Cat Stevens, real name Steven Demetre Georgiou, is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career in 1965 and has performed and recorded under several other names including Steve Adams and Yusuf Islam.
Stevens is associated with various musical genres, including folk, rock, and pop. Later in his career he became associated with Islamic music. During her career, Cat Stevens has released 16 studio albums, six live albums, 13 compilation albums and 55 singles. Here are the 10 best Cat Stevens songs of all time.
10. I’ll Get Me a Gun (1967)
“I’m Gonna Get Me a Gun” was the third single from Stevens’ debut album “Matthew and Son”. It peaked at number four in New Zealand and number six on the UK charts. Cat Stevens wrote the lyrics and composed the music for this single about a gun.
It’s about a man who finds his job unsatisfying and doesn’t get the respect of his colleagues, so he says he’s going to get a gun.
9. Moon Shadow (1971)
Ultimate Classic Rock lists “Moonshadow” as one of the best Cat Stevens songs of all time. It was the first single released from the album “Teaser and the Firecat”. This song peaked at number 10 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.
Cat Stevens said he was inspired to write the song after a vacation in Spain. Stevens grew up in West London and the city’s streetlights prevented him from fully appreciating the moonlight. While on vacation in a place with no street lights, he saw his shadow in the moonlight for the first time.
8. Lady of Arbanville (1970)
“Lady D’Arbanville was the only single released from the 1970 album ‘Mona Bone Jakon’. It was most successful in the Netherlands, where it reached number two on the charts. The single was also a success in the UK, reaching number six.
It’s a folk-rock song about Stevens’ ex-girlfriend, Patti D’Arbanville. The lyrics of the song speak metaphorically of putting her to rest.
7. Savage World (1971)
“Wild World” was written and recorded by Cat Stevens, and it appears on the album “Tea for the Tillerman”. This single peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about the end of his relationship with Patti D’Arbanville. Many other artists have since covered the song, including Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest, and Taiwanese-American singer Joanna Wang.
6. Father and Son (1970 and 2004)
Cat Stevens originally released this song in 1970 as the lead single from the album “Tea for the Tillerman”. At that time, the song achieved only moderate success, peaking at 18 in Australia and 28 in the Netherlands.
However, the song was re-released by Irish singer Ronan Keating in 2004, and the single featured Cat Stevens as Yusuf Islam. This version of the song reached number two on the UK charts.
5. Oh Very Young (1974)
“Oh Very Young” is one of Cat Stevens’ most successful songs in the United States, as it reached No. 2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was also a top ten hit in Canada. Cat Stevens wrote this song in response to Don McLean’s hit “American Pie”, released two years earlier.
4. Another Saturday Night (1974)
“Another Saturday Night” is the only song by Cat Stevens to top the charts in Canada. It was also a top ten hit in New Zealand and on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was a non-album single released independently in 1974.
Although Cat Stevens wrote most of the songs he released, it was not an original single. It was written by Sam Cooke, who released his version of the song in 1963, and is featured on his ‘Ain’t That Good News’ album.
3. Peace Train (1971)
“Peace Train” was the third single released by Stevens from the 1971 album “Teaser and the Firecat”. It topped the US Adult Contemporary chart and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
This single was also a top ten hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Stevens was inspired to write this song after thinking of Alfred Hitchcock on a train journey. In 2003, Stevens re-recorded the song for War Child, which is a group of three organizations that support war-affected children and young people.
2. Matthew and his son (1967)
Although only the second single released by Cat Stevens, it was one of her most commercially successful songs. It topped the charts in New Zealand and reached number two on the charts in the UK.
However, it did not achieve the same level of success in the United States, where Cat Stevens was relatively unknown in the late 1960s, as it only reached 115 on the charts. This single was featured on the album of the same name, which was also Stevens’ debut album.
1. Morning Broke (1972)
According to Classic Rock History, one of Cat Stevens’ best songs is “Morning Has Broken.” While many artists find commercial success writing their own songs, this anthem was clearly not written by Cat Stevens.
However, he managed to make the track his own and it became his most commercially successful single. It topped the US Adult Contemporary chart and reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a top ten hit in Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Australia and in New Zealand.
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