Song · Cat Stevens
“Father And Son” by Cat Stevens
From the album Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
“Father And Son” by Cat Stevens appears on 15 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 1991 and 2026. It was first released in 1970 on the album Tea for the Tillerman. Its best result is #123 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,839 alternative song of all time.
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Video from YouTube (Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Father and Son" sits on Cat Stevens' 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, and it plays out as a two-hander in one voice. Stevens drops into a low, patient register for the father, who can't fathom why his boy wants to go, and jumps up high and urgent for the son, who can't quite explain it either but knows it's time to leave and find his own way.
Paul Samwell-Smith produced it, and the arrangement stays spare around Stevens' guitar and keyboard, with John Ryan on bass, Harvey Burns on drums and a violin solo from John Rostein. Midway through, guitarist and friend Alun Davies comes in with a curious chorus of simple refrains that deepens the ache. Decades on, Rolling Stone put it at No. 408 on its 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 638 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 1997 | 501 | 102.3 WBAB | WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) | 1023 |
| 2001 | 519 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2004 | 358 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) | 885 |
| 2007 | 493 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2009 | 338 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2012 | 278 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2014 | 375 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2018 | 414 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2019 | 724 | WYEP | WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 | 1017 |
| 2019 | 724 | WYEP | WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 | 1099 |
| 2020 | 156 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2022 | 287 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2023 | 123 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2026 | 574 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Also listed as: Father and Son; Father & Son.
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