Hi all,
Saw someone on Reddit do this with Ben Folds, and it got me thinking that it could be a fun game for us to try. I present, the Lifehouse Song Competition!
Album by album, we vote on the best, worst, and most underrated songs – and I’ve thrown in “b-side that should’ve made it on the album” for good measure 
Let’s begin.
First up: No Name Face!
Submit your vote for best song on the album here:
And worst song here:
And most underrated song here:
Would love to hear folks explain their thoughts as to why they chose each of the following, and choose the b-side that didn’t make the album! To be clear, deluxe editions count as albums, not b-sides in this case. So Today would be considered a yellow album track, while Ordinary Pain and Better Part of Me would both be considered b-sides.
best song: somebody else’s song. I chose this song because for me it is a perfect mix of meaningful lyrics, interesting/catchy music, and vocal performance. I love how sometimes there’s falsetto and other times he full voices a high note. This song is the one I would show someone if I wanted them to become a Lifehouse fan. It’s also super fun and simple to play on guitar for a beginner
Most underrated: cling and clatter. I’ve always loved this song. I’ve read some people refer to it as the worst NNF song, but to me it is one of the most important songs on the album. (And after I wrote all this I saw that it has been voted as worst 
)I got to meet Jason Wade last October at the St. Louis meet and greet (best day of my life. He answered my long-held question about the meaning of “Grace” in Leonard Cohen Nights- he was indeed referring to the album Grace by Jeff Buckley, which he would listen to all the time while on tour for NNF) and he himself was surprised/happy when I told him how much I love Cling and Clatter, so I feel like it is a song which has not been heard for its full potential. Everything about C&C is absolutely incredible to me. I especially enjoy the bridge, as it seems much different than anything else Jason has written. The chorus is so easy the get stuck in your head, and I often find myself belting “it’s all good” with my Lifehouse-fan friend. My runner up for most underrated song is Only One. It’s one of my favorites lyrically/musically that I think doesn’t get enough appreciation.
Worst song: breathing. This was difficult for me to decide on. I love all of NNF, but the sound of the intro to breathing slightly irks me. Otherwise it’s a wonderful song. (Robert and I are quite the opposites, hehe)
Oooh this is fun! Already have in mind what to vote for the other albums 
Best song - Only One, no contest. Fell in love with it the first time I heard it years ago and that hasn’t changed. A lot of NNF tracks have that timeless quality, but there’s something about Only One specifically that just keeps me locked in every single listen. The lyrics are a big part of what makes it work.
Worst - SBES. Still a decent track, but I’ll be honest — it was a slow burn for me. I also tend to prefer the live performances of it over the studio version.
Underrated - Has to be Cling and Clatter. @peppermint absolutely delivers on that one. That chorus alone should be enough to win anyone over.
B-side pick - My first instinct was Eighties, maybe slotting it in after Simon? But the more I thought about it, The Edge feels like the stronger choice. I’d place it right before Everything.
I completely agree with you about Only One. It’s been one of my top three songs since I discovered Lifehouse. The lyrics are especially profound. Every verse hits deep. Glad to hear you agree about Cling and Clatter!
This is a nice topic. Hard to choose. So many good songs on NNF.
Hanging by a moment is the song that made me a LH fan. I remember my alarm clock woke me up with this song before going to school. Fell i love with it ever since.
But Simon will always be my favorite LH song. I was in a very different time at school in my teenage years. When i first heard this song i felt some understanding. That song did something to me. I never get tired of this song. The lyrics, the emotion, musically from starting slowly to harder.
There are a lot of songs that grown on me lately. Like Somewhere in between and especially Trying.
Unknown is my worst favorite. Not that i don’t like this song. But i think the Blyss version is more my thing.
Only One is one of the underated songs. Always liked that song.
Great idea, Robert! A lot of great answers here so far.
Best: Simon
Hands down, my most played track on NNF. I was 13 when I found this album (2001). Walked by the living room and a commercial for some music compilation was on (NOW?) and the video for HBAM was up. Everything seemed to change right there in that moment. I bought multiple copies of NNF and played it on repeat that entire summer of 2001 and beyond. Simon hit different than the rest, definitely just resonated with me. This was my first obsession with music and inspired me to learn guitar and write.
Least Best: Trying
This was hard. I have nothing against this song. There was a live version (El Rey?) of this released on one of the Breathing CD-S I believe and I loved that one. Overall though, Trying was just the least played, sometimes skipped, track.
Underrated: Only One
I use to play this walking around the halls of my high school between classes. I was definitely not a social teen, and kind of just tuned everyone out and listened to music. This song should’ve been bigger, but I think that’s what makes it special. Plus a ballad in 2001 wouldn’t have been that successful in my opinion.
B-Side: Climb
My first thought was Fool, but that was a bonus track. I really can’t see any of the b-sides from that era fitting with the rest of the tracklist. It’s just so complete the way it is. I also thought of The Edge, Eighties, etc.; you know, the Blyss era tracks, but those just have a different sound. A little more raw, a little closer to the chest, a little more personal and intimate.
Love everyone’s takes here! I’ll give mine:
Best: Simon
I’ve always thought that if I were to introduce someone to Lifehouse for the first time, I’d play them Simon. I think it sums up everything that makes Jason’s songwriting what it is: it’s intimate and personal, vulnerable and mask-free, and acknowledges the dark while providing hope. Also incredibly aware of human dynamics… the lines “‘cause the weak will seek the weaker ‘til they’ve broken them” and “fulfilment to their lack of strength at your expense / left you with no defense” are insane lines for anyone to write, let alone a 19 year old kid. And the simplicity of the chorus in comparison: and I have felt the same as you, with the bridge being a message that things will not last forever? Incredible. The production is a 10/10 as well, one of Ron Aniello’s all-time bests.
Worst: Cling & Clatter
You know, after reading the love for this one I gave it another listen, and man is it a fun song. That catchy chorus is so good, and brings a lightness after Simon that’s welcome. I think that maybe lyrically I find it a little weaker or more obscure than the others, and topically it’s similar to Unknown? I also think it’s totally wild that they put this one on the record instead of Storm, which would actually fit that spot in the tracklist quite well. But all this said… it’s still a total banger, and I love it.
Underrated: Breathing
It was a toss-up for me between this and Only One, which I adore and probably listen to more. But Breathing to me also represents the best of Lifehouse: really sweet and introspective words over beautiful melodic music. Breathing also used a banjo for the main melody two years before Matchbox Twenty did it with Unwell… Breathing never got the same airplay but I bet that Rob Thomas knew of this song from their tour together.
B-side: The Edge
It’s close between this and Storm, but since Snowfist mentioned The Edge, I think it’s worth adding here. Always felt like it could fit the start of the album, either taking the place of Unknown or rearranging and having near the fourth spot. Total single material and too bad that they never used it. I hope Jason releases a higher-quality demo of it someday.
Thanks everyone for playing here! No winner for worst, to be expected;) here’s the matrix from round one:
And onto Round Two! Let’s talk Stanley Climbfall.
Best song on SCf:
Worst song on SCf:
Most underrated song on SCf:
Quite curious about this album’s responses…
This might be the hardest album to evaluate, since my favorites and feelings toward it shift with every listen, which is pretty remarkable given that I’ve been returning to it for over 20 years.
Best song: Anchor. A near-perfect rock track from start to finish. The rhythm, energy, and lyrics all hit exactly right, a solid 10/10 across the board. It also translates brilliantly to live performances and the acoustic album.
Worst song: Out of Breath. I tend to skip it most of the time, and the Doritos version is honestly my preferred take on it. Interestingly, My Precious was once my pick for the weakest track, but it’s grown on me over time, particularly through the live acoustic and ReImagine versions.
Underrated song: The Beginning (narrowly over Empty Space). It feels like this track doesn’t get as much love from fans as Empty Space does. It’s also the kind of song that really only lands when you’re in the right headspace, something quiet and reflective.
B-sides: The demo version of What Happens Next stands out, different in them and energy, yet it somehow fits musically alongside the rest of the album. I guess that contrast is probably what makes it such an interesting inclusion. I’d swap it in over Just Another Name.
I’d also add Good Enough as a closing track, as it feels like a natural bridge into the self-titled album.
Best: Wash. To me, Wash is like Spin’s cooler brother. It’s a masterpiece for the ears. I remember vividly the first time this song came on. I had recently discovered Lifehouse, and I had shuffled all of their music. This song came on and I stopped what I was doing and listened intently to the whole song. I love the imagery in using “you wash over me” because when I read the word “wash” on its own I think of it in its cleaning sense. The sunshine/rain juxtaposition is just so interesting to me. And of course the array of instrumentation that seems a little frantic but also composed. I find it difficult to accurately describe Wash… but I love it. One of my absolute favorites since the first listen.
Worst: just another name. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty good song. But to me is seems somewhat out of place on Stanley Climbfall. Thematically, it reminds me of Who We Are (~Disarray/The Joke). Occasionally I skip this song when listening through the whole album because I have to be in the mood for it. I consider SCF my favorite Lifehouse album, but I also occasionally skip Sky is Falling, so that would be my second choice for “worst” song. SIF is a great song but I much prefer the acoustic version. Something about the full band version makes it seem almost full of itself…? if that makes sense any sense. It feels like they just added all the instrument parts because they had to make music for the lyrics, not as if the musicality is half of the song. I feel that the lyrics require the sensitivity that the acoustic guitar brings, and the full band takes away from their poignancy.
underrated: Empty Space. I haven’t been a fan for as long as the rest of you so it is difficult for me to judge whether songs are underrated or not, but I’ll base this off my personal experience and how often I’ve seen songs mentioned by other fans. I used to get Empty Space and Out of Breath mixed up for some reason when I first started listening to SCF a lot. I think that caused me to never really get into either song or listen intently. However, at both concerts I went to, Jason and Steve played the most beautiful medley I have ever heard. It went from Only One to Easier to Be to Empty Space. I’m a huge fan of Only One and the fact they played a portion of it live was so incredible, so I would listen to the YouTube clip over and over. This raised my appreciation for both Easier to Be and Empty Space and I began listening to those songs intently. I discovered that Empty Space might just be the most incredible song that had ever graced my ears. I’m somewhat at a loss for words trying to describe it but I’ll give it a go. Something about the chorus lyrics seems quite unorthodox but it works so well. The verses and choruses are tied together with such beautiful background guitar instrumentation. Each chorus has these incredible ascending guitar parts that last through the held notes that create movement and sound beautiful. I adore how every chorus feels stronger and more powerful. The final chorus seems to flow right out of the bridge, bringing with it the most satisfying backing vocal/echo I’ve ever heard. The echo along with the “woah-oh” at the start of this last chorus make it really seem like there is an empty space, and add to the building emotions that come with each chorus. If you don’t already adore this song, I deplore you to give it a listen with all of your attention and just take it all in. I just now gave the acoustic version another listen and Jason really performed it incredibly. Of course it lacks all of the guitar and the echoing vocals that I adore in the SCF version, but it still gives me the same feeling emotionally, and that’s what makes a good acoustic version.
This is a tough one. In my opinion there are no worse songs on this album. My precious really grown on me lately. Probably of the acoustic and remained version. Like Snowfist mentioned before. This song is getting better the more i listen to it.
For best song i have to choose between Wash or Stanley Climbfall. Both completely different songs but i think i go for Wash. This song is musically more my thing. The guitar. The drums. Always loved that song .
For worse songs i have to choose between Just another name or Out of breathe. I both like these songs. I like just another name more lyrically and out of breathe more musically. I think out of breathe fits more on the album. So i have to choose for just another name for worse song.
I think The Beginning is really underated. That’s a song no one talks about. And i think this song deserves more attention.
Best song: Wash - It’s funny, this song wasn’t my instant favorite by any means. SCF, AIEGFO, Anchor, OOB, My Precious… those were my favorites right out of the gate. I’m not sure when it changed, but Wash became the song of SCF for me. Great energy and encompasses the entirety of the SCF-era sound in one track. Not to mention, it’s a killer opener track on tour.
Worst song: Just Another Name - Again, “worst” is relative here. I like this song, but it felt a bit out of place IMO. Same with “Trying” on NNF, “The Joke” on WWA, etc. These tracks aren’t bad, they just feel don’t blend with the rest of the album musically IMO.
Underrated: Anchor - Great song, one of my absolute favorites. The final mix of this track really hurts it IMO. It’s overly compressed and sounds like it’s put on a tight leash when you crank the volume up… which is absolutely what I want to do anytime this comes on in the car.
B-side: OG Wish - This song was rumored to have been on a version of the album (advanced copy?) but I could never find a physical copy, and eventually it leaked online. I always thought this would have been a nice hidden track buried a minute or two after How Long, replacing the acoustic version of Sky is Falling as the closing track.
I remember a radio interview with the band around this time, where Jason seemed to regret (?) doing the whole Stand, Climb, Fall play on words with Stanley Climbfall. That sucked to here because it impressed 14 year old me and really opened my eyes to creative writing. Another interview he acknowledged this album was considered by some/many to be their “sophomore slump” which was the first time I heard that term used. It was never going to live up to NNF before it, but this was really their last “best” grunge/rock (ish?) record IMO. The sound definitely became more radio friendly, but I imagine that had a lot to do with the lack of success from SCF, Dreamworks falling through, Sergio leaving, Jude Cole taking the helm from Ron… lots of big changes, not to mention the rest of the world moving on from 90s rock (bastards! lol). At least from a business standpoint they made the right moves to survive all that and keep pushing ahead.
Edit: kind of cool to see how the votes landed on this one. Majority held best/worst and everyone has a different idea of the most underrated track.
Love everyone’s replies here, and I echo Shawn’s sentiment: this is a pretty consistent response across the board!
To me, Wash absolutely nails the SCf sound and really busted open the traditional song structure of rock songs of the era. It wasn’t my favourite song from the album when I first got into Lifehouse, that was the title track (but then again, this album was my least favourite for a long time because I hadn’t learned its nuances… it just sounded angry) but over time the sound became too good, that extended instrumental intro following Spin’s extended instrumental outro, the guitar noises that Jason said he stumbled across in studio and could never replicate which they kept and used on the song… absolutely amazing sound and energy. And Ricky’s drumming? Absolutely killer. Even Serge’s bass playing is some of my favourite here.
Just Another Name has always been in my two or three least favourite Lifehouse songs. I think it’s jarring to listen to, especially the intro, and the lyrics are a little too on-the-nose. Never quite fit the rest of the record, especially considering…
How Long is by far my favourite song of Jason’s from this era. The riff at the start, the build up, the multiple guitar tracks, the acoustic ending… it tries something new in its own way, not unlike Wash. But lyrically… lyrically it’s a top five Lifehouse song for me. “How many times till the work will be completed? How many times will history repeat it? How long til all that we can say is ‘save us’” resonates more and more with me each year as the world gets more divided. It feels as political a song as he’s ever done, and I appreciate that about it. And that intro stanza just destroys: “Climb on top of all you despise / It’s a better view from the lies”. Woof. This should’ve been in the standard album and absolutely should’ve gotten more attention than it did.
I agree with Shawn that Wish was a missed opportunity. My biggest beef with Climbfall is that there’s little reprieve from the hard-edged guitar and louder vocals – only the title track and My Precious offer that respite. Adding Wish somewhere in the middle would’ve made the album warmer, closer to NNF, and acted as something that pulls you in and offers more of the intimacy that the first album had throughout. It was apparently on test pressings as the twelfth track before being replaced a few months before release by The Beginning, but I think The Beginning is a better ending anyway.
As an album
I still feel that Stanley Climbfall was a concept album – an album about the rise and fall of people in modern society, predicated on our need for excess, immediacy, and our desire to numb when things get hard rather than to face our individual and collective challenges head on. Ultimately, it reads to me like a cry for help, with almost every track asking for mercy and help from a wounded world. While it took a while to grow on me, I actually find it to be one of the most resonant bodies of work Jason’s ever done, thanks in no small part to the prevalence of these themes.
This concludes SCf! Up next, we have…
Round three: the Yellow Album! I suspect this will be less clear cut – here we go.
Best song on Lifehouse:
Worst song on Lifehouse:
Most underrated song on Lifehouse:
Comment your favourite b-side! Lots to choose from here.
Best: Come Back Down. The intro is the perfect start to the whole album. The verses and choruses tie together incredibly and the lyrics are really meaningful. It’s super fun to listen to and the vocal performance is excellent.
Worst: Undone. It’s a good song, but it stands out the least from the rest of the album. The lyrics aren’t as deep and the chorus feels a tiny bit cheesy.
Underrated: Into The Sun. This is one of my favorites. It’s such a beautiful song that I can listen to on repeat for hours. I can only find one instance of it ever having been played live and I think this clip of Into the Sun is the single most wonderful thing Jason has ever sung. And he said he barely even remembered it 
Something about his voice in it sounds so perfect.
I promise I’m not copying Robert, though it may seem like it hehe… but I do agree that Walking Away is also very underrated. That Time Machine demo was incredible.
Come back down for best song. I agree what Peppermint said. Great opener on the album and meaningful lyrics.
For worst song i’m torn between Days go by or Undone. But i go for Undone. Not that i don’t like this song. It’s just not something special. The album version of Days go by has more guitar stuff than the earlier Jason’s version, but i actually like Jason’s version more.
For most underated it’s really difficult this time. So many good songs on this album. A few songs grown on me, like Chapter one and Walking away. I’m in between Into the sun and The end has only begun. Both completely different songs, but i go for The end has only begun. I loved the song once i heard it. I really like the lyrics in there. Musically it feels like a classic rock song. It’s not really rock, it’s not pop, it’s not a ballad. It’s something between in it wich i really like. They have more of this sound like Through these times, I’ll keep the change and Don’t wake me when it’s over. I like this sound from Lifehouse.
For best B-Side or Bonus Track i go for Through these times.
Best song - have to be Come Back Down. It’s amazing the first time I listen to it, and somehow it still hits just as hard every single time. The recent live version they performed was also fantastic.
Worst song — Undone feels a bit too similar to We’ll Never Know and Days Go By. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table or elevate the overall listening experience. Honestly, it would fit better as a bonus track
Underrated - Walking Away. I love everything about the song. Lyrics, melody, the chorus, the bridge. And surprisingly, the demo is great too. The electric guitar added during the bridge is a nice touch, even if it comes across a little rough and distorted. If anything, that rawness just gives the demo its own unique character.
B-side — I’d love to see Along The Way or Through These Times make it onto the album. As for Better Part of Me, I’m not sure if it’s officially been listed as a bonus track, but it would make for an absolutely perfect closing song.
Wow, I’m shocked at how consistent we were with this one! Here are my comments:
Best song: Come Back Down
This to me is a top-five Lifehouse song. Everything that makes Lifehouse great is here: a catchy, comforting melody, a big chorus, and the protagonist of the story coming from a place of darkness but looking for hope.
It’s a fascinating opening track to me for a few reasons: firstly, it’s somewhere in between (ha) a ballad and a mid-tempo rock song, so a marked departure from the hard rock sound of Stanley Climbfall. Moreover, to start an album by talking to someone who isn’t here, saying “when you come back [down], I hope you find a way to make it back to me” already places you in the middle of a story. Someone has been lost, whether death or estrangement or breakup, and we’re beginning after the event occurred and already from a place of healing. “I know what you’re going through / I won’t be the one who lets go of you”. Very JW, classic LH.
Also… shoutout to two production quirks of this song. The shaker comes in on the fourth bar of the first verse rather than with the rest of the song, giving a little extra wind in the sails right off the bat. Secondly, the guitar interference at the start of the second and third choruses gives a bit of edge to the track . Ted Jensen’s mastering is also fantastic… this is still the song I listen to to test audio equipment. Alagia really killed it with this one, and set the tone for a more relaxed Lifehouse.
Honourable mention to All In All, I think the second-best song from the album;)
Worst song: Undone
I’m a big fan of John Mayer’s Room for Squares, and if you listen to Love Song for No One, you’ll find that it sounds very different than the rest of the tracks on that record. That’s because Alagia produced it too, and he played the riff at the start, rather than Mayer. Insane to take over from such a talented guitarist, but never mind that. It got me thinking…
I’d be willing to bet good money that this is what happened here. The opening riff to Undone is quite different from most of the songwriting J had done to date at this point, and I think it’s a John Alagia riff that they added to an existing demo, or at least refined and had him play rather than Jason. Sonically, I find it fine, but it feels repetitive, doesn’t really add much beyond what Days Go By and We’ll Never Know provide (snowfist is right!). Lyrically, it’s nice and optimistic, but again, similar to some others in this regard. It’s the one I skip sometimes, and I would’ve easily replaced it with one of about six other b-sides instead.
Underrated: Walking Away
This one kills me. Sonically it reminds me of a slower Come Back Down, with the same production, similar mic setup maybe, and a gorgeously layered and warm sound. The surefooted drums to start, then the melody just dripping with warmth and melancholy, the strumming acoustic coming in at the end of the first verse (again to pick the album up), and the Wurlitzer coming in near the end. And those lyrics!! This is a poem in song form. Setting the scene, introducing a character, character’s backstory, and relation to the singer. Simply stunning. I adore it so much. This is probably the clearest song J’s written about his dad.
B-side that should have made the album: Midnight in Philadelphia
This one isn’t even close for me. Midnight in Philly is my favourite Lifehouse song and favourite song with lyrics, and I think it’s darn near perfect in all aspects. Possibly the most comforting lyrics I’ve ever heard sung, over impeccable layered guitar (four total!?), with the prettiest melody I think Jason’s ever written. I considered Along the Way, Better Part of Me, and The Place Where I Fit In for this one, but I have to give it to the song that’s got me through the most:) overall I think a few of you mentioned Through These Times so this wins among the crowd though.
Final thoughts
The yellow album remains my favourite Lifehouse album – it’s a softer sound that matches Jason’s introspective lyrics, and he really meditates on what it means to live with oneself and handle life’s ups and downs. I think some of the other albums have a greater number of stand-out tracks, but taken as a whole, this is the album I come back to the most and put on after a long day.
This is fun! Next up is an album that will absolutely have different takes…
Who We Are! Let’s hear your hot takes.
Best song:
Worst song:
Most underrated:
B-sides:
