The 14 Best Queens of the Stone Age Songs
Discover the best Queens of the Stone Age songs in preparation for their upcoming Adelaide show.
Words by Tobias Handke
Rising from the ashes of Josh Homme’s stoner rock outfit Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age has evolved into an exciting alternative rock act that gifted us a slew of incredible singles and the classic 2002 album Songs for the Deaf.
For nearly three decades Homme and his revolving door of collaborators (including rock icon Dave Grohl and the late crooner Mark Lanegan) have impressed critics and fans alike with their playful heavy meets pop melodies and colourful yet honest lyrics.
Last year saw the band drop their eighth album, the highly praised In Times New Roman… The record is QOTSA’s heaviest since 2007’s Era Vulgaris and is shaped by Homme’s private life, with the frontman overcoming his battles with addiction while engaging in a highly publicised custody battle with ex-wife Brody Dalle over the past several years.
Thankfully Homme appears to be in a good place now, and while In Times New Roman… has an aggressive edge, there’s an air of positivity woven through Homme’s lyrics. It pairs fresh ideas with a feeling of familiarity and is easily the best thing QOTSA has done in 15 years.
Currently touring Australia, we thought there was no better time to dive deep into their back catalogue and highlight the best Queens of the Stone Age songs before they hit Adelaide.
BURN THE WITCH (LULLABIES TO PARALYZE, 2005)
The recording of Lullabies to Paralyze was something of a reinvention for QOTSA. Nick Oliveri got his marching orders and Dave Grohl was recording In Your Honor with the Foo Fighters, so Josh Homme drafted in multi-instrumentalist Troy Van Leeuwen and drummer Joey Castillo to work on the album.
Inspired by the Salem Witch trials, ‘Burn the Witch’ is an energetic guitar-heavy single featuring a surprise appearance from ZZ Tops’ Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals. This is a 70s throwback with a consistent beat that matches the probing guitar work of Gibbons and Van Leeuwen.
EMOTION SICKNESS (IN NEW TIMES ROMAN…, 2023)
Despite sharing a title with the famous Silverchair song, ‘Emotion Sickness’ is poles apart in both sound and meaning. This is a tight rock tune with Homme singing about the breakdown of his marriage, falling out of love with his partner and having to “let her go”. The stop-start nature of the guitar riffs and the constant percussion all add to the hypnotic nature of this one.
IF I HAD A TAIL (…LIKE CLOCKWORK, 2013)
Akin to walking through a seedy red light district in some far-flung European nation, ‘If I Had a Tail’ oozes dark sexuality. “I wanna suck, I wanna lick, I wanna cry and I wanna spit” Homme leers amongst a backdrop of scuzzy guitars.
The addition of Alex Turner on backing vocals only enhances the sleazy vibe, with the Arctic Monkeys romance and sex-themed AM released the same year.
3’s & 7’s (ERA VULGARIS, 2007)
When it comes to writing riffs, few do it as well or as consistently as Josh Homme. The Them Crooked Vultures member has a knack for crafting catchy rock riffs that go round and round in your head. ‘3’s & 7’s’ is no exception, with Homme in fine form on a song he admitted was about lying.
Like so many QOTSA songs, this one is accompanied by a killer music video. ‘3’s & 7’s’ plays out like an exploitation movie trailer in the same vein as Quentin Tarantino’s Deathproof.
THE LOST ART OF KEEPING A SECRET (RATED R, 2000)
While it didn’t make waves when first released in the summer of 2000, ‘The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret’ is generally regarded as top tier by QOTSA fans. The energy of the intro alone is enough to draw you in before the ginger Elvis croons the captivating chorus, “Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone”. We won’t.
LITTLE SISTER (LULLABIES TO PARALYZE, 2004)
Any song that opens with a cowbell (originally a jam block) is getting two thumbs up. Inspired by the “sexual twist” of Doc Pomus’s song of the same name, ‘Little Sister’ is a frenetic rock song with multiple meanings, depending on your viewpoint.
Reddit is full of theories, with some users claiming it’s about incest while others believe the girl in the song is the little sister of the narrator’s girlfriend whom he has fallen for. Whatever you think of the lyrics, there’s no doubt this is a damn fine rock tune.
THE WAY YOU USED TO (VILLAINS, 2017)
Getting Mark Ronson to produce their seventh album Villains was an interesting choice, but one that strangely works. Offering a more upbeat pop slant, one of the album highlights is the carnivalesque ‘The Way You Used To Do’.
It’s a love song about Josh Homme meeting a 17-year-old Brody Dalle for the first time and serves as a reminder of the good times in their relationship, a stark contrast to the songs on latest release New Times Roman…
FIRST IT GIVETH (SONGS FOR THE DEAF, 2002)
‘First It Giveth’ riffs on the Bible quote “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away” from the Book of Job. It’s Josh Homme expressing how drugs can aid the music-making process but ultimately end up being a negative in the long run. The Nigel Copp-directed music video features footage from QOTSA’s Glastonbury performance and their tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s also memorable for showing bassist Nick Oliveri playing naked, something that became a staple of QOTSA’s live show.
REGULAR JOHN (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, 1998)
The first song Josh Homme wrote under the QOTSA banner retains the stoner rock of his early work with Kyuss coupled with a more upbeat sound. Describing a meeting between a man and a lady of the night, it set the tone for Homme’s sexualised lyrics that dominate many of his songs. The guitar riff still rips today, with ‘Regular John’ sounding just as fresh as it did some 25-odd years ago.
MONSTERS IN THE PARASOL (RATED R, 2000)
Rated R heavily references drugs throughout its 11 tracks, with Homme admitting this song is a recollection of his first LSD trip. It must have been one hell of an experience, with Homme singing about his friend Paul’s sister being “an alien”. The music video is another hilarious visual, parodying The Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ as the camera follows a man in drag walking down the street.
I SAT BY THE OCEAN (…LIKE CLOCKWORK, 2013)
Some might see this as a slightly controversial addition, but ‘I Sat By the Ocean’ is one of the highlights from …Like Clockwork. ‘The Vampyre of Time and Memory’ and ‘Smooth Sailing’ often hog the limelight, which is understandable, but don’t rule out this cool as fuck ditty.
As you would expect from a QOTSA track, ‘I Sat By the Ocean’ features a killer riff that anchors Josh Homme’s lyrics about lost love and loneliness. There’s something down and dirty about this track that’s hard not to love.
MAKE IT WITCHU (ERA VULGARIS, 2007)
Slipping into blues lounge act territory, Josh Homme swans his way through this sultry after-dark number. Originally recorded as part of The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10 with PJ Harvey on backing vocals, QOTSA re-recorded ‘Make It Wit Chu’ for Era Vulgaris, with the lyrics reinforcing Homme’s commitment to then-wife Brody Dalle.
While the marriage might not have lasted, the song remains QOTSA’s ode to love that still hits hard some 17 years later.
NO ONE KNOWS (SONGS FOR THE DEAF, 2002)
The song that propelled QOTSA into the mainstream is a foot-tapping alternative rock explosion with a steady groove that features Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl back behind the drums.
Originally written several years early, Josh Homme and the band tinkered with the song until it became the fist-pumping anthem it is today, with the Dean Karr and Michel Gondry-directed rampaging deer music video an absolute riot. Put simply, this is a tune.
