If you looked at my top 10 favorite bands list, you would see that Alice in Chains made the top list. Truth be told, they have been my favorite band for almost a decade, and I don’t believe that will change. Alice doesn’t have a huge discography by any means; they have five studio albums and two EPs. However, the music they have put together is amazing. After Layne Staley’s death in 2002, Alice officially disbanded, even though they hadn’t done anything meaningful since recording two songs in 1998. After a while, Alice decided to continue with Jerry taking over lead vocals for the newer music and William DuVall of Comes With The Fall taking over lead vocals on Layne’s parts and rhythm guitar. The result has been two incredible albums in Black Gives Way to Blue and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, with a third coming soon! Here are my top 10 Alice in Chains songs.

Oh yeah, and Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged is the GREATEST one of all time. Not fucking Nirvana.

Honorable Mention: “Private Hell” from Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)

“Private Hell” is an almost somber but almost epic sounding song that really sounds like a reflection of life from Jerry Cantrell. Some of the best harmony vocals from the new era of Alice in Chains are on display in this song. Also on display are the familiar powerful chords and sinister bends that Cantrell is so awesome at, as well as a mood-fitting solo that adds a lot of emotion to an already emotional track.

10. “We Die Young” from Facelift (1990)

A powerful statement on the debut full-length album, “We Die Young” is a powerful and sinister rocker that displays some of Layne Staley’s best harsher vocals. It has one of the best riffs in the Alice in Chains discography and a killer solo from Jerry Cantrell. Sean Kinney’s drumming also fits this song like a glove with plenty of crash symbols and open hi-hats to ensure that this song doesn’t go quietly.

9. “Brother” from Sap EP (1992)

“Brother” is Jerry Cantrell’s touching take on his relationship with his long lost younger brother that he was harsh and dismissive to in his youth after the divorce of his father and mother. The song was a way of him building a bridge to his younger brother in the same way that “Rooster” from Dirt would build a bridge to his father. The unplugged version of this song is chilling with Layne and Jerry’s harmonies and is a must listen.

8. “Would?” from Dirt (1992)

Many would consider this Alice in Chains’ best song, and they would have a great argument. It starts out with a simple but killer bass line from Mike Starr, going into a haunting verse sung by Jerry and Layne. The song is shorter, coming in at under 3 and a half minutes, but the statement is everlasting. First making its way on the soundtrack of the Cameron Crowe movie Singles, it eventually made its way onto Dirt for good reason.

7. “Over Now” from Alice in Chains (1995)

The fitting closing song from the self-titled album (the last with Layne Staley), “Over Now” is a more upbeat breath of fresh air from a very dark and brooding record. One of the four contributions from Jerry on the record, the song almost seems like an ode to the end of the record for how emotionally difficult it is to get through the entire record. The song is another one that has a must listen unplugged version.

6. “Rotten Apple” from Jar of Flies EP (1994)

The lead track on a fantastic EP, “Rotten Apple” begins with Mike Inez’s absolutely amazing bass line and a wah-filled solo from Jerry Cantrell. The song is very atmospheric and is a display of the amazing musicianship Alice in Chains possesses. A longer song, the song doesn’t drag on, instead it makes you wish it was a longer track. Jerry fills space with his fitting solos and Inez’s bass line keeps everyone in check.

5. “Rain When I Die” from Dirt (1992)

A common thread in these favorite songs is having or opening with an awesome bass line, and this song is no different, opening with a killer Mike Starr bass riff. The verses have an incredible harmony between Layne and Jerry and Jerry’s wah-filled monster riff. Layne also displays his incredible range and power on the choruses of the song, and the song ebbs and flows with perfection.

4. “I Can’t Remember” from Facelift (1990)

One of the lesser-known Facelift tracks, “I Can’t Remember” is a powerful song that displays Layne Staley’s incredible vocal power. The song is a slower-paced rocker that Alice became known for that starts out with an awesome and somewhat eerie clean picking part from Jerry. Layne Staley in the midsection of the song just blasts the listener away with some incredible and powerful vocals that end in a majestic falsetto. Killer track.

3. “Died” from Music Bank (1999)

“Died” is the last song Alice in Chains recorded with Layne Staley before his 2002 passing and appears on the compilation album Music Bank. The song itself has an absolutely face-melting riff from Jerry Cantrell, possibly the best riff in the entire catalog. Layne sings some harmonizing and almost somber vocals. You can tell that Layne was not in good health, yet he still delivers a solid performance on a killer song.

2. “Stone” from The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

“Stone”, once again, is another song that opens with a chest-crushing bass line. With all of the great songs in the discography, the latest album was still able to bring about one of the best Alice songs in memory. The song has incredible harmonies between Jerry and William to go along with a simple yet crushing riff that eventually leads into a powerful interlude and a memorable Jerry Cantrell solo.

1. “I Stay Away” from Jar of Flies EP (1994)

One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, it is quite a shame “I Stay Away” didn’t make the cut for the MTV Unplugged performance. The song begins with a beautiful guitar riff from Jerry, followed by powerful Layne vocals and another mind-blowing bass line from Mike Inez, who just dominated on the Jar of Flies EP. During the bridge before Jerry’s fantastic solo, Layne belts out “I STAY AWAY!” in one of the most powerful Alice in Chains moments in the entire discography. The song is legendary.

Well that’s it for this list. My top 10 song lists for a few of my other favorite bands such as Tool, Mastodon, Dream Theater, and Pink Floyd are coming pretty soon. Hope you enjoyed reading. Now go look these songs up!