I’m not sure what possessed me, but I thought I’d attempt to compile my twenty favorite Breaking Benjamin songs. I’ve been wanting to make a playlist for when I can’t listen to all their songs in one go, so this just gave me the excuse to sort them as well. The top 5 were easy to rank, and everything after took way longer than it should’ve.
I put a lot of time and thought into this, probably too much. For whatever reason, I wanted to get it right and really looked at each song as it’s own work and not in the context of the album. It’s not about which song sounds the best. Yes, I’m an adult and this is how I spend my time.
At first, I tried to choose a selection of songs from each album, but that’s not accurate. I like certain albums more than others, so I chose accordingly. Sorry, Saturate. So read on if you’d like my commentary. If you’re just here for the list, then check out the titles and see if you agree with my brilliance. And if you don’t like Breaking Benjamin, what are you even doing here?
Here are some stats, if that’s your jam. My Top 20 is comprised of this many songs from each album:
1 3 4 6 3 3
On to the list already!
20. Away
So fly away and leave it behind / Return some day with red in your eyes
Listen. This will sound crazy, but my favorite part of this song are the three drum beats right at the start. Why? I don’t know. I wish I could explain it.
Ben’s voice sounds so amazing on these verses. The feels. I love his voice on this whole album. It sounds richer, for lack of a better word. I hope they do more songs like this on future albums.
19. Hollow
Close your eyes, drive away the cloud that hides the light
Can we talk about that breath in the intro for a second? I mean, who decides to include that breath? Does Ben say, “Hey, guys, I’m thinking about breathing here. What do you think?” Does the manager say, “You know what, Ben? The intro is missing something. How about a single breath?” I want to thank whoever had the idea because I’m a big fan of Ben’s breathing.
Anyway.
I also love how it starts soft. Love. Lyrically, the first verse is amazing. Ben must have been reading a self-help book when he was writing this. “Love left me hollow” is a pretty awesome line as well.
The guitar solo is exceptionally good. This is the first album with the current line-up, and I think Ben definitely upgraded.
18. Shallow Bay
I’m so inclined to make you mine / You’re out of line and out of time
I first heard this song on their concert DVD for Phobia, and I liked it the first time I heard it–which I can honestly say is not true for all Breaking Benjamin songs. I know, right? This may seem silly, but I remember loving the way Ben’s fingers looked when he played the riff before every line in the verse.
Saturate is my least favorite album, so this is actually the only song to make the cut. It’s not a bad album; it’s just their other songs are so far and above. That’s natural for a band as they progress. Though some bands get worse as they go. I’m rambling now.
For me, this is the kind of song you play when you want to feel tougher than you really are. Since I’m not tough at all, this is pretty effective.
Just a tiny detail, but for headphone users, I like how it starts only on the right side. #itsthelittlethings
And you gotta love an outro with strings. Continue reading
