Free was one of the first truly great blues-rock bands capable of taking a minimalist, but muscular guitar-based sound and making it a success with giant live crowds, as well as radio listeners. But the group members were also young and plagued by personal demons. Where does the group rank in the great pantheon of rock gods? As one of the greatest bands of all time, of course.

But the group’s collection of albums is a short one. Monumentally fantastic songs like “All Right Now” are accompanied by less memorable compositions. Need some help sorting through Free’s output? Here’s my list of Free’s 10 greatest songs, a truly impressive list of tracks.

The 10 Greatest Songs by Free

10. “The Hunter”

It’s really no wonder that Led Zeppelin would later cover “The Hunter” as part of the group’s extended blues medley. In fact, it’s little surprise that Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label was quick to sign Bad Company, the group formed in the 1970s by two of Free’s members.

“The Hunter” shows just what Free could do when left together on a stage armed with the blues and with confidence that only teenagers blessed with tremendous musical ability are able to have.

9. “Heartbreaker”

In terms of commercial appeal and critical reception, Free seemed to save its career with 1972’s “Heartbreaker.” But it proved to be a short victory lap.

The album and its title song were a masterclass in the subtle art of guitar and vocal duelling courtesy of Paul Rodgers and Paul Kossoff. And while there were plenty of other blues-rock bands around, I doubt many of them could match Free’s intensity. What a shame that the group could not continue past this point.

8. “I’ll Be Creepin'”

How much does it take to get a rock band to play on a big stage nowadays? How many people have to work behind the scenes to provide the right sound, the appropriate stage design, the nice clothes, etc.?

There was little that Free’s musicians needed. Still teenagers and already with two albums under their belts by the first year of their careers, “I’ll Be Creepin'” has Rodgers swaggering and pushing his singing from a whisper to a tornado. This was serious talent on display!

7. “The Stealer”

There’s a touch that only the finest guitar players possess. You can hear it when they play the most straightforward riff. You can hear it when they simply bend a power chord. Guitarist Paul Kossoff possessed such a tone.

It all comes naturally to Kossoff and his bandmates on the smug boasting of “The Stealer,” a song about hitting the streets and breaking hearts. The sound of this is still excellent.

6. “Walk In My Shadow”

Teenagers playing the blues have no right to sound this good or feel this self-assured. “Walk In My Shadow” may be heavily inspired by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. But anyone looking for traces of Free’s greatness on the band’s debut album “Tons of Sobs” will surely find them.

Rodgers’s singing, for example, already possesses the rich bluesy tone that would become such a sample and much imitated sound.

5. “Mr. Big”

“Mr. Big” was a near-constant presence in Free’s early live shows. One of the essential tracks from the legendary “Fire and Water” album, “Mr. Big”, showed just how sharp the group’s instincts were. Constant playing together since their childhood days made these proto-metal musicians enjoy an almost telepathic understanding of each other.

4. “Be My Friend”

Being a rock musician was bound to be hard work. Free’s Paul Rodgers learned this early on. Between 1968 and 1970, the band recorded three studio albums and toured relentlessly.

Still, that’s enough to leave anyone with bruises and a few unanswerable questions. On the excellent “Be My Friend,” Rodgers does his best to come to terms with the loneliness of the rock musician’s life.

This would be the first time that Rodgers would work within a sound not dissimilar to the power-ballad format, but and thankfully, certainly not the last.

3. “Wishing Well”

In truth, Free had been doomed for a long time. The writing may have been on the wall. But the group made great efforts not to let all of the work that they’d done slip away.

In 1972, the group made an unexpected return with the album “Heartbreaker.” “Wishing Well” was miles and away the best song from the album. It was also a reminder that the blues-rock band could successfully write radio-friendly singles in the right circumstances.

Tragically, this was not to be a fresh beginning. Rather, it was a delayed end. By 1973, Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke had formed Bad Company. Meanwhile, the incredibly talented guitarist Paul Kossoff met his end in 1976 from a pulmonary embolism.

2. “Fire and Water”

By 1970, Free had hit its stride. All of the relentless touring and recording had taken their toll on the band members’ health and sanity, sure. But they’d also provided them with experience that far exceeded the musicians’ age.

“Fire and Water,” the opening song that also helped provide the title to the band’s 1970 magnum opus, is, I think, the best example of the band’s ability as songwriters.

Penned by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers, “Fire and Water” strays away from the group’s familiar blues-rock attack. Instead, the song uses a groovy proto-power-ballad format. It suits the group’s strengths and is a reminder of just how good Free was back at the start of the 1970s.

1. “All Right Now”

“All Right Now” was the victory lap that Free deserved. The musicians’ musical abilities were, after all, already recognized by all of their peers. Their daringness and adventurousness had few real competitors.

But “All Right Now” was the icing on the cake, a song so catchy and memorable that it would become an international hit. In time, of course, the song was destined to become one of the most famous of its kind, a tune that Rodgers would be forced to sing throughout his career.

The riff, the singing and the playing are iconic, and for good reason. Time hasn’t worn this down. “All Right Now” is Free’s greatest moment and one of the best songs that any band ever recorded.