Play Tom Waits Radio
Tom Waits
30,123,680 plays (652,616 listeners)
Pomona, Los Angeles CA, United States (early 1970s – present)
Tom Waits (Thomas Alan Waits, Pomona, California, December 7, 1949 ) is a prolific American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor.
He started his career in the early 1970s as a singer in spit ‘n’ sawdust bars. Initially, he was deeply influenced by the beat generation (poets like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs). He could not make a living from his music, although he was well accepted by the critics. The people at that time didn’t like his classical bar music, pre-rock and americana styles reminiscent of musical genres of the 40’s and 50’s, such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville.
Waits has a devoted cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters, despite having little radio or music video support. In fact, his songs are perhaps best known to the general public in the form of cover versions by more visible artists, such as the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart.
Although Waits’ albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries.
Lyrically, Waits’ songs are known for atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional and touching ballads.
While opening for Frank Zappa, the audience catcalled and refused to listen to him. It appeared that Wait’s classical americana and Zappa’s avantgarde jazz Rock were a less than a perfect match. Waits’ voice back then was soft, warm and clear. He sang songs about the losers on the streets: alcoholics, junkies, prostitutes and social outcasts.
He started his career in the early 1970s as a singer in spit ‘n’ sawdust bars. Initially, he was deeply influenced by the beat generation (poets like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs). He could not make a living from his music, although he was well accepted by the critics. The people at that time didn’t like his classical bar music, pre-rock and americana styles reminiscent of musical genres of the 40’s and 50’s, such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville.
Waits has a devoted cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters, despite having little radio or music video support. In fact, his songs are perhaps best known to the general public in the form of cover versions by more visible artists, such as the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart.
Although Waits’ albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries.
Lyrically, Waits’ songs are known for atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional and touching ballads.
While opening for Frank Zappa, the audience catcalled and refused to listen to him. It appeared that Wait’s classical americana and Zappa’s avantgarde jazz Rock were a less than a perfect match. Waits’ voice back then was soft, warm and clear. He sang songs about the losers on the streets: alcoholics, junkies, prostitutes and social outcasts.
Top Albums
Top Tracks
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Jockey Full of Bourbon
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Clap Hands
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Downtown Train
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Singapore
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Rain Dogs
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Cemetery Polka
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Time
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Hang Down Your Head
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Big Black Mariah
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Tango Till They're Sore
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Gun Street Girl
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Anywhere I Lay My Head
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Walking Spanish
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Union Square
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Shoutbox
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squiggins wrote:
I have precisely the opposite opinion. Early Waits is pretty good, but he's kept getting better. Old Man Tom (say, Mule Variations forward) is my favorite period.
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dethintwosec wrote:
1973-1976 era Tom Waits rules! After the thing he'd done with his voice absolutely scares me. I love his Country-rooted songs much more. Closin' Time is my favorite album of his.
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fuckingabstract wrote:
snob
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MaxUrai wrote:
Almost all of his most-listened-to songs are from Rain Dogs. Typical.
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Maagikki wrote:
quite so
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Dovenfleet wrote:
current pic is more than just awesome :O
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napanderi wrote:
The best part about that cover is that no one is forced to listen to it
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thekidwiththefa wrote:
The Killers are covering Tom Waits? FUCK THAT. As long as they contain their shitty music by keeping it as their own, I'm fine. Bah. I really enjoyed the first installment of the Beck and Tom Waits interview. Geniuses.
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Polyraclure wrote:
Current pic is awesome.
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Dustache wrote:
Beck will be doing an interview with Tom Waits, check out Beck's official site :)
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gEEEERa wrote:
tom waits and owns
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gEEEERa wrote:
someone should kill the killers before it's too late, that "let's cover a song and fuck it all up" is really getting on my nerves
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napanderi wrote:
30,000,000 plays!
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Monty__ wrote:
Indeed, most photos at the top are just plain awesome.
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Dustache wrote:
The problem with his photos is that he looks awesome in every photo of his. ;D
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50ftquique wrote:
and as it has been discussed, the Killers cover is pretty much destined to suck
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50ftquique wrote:
I've seen his profile picture change like 3 times today. I love this one.
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juanini7777 wrote:
La bestia un dia decidio llevarse un chocolate y regreso con una mula cargada de poder!!!!!!!!!
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napanderi wrote:
http://www.last.fm/music/Tom+Waits/+images/30777199 Vote up
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napanderi wrote:
Soon, 30 million plays.
Videos
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Events
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Sep
22
Concert for Worldwide Peace
Madison Square Garden, New York NY, United States
53 shouts
| 75 attendees
News
Tom Waits Donates Art to Benefit Local School
13 May 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits
Ever the charitable soul, Tom Waits has donated one of his rare photos — signed, framed and truly one-of-a-kind — from his “Oil Stain” series to a charity auction that will go to benefit the tuition a. …
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18 Jun 2008 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits -
18 Jun 2008 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits -
21 May 2008 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits
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Recent Activity
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dorksincapable added Tom Waits to dorksincapable’s library. 1 hour ago
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akasha7 tagged Tom Waits with rock, alternative and singer-songwriter. yesterday evening
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