James Tayloris sharing his personal favorite James Taylor songs.
During an appearance onThe Late ShowwithStephen Colberton Thursday, Feb. 5, the legendary musician was asked to rank his top 5 songs from his ownmusiccatalog, and he was more than prepared to provide his answers.
🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
"They told me you were going to ask that question," he said to Colbert, while bringing a small notebook out of his pocket.
Noting that it's a "hard" task, Taylor, 77, went on to name his top 5 songs from his own discography, providing explanations for his choices along the way. (Note: he didn't appear to name them in any particular order.)
"Mean Old Man"
To start, Taylor named his song "Mean Old Man," off of his 2002 album,OctoberRoad.
He then explained that the same song had once earned him high praise from none other than The Beatles'Paul McCartney.
"Paul McCartney got in touch with me at one point," Taylor said. "He commented on a song that I had written. He said he'd really liked it, that he bought the album because of it."
"So that's got to go in there," he said.
"Millworker"
The next song Taylor mentioned was one thatBruce Springsteenhad a special fondness for, a song called "Millworker."
Taylor originally wrote the track for the Broadway musicalWorking, though he later recorded and released his own version as part of his 1979 album,Flag.
"Sweet Baby James"
For his next choice, Taylor said, "I think 'Sweet Baby James' probably has to go [on the list]."
"Sweet Baby James" was one of the songs on Taylor's iconic album of the same name, which released in 1970.
Advertisement
Related:James Taylor Shares How He Learned Taylor Swift Was Named After Him
"The Frozen Man"
For his fourth pic, Taylor named "The Frozen Man," a song that previously earned him a compliment from fellow songwriting legend,Bob Dylan.
Taylor then remembered when he and Dylan were working a gig together at the Apollo Theater in New York, as he recalled, "Dylan said, 'I really like that song, 'God Have Mercy on The Frozen Man.'"
The song is just called "The Frozen Man," but Taylor sings the line, "Lord have mercy on the frozen man" several times throughout the song, which is from his 1991 albumNewMoonShine.
"Carolina In My Mind"
Last but not least, Taylor named "Carolina In My Mind," to round out his list.
"Carolina In My Mind" is one of Taylor's earliest songs, released on his self-titled debut album in the late '60s.
But once Taylor got to the end of his list, fans on social media couldn't help but notice one major hit song was missing: "Fire and Rain."
"Oh come onnnn where is Fire and Rain???" one user wrote in the comments on Instagram, while another echoed, "that's a JT classic ❤️😍."
"No Fire and Rain? That's gotta be number 6" someone else insisted.
But others pointed out, in Taylor's defense, that there are just "way too many songs" to choose from his massive catalog, so he was bound to leave some fan-favorites off his list.
"How about all of them❤️❤️" another fan suggested instead.
Related: '90s Country Legend Says 'No One Thought' This Chart-Topper Would Be a Hit
This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.
