Best David Coverdale Solo Songs: 10 Sublime Tracks From The Whitesnake Frontman

9: Keep On Giving Me Love (from ‘Northwinds’, 1978)

Produced by his former Deep Purple bandmate Roger Glover, Coverdale’s second solo album, Northwinds, was a notable step up from White Snake. More confident and cohesive than its predecessor, the album contains several of the best David Coverdale solo songs, including its opening track, Keep On Giving Me Love, a shape-throwing rocker riding a cyclical groove which guest star Lee Brilleaux further embellished with some wailing blues harp.

8: Blindman (from ‘White Snake’, 1977)

Though short on the dynamic blues-rock that Whitesnake would soon make their own, the album that gave the group their name included several of David Coverdale’s most enduring ballads. Eventually re-recorded for Whitesnake’s third album, Ready An’ Willing, Blindman is a redemptive, Free-esque lament which contains a winning fragility that helps it stand on its own among the best David Coverdale solo songs.

7: Too Many Tears (from ‘Into The Light’, 2000)

Co-written with guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, Too Many Tears was first recorded for Whitesnake’s Restless Heart album, the 1997 release which Coverdale had originally envisaged as a solo outing. When he did finally record his long-awaited third solo set, 2000’s Into The Light, Coverdale returned to the song after he was intrigued by Chris Isaak’s suggestion that it would work well in the style of Roy Orbison – one of Coverdale’s favourite singers. The resulting do-over features one of Coverdale’s most impassioned vocal performances.

6: Hole In The Sky (from ‘White Snake’, 1977)

Arguably the finest track from Coverdale’s solo debut album, Hole In The Sky isn’t the eco-friendly protest song its title might suggest. It is, however, an elegant, Joe Cocker-esque piano ballad which finds Coverdale at his finest. Overlooked on its initial release, the song more than deserves a second chance to shine.

5: With All Of My Heart (‘Into The Light’ outtake, 2024)

With All My Heart was recorded during the sessions for 2000’s Into The Light, but didn’t make the album’s final tracklist. However, it has surfaced among the bonus cuts on the Into The Light box set, and that’s very much to our gain, for this graceful ballad is one of the very best David Coverdale solo songs. Written in tribute to Coverdale’s wife, With All My Heart is a big, bold and sincere ode to true love (“Let’s stick together and never, never part”), and it’s perfectly matched by a big, brash musical backdrop that falls on the right side of bombastic.

4: Only My Soul (from ‘Northwinds’, 1978)

Riddled with biblical imagery (“Lead me on through restless waters/Walk with me along the way/Live the moment and tomorrow/For the lord will take it all on judgement day”), the absorbing Only My Soul is most definitely one of Northwinds’ highlights. Though imbued with the sorrow of the blues, it’s actually a chameleonic, slow-burning epic in the Stairway To Heaven mould, and it stands tall with the best of Coverdale’s work – with or without Whitesnake.

3: River Song (from ‘Into The Light’, 2000)

Having (temporarily) disbanded Whitesnake following the release of Restless Heart, Coverdale sought to re-establish himself as a solo artist with Into The Light. Made with a crack team including David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick and drummer Denny Carmassi (Montrose, Heart), the album features some of the most sublime contenders for consideration among the best David Coverdale songs.

Keyboardist Mike Finnigan helped bring the terrific River Song to fruition. Finnigan had played on Jimi Hendrix’s acclaimed Electric Ladyland album, so he was well placed to help Coverdale realise this track, which was designed as a tribute to the late guitar god. The completed song has a similarly mystic hoodoo about it, with an animated Coverdale clearly relishing the chance to spin a Voodoo Chile-esque tale (“I was born by the river/Raised by the sea/Baptised in muddy water/To drown a devil in me”) while his band revel in riding the song’s looming groove for the best part of seven minutes.

2: Time And Again (from ‘Northwinds’, 1978)

Recorded for 1978’s Northwinds, Time And Again was originally a classy ballad framed by electric piano. The song was very much a highlight of Coverdale’s solo work in this initial form, but it’s since been reworked for the Into The Light box set, and it now sounds even more satisfying thanks to the addition of the Hook City Strings, who couch Coverdale’s emotive vocal in an elegant orchestral arrangement.

1: Don’t You Cry (from ‘Into The Light’, 2000)

Coverdale has previously compared Into The Light’s Don’t You Cry to spiritually inclined standards such as Jimmy Cliff’s Many Rivers To Cross and Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry, but in fairness this sweeping, hymnal set piece stands on its own. Remarkably, it’s never been released as a single, but it has the sort of anthemic universal appeal that really can’t fail, so perhaps its day will come. Whether that happens or not, this wonderful song is a high-water mark by anyone’s standards, and it tops this list of the best David Coverdale solo songs with ease.