Daniel Johnston has been one of my favorite artists since I was a teenager and his music gave me a lot of comfort during some of the worst times in my life.
Today is the anniversary of his death, so I’m gonna post this list to honor him and to share his music with others.

His music often feels inaccessible to people who don’t know it I think because a lot of it is very lo-fi and raw and a bit much. But there are countless treasures in his discography that I think a lot of people could/would appreciate if they gave it a chance.

In addition to his music I also would like to highly recommend checking out his art and maybe watching one or both of the movies that have been made about/with him. They are really really special and great.
The first is feature length and called “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” and the second one is a short (about 15 min) called “Hi, How Are You, Daniel Johnston?”.

And as another added bonus I put a list of my favorite covers of Daniel Johnston songs by other artists at the end.

1. Lazy (from Songs of Pain, 1980)

2. Like a Monkey in the Zoo (from Songs of Pain, 1980)

3.True Love will find you in the End (from Retired Boxer, 1984)

4. Why, Without you (from The What of Whom, 1982)

5. Some Things last a long Time (from 1990, 1990)

6. Ghost of our Love (from Continued Story, 1985)

7. Loner (from Don’t Be Scared, 1982)

8. The Sun shines down on me (from Don’t Be Scared, 1982)

9. Come see me tonight (from 1992 originally I think, but I know it from the My so-called Life Soundtrack, 1995)

10. I Live my Broken Dreams (live performance at Liberty Lunch in Austin, Texas, 1985)

Honorable Mentions:

Despair came knocking
, My Yoke is heavy, Grievances, The Story of an Artist, Museum of Love, Tears stupid Tears, A Walk in the Wind, I had lost my Mind, Don’t be Scared, Walking the Cow, Brainwash

BONUS:

List of my favorite covers of Daniel Johnston Songs:

* Speeding Motorcycle by Yo la Tengo

(Featured on their album Fakebook)
* Some Things last a long Time by Lana del Rey
(featured during the Credits of Hi, How are you, Daniel Johnston?)
* Living Life by Kathy Mccarty

(featured during the Credits of Before Sunrise)
*True Love will find you in the End by Beck

* Walking the Cow by Alicia Edelweiss

(the last two I’ve only ever seen during live shows, I don’t know if good recordings exist of them)