--- title: "The 10 most memorable Vietnam War songs" description: "Doug Bradley and Craig Werner literally wrote the book on Vietnam War songs. See our top music picks of the era on We Are the Mighty!" date: "2021-03-29" modified: "2021-03-29" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/music/the-10-most-memorable-vietnam-war-songs/" categories: - "History" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" --- # The 10 most memorable Vietnam War songs ![]() Doug Bradley and Craig Werner literally wrote the book on the music of the Vietnam War. Really. --- In "[We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War]()," Werner recalls his tour in Vietnam and the music made memorable by the experience. ![]() * Doug Bradley (left) and Craig Werner (right)* Bradley [arrived in country on Veteran's Day, 1970]() and would spend exactly 365 days there. He and Werner, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, interviewed hundreds of Bradley's fellow veterans to find out which songs impacted them most during their time in Vietnam — and stayed with them after. While many of the vets were tight-lipped with their combat experiences, they were very forthcoming about their musical recollections. Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," "My Girl" by the Temptations, Blood Sweat and Tears' "And When I Die," "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, and, for Bradley himself, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Tears of a Clown." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmPc4MnFcC8 The authors compiled the Vietnam generation of veterans' favorite songs into a reflection of how the music affected the troops who fought there and how it affects them to this day. As a sort of preview for the book, [Bradley and Werner recalled the ten songs]() that Vietnam veterans mentioned most in his interviews. Here they are, presented on vinyl, wherever there was a vinyl version available. ### 10. "Green Green Grass of Home" by Porter Wagoner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2JueQxNq9c ### 9. "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b0f9G6_3eU ### 8. "The Letter" by the Box Tops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hG67kJnHac ### 7. "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyPKRcBTsFQ ### 6. "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StpRM8z16ng ### 5. "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoDaYjdfSg ### 4. "Detroit City" by Bobby Bare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNb6ec2A1gE ### 3. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIGk-PWfKnE ### 2. "I Feel Like I'm Fixin to Die" by Country Joe The Fish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soy3PHV3RiM ### 1. "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" by the Animals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojoFhnQOQUQ We gathered the songs for you into one playlist — let us know where they take you: ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()