5 Stellar Solo Songs by Ben Folds

Ben Folds first made an impact as the leader of the Ben Folds Five, an indie band that found a niche as a melodic alternative in the grunge-filled 1990s. After just three albums together, the band went their separate ways, leaving Folds, the chief singer and songwriter, the opportunity to go solo.

Folds has done a little bit of everything since that time, including a one-album reunion with his old band and some fascinating collaborations. We’re focusing on his solo stuff, however, particularly five amazing songs that show off his unique songwriting talent.

“Fred Jones Part 2” from Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)

Folds’ first solo album was a tour de force that showed he was going to be just fine even outside a band environment. The title track received the most attention, in part because of how Folds poked fun at the nu-metal trend. But there are plenty of songs on the album that take a subtler approach to coaxing emotion out of listeners. “Fred Jones Part 2” continues the story of a character Folds had first introduced on the Ben Folds Five album Forever and Ever Amen. Here, Fred is dealing with his final day of work before retirement, and Folds beautifully unspools the wistful story.

“Not the Same” from Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)

Because Folds plays the piano, it’s somewhat expected for him to gravitate toward the slow stuff, which he does exceedingly well. But he also likes to pound away on the keys and rev the tempo a bit from time to time, since it gives him the chance to show off his irreverent side. He’s playing all the instruments on “Not the Same,” meaning he built this crunching groove from the ground up and made it sound like a full band. Folds calls out a former friend for their sudden change of demeanor on the track, and the power of the music mirrors the attitude of his lyrics.

“Give Judy My Notice” from Songs for Silverman (2005)

On Songs for Silverman, Folds operated in a trio mode with a bassist and drummer, much the same setup that he used with Ben Folds Five. (There were actually only three of them; the name was a bit of a joke.) He also called on some guest musicians, including Bucky Baxter, who comes through here with some fetching steel guitar. Folds also does a great job arranging some cascading backing vocals, giving the song a Beach Boys feel. Lyrically, the narrator has reached his breaking point with a fickle girlfriend, so he makes the difficult decision to cut loose from her. Just an infinitely tuneful track.

“Cologne” from Way to Normal (2008)

Way to Normal found Folds flexing his versatility muscles, while also leaning heavily into his wisecracking sense of humor on songs like “Hiroshima (B-B-B-Benny Hit His Head),” which is a fake live song a la “Benny and the Jets.” There’s also a winningly, catchy duet with Regina Spektor (“You Don’t Know Me”), which earned him some of the best airplay of his solo career. We chose “Cologne” as the song to highlight, however. The title refers to the city in Germany, which is where his character finds himself all alone. He wants to tell his ex everything about his life and the news before realizing, in heartbreaking fashion, that’s no longer a possibility.

“Kristine From the 7th Grade” from What Matters Most (2023)

Folds has hinted in interviews that What Matters Most, which came out in 2023, might be his last album of solo material. We hope he changes his tune, of course. The fact that he came back so strong on this record only leaves us wanting more. On “Kristine From the 7th Grade,” he paints a topical character sketch about a girl whom the narrator once knew in junior high. She now spends her time going down internet rabbit holes and tries to take others with her. Amidst the gorgeous piano melody, Folds tries not to judge this former friend, instead trying to suggest a different path.

Photo by Matt Jelonek/WireImage