Nazareth’s own brand of hard-rock was the bedrock on which many other bands built successful careers. They had the songs, the swagger, and the vocal pyrotechnics of a singer that can stand toe-to-toe with any of the most famous frontmen. Still, Nazareth is horribly underrated, despite being one of the greatest rock bands of all-time.

Their name may not be mentioned in the same breath as some of their contemporaries. However, if you’re a rock listener, you’ll find it nearly impossible not to quickly recall at least some of the songs on this list.

It’s time to give this Scottish rock band its due. Here’s my list of the 10 best songs by Nazareth.

Greatest 10 Songs by Nazareth

10. “Morning Dew”

In frankness, the likes of Led Zeppelin or even Nazareth’s buddies Deep Purple, performed early hard-rock with the confidence of a lord surveying their domain. They also dressed the part and used interview to speak in a slow, sophisticated drawl.

Scotland’s musicians, who formed Nazareth, on the other hand, were the salt of the earth. And that was evident from their very first recordings.

Although the band’s instincts, even on the group’s debut, were to sound loud and bombastic, the cover of the folk classic “Morning Dew” shows just how much musical potential the group enjoyed from the very beginning.

9. “Bad, Bad Boy”

I reckon that there are fewer better songs about being a rascal than “Bad, Bad Boy”, although there are plenty of rock songs that do deal with the same topic. How does Nazareth win the fight?

There’s something perverse about “Bad, Bad Boy,” but also marvellously mischievous. When Dan McCafferty sings about wooing the local girls and running away with their hearts, you can’t quite believe it. But as he gives you a wink, you simply want to think that you, too, can join him on this adventure. This is, in my book, a true rock classic. It’s my favourite song by the band.

8. “Where Are You Now”

You have to feel a sense of pride for working-class bands who create their careers through sheer will and hard work. Well, in Nazareth’s case, this is, I think, the undisputed truth.

However, as can be heard on “Where Are You Now,” it is the band’s collective abilities, particularly the power of the singing, that gave Nazareth an advantage over their rivals.

By the 1980s, the group was still touring and enjoying local hits with songs like these. And, happily, this was a path that the group would follow for decades. As of 2025, the group is still touring the world, albeit with a deeply altered lineup.

7. “Razamanaz”

Nazareth built its career on back-breaking hard work. The Scottish group toured relentlessly in the 1970s, often accompanying England’s Deep Purple across Great Britain.

Bands that play practically every night require songs that will move the audience and let them know what is about to go down. Nazareth had “Razamanaz” at its live set anthem. And, boy, did fans get on board with the band’s boasts!

6. “Broken Down Angel”

By the time of the 1973 album Razamanaz, Nazareth’s musicians were well aware of their collective strengths as a band. Broken Down Angel proudly displays those strengths.

The blues-rock groove of the verse leads toward a chorus about lost innocence while the musicians proudly share their skillfulness with the world. Under Roger Glover’s apt and tight production, this became one of the band’s first U.K. hits.

5. “Dream On”

I want to petition the world’s top music magazines to finally recognize Dan McCafferty’s vocal ability. It was this distorted, soulful tone, after all, that got Nazareth noticed. No wonder Axl Rose and Brian Johnson acknowledged its influence.

McCafferty’s pitch control and ability to work wonders around a melody can be heard on “Dream On,” one of the finest ballads in the band’s arsenal and one of the greatest songs in rock history to carry this name.

4. “This Flight Tonight”

Heroic hard-rock always had something adventurous about it. Whether it was Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant writing lyrics about Middle-Earth or Steppenwolf’s John Kay singing about hitting the highway on a motorcycle, guitar songs were excitement and uncharted territory.

When Nazareth took the gamble of covering this Joni Mitchell composition, they brought a similar sense of excitement and bravery.

Even the great Joni Mitchell herself appreciated the effort. It’s no surprise that this became a hit across the U.K. and Europe.

3. “Love Hurts”

I’ll say it again: the fact that Dan McCafferty is left off the lists celebrating the greatest singers and frontmen of all time is a crime. One need look no further than the group’s biggest hit, the power ballad “Love Hurts.”

Written by U.S. songwriter Boudleaux Bryant, and first made successful as a country ballad by the Everly Brothers and, later, Roy Orbison and Gram Parsons, it’s McCafferty’s gruff, but soulful singing that made this a rock radio staple.

“Love Hurts” became a top 10 hit for Nazareth in the U.S. It made the group very successful, but not for as much as it deserved. Still, whenever you hear a rock power ballad, know that it owes a bit to McCafferty’s singing and Manny Charlton’s guitar solo.

2. “My White Bicycle”

Nazareth’s musicians were hard-working Scottish boys from Dunfermline. They could play a mean rock n’ roll.

But the musicians also had great taste and a sense of humour. That’s what helped the group pick up on this failed single by the band Tomorrow and inject it with such a mischievous spirit.

This is one of the lightest touches in Nazareth’s mean, rattling discography. But it’s also one of the band’s undisputed best songs.

1. “Hair of the Dog”

Hard rock is a bit of a blood sport. There’s no way around the fact that to get anywhere, a hard-rock band must outperform and outmuscle the opposition.

During the 1970s there were plenty of impressive hard-rock groups. These groups had the ability to take a basic guitar, bass, and drum sound and fill arenas with it.

“Hair of the Dog” proves, beyond any doubt, that Nazareth could step up to any of the big boys of international hard-rock. The memorable riffs and McCafferty’s swagger make this the group’s finest hour.

Of course, Guns n’ Roses was so eager to cover this. “Hair of the Dog” is, in my estimate, essentially, the format on which Gn’R’s sound was built, as well as plenty of other rock groups. This is one of the best songs in the history of rock music.