What Are the ‘Big 4′ of Weed Songs?

Historically speaking, we’re not sure whether humans learned how to make music or smoke weed first. Either way, the two have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship.

Many of rock’s greatest acts have written songs about getting high on marijuana. Some have praised the drug’s euphoric effects, while others have suggested its influence could actually bring on inspiration.

With so much material created in reverence of Mary Jane, it’s a difficult task to name a Big 4 of Weed Songs. We took into account things like legacy, creativity and popularity, and came up with the foursome below.

Steve Miller Band, 'The Joker'

Would you believe one of the greatest pothead anthems of all time was concocted at a party? "It didn't come together until a party in Novato, north of San Francisco,” Steve Miller recalled in a 2012 interview with Mojo. “I sat on the hood of a car under the stars with an acoustic guitar making up lyrics and 'I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, 'I'm a midnight toker' came out.”

Everything about “The Joker” – from its comfortable lilt to its carefree chorus – feels like its wrapped in a delightful haze. Released as the lead single for his 1973 album of the same name, the track was quickly embraced by stoners and rock fans alike. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and remains the Steve Miller Band’s signature tune.

Black Sabbath, ‘Sweet Leaf’

The sound of someone coughing after inhaling marijuana smoke welcomed listeners at the opening of Black Sabbath’s third studio album, Master of Reality. The noise launched straight into the classic “Sweet Leaf,” Sabbath’s beloved ode to pot. "Yes, this was done deliberately. And totally appropriate for the song, because it is about marijuana," drummer Bill Ward confirmed to Metal Hammer in 2016, adding that it was guitarist Tony Iommi who provided the cough. “He'd just sucked on a big joint," Ward explained. "We had the tapes rolling, and it was the perfect way to begin the record."

Sabbath were no strangers to drug use, and “Sweet Leaf” celebrated their favorite narcotic at the time. “My life was empty, forever on a down / Until you took me, showed me around / My life is free now, my life is clear / I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear,” Ozzy Osbourne proclaims during the tune. More than just a weed classic, “Sweet Leaf” introduced the world to stoner metal.

Bob Dylan, 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35'

Bob Dylan has continually insisted that "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" was not intended to be a drug song. Instead, he claimed the lyrics utilized the biblical definition of the term stoned, suggesting that people who go against the norm get punished. Given that Dylan had recently suffered backlash for transitioning from folk to rock, the explanation makes sense. But also… Come on! This is Bob Dylan we’re talking about. The man has incredible linguistic dexterity that he wields in every song he’s ever written. Are we really supposed to believe that he didn’t want people to interpret a chorus that declared “Everybody must get stoned” as anything but an ode to marijuana?

Like most things with Dylan, the truth contains many layers. We’re guessing he intended the tune – with its jangly, intoxicated brass band arrangement – to both criticize society and celebrate the joy of a joint. Regardless, stoners everywhere have been singing along with "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" for 60 years.

Conspiracy Theory: 12 x 35 = 420 Is that really just a coincidence?

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 'Mary Jane's Last Dance'

In a 2014 interview with Men’s Journal, Tom Petty referred to himself as “a reefer guy,” describing cannabis as “a musical drug.” The singer was always happy to let other people conjure up their own interpretations for his 1993 hit “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” never revealing whether it was inspired by a marijuana, a woman or something completely different.

“My take on it is it can be whatever you want it to be,” Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell once remarked to Songfacts. “A lot of people think it’s a drug reference, and if that’s what you want to think, it very well could be, but it could also just be a goodbye love song.”

With a chorus that says “Last dance with Mary Jane / One more time to kill the pain" it’s easy to understand why fans have commonly viewed “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” as an ode to weed. The tune remains eternal and is the most streamed song in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' catalog, racking up more than half a billion streams on Spotify.