", "Money" and "Body and Soul" and is the classic rock and roll sax. The small, high soprano gives "Songbird" and Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" their sweet, piercing sound, and the deep baritone anchors horn sections in soul and funk bands.

Saxophone songs for a party

For a party, "Pick Up the Pieces", "Tequila", "Urgent", "Mr. Saxobeat" and "Run Away" get people moving, and "Yakety Sax" is a guaranteed laugh. For more, see our 70s disco songs.

Easy saxophone songs for beginners

Beginners on alto or tenor sax can start with "The Pink Panther Theme", "Tequila" and simple melodies like "When the Saints Go Marching In", then work up to the "Careless Whisper" riff and the "Baker Street" hook, which use only a handful of notes but need good breath control. Jazz students often learn "Take Five" and "St. Thomas" next, because their melodies are simple even when the solos are not.

Saxophone songs for a wedding or a romantic evening

For a wedding cocktail hour or dinner, a live saxophonist playing "Just the Two of Us", "Songbird", "Moondance" and "Smooth Operator" sets a classy, romantic mood, and "Take Five" and "So What" are perfect background jazz. "Careless Whisper" is a fun request at the reception, as long as nobody listens too closely to its story. For more, see our first dance songs and Van Morrison songs.

Saxophone songs for a road trip

For a drive, play "Baker Street", "Born to Run", "Urgent", "Rio", "Turn the Page" and "Midnight City", which build from riff to solo in a way that makes any highway feel cinematic. For more, see our road trip songs.

More great music

For more from the artists on this list, see our George Michael songs, Mark Knopfler songs and 80s songs.

A song with a sax solo, about them

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