One of the Doors first songs, written primarily by the band’s guitarist, Robby Krieger, (who also wrote three other big hits – “Touch Me”, “Love Me Two Times” and “Love Her Madly”).

Light My Fire was their first top charting hit, succeeding first as an LP track, then shortened by more than 4 minutes, and issued as a single. The song is consistently featured in various “greatest songs ever” lists, landing #35 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song perfectly combines Jim Morrison’s powerful voice with Robby Krieger’s guitar playing, and Ray Manzarek’s iconic organ riff and solo.

Ray Manzarek said in an interview with NPR about the song, but it was true for the whole album:

We were aware of Muddy Waters. We were aware of Howlin' Wolf and John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Plus, Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys and the surf sound. Robby Krieger brings in some flamenco guitar. I bring a little bit of classical music along with the blues and jazz, and certainly John Densmore was heavy into jazz. And Jim brings in beatnik poetry and French symbolist poetry, and that’s the blend of The Doors as the sun is setting into the Pacific Ocean at the end, the terminus of Western civilization. That’s the end of it. Western civilization ends here in California at Venice Beach, so we stood there inventing a new world on psychedelics.