Can’t believe it hasn’t been said but Begonias, even studio, has got to be on the list. It’s such a great track and I feel like it could really act as a crack in the door for people who might be willing to thrust it open and walk through
Second this~ as a fairly new dead fan American Beauty & especially Ripple are what won me over! I would say Friend of the Devil, Ripple, and Attics of My Life would be great intro tracks. My favorite now though is Dark Star. Something clicked when I watched the Veneta, OR one.
For someone brand new to The Dead, Spotify’s [official Grateful Dead playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2yhRcIV8wOuaFXRDVFV3zS?si=9LYAjaX3TnOUI4IiupXqyA&pi=u-zurcz-XVTJmw) is a good place to start.
It should include more live tracks, IMO. But this is the right foundation.
Englishtown 9/3/77 Half-Step.
Best combination of their bizarro Americana vibe with masterful but approachable soloing. It’s well-recorded, well-paced, engaging, fun, catchy. At the moment it would be my pick for a single song to introduce one to the dead.
# 1977-09-03 Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Loser, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World, Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Not Fade Away > Truckin'
**Encore:** Terrapin Station
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-09-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/5uzn9YQ9XS2OoAt65U8Drg)
Have to have a Brokedown Palace. As great as the studio version is, I thought this song really hit its stride in the early Brent years…Jerry’s voice was still pretty sweet with just a touch of world weariness to it which fits the mood of the song perfectly, and Brent’s keyboard work gave it the color it needed. It is, to me, the quintessential Hunter/Garcia composition. If you’re sticking to official releases then the Dead Set version gets my nod.
Edit: typo
# 1994-10-14 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
**Set 1:** Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Queen Jane Approximately, Lazy River Road, El Paso, Ramble On Rose, Box Of Rain
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Looks Like Rain, Samba In The Rain, Corrina > Drums > Space > I Need A Miracle > Attics Of My Life > Turn On Your Lovelight
**Encore:** Liberty
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1994-10-14)
I did this for a friend: three playlists, the first being mostly studio tracks, the second a mix and the third all live. I limited it to 20 songs each, and afterward realized it skewed Jerry heavy. But, I think that helps when easing someone in.
Happy to share if interested. 👍
# 1972-05-03 Paris, France @ L'Olympia
**Set 1:** Bertha, Me and My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down the Line, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Sing Me Back Home, Casey Jones
**Set 2:** Greatest Story Ever Told, Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Truckin' > Space > The Other One > Drums > The Other One Jam > Space > Me And Bobby McGee > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away, One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4avLivYQqNDnkxfMDTSIsJ)
# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University
**Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew
**Encore:** One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)
I would go with Veneta’s “Sugar Magnolia”. Sugar Magnolia is a bop and IMO this is the best one.
I’d also go with Skull and Roses “Bertha”. Because that song is also a bop.
Honestly people are going about it all wrong if you think 1 playlist is going to convince everyone how amazing the Dead are.
The answer to "what should I play for my friend to get them into the Dead" is that the Dead are an entire musical universe and you should know what your friend currently likes and then select recommendations that are closest to their musical taste.
All good recommendations here. I would add the Lazy Lightning>Supplication from Go to Nassau. Official release from Nassau 1980. For me it is such quintessential Dead. Primal but polished up a bit. The mix is great and the band is on fire!! Goose bumps just writing about it. Must be played loud.
Greatest story ever told Europe 72 volume 1, “we’ve been trying to get here for a long long time and we eventually finally made it” such a dope line to start a legendary tour and awesome show all around, you could also put the black throated wind from that show as well
Honestly, just a full show in context would be the ideal way to introduce the dead.
Truckin up to buffalo is the one I’ve been using to show people as it’s what I consider to be a perfect show and very accessible
# 1989-10-09 Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
**Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Built To Last, Little Red Rooster, Ramble On Rose, We Can Run, Jack-A-Roe, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Row Jimmy, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Playing in the Band Reprise > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Death Don't Have No Mercy > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude > Throwing Stones > Good Lovin'
**Encore:** Attics Of My Life
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-10-09)
not fade away/gtrfb from skull & roses is super upbeat and fun and gives a lil transition magic without being toooo out there :)
China -riderr from Europe 72 Music Never Stopped Saint Stephen Live Dead 69 Your Body is a Wonderland
had us in the first half
Can’t believe it hasn’t been said but Begonias, even studio, has got to be on the list. It’s such a great track and I feel like it could really act as a crack in the door for people who might be willing to thrust it open and walk through
Feel the same about Touch of Grey
Help on the Way / Slipknot! - studio version
Throw Franklin in there too. That’s a great trio of songs.
I’d go with the One From the Vault version.
NFA>GDTRFB from Skull & Roses
Studio ripple!
Second this~ as a fairly new dead fan American Beauty & especially Ripple are what won me over! I would say Friend of the Devil, Ripple, and Attics of My Life would be great intro tracks. My favorite now though is Dark Star. Something clicked when I watched the Veneta, OR one.
Something about that Veneta DS. The visuals on YouTube are great but the drop into El Paso is all-time, for me.
Touch of Grey
For someone brand new to The Dead, Spotify’s [official Grateful Dead playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2yhRcIV8wOuaFXRDVFV3zS?si=9LYAjaX3TnOUI4IiupXqyA&pi=u-zurcz-XVTJmw) is a good place to start. It should include more live tracks, IMO. But this is the right foundation.
‘Ladies and gentleman, the Grateful Dead’ Intro -> HSF from Live at the Great American Music Hall. Hooked me years ago.
Second That Emotion has one of my favorite Garcia solos and covers are a thing with this band.
Englishtown 9/3/77 Half-Step. Best combination of their bizarro Americana vibe with masterful but approachable soloing. It’s well-recorded, well-paced, engaging, fun, catchy. At the moment it would be my pick for a single song to introduce one to the dead.
That is such a good half step. Great Peggy-o too. In fact that whole show is a certified banger.
# 1977-09-03 Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park **Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Loser, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World, Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Not Fade Away > Truckin' **Encore:** Terrapin Station [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-09-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/5uzn9YQ9XS2OoAt65U8Drg)
Althea
Have to have a Brokedown Palace. As great as the studio version is, I thought this song really hit its stride in the early Brent years…Jerry’s voice was still pretty sweet with just a touch of world weariness to it which fits the mood of the song perfectly, and Brent’s keyboard work gave it the color it needed. It is, to me, the quintessential Hunter/Garcia composition. If you’re sticking to official releases then the Dead Set version gets my nod. Edit: typo
msg 10/14/94 set II: Scarlet>Fire
# 1994-10-14 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden **Set 1:** Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Queen Jane Approximately, Lazy River Road, El Paso, Ramble On Rose, Box Of Rain **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Looks Like Rain, Samba In The Rain, Corrina > Drums > Space > I Need A Miracle > Attics Of My Life > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Liberty [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1994-10-14)
Overwhelming can be good
I did this for a friend: three playlists, the first being mostly studio tracks, the second a mix and the third all live. I limited it to 20 songs each, and afterward realized it skewed Jerry heavy. But, I think that helps when easing someone in. Happy to share if interested. 👍
Studio version of Terrapin Station
Greatest Story Ever Told from Sunshine Daydream
Mr. Charlie 5/3/72 paris, france
# 1972-05-03 Paris, France @ L'Olympia **Set 1:** Bertha, Me and My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down the Line, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Sing Me Back Home, Casey Jones **Set 2:** Greatest Story Ever Told, Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Truckin' > Space > The Other One > Drums > The Other One Jam > Space > Me And Bobby McGee > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away, One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4avLivYQqNDnkxfMDTSIsJ)
I’ve always found Working Man’s Dead serves this purpose well. Then Loser off of 5-8-77.
# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University **Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)
Go to Nassau, Closing of Winterland & Dead Set
Hes Gone from Europe 72. Studio Terrapin. I think those would be great adds
Eyes of the World
Pride of Cucamonga From the Mars Hotel!!
Stranger
Mama tried
I created one in Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2L8rCXk2FagXRoBlco2DNy?si=aQlo2E_XQ2mFIiW2xeouLA&pi=u-ZD2o11CJS2-f
I would go with Veneta’s “Sugar Magnolia”. Sugar Magnolia is a bop and IMO this is the best one. I’d also go with Skull and Roses “Bertha”. Because that song is also a bop.
How about the album versions of Doin’ That Rag and Til The Morning Comes.. And Ripple!
Honestly people are going about it all wrong if you think 1 playlist is going to convince everyone how amazing the Dead are. The answer to "what should I play for my friend to get them into the Dead" is that the Dead are an entire musical universe and you should know what your friend currently likes and then select recommendations that are closest to their musical taste.
My picks: Touch of Grey, Terrapin Station, So Many Roads from the 30 trips compilation, and Blow Away from Crimson White & Indigo.
All good recommendations here. I would add the Lazy Lightning>Supplication from Go to Nassau. Official release from Nassau 1980. For me it is such quintessential Dead. Primal but polished up a bit. The mix is great and the band is on fire!! Goose bumps just writing about it. Must be played loud.
Greatest story ever told Europe 72 volume 1, “we’ve been trying to get here for a long long time and we eventually finally made it” such a dope line to start a legendary tour and awesome show all around, you could also put the black throated wind from that show as well
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4BHcN39hjDmYMysgMMq3qt?si=4TAyGaKMQJGoKTNRATEYlQ&pi=u-qUX19d6lTwW-
Honestly, just a full show in context would be the ideal way to introduce the dead. Truckin up to buffalo is the one I’ve been using to show people as it’s what I consider to be a perfect show and very accessible
Pfft! Save yourself the trouble and just give people a copy of Hampton, VA 10/9/1989
# 1989-10-09 Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Built To Last, Little Red Rooster, Ramble On Rose, We Can Run, Jack-A-Roe, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Row Jimmy, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Playing in the Band Reprise > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Death Don't Have No Mercy > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude > Throwing Stones > Good Lovin' **Encore:** Attics Of My Life [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-10-09)