The world lost a musical legend on April 25, 2023, when Harry Belafonte passed away at the age of 96.

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The talented musical artist graced the world with a number of stellar songs, the best known of which is inarguably “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).” On top of his contributions to the world of music, Belafonte was a major player in the worlds of political and humanitarian activism, and even earned the honor of becoming cultural advisor to the Peace Corps. He was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, serving as a close advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., and by 1987 had been named a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

He’s been a vocal activist for decades now, starting all the way back in the 1950s and stretching to modern times. He resisted George W. Bush and his administration, as well as the Iraq war, and frequently pushed back against increasingly restrictive U.S. politics. Up until his death, he leaned heavily into political activism, with ties back to President Obama — and his father — as well as Bernie Sanders.

On top of everything else, Belafonte dipped his toe into business, as well as film and television. His legacy is far too long to detail here, but he contributed nearly as much effort and impact to the world of politics as he did to the world of music, which he is best remembered for. His discography is (somehow) even longer than his political and humanitarian resumes, stretching over 30 years and just as many albums.

Harry Belafonte’s many, many musical hits

Belafonte is best known for the above song, which made him a staple of the musical scene, but it’s far from his only release. It would be absurd to list all of Belafonte’s hits here, when there are so very many to detail, but we’ll examine a few standouts that deserve just as much attention and respect as “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).”

Like “We Are The World.” Sure, Gal Gadot’s attempt to replicate the impact of this timeless track went a bit awry, but the original — which released all the way back in 1985 — successfully raised massive funds for Africa, and its Grammy win was well-deserved.

His first few albums aren’t as well known, but Belafonte truly entered the musical scene with Calypso. The 1956 album was the very first million-selling LP by a single artist, and launched Belafonte to broad success. It contains several persistently popular tracks, including “Day-O” and “Jamaica Farewell,” as well as “Man Smart (Woman Smarter).”

Later albums, including Jump Up Calypso — which reached number three on the Billboard Pop Albums charts — include several broadly popular songs. You might not recognize “Jump in the Line” on sight, but I can all but guarantee you’ll know the song the second its first chords reach your ears.

There are plenty more, but it’s probably best for you to discover them for yourself. A quick perusal of the best Belafonte songs is rather challenging — given his absolutely massive discography — but a dedicated fan can find plenty of stellar tracks to enjoy in their searching. We suggest you start with “Day-O,” “Jump in the Line,” “Matilda, Matilda,” “Island in the Sun,” or, around Christmastime, “Mary’s Boy Child,” and see where your recommendations take you from there.